Chapter 4 Flashcards
What were characteristics of Hunter-Gatherers?
pre-agricultural (Paleolithic) peoples with limited toolsets who relied on animals and plants for their sustenance
Hunted and gathered all day
Had some similarities to other cultural groups because they ahd same climate food source therefore developed similar cultures
Were culturally simple, and similar with some differences attributable to different food sources and climate
Nevertheless, were able to expand throughout much of the world
Low population densities and relatively isolated
Why did hunter gathers have low population densities?
Had to have low density bc a major city couldn’t be supported by hunting and gathering
Low carrying capacity
If you relying on hunting and gathering you can only support small populations
It wasn’t until the development of agriculture that allowed for larger urban populations and higher pop. Densities and increased carrying capacity
Carrying Capacity
“The number of persons supportable within a given area by the technologies at their disposal”
What were characteristics of Mesolithic populations?
Cultures immerged Populations moved from food gathering to food production
Developed new ways of life and economy
Development of culture
Increased Cultural divergence
10 or 11000 years ago the glaciers retreated that opened up new environments for humans and led to differing rates of cultural change in different areas
Began an era of cultural divergence that continued to this day
Humans grew in populations and began to expand beyond their environments, given their technologies and cultural practices
Reached carrying capacity
Without of some change they would’ve cease increase in population and even decline
What were characteristics of Neolithic populations?
new tools, technologies and social structures developed among sedentary populations
People who didn’t need to be up and moving
Social stratification, culture emerging
Describe Agricultural Origins and Spread
Agriculture turned people into producers of food
Rewrote human culture and allowed people to exceed previous limits on carrying capacity
Describe the Domestication of animals and plants
(beginning 10-20,000 Before Present): enables exceeding previous carrying capacity
Early domestication was from hunter gathers keeping young animals as pets early plant was non food nurturing followed by food species of plants to a few regions or origin
Traced different plants and animals
Occurred at different times in different regions (earlier in Middle East, later in the Americas).
Centered on different agricultural products
What were early Culture Hearths?
Early centers of innovation that cultural traits spread
Cradle of civilization that later spread its influence beyond that hearth
Earliest hearth: Mesopotamia (followed later by Egypt), china south america
Few emerged as civilizations centered around a urban core
What were Civilizations were characterized by?
common among all hearths
highly productive local agriculture, producing surplus food (if you have farmers on agriculture and food creation that frees up everyone else to do other things and that lead to a stratified society)
stratified society- strata are layers, we are fed by farmers, artistans merchants priests, govenement
We important so people can specialize in non agriculture
the development of astronomical and mathematical knowledge
each exported its culture far beyond its culture
Diffusion
What are 2 competing theories ?
Multilinear evolution, diffusionism
Multilinear Evolution
Cultural innovations occurred independently in parallel ecological regions because there were similar Environmntal pressures
Researchers that have studied these hearths speculate that if there are similarities between 2 civilizations its not because they were in contact with each other but it was because they developed similar hunting techniques or agriculture practices because they had similar ecological regions and it was natural they developed similarities in culture
Development of agricultural characteristics was not connected between different places but was coincidental because there were similar environmental pressures
Diffusionism
Cultural traits appeared in a few hearths, spreading over time to other societies along trade routes
Most of these cultural traits would have originated in 1 or 2 hearths and spread and out and they are linked together, dependent and that would account for the appearance of similar characteristics among widespread people
What were Unintended consequences of urban development?
crowd diseases
Relatively recent appearance among humans – circa 5,000 BP
Required growth of large urban societies- dense pop.
Required development of animal domestication
Zoonoses
animal diseases jumped to domestic animals than humans
Explain the Origins - Domesticated Animals diseases
As each new species became domesticated, additional diseases appeared in population
Caused severe but relatively local short term epidemics
As species were domesticated other diseases began
Specially the case where agriculture practices dictated the closer interaction between animals
Animals had to be fed by hand everyday
Animals were in large urban markets in close contact with animals and people
In contrast where animals are kept out of urban areas and instead of being fed by hand are put out into pasteurize
Different practices will lead to contact between people and animals
for people who contact with animals periodic bouts of sickness were inevitable but sickness was short lived without a significantly large urban population to maintain diseases a epidemic would flare up and disappear because there wasn’t enough people concentrated in a dense urban area
Smallpox
Emerged from cowpox – mild disease affecting cattle
Smallpox and cowpox have cross immunity
Edward Jenner alive in 1790s noticed milkmaids often did not contract smallpox so he used that info to demonstrate if you purposely infect a person with cow pox you could prevent small pox
He invented basis of modern vaccination
Led to the eradication of naturally occurring smallpox
People in developing countries wouldve been vaccinated not in Canada
Measles
Transferred to humans from dogs
MMR shot-
In recent epidemics and outbreaks have occurred everywhere poor and good countries
Due to some parents not choosing to vaccinate kids
Influenza
Most likely sources: domesticated birds (ducks and geese) and pigs (i.e. avian and swine flu). Now both serve to allow flu virus to mutate- this is why its difficult to track and make vaccine
Rhinovirus (colds)
Probably spread to humans from horses
Everyday cold
Culture
falls in two basic categories and is defined as the body of material traits, customary beliefs, and social forms
Folk Culture
is traditionally practiced by small, homogeneous groups living in relative isolation
Group of people in a particular place who see themselves as a collective or community and share experiences customs and traits and work to preserve them
So that they can have uniqueness
Use these traits to distinguish their culture from otehrs
Popular culture
is found in large heterogeneous societies that share certain customs (frequently changes)
Wide ranging group of heterogeneous people stretching across Identies and parts of the world who embrace cultural traits music dance clothing food and change frequently and are ubiquitous on cultural landscape
Heterogeneous means different people, different places different cultures all that are embracing these trends
Changes very frequently- trend you hear Abt one day and that it goes away, ALS ice bucket challenge, new song comes along
What can Culture be distinguished from?
a habit or a custom
habit
is a repetitive act by an individual
Things people eat routines things they do everyday
custom
is a repetitive act of a group
Small group like a family or large group like a culture
Getting together with family
Local knowledge
is the collective knowledge of a community (from everyday activities)
Doesn’t exist as a single monolithic entity
Small cultural group that has one wise person
What are 3 characteristics of local knowledge?
Orally transmitted or demonstrated
Oral transmission is supplemented by activities or stories that help demonstrate a procedure or reinforce a practice
Dynamic – reflects new knowledge- continually changing, to reflect new knowledge and observations
Many people/reservoirs are involved in a single community- many people who know different knowledge
Rationality doctrine
Idea that local knowledge outdated or inferior is known as the- Rationality doctrine
Common during European colonialism when Europeans would assume non Europeans were irrational or savage or childlike and all their knowledge was dismissed
Today: local knowledge is essential- will provide a framework for community problem solving and helped inform sustainable development processes
Custom
a practice that a group of people routinely follows
Local cultures are sustained by maintaining customs
Material culture customs
Leisure activities (arts and recreation)
Material Culture
The things a group of people construct, such as art, houses, clothing, sports, dance, and food
Different cultural groups find shelter or wear food in distinctive ways
Things you can feel touch, physical tangible things
All people eat food and wear clothing and have to live somewhere
Different cultural groups will do it in different ways
Different cultural groups will emphasize different clothing food live in different houses
