Key Concepts in Economic Anthropology and Subsistence Strategies unit 7

alternative modernity

versions of modernity shaped by local social and cultural forms.

animal domestication

the processing of animal products for use as food, textiles, and tools.

balanced reciprocity

the practice building social relationships through the exchange of gifts of roughly equal value.

band

a form of social organization associated with gatherer-hunter societies. Bands are relatively small, often around 50 people, ideal for a nomadic or seminomadic lifestyle.

colonialism

the political domination of another country in the interest of economic exploitation.

commodity fetishism

the association of commodities with magical powers of personal transformation.

cultivation

basic manipulation of nature, such as the intentional growing of plants.

egalitarian

emphasizing equality and sharing.

extensive horticulture

a form of plant cultivation in which new plots are regularly cleared, prepared with digging sticks or hoes, and fertilized with animal dung, ash, or other natural products.

extensive or shifting cultivation

a horticultural practice in which plots of land are farmed for a period of time, then left to lie fallow as farmers move on to cultivate other plots.

fallow

describes a plot of land that is not cultivated for a period of time so that wild vegetation may grow in naturally.

gathering-hunting

the mode of subsistence in which people rely on resources readily available in their environment. Gathering-hunting peoples collect fruits, nuts, berries, and roots and harvest honey. They also hunt and trap wild animals.

general-purpose money

money that can be exchanged for a wide variety of goods and services.

generalized reciprocity

the practice of sharing without regard for the value of objects or interest in compensation.

globalization

the dramatic increase in global processes of production and consumption since the 1970s.

humus

organic matter in soil formed by the decomposition of plants.

hxaro

a friendship developed through gift exchange, practiced among the Dobe Ju/'hoansi and other San groups of the Kalahari.

industrialism

the mode of subsistence that uses wage labor, machines, and chemical processes to mass-produce commodities.

intensive agriculture

a form of plant cultivation in which one plot is farmed over and over again using labor-intensive methods such as plowing, terracing, and irrigation.

intercropping

planting certain species of plants side by side to enhance their health and growth.

markets

institutions that allow for buyers and sellers to meet for the purposes of economic exchange.

mode of subsistence

a way in which people interact with the environment to meet their needs. Each mode of subsistence involves its own forms of knowledge, techniques, technologies, and social organization.

modernity

the complex of sociocultural features associated with industrial society.

money

a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value.

monumental architecture

large structures built for public viewing or use, such as pyramids, temples, sports arenas, and coliseums.

nomadism

the practice of moving frequently in search of resources.

pastoralism

the mode of subsistence associated with the care and use of herd animals.

peasants

small-plot farmers incorporated into larger regional economies, often states.

plant domestication

the process of adapting wild plants for human use.

postmodernity

the cultural shift associated with postindustrialism.

potlatch

a feast in which a trove of gifts is presented by the host chief to the guest chief in order to demonstrate wealth and gain prestige.

precarity

physical and psychological harm caused by lack of secure and stable income.

redistribution

a system whereby goods are collected and stored by a leader and later given out or used for public benefit.

seminomadic

the practice of settling in one place for a period of time, usually a few weeks, then moving to a new site to find fresh resources.

sexual division of labor

the assignment of work based on a person's sex.

slash and burn

the technique of preparing a new plot by cutting down the trees and shrubs, burning the vegetation to the ground, then tilling the ash into the soil as fertilizer.

special-purpose money

money that is exchanged for specific items or services.

surplus

amount of harvest left over after supplying the needs of the household.

time-space compression

the postmodern feeling that time is speeding up and global space is shrinking.

transhumance

a technique practiced by many pastoralist groups that combines a settled lifestyle with routine movement. Societies that practice transhumance may move between two permanent settlements in an annual cycle. Another transhumance strategy involves most people residing in a settlement and sending a smaller group out to pasture the animals at certain times of the year.

universalism

the belief that social systems have operated roughly the same way all over the world at all times past and present.

usufruct rights

rights to use a resource but not to own or sell it.