What is a subsistence system?
the set of practices used by members of a society to acquire food. (the way that ppl gather food)
What is carrying capacity?
the number of cals that can be extracted from a unit of land to support a human pop.
What was the prevailing Enlightenment belief?
that there was limitless progress. so tought that the enlightenment was a time of infinite progress.
Who was Thomas Malthus?
he wrote against the belief in limitless progress bc he studied history and used it to inform his thinking. he believed that pop growth would always stand in the way of progress. he said that pop grows geometrically, whereas resources grow arithmetically, leading to poverty and misery in the lowest class, which checks the pop. so he thought that in famines there wasnt enough food, but usu the cause is ppl cant afford food.
Who was Ester Boserup?
she wrote against the Malthusian pessimism. Malthus believed that agricultural methods determined pop, but Boserup noted that necessity is the mother of invention. in times of pressure, ppl step up their game and find ways to increase production, usu switching to more labour intensive alternatives.
Was Malthus or Boserup right?
boserup was right so far. pop depends on our limitless inventiveness. signs of pop growth has slowed as well.
What are the subsistence patterns (list)?
subsistence strategies –> food collectors and food producers. food collectors –> small scale foragers and complex foragers. food producers –> herders/pastoralists and horticulturalists. pastoralists –> factory farming of animals. horticulturalists –> intensive agriculture (produce more on a smaller area of land) and extensive agriculture (takes a lot of land but not at the same time) and industrial agriculture (what we have now).
What are forager foodways?
humans were foragers for most of the time they were on the planet only in last 10,000 yrs werent. diet of gathered plants is typically varied, nutrient dense, and includes aquatic plants. diet of hunted foods is also highly varied. gathered foods usu provide most of the cals. (Ju/hoansi).
What is the forager social organization?
foragers live in small, flexible bands around 30 ppl. size can vary depending on the season but usu small. band organization lowers social density bc its much easier to cooperate with a smaller number of ppl. men typically do more hunting and women typically do more gathering but some tasks are open to everyone ie Hadza. foragers are egalitarian (no social classes) so everyone gets the same rewards.
How do foragers use/effect the enviro?
foragers are nomadic so they move around. some have seasonal base camps and move around inbtwn them ie inuit. bands have some rights over their home territory (more rights of use, not land ownership). land is so scarce that only a small percentage of ppl can still forage these days and contemp foragers rely on purchased food as well.
What drove the domestication of plants and animals?
several theories. started around 10,000 yrs ago in a bunch of places independently. broad spectrum foraging, status competition. multiple strans theories take into account climate change, enviro, pop, tech, social org, and diet. so prob a lot of diff reasons.
What is the broad spectrum foraging theory?
had mega fauna to hunt and then as the ice age was ending they died out ans had an increase in small animals. humans needed a broader foraging strategy now, so they began foraging more broadly with smaller plants and animals.
What are the consequences of domestication?
property - ppl owning land, landscape - leaving permanent impacts on the land; population - increased bc fertility increased from the increased intake of fat, and not needing to carry kids with you when moving; diet - paleodiet was more nutritious, and when started relying on agriculture, our heights all decreased, ppl depending on very few crops; environment - loss of native species, deforestation, soil loss; disease - waste, mosquitoes from stagnant water, more rats spreading diseases; Labour - farming is harder than foraging.
What are horticultural foodways?
horticulturalists grow a wide variety of crops using hand held tools. they are sedentary. they live in small villages and often continue to engage in foraging. they plant small scale farms using hand tools. ex. Kaluli of Papau new guinea. plants are rain fed. slash and burn - men usu clear the land and plant, and women tend to crops.
What is the horticultural social organization?
gendered division of labour, but it varies ex Yanomami, Jivaro. horts are sedentary and often still forage. theres often a levelling mechanism to prevent accumulation.
How do horticulturalists use/effect the enviro?
deforest enviros when they need new soil. often move back to old growing fields after its recovered for a few yrrs. they use spots that are around their same village so its easier to go back to old fields when the soil is ready.
What are the pastoralists ppodways?
pastoralism is a way of life that revolves around herding. its more common in areas that do not support agriculture. animals produce milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, blood, and sometimes meat. they often trade with neighbouring groups.
What is the pastoralist social organization?
pastoralists are nomadic. families try to maintain sizable herds. they get all the other things they need from trades with others. herding is done by men and boys while women and girls do most other tasks ie process food, sewing, and fixing things. ex basseri of southern iran have gendered tasks like this and men also carry the wood and water. they produce more dairy products and occasionally meat.
How do pastoralists use/effect the enviro?
transhumance. grazing helps biodiversity of native plants when done responsibly ie not overgrazing. pasts try to use every part of the animal. manure used to fuel fires. places with long hist of dairy eating and pastoralism have higher lactose tolerance bc its an evolved characteristic for survival.
What is transhumance?
moving seasonally back and forth over long distances.
What are intensive agricultural foodways?
started around 9000 yrs ago in middle east. use of plows and animals. intensive ag has shorter fallow period (leaving field unplanted to restore soil fertility). it requires more prep and maintenance but provides greater yields. idply invented 6 times ie mexico, andes, egypt, china, palestine. lower nutritional quality - not as diverse crops. complex systems of irrigation ie canals, ducts, etc.
What is the aztec empire agriculture example?
demonstrates intensive ag. lived in islands linked to waterways/canals. broad spectrum of subsistence; foraging, fishing, slash and burn, intensive ag was mainstay. piled mud, anchored with willow trees and planted seeds on them.
What is the intensive agriculture social organization?
need a fully settled pop to farm the same land all yr. large pops result in more complex social, economic, and political systems. hierarchical occupational specialization. creation of nobility (own land) and peasantry (work the land). centralized gov backed by political and religious authority. usu have land owners, and the the labourers , ppl who actually work the land.
How does intensive ag use/effect the enviro?
large scale ag is more about maximizing production than conserving resources. draught animals are used (domesticated animals used to pull heavy loads). rice, maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, and millet are most common staples. ex. diff types of rice suit diff ecologies and the land may be terraced to meet irrigation needs ie wet and dry rice cultivation.
