ANTH100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Economic Anthropology

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH100
• Professor: Robert Park

Document Summary

Social organization - the patterning of human interdependence in a given society through the actions and decisions of its members. Culture tells us what resources to use and how to use them. Economic anthropology - debates issues of human nature that relate directly to the decisions of daily life and making a living. There are different cultures who view economy in a non-traditional, western de nition. Economic anthropologists should attempt to explain and apply the variations in economic de nitions by different cultures. Production - transforming natures raw materials into products that are useful to human beings. Distribution - getting these products to people. The type of economic de nition will determine which aspect of this chain an anthropologist will focus on. The way people consume things is tied to the historical context of the ways a culture has lived. Gave different resources to people based on their position in society.