chapter 7

Question 1

economics

Answer 1

the academic discipline that studies systems of production, distribution, and consumption typically in the industrialized world.

Question 2

why is economics important

Answer 2

allocation of resources is necessary for human survival

Question 3

classic economic theory assumption

Answer 3

1. equilibrium can be reached

2. individuals will always try to maximize profits

Question 4

economic anthropology

Answer 4

goes beyond supply and demand and the maximization of profits. It is cultural comparisons of processes of production, distribution, and consumption

Question 5

anthropological approach to economics

Answer 5

1. cultural and social context f in which people act
2. social and kinship relationships
3. ideas and attitudes that shape economic behaviour

Question 6

Karl Polanyi

Answer 6

economic anthropologist who divided economics into 3 types of modes of distribution

Question 7

Polanyi 3 types of economic distribution

Answer 7

1. Reciprocity- return of a gift
2. Redistribution- collection from members of a group ad then redistribution within this group
3. Market- money and profits

Question 8

society’s economy consists of 3 things

Answer 8

production, distribution/exchange, consumption

Question 9

Production

Answer 9

process of obtaining resources from the natural environment and turning them into goods

Question 10

exchange

Answer 10

the act of giving or taking one thing in return for another

Question 11

importance of exchange

Answer 11

exchange establishes and maintains social relationships

Question 12

units of production non/industrialized societies

Answer 12

non-industrialized- households

industrialized- private firms

Question 13

division of labour

Answer 13

the assignment of day-to-day tasks to the various members of a society

Question 14

labour specialization

Answer 14

the extent to which productive activities are divided among the members of a society

Question 15

subsistence strategy

Answer 15

the pattern a society uses to obtain food

Question 16

5 food procurement categories

Answer 16

1. foraging- hunting-gathering
2. horticulture- small-scale cultivation
3. Pastoralism- breeding and caring for animals
4. intensive agriculture- complex form of agriculture, animal herding
5. industrial agriculture- relies on complex machinery

Question 17

gift giving is associated with

Answer 17

class, social mobility, matrimony, patronage, employment, manufacturing processes, issues of style, conventions of gift-giving

Question 18

gift exchange vs. market laws

Answer 18

gift exchange is not a process that goes along with market laws, but with social rules of power, etiquette, status..

Question 19

Marcel Mauss

Answer 19

anthropologist who talks about gifts

Question 20

3 obligations of gifts

Answer 20

to give, receive, and reciprocate

Question 21

Rules of gift giving

Answer 21

1. obligations are kept because both sides benefit from giving and receiving
2. it takes place between not individuals but groups of people

Question 22

the principle of reciprocity

Answer 22

1. equivalent return is expected. Society is created by endless exchange of in which everyone pursues their own advantage.
2. equaling an unequal relationship is what maintains the system
3. its a material transaction
4. nature of the relationship governs the type of exchange

Question 23

Generalized Reciprocity

Answer 23

gift giving without expecting a gift in return- considered the most moral sort of gift giving

Question 24

balanced reciprocity

Answer 24

the practice of gift giving with the expectation that a similar gift will be reciprocated after a period of time.

Question 25

negative reciprocity

Answer 25

form of exchange between equals in which the parties attempt to take advantage of each other/get the better deal i.e bargaining

Question 26

Marshal Sahlins

Answer 26

anthropologist who contributed to principles of reciprocity

Question 27

Kula Ring

Answer 27

inter-island system of exchange of ritual objects | - ritual objects are a temporary symbol of prestige

Question 28

Redistribution

Answer 28

mode of distribution in which members of a group give their goods to a central authority and the authority redistributes the goods back to the people

Question 29

effects of redistribution

Answer 29

- maintains power, superior status - maintains a standard of living - use wealth to leverage power

Question 30

chiefly redistribution or tribute

Answer 30

goods given to the chief as the peoples allegations and the chief redistributes this in the form of a feast.

Question 31

Potlatch

Answer 31

a gift-giving ceremony among first nations. Serves as a symbol of status and distribution of goods

Question 32

market exchange

Answer 32

mode of distribution in which goods are bought and sold, value is determined by supply and demand

Question 33

principles of market exchange

Answer 33

1. value is present by impersonal market forces | 2. exchange is independent of social relations

Question 34

informal economy

Answer 34

exchanges unregulated by formal institutions i.e illegal exchanges

Question 35

Money

Answer 35

a generally accepted medium of exchange that acts as a standard of value.

Question 36

characteristics of foragers

Answer 36

- gathering, hunting, fishing - survive in an environment not suitable for food production - 30-50 people - no ties to any particular piece of land - emphasis on sharing stuff - informal leadership/egalitarian, minor distinctions in status - individual possessions is not emphasized - not specialization

Question 37

characteristics of horticulture

Answer 37

- slash-and-burn agriculture - land cultivation, not tied to the land - relatively settled - women are the main producers

Question 38

Characteristics of pastoralists

Answer 38

- nomadic - diet: blood and milk - all members of pastoralists follow the herds

Question 39

Transhumance

Answer 39

seasonal movement of animals between upland and lowland pastures

Question 40

Characteristics of agriculture

Answer 40

- intense cultivation of the land - domesticated animals used for labour - irrigation systems

Question 41

costs and benefits of agriculture

Answer 41

- costs: more labour, | - benefits: long-term stable production=population increase

Question 42

cultural structures vs survival culture

Answer 42

the more situated, and stable the survival culture the more complex the social structures and institutions and the less egalitarian they become and vise versa