Chapter 5

Question 1

what is a subsistence system?

Answer 1

set of practices used by members of a society to acquire food

Question 2

what are foodways?

Answer 2

cultural norms and attitudes about food and eating

Question 3

what are agricultural societies?

Answer 3

separates food production from consumption

Question 4

what are non-agricultural societies?

Answer 4

have more direct link to their food and are likely to know where 100% of it comes from

Question 5

what is carrying capacity?

Answer 5

number of calories that can be extracted from a particular unit of land to support a human population

Question 6

what is Thomas Malthus’ theory?

Answer 6

we need famine and ware to keep population growth under control

Question 7

we all play role as _____, ______, and _______

Answer 7

producer, consumer, and distributor

Question 8

why is Thomas Malthus’ theory discredited?

Answer 8

population growth may increase pressure for new innovations and solutions

Question 9

what are modes of subsistence?

Answer 9

types of food systems defined by tasks involved in obtaining food as well as way members of society are socially organized to accomplish these tasks

Question 10

what are the modes of subsistence?

Answer 10

foraging, pastoralism, horticulture, agriculture

Question 11

what is an immediate return system?

Answer 11

food is readily available for consumption

Question 12

what is a delayed return system?

Answer 12

production of food requires investment in time before food is available for consumption

Question 13

what is foraging?

Answer 13

societies that rely primarily on “wild” plant and animal food resources

Question 14

what are characteristics of foraging?

Answer 14

• broad spectrum diet
• immediate return system
• nomadic
• egalitarian social structure
• small with low population density
• value of generosity

Question 15

what is a broad spectrum diet?

Answer 15

diet based on wide range of resources

Question 16

what is an egalitarian social structure?

Answer 16

social structure believing all are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities

Question 17

in foraging, how is labour divided among genders?

Answer 17

men hunt and women gather

Question 18

what is a potlatch?

Answer 18

extreme gift-giving

Question 19

what is a nomadic society?

Answer 19

wanderers and often move around; migrators

Question 20

what is a sedentary society?

Answer 20

little to no migration

Question 21

when would a foraging society be sedentary rather than nomadic?

Answer 21

when there’s an abundance of food resources

Question 22

foraging was seen as the ___________ society

Answer 22

original affluent

Question 23

what does it mean for foraging to be the original affluent society?

Answer 23

they have an idyllic life where only small % go day is spent “working” and most % are spent in leisure

Question 24

why might foraging not be seen as the original affluent society?

Answer 24

overly romanticized because challenging and depends on available resources

Question 25

what is historical ecology?

Answer 25

ways culture co-evolved with environment

Question 26

what is a built environment?

Answer 26

human-made spaces

Question 27

true or false: there is such thing as 100% natural environment

Answer 27

false because human manipulation is everywhere

Question 28

what is pastoralism?

Answer 28

rely on herds of domesticated livestock

Question 29

is pastoralism usually nomadic or sedentary?

Answer 29

sedentary

Question 30

what is nomadic pastoralism?

Answer 30

type of pastoralism that moves around a lot because they need to supply grazing fields and water for livestock, also adaptation to periods of drought, avoiding conflict with neighbours, and oppressive government rules

Question 31

what is the main goal of pastoralism?

Answer 31

produce animals for resources beyond meat such as dairy, wool, dung, etc.

Question 32

where do most pastoralists live?

Answer 32

in Africa

Question 33

how do pastoralists obtain a balanced diet?

Answer 33

trade with neighbouring farms for other products

Question 34

in pastoralism, what does social life and status revolve around and how?

Answer 34

higher amount of animals = higher status

Question 35

gender roles in pastoralism?

Answer 35

men own the cattle and women tend to the cattle and are valued for their daily labour and maternal roles

Question 36

how are families structured in pastoralism and why?

Answer 36

polygynous families and as many children as possible to minimize workload

Question 37

what is a polygynous family?

Answer 37

man has more than one wife

Question 38

effects of sedentary lifestyle of pastoralists?

Answer 38

able to own personal property but more conflict with neighbours

Question 39

what are modern pressures threatening pastoralism?

Answer 39

1. tourism 2. agriculture 3. human-caused environmental factors

Question 40

why are pastoralists sustainable?

Answer 40

land restrictions and regulations for conservation, don't fully deplete resources

Question 41

what is horticulture?

Answer 41

gardens are major supplier of food

Question 42

how is horticulture different from agriculture?

Answer 42

1. move based on best growing conditions 2. simple tools and physical labour; not as mechanically advanced 3. crops consumed by family and exchanged with community

Question 43

how do horticultures supplement their diets?

Answer 43

raise animals for protein

Question 44

how are crops selected in horticultures?

Answer 44

based on high yield compared to amount of labour

Question 45

horticultural crops tend to be higher in _____

Answer 45

`carbs

Question 46

what is shifting cultivation/"slash and burn" in horticulture?

Answer 46

moving fields periodically to avoid depleting nutrients from soil then coming back once it's restored

Question 47

what is multi cropping in horticulture?

Answer 47

growing a variety of different plants

Question 48

what is intercropping in horticulture?

Answer 48

mixing plants in gardens/fields in advantageous ways

Question 49

which crops are considered the 3 sisters in horticulture?

Answer 49

corn, beans, squash

Question 50

how does social life revolve around crops in horticulture?

Answer 50

crops can be used for gifts, signs of status, and attributed with spiritual entities

Question 51

what is agriculture?

Answer 51

cultivation of domesticated plants and animals using technology like irrigation

Question 52

what is the Neolithic Revolution?

Answer 52

transition from foraging to farming, explosion of agricultural tools

Question 53

how can agriculture be argued to lower quality of life?

Answer 53

- mostly unsustainable because uses more resources than produced - among first societies to enslave and indenture labour

Question 54

what are the 4 characteristics of agriculture?

Answer 54

1. reliance on few staple crops, usually via monocropping 2. larger and more productive farms due to population growth 3. more labour required thus farmers encouraged to have many children for labourers 4. division of labour and specialization which in turn leads to wealth differences

Question 55

what is our economy organized around?

Answer 55

a world system

Question 56

what is a world system?

Answer 56

complex web where goods circulate around the globe

Question 57

what is the change in distribution in the global agricultural system?

Answer 57

food now comes from all over the world rather than only local crops being available

Question 58

what is a commodity chain?

Answer 58

series of steps food takes from point of origin to store/table

Question 59

what are the steps in the commodity chain?

Answer 59

farmer -> producers refine food -> wholesalers package food -> retail -> consumer

Question 60

as food moves _____ the commodity chain, its value goes ______

Answer 60

food moves down, value goes up

Question 61

why does world hunger exist even though there is enough food production to feed everyone?

Answer 61

unequal distribution of food