Band Societies Case Study

chapter 3

Band Societies
© Mark Edwards/Photolibrary

GOALS
By the end of the chapter, you should be able to do the following things:
• Realize that foraging societies do not struggle to survive; rather, they have sufficient food and plenty of leisure time Understand the importance of reciprocity as a survival strategy for foragers Describe different ways to reduce conflict Grasp the importance of kin relationships and how they differ from other types of relationships Appreciate the different forms of reciprocity in band societies • • Understand that women play a central role in provisioning the household and that this affords women a position of equality List the characteristics of an egalitarian society Describe the cultural misunderstanding
A reciprocal economic system is a form of exchange of goods and services that occurs between members of a kinship group. The basic underlying principle is reciprocity, a mutual, agreed-upon exchange of goods and services. Reciprocity works well in a society in which food items need to be consumed quickly due to spoilage. Foraging communities are called an immediate return system (Woodburn, 1988) (versus a delayed return system). This means that the consumption of food and other resources occurs immediately. There is little surplus and little desire to develop any storage capacity. Foragers want to remain mobile and not be tied down by surplus. There is no need for storage, because the environment is their warehouse. Whenever they want something, they can access it. If a man successfully brings down a large animal, he and his immediate family would likely not be able to consume all the meat before it spoils. Even if he could preserve the meat, he would have to transport it, which becomes cumbersome. Instead, hunters and gatherers share their food with each other. A hunter is not always going to be successful. If he is successful every couple of weeks, he is doing well. But on the off weeks, his family would be without meat. His neighbor, who was successful in killing an animal, might
This makes men more efficient at blowpipe hunting than women; stronger breath means the poison dart can go further with more impact. In addition, since women typically do not hunt, their hunting skills are less developed (Endicott & Endicott 2008, p. 20). In the traditional anthropological literature, men’s hunting activities were said to be of greater value than women’s collecting activities. Men were described as bringing more food into the camp and as having higher status because of the greater value placed on meat (Begler, 1978; Friedl, 1975). Recent research (Endicott & Endicott, 2008) shows that both men and women make substantial food contributions that are recognized and valued within their cultures. This highlights the point that the traditional anthropological perspective of men as the sole or most valued household provider is influenced by Eurocentric