Reciprocity is linked to doing for someone what they did for you.
Reciprocity , from Latin reciprocĭtas , is the mutual correspondence of one person or thing with another. Something reciprocal is what is done as return, compensation or restitution . For example: “In reciprocity for your collaboration, we are going to give you a surprise gift” , “The Government is studying applying the principle of reciprocity and requiring visas from countries that do the same with Argentine citizens” , “If you were a just man, “You would show reciprocity with this boy.”
Reciprocity can be associated with the phrase that indicates “today for you, tomorrow for me” since it implies doing for the other what the other did for you. For this reason it is usually linked to solidarity or hospitality .
Reciprocity according to psychology
Within the field of psychology, reciprocity is also studied in depth and based on it, a series of social and personal relationships and interactions are established. Thus, for example, that science agrees in emphasizing that any person is more affectionate and has more affection for the other person who has shown his or her love and sympathy.
This same rule leads us to have a tendency to tell aspects of our most intimate life to those who have also made a personal confession to us rather than to those who have not. And that also means that in any commercial negotiation, there is a tendency to give in to those who have previously done so as well.
Round trip
The concept is also used to refer to what comes and goes or has a round trip . In that sense, we can speak of the reciprocity of voices (in the case of a debate ).
The reciprocity of voices, then, means that the people who intervene in an area exchange messages: arguments are shared, answers are obtained, etc.
Reciprocity can be related to that which has a round trip.
Ethics of reciprocity
Within the field of ethics, there is a fundamental element that makes use of the term that concerns us now. We are referring to the so-called ethics of reciprocity , which already has its origins in Ancient Greece and specifically in figures such as the philosopher Epicurus.
What those theories establish is that, in order to achieve the happiness of the generality, it is necessary to minimize the damage that may be caused. In the same way, it also means that “do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.”
Thus, this aforementioned ethic of reciprocity became the fundamental basis of certain stages and movements throughout History. A clear example of this was the French Revolution and the reforms that arose from it in the country.
The concept in diplomatic and commercial relations and in anthropology
At the political or governmental level, reciprocity is associated with the treatment that the authorities grant to a foreign country according to the conditions offered by it . Reciprocity exists in diplomatic relations (to regulate the conditions of entry of visitors, required documentation, etc.) and in commercial relations (tariffs or concessions according to what is granted by the foreign nation).
For anthropology , reciprocity is an informal way of exchanging goods and work in communities that do not have the market . Experts distinguish between generalized reciprocity (retribution is not essential or may not occur in the short term), balanced reciprocity (direct exchanges based on immediate remuneration) and negative reciprocity (seeking to obtain a benefit at the expense of the other party through traps or deception).