The Anthropology of Food
Themes:
Cultural Change over Time
Cultural Diversity
Interaction of Culture and Biology
I.
Changes in Food Acquisition Strategies
A. Earliest Humans—Hunter/Gatherer Lifestyle
B. Food Production—Begins 10,000 Years Ago
1.
Consequences:
a. Class Stratification / Inequality
b. Gender Inequality
c. Health
d. Demographic Shift / Population Size (8 million à 6 billion)
but
also,
e. Specialization
f. Urbanization
g. State-Level Societies
C. Economic Systems Defined by How
People Get Food (in Non-
Industrialized Societies)
1. Foraging
(Hunter-Gatherers)
2. Horticulture
3. Agriculture
4. Pastoralism
II.
Why Do We Eat?
A. Biological Need—But What Explains
WHAT We Eat?
1.
Availability of Foods
2.
Biological Drive (esp. Fat, Sugar, Salt)
3.
Cultural Choices
-What are some examples of food taboos?
-Why some foods and not
others?
III.
Availability of Food
A. Diversity of Environments
1. Most Foragers Rely
Primarily on Vegetable Foods (65% vs. 35%)
2. Some Variation Structured
by Environment
a. High Arctic: Inuit
-Hunting:
40%
-Fishing:
50%
-Gathering: 10%