ANTH 2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Amazon River, Andes, Contiguous United States
Document Summary
Across the world, people raise cattle because of economic reasons (provide services), but also cultural reasons (religious worship) Cattle raising and beef consumption are key drivers of global environmental change. An anthropological perspective can help to understand the appeal of cattle raising, and contribute to sustainability. Opening the amazon in the 1970s: cattle raising, deforestation, and conflict. Cattle raising and the emergence of cowboy culture. Largest and most biodiverse tract of tropical rainforest in the world. Related to the ecology and environment of the region. Humanmade things begin to degrade with the rain. Not a lot of rock and stone; just soil. 50. 95% population loss in 1st century after contact. Not due to colonial conflicts, but rather the environment of the amazon -> spreading diseases of the groups. Looking to the cow across the cultures. Cowboys do not engage with cattle, rather they engage with horses. Relationship with cattle = show dominance, produce beef.
