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Gift economies in the development of open source software: Anthropological reflections

Abstract:
Building on Eric Raymond's work this article discusses the motivation and rewards that lead some software engineers to participate in the open source movement. It is suggested that software engineers in the open source movement may have sub-groupings which parallel kinship groups such as lineages. Within such groups gift giving is not necessarily or directly reciprocated, instead members work according to the 'axiom of kinship amity' - direct economic calculation is not appropriate within the group. What Bourdieu calls 'symbolic capital' can be used to understand how people work in order to enhance the reputation (of themselves and their group). © 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1016/S0048-7333(03)00053-2

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
SSD
Department:
SAME
Sub department:
Social & Cultural Anthropology
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Elsevier
Journal:
Research Policy More from this journal
Volume:
32
Issue:
7
Pages:
1287-1291
Publication date:
2003-07-01
DOI:
ISSN:
0048-7333


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
278354
UUID:
uuid:10f9c94c-1a8e-454f-b4bb-3c8e805dde72
Local pid:
pubs:278354
Source identifiers:
278354
Deposit date:
2013-11-17
ARK identifier:

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