Chapter 3 Ecinomic Anthropology

Question 1

What is economic anthropology?

Answer 1

• subfield of cultural anthropology that studies economic systems cross culturally

Question 2

What does economic anthropology focus on?

Answer 2

Market/not market societies, capitalist/ pre capitalist societies and core and periphery interactions

Question 3

What is economics?

Answer 3

Study of choices- choices that maximize value

Question 4

What’s the difference between economics and economic anthropology?

Answer 4

• subject matter
• methods
• debate

Question 5

What are the three modes of human nature

Answer 5

• self interested model
• institutional model
• moral model

Question 6

What are the modes of production?

Answer 6

• foraging
• horticulture
• pastoralism
• agriculture
• industrial and Information Age

Question 7

What is foraging?

Answer 7

• Using food provided by nature
• it maintains balance between resources and lifestyle
• must have proper knowledge about local environment
• Only 250000 people today

Question 8

What is division of labour?

Answer 8

Occupational specialization according to gender and age

Question 9

What is the style for temperate foragers

Answer 9

Men and women are involved in gathering, large game provides small portion of diet

Question 10

What is the style of circumpolar foragers

Answer 10

Depend on large marine animals, men hunt and fish

Question 11

What is the cultural mean of property?

Answer 11

• private: individual can own and sell
• common property
• use rights: a system of property use is found among the hunters and gatherers

Question 12

How many hours a week on average to foragers work

Answer 12

5-7

Question 13

What is horticulture

Answer 13

The cultivation of domesticated crops in gardens using hand tools

Question 14

What is the basic unit of horticulture societies?

Answer 14

The household

Question 15

What is pastroalism

Answer 15

• 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)

Question 16

What are when key elements of pastoralism

Answer 16

• 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

Question 17

What is agriculture

Answer 17

• Intensive strategy for food production
• allows for permanent settlement and higher population density
• increased occupational specialization

Question 18

What is industrialism and the Information Age?

Answer 18

• the production of goods through mass employment in business and commercial operations
• goods produced to satisfy consumer demand

Question 19

What is economic activity?

Answer 19

• production
• distribution
• consumption

Question 20

What are means of production

Answer 20

Technology, land, ideas, labour

Question 21

Define exchange

Answer 21

The dominant way, in a culture, of transferring goods, services, and other items between and among people and groups

Question 22

What are leveling mechanisms

Answer 22

• 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

Question 23

What are cross cultural motives to exchange

Answer 23

Profit
Economizing
Obligation
Prestige vs no thanks

Question 24

What are the modes of exchange?

Answer 24

-reciprocity 
~generalized (pure gift)
~balanced (equal exchanges)
-redistribution (potlatch)
~movement of goods as a form of wealth
- unbalanced exchange
~ market exchange, gambling

Question 25

What is balanced exchange

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

What is unbalanced exchange

Answer 26

• 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