Chapter 3 Ecinomic Anthropology Flashcards
What is economic anthropology?
- subfield of cultural anthropology that studies economic systems cross culturally
What does economic anthropology focus on?
Market/not market societies, capitalist/ pre capitalist societies and core and periphery interactions
What is economics?
Study of choices- choices that maximize value
What’s the difference between economics and economic anthropology?
- subject matter
- methods
- debate
What are the three modes of human nature
- self interested model
- institutional model
- moral model
What are the modes of production?
- foraging
- horticulture
- pastoralism
- agriculture
- industrial and Information Age
What is foraging?
- Using food provided by nature
- it maintains balance between resources and lifestyle
- must have proper knowledge about local environment
- Only 250000 people today
What is division of labour?
Occupational specialization according to gender and age
What is the style for temperate foragers
Men and women are involved in gathering, large game provides small portion of diet
What is the style of circumpolar foragers
Depend on large marine animals, men hunt and fish
What is the cultural mean of property?
- private: individual can own and sell
- common property
- use rights: a system of property use is found among the hunters and gatherers
How many hours a week on average to foragers work
5-7
What is horticulture
The cultivation of domesticated crops in gardens using hand tools
What is the basic unit of horticulture societies?
The household
What is pastroalism
- Family’s are the basic unit of production
- little overlap male and female
- Generally men herd women process herds products (children help herd)
- strong value in mobility (seasonal migration)
What are when key elements of pastoralism
- special mobility
- group autonomy
- animals are private property
- use rights regulate pastureland and migratory routes
- More connected with wider markets
- Social institutions are more classified
What is agriculture
- Intensive strategy for food production
- allows for permanent settlement and higher population density
- increased occupational specialization
What is industrialism and the Information Age?
- the production of goods through mass employment in business and commercial operations
- goods produced to satisfy consumer demand
What is economic activity?
- production
- distribution
- consumption
What are means of production
Technology, land, ideas, labour
Define exchange
The dominant way, in a culture, of transferring goods, services, and other items between and among people and groups
What are leveling mechanisms
- important process in small scale societies that works to keep people equal
- unwritten, and culturally embedded rules that prevents someone from getting too wealthy/ powerful
- maintained through social pressure and status
What are cross cultural motives to exchange
Profit
Economizing
Obligation
Prestige vs no thanks
What are the modes of exchange?
-reciprocity ~generalized (pure gift) ~balanced (equal exchanges) -redistribution (potlatch) ~movement of goods as a form of wealth - unbalanced exchange ~ market exchange, gambling
What is balanced exchange
- Involves the least conscious sense of interest in material gain or of what might be received in return
- main form of exchange in foraging societies
What is unbalanced exchange
- market exchange is prominent form
- buying and selling of commodities under competitive form, supply and demand determine value (for profit)
- range from informal to huge shopping centers
