Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Angela Lockard Reed

Outline 8, October 15, 2003

Subsistence

I           Cultural adaptation

            A          Convergent evolution

                        B          Parallel evolution

                        C         Cultural ecology

                                    1          Julian H. Steward

                                                a          Must analyze the interrelationship of a culture’s technology and its environment.

                                                b          Must analyze the patterns of behavior associated with a culture’s technology.

                                                c          Must determine the relation between patterns of behavior and the rest of the cultural system. 

                                    2          The Tsembaga

                                    3          The Abelam

II           The Hadza

            A          Describe the environment in which the Hadza reside.

            B          What activities are conducted by women?  How long do they spend on subsistence activities?

            C         What activities are conducted by men?  How successful are they, and how much time do they spend on subsistence activities?

            D         How are young boys enculturated into Hadza hunting methods?  What are those hunting methods?

            E          What game is most regularly hunted?  Is all of the animal used?  What is done with the parts that are used?

            F          How has the Hadza lifestyle likely changed since this film was shot?

III          Subsistence Strategies

            A          Food collectors/foragers

                        1          Up to 10,000 years ago, food foraging was the only mode of subsistence

                        2          In the past, food foraging was looked down upon as a “primitive” or “undeveloped” subsistence strategy, but now it is recognized that it is a highly developed strategy, just different than industrial societies

                        3          Egalitarian 

                        4          Benefits

                        5          Elements of human society influenced by our food foraging past

                                    a          Gender division of labor

                                    b          Food sharing between adults

            B          Food producers

                        1          Horticulture/extensive agriculture

                                    a          Swidden/slash-and-burn farming

                                    b          The Beng

                                    c          The Trobrianders

                        2          Intensive agriculture

                                    a          Preindustrial cities

                        3          Mechanized industrial agriculture

                        4          Pastoralism

                                    a          transhumance

                        5          Affects of food production on human society

                                    a          Permanent settlements

                                    b          Lineages

                                    c          Inequality

                                    d          Craft specialization

             C        Size of population for each subsistence strategy based on:

                        1          Carrying capacity

                        2          Density of social relations