Economies and Their Modes of Production
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 The KEY Questions n What are the characteristics of the five major modes of production? n What are some directions of change in the five modes of production?
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Modes of Production Cross- Culturally n Look cross-culturally at a society’s way of producing food and goods n Gather data and categorize societies according to their mode of production These categories blend and overlap n Examine how a society’s economic system affects that society’s perceptions of “culture” and “nature”
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Modes of Production Foraging Industrialism Agriculture Pastoralism Horticulture
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Summary Foraging Horticulture Pastoralism Agriculture Industrialism Reasons for Production Division of Labour Sustainability Property Relations Resource Use Production for useProduction for profit Family basedClass based Stratified/privateEgalitarian/collective Intensive/expandingExtensive/temporary High degreeLow degree
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Foraging n Based on using food provided by nature –gathering, fishing, hunting –emerged at least years ago n Maintains balance between resources and lifestyle n Relies upon large areas of land and spatial mobility, e.g. the !Kung.
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 “Man the Hunter” versus “Woman the Gatherer” n Many anthropologists emphasized the role of males as the dominant provider in foraging groups. n However most everyday food is gathered by women (Slocum 1975) –75-80% among the Ju/wasi n “Man the Hunter” is an example of male bias in interpretation
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Horticulture n Emerged in the last several thousand years n The cultivation of domesticated crops in gardens using hand tools n Crop yields can be great and support denser populations than foraging n Constrained by time required for fallowing
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Horticulture and People n A family forms the core work group n Gender roles clearly defined n Children work more in horticultural groups than any other type of economy –caring for siblings –fetching water –hauling fuel
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Pastoralism n Based on the domestication of animal herds and the use of their products n Existed in Europe, Africa and Asia n Provides over 50% of group’s diet –Pastoralists trade with other groups to secure food and goods they can’t produce n Groups move to where there is pasture n Can be highly successful
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Agriculture – Agriculture n Intensive strategy of production –more labour, use of fertilizers, control of water supply, use of animals n Permanent settlements n 3 main types family farming plantation agriculture industrial agriculture
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Main Types of Agriculture Family Farming 1billion people are involved in family farming Family based Clear gender roles Large families More rigid class distinctions Land rights can be bought or sold Plantations Used to grow tea, coffee, rubber Concentrated ownership of land Hired labour Severe inequality Dominant in former colonies Poor social welfare for workers Industrial Capital-intensive Uses machines instead of human labour Used in industrialized countries Uses more energy Decline of the family farm
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Agriculture - a good move? “Progressive” - Most Euro-Americans think that agriculture is a major advance in cultural evolution. “Revisionist” - agriculture may be “the worst mistake in the history of the human race”
Copyright © Pearson Education Canada 2004 Industrialism n The production of goods through mass employment in business and commercial operations n Goods produced satisfy consumer demand n Employment increases in manufacturing and service sectors n Formal and informal sections