Question

1. Modes of production: definition and thinkers who contributed the theory. What are the modes of production following Eric Wolf? Provide one example of each.
2. Who are the subsistence farmers: think of clear illustrations
3. What are the means of production?
4. Define “informal economy”. Provide an example
5. What are the Modes of Exchange? Provide a clear example of each and explain.
6. What are the markets? What regulates market exchanges? What is at the basis of market exchanges?
7. What is consumption? What economic anthropologists explore when examining consumption?
8. Provide a good example of the changes in consumption in the “Developing World” due to globalization?
9. Think of Darjeeling tea, what did you learn about its production, distribution, and consumption?
10. What is POLITCAL ECONOMY?
11. What is structural violence? What could be better understand about society if we take it into consideration?

Answer 1

Modes of production : It is the different ways that human beings collectively produce the means of substitence for survivng and enhancing social well being. Important thinkers are Karl Max and Eric Wolf.

Modes of productin following Eric Folf are :

1.Capitalist mode of production

2.Kin-ordered mode of production

3.Tributary mode of production

substitence farmers :

Subsistence farmers are those who do agriculture which is a self-sufficiency farming system in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their entire families. The output is mostly for local requirements with little or no surplus trade. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to feed and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made principally with an eye toward what the family will need during the coming year, and secondarily toward market prices. Tony Waters writes: "Subsistence peasants are people who grow what they eat, build their own houses, and live without regularly making purchases in the marketplace."

The informal economy, or grey economy is the part of an economy that is neither taxed, nor monitored by any form of government. The activities of the informal economy are not included in the gross national product (GNP) and gross domestic product (GDP) of a country.

Modes of exchange : Three modes of exchange are : Reciprocity, Redistribution, Trade

1. Reciprocity : involves direct movment of goods and services between two parties.Some times it is viewed as one for one exchange, There are generalised reciprocity, balanced reciprocity and negative reciprocity.

2. Redistribution :- Pooling of transactin in which goods are collected from members by central authority and then distributed. It includes a central authority and has presence of hierarchy which is possible only in a surplus economy.

3.Trade: It has three varients like gift trade, administrative trade and market trade.