Final answer:
Malinowski and Mauss had distinct anthropological approaches to the study of money and economies in different societies. Malinowski focused on the functionality of complex economic systems in primitive societies while Mauss highlighted the social and symbolic aspects of objects used for exchange in archaic societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between Malinowski and Mauss theories of money lies in their anthropological approaches to the economic systems of societies. Malinowski focused on the functional aspects of so-called primitive societies, demonstrating through his ethnographic work that they have complex systems in place for meeting a wide array of human needs, including those related to economics, religion, and kinship. By contrast, Mauss's seminal work, 'The Gift', emphasizes the systems of exchange in archaic societies where objects or goods were not merely economic commodities but were intertwined with social and spiritual obligations. Mauss's theory elucidates the social dimensions of money, seeing it as rooted in the reciprocal obligations of gift exchange.
Mauss’s exploration of the gift economy reveals that money in early societies often took the form of objects, like cowry shells or precious metals, that had symbolic meanings beyond their material value. These objects became universally accepted within those societies as means of exchange. Malinowski’s work on the Trobriand Islands highlighted the sophisticated economic practices within these cultures, countering the notion that they were simple or undeveloped.