Economic Systems and Their Cultural Implications

Economic systems

Organize the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Market Systems

Based on supply and demand; prices are determined in a free market.

Non-Market Systems

Goods and services distributed based on social relationships rather than market mechanisms.

Foraging (Hunting-Gathering)

Oldest subsistence method; relies on wild resources.

Example of Foraging

San people of Southern Africa.

Pastoralism

Involves herding livestock.

Example of Pastoralism

Common among nomadic groups (e.g., Maasai in East Africa).

Horticulture

Small-scale farming with simple tools; may involve shifting cultivation.

Agricultural Systems

Intensive farming using plows and irrigation (e.g., rice farming in Asia).

Industrialized Agriculture

Large-scale farming with mechanization and chemical inputs.

Nomadism

Movement of people and livestock in search of pasture and water.

Transhumance

Seasonal movement between fixed summer and winter pastures.

Generalized Reciprocity

Exchange without immediate return (e.g., family support).

Balanced Reciprocity

Exchange of goods of roughly equal value (e.g., gift-giving).

Negative Reciprocity

Attempt to get something for nothing (e.g., in competitive or hostile relationships).

Redistribution

Centralized collection and distribution of resources (e.g., taxation, welfare systems).

Moral Economy

Economic practices guided by ethical considerations (often community-based).

Triangle Trade

Historical trade system involving Europe, Africa, and the Americas (exchange of goods, slaves).

World Systems Theory

Framework for understanding global economic dynamics (core, semi-periphery, and periphery countries).

Core Countries

Developed nations (e.g., USA, Germany).

Periphery Countries

Less developed nations (e.g., many African countries).

Commodity Chain

Full range of activities involved in the production and distribution of a commodity.

Social Life of Things

How commodities acquire meaning and value through social interactions.

Collective Effervescence

Term by Emile Durkheim; communal energy during collective rituals.

Opiate of the Masses

Term by Karl Marx; religion pacifies the oppressed, distracting from injustices.

Animatism

Belief in an impersonal power influencing human affairs.

Animism

Belief that objects, places, and creatures have spiritual essence.

Monotheism

Belief in one god.

Polytheism

Belief in multiple gods.

Shamans

Communicate with the spirit world, serve as healers.

Priests

Formal religious leaders who perform rituals.

Prophets

Claim to receive divine messages, often establishing new religions.

Religious Rituals

Symbolic actions performed in a religious context.

Secular Rituals

Non-religious ceremonies (e.g., graduations, weddings).

Day of the Dead

Mexican tradition honoring deceased loved ones, blending indigenous beliefs and Catholicism.

Imitative Magic

Rituals mimic the desired outcome (e.g., voodoo dolls).

Contagious Magic

Objects once in contact can influence each other (e.g., using hair in a spell).

Bronislaw Malinowski

Emphasized religion's functional role in society.

Clifford Geertz

Religion as a system of symbols providing meaning to life.

Emile Durkheim

Focused on social functions of religion.

Karl Marx

Critiqued religion as a tool of oppression.

George Gmelch

Studied magic in sports, illustrating psychological comfort.

Kinship

Refers to family structures and social relationships.

Family of Orientation

Family into which one is born.

Family of Procreation

Family one creates through marriage and childbearing.

Nuclear Family

Two parents and children.

Extended Family

Includes relatives beyond the nuclear family.

Joint Family

Multiple generations living together.

Matrilineal Descent

Lineage traced through the mother.

Patrilineal Descent

Lineage traced through the father.

Unilineal Descent

Only one line of descent is recognized (either maternal or paternal).

Bilateral Descent

Recognizes both maternal and paternal lines.

Monogamy

One spouse at a time.

Serial Monogamy

Multiple spouses over time, but only one at a time.

Polygamy

Multiple spouses; can be polygyny (one man, multiple women) or polyandry (one woman, multiple men).

Fraternal Polyandry

Brothers share a wife.

Companionate Marriage

Based on emotional bonds and companionship.

Arranged Marriage

Families play a significant role in selecting partners.

Bride Wealth/Price

Groom's family provides wealth to the bride's family.

Dowry

Transfer of wealth from the bride's family to the groom's family.

Meredith Small

Studied kinship and family structures.

Melvyn Goldstein

Studied Tibetan kinship and marriage practices.