Ritualized Gift Giving And Political Loyalty
Coronation of the King of Whidah, 1725, Circa of the New York Public Library
Many struggle with understanding politicians. Like a new cell phone, we get frustrated and disgusted and decide we don't want anything to do with them. However, that is exactly what some politicians want—to be left alone to make public policy about how to allocate and spend our hard earned tax dollars. I would challenge everyone to remember that our vote count because elections decide who will represent us when it time to make policy about healthcare, pandemics, roads, parks and recreation facilities, schools, libraries, and access to Wi-Fi.
Political parties and candidates have historically organized event where they practice the ritualized giving of food and drink in order to gain support for them and their position on election year issues. First, it's critical to understand this practice and its purpose and second to understand how powerful a registered voter is.
This part of an ongoing series entitled stumping and eating, the role of food in politics. It also discusses a related strategy; how parties and candidates organize events in which they give food and drink in exchange for campaign donations. We will be looking at past elections with comparisons with the 2020 election. What I share is indeed cyclical. As King Solomon says in the book of Ecclesiastes, there's nothing new under the sun.
Political elites in Ancient African Empires such as the Asante, Dahomey, and Yoruba employed the strategy of ritualized gift giving distributing ceramics, woodcarvings, food—especially yams, the Kola nut, seasonings like salt, and alcoholic beverages—particularly palm wine and beer. In the Americas, Inca, Mayan, and Aztec political elites distributed and exchanged ceramics, food from corn and potatoes and drinks from chocolate and fermented drinks such as chicha. Ritualized gift giving served the purpose of marking one social identity, recruiting allies, and currying favors. Gifts maintained alliances, patron/client relationships, and ensured the loyalty of subordinates.
Food events are often opportunities to give in order to receive. Sometimes it is a simple as giving in order to receive the joy of helping another or introducing your friends to each other. When it comes to politics often the giving is transactional; it’s giving for support and/or mobilizing voters on Election Day. I pray that what I share helps the reader better understand their choices and decisions and develop a framework for discerning the political constructions of relationships and institutions.
Food events are often opportunities to give in order to receive. Sometimes it is a simple as giving in order to receive the joy of helping another or introducing your friends to each other. When it comes to politics often the giving is transactional; it’s giving for support and/or mobilizing voters on Election Day.
Editor Dr. Frederick Douglass Opie. Follow Dr Opie and share a link to the series
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Stumping and Eating Series
