ANT 252 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Subsistence Agriculture, Pastoralism, International Inequality
Document Summary
People identifying certain foods with food health. Changing family dynamics (like women"s increased involvement in the workforce) The influence of large-scale political-economic processes such as cross-border trading and globalization policies. 4 modes of subsistence among humans, past and present: foraging. Prior to 10,000 yrs ago, all humans lived as foragers. Most foragers live mobile lives, traveling to where food is. Foragers often work less to procure their subsistence than people who pursue horticulture or pastoralism: horticulture. Primary goal is to feed a single household. Horticulturists tend to be sedentary, just living in one place. Relies heavily on human labor and energy. Have relatively small yields and are vulnerable to crop failures and soil depletion. Most common form is swidden agriculture - slash-and-burn agriculture, which releases nutrients back into the soil after the crops are burned: pastoralism. Centers around herding, breeding and caring of domesticated animals. May be yaks, goats, sheep, cattle, horses, llamas, alpacas, reindeer or camels.
