Nutritional Anthropology - California State University
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Transcript Nutritional Anthropology - California State University
Chapter 5: Ecology and Economics of Nutrition
The biological forces and social forces that
shape:
– human food use
– nutritional status of individuals and populations
Variables to be discussed
Physical environment
Social environment
Social organization
Technology
Culture
Physical Environment
Climate
Water resources
Soil characteristics
Indigenous animals and plants
Social Environment
Food procurement and distribution by:
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Other societies
Other regions
Other communities
How do these factors affect the diet in the study
community?
Social Organization
Structure and organization of the household
Political and economic structure as they
pertain to food through:
– Production
– Distribution
– Consumption
Technology
Tools and techniques
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Production
Distribution
Acquisition
Storage
Consumption
Culture (idea systems)
Food preferences and restrictions
Use of food in social interactions
Religious beliefs
Ideas about health
Subsistence Systems
Hunting-Gathering
Pastoralist
Agricultural
– Horticultural (gardening, hoe)
– Advanced (plow)
Industrial Agricultural
Core Characteristics of Human
Food Patterns
Extremely omnivorous diet
At least some cooking
More time consuming preparation
Elaborate food distribution, sharing, and
exchange patterns
Food prohibitions and food preferences
Hunting and Gathering
Most of human history
Collect food from land and water but not
cultivating
Distribution of food affected social
organization: small groups, seminomadic,
used large land area, population density low,
population growth slow
Hunting and Gathering cont.
Diversity in types of food consumed
Diversity in ratio of animal to vegetable
General nutritional status good to excellent
Seasonal food shortage a problem, this
varies with environment
Chronic malnutrition and deficiency
diseases rare
Pastoralism
Subsistence based on herd animals
Two types: Nomadic, Seminomadic
Nomads
– No permanent houses
– No agriculture
Seminomads
– Live in settlements
– Some individuals cultivate crops
Pastoralism cont.
Milk is important part of diet
Practiced for 3000 years
Today this strategy is less viable due to
political and economic constraints
Agricultural
Beginning 12,000 to 15,000 years ago
By 2000 years ago a large proportion of
world’s population completely dependent
on agriculture
“Agricultural Revolution”
Major changes in diet, nutrition, and health
Social and technological changes
Changes in human societies
Horticultural
Also called gardening systems
Use hoe rather than plow
No irrigation
Household consumption
No commercial sale
Household is production unit
Little interdependence with other groups
No expanded market networks
Agriculture
Use of plow
Irrigation
Class of producers – peasants
Only some producers
Other elites who control production
Malnutrition hits rural producers hardest
Cash Cropping
Industrialization of food production and
food preparation
Changes in household production
Changes in culture
Changes in environment
Leisure Time
Women
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Resting
Crafts
Visiting other camps
Receiving visitors from other camps
Kitchen chores
• Cooking, nut cracking, collecting firewood, hauling
water
Leisure Time cont.
Men
– Visiting
– Entertaining
– Dancing
Estimating Nutritional Status
Average consumption of calories and proteins/person/day
Estimated RDA (based on body size and activity level)
– 1,975 calories
– 60 grams protein
Observed Kung
– 2,140 calories
– 93.1 grams protein
Observed Achuar
– 3,408 calories (4,557)
– 104.5 grams protein (162)
Hunting Versus Gathering
Hunting is high risk, low return
Gathering is low risk, high return
With the Kung, gathering is 2.4 times more
productive than hunting
Food Preferences and the
Cost of Food
1000 calories of meat “costs” 10 man-hours
1000 calories of vegetable foods “costs”
four man-hours
Review of Subsistence Strategies
The Kung have been extremely successful,
in part, because of the heavy reliance on
vegetable food sources
Is this a common pattern?
– From a sample of 58 societies
– 100 % dependence on hunting and gathering
• 29 cases (50%) emphasize gathering
• 18 cases (33%) emphasize fishing
• 11 cases (17%) emphasize hunting