Contrast the four types of subsistence strategies, be sure to include differences in lifestyle, kinship, property, ownership, distribution of resources and division of labor.
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To contrast the four types of subsistence strategies - hunting and gathering, pastoralism, horticulture, and agriculture - we'll look at the differences in lifestyle, kinship, property ownership, distribution of resources, and division of labor.
1. Hunting and Gathering:
- Lifestyle: Hunter-gatherers rely on hunting animals and gathering edible plants for survival. They tend to be nomadic, moving frequently to follow food sources.
- Kinship: Hunter-gatherer societies typically have egalitarian kinship systems, meaning that there are no distinct social hierarchies based on age, gender, or wealth.
- Property Ownership: They have no concept of private property, as resources are shared among the community.
- Distribution of Resources: Resources are typically shared equally. There is no centralized authority governing resource allocation.
- Division of Labor: Roles are generally not gender-specific, and tasks are often shared among group members, with everyone contributing to gathering food.
2. Pastoralism:
- Lifestyle: Pastoralists rely on herding and raising livestock as their primary subsistence strategy. They are semi-nomadic, moving their animals to find grazing land.
- Kinship: Pastoral societies have a hierarchical kinship structure, with wealth and power often concentrated in certain families or tribes.
- Property Ownership: Property ownership is often tied to ownership of livestock, with individual or group ownership of herds being common.
- Distribution of Resources: Distribution of resources can be hierarchical, with leaders or landowners having more control over the distribution of livestock and their by-products.
- Division of Labor: Different tasks are divided based on age and gender, with men often responsible for herding and defense, and women involved in milk processing and household activities.
3. Horticulture:
- Lifestyle: Horticultural societies rely on cultivating small gardens using simple tools for their sustenance. They often have semi-permanent settlements.
- Kinship: Kinship structures can vary, but they often have more flexible and egalitarian social structures compared to pastoral or agricultural societies.
- Property Ownership: Land is typically communally owned, with no concept of individual land ownership. Some tools and personal possessions may be individually owned.
- Distribution of Resources: Resources are shared among members of the community, often through reciprocal exchanges or gift-giving.
- Division of Labor: Tasks are divided based on age and gender, with men usually involved in clearing land and women responsible for planting, weeding, and harvesting.
4. Agriculture:
- Lifestyle: Agricultural societies depend heavily on cultivating crops using advanced techniques and tools. They often live in permanent settlements.
- Kinship: Agricultural societies tend to have more complex kinship systems, often establishing social hierarchies based on wealth and land ownership.
- Property Ownership: Private ownership of land is common, and wealth and social status are tied to the size and fertility of landholdings.
- Distribution of Resources: Resource distribution tends to be unequal, with those who own more land and wealth having more control over resources.
- Division of Labor: Division of labor becomes more specialized, with men primarily engaged in plowing and heavy labor, while women handle domestic tasks and sometimes assist in agricultural work.
Remember, these are general characteristics, and subsistence strategies can vary across cultures and regions. This overview should help you understand the fundamental differences in each strategy.