People s and Cultures 10 04 2011 1 Economy system of production distribution and consumption of resources Adaptive strategies system of economic production foraging horticulture pastoralism agriculture industrialism Mode of production dominant way of organizing production that is a set of social relations through which labor is deployed to wrest energy from nature by means of tools skills organization and knowledge 2 Means of Production land labor technology Socio political organization the regulation and management of interrelationships among groups and their representatievs It includes not only primary associations but also access to power resources and decision making and the settling of disputes 3 The market industrial system institutes scarcity in a manner completely Foragers have a marvelously varied diet a kind of material plenty indifference to possessions work less and experience abundance and without parallel leisure 4 Foraging Old Way Until 10 000 years ago the predominant mode of production Reliance on natural surroundings Some foragers retained their ways Some adopted agriculture Some became foragers later 5 Anthropologists find correlations between the economy MOP and social life These are not rigid categories there are combinations of MOP and social Band small social groups of fewer than 100 usually relatied by kinship or organization marriage Egalitarianism 6 Mostforaging societies are egalitarian with few contrasts in prestige poer although there is some difference based on age and gender Band leaders are leaders in name only first among equals Prestige is achieved by earning respect or approval for culturally valued acts Food is shared and qualities Foragers lack formal law in the sense of legal codes trials and enforcement But they do have methods of social control and dispute settlement Acts of homicide are rare in foraging societies 7 Hunting Small game but some larger Shared larger game other for individual or family consumption Scavenging from other predators All parts of animal usd Cooperative hunting and diversified activities Intimate knowledge of animal habits and tracking butchering and preserving a little Meat provides entertainment Meat used for solidarity 7A Slow Hunting consisting of small game such as tortoise snail snake baby birds etc Can be done by all members Scavenger Hunting meat obtained from other predators often cats Running Hunt often includes long distance runs until it collapses of exhaustion Bow and Arrow Hunt conducted in groups good tracking skills environment poison spears may last a week or more 8 Gathering Wild plants berries roots water Some plants gathered for their water shelter fire Multitude of diverse foods gathering propagates biodiversity Extensive knowledge of surroundings and preparation methods Some gathered foods shared others not depending on difficulty Most nutrition derived from gathering Performed by most all in group Increases solidarity and equality 9 Tools portable replaceable shared versatile low intensive Sharing ensures getting through tough times risk is generalized Theft does not exist Ensures demographic restraints birth spacing long lactation birth control 10 Sharing General reciprocity sharing is a rule Gifts circulate as do all goods Gifts should not embarrass Sharing ensures solidarity 11 Territory Larger than for the group s needs Dependence on environment infanticide euthanasia Mobility or lack of is biggest limitation No legal definition of property Environmentally literate 12 Foraging Considerations When considering issues of human nature its important to remember that the egalitarian band was the basic qform of human social life for most of our history Now on the decline due to intense economic social pressures The most ecologically friendly NOP Foragers create the abundance of their surroundings 10 04 2011 10 04 2011