Basic Characteristics
This term describes societies whose primary mode of subsistence is through hunting animals and gathering plants.
What are hunting and gathering societies?
Social hierarchies in hunting and gathering societies are often based on this instead of wealth.
What is age or experience?
Hunting and gathering societies used these types of simple tools to obtain food.
What are bows and arrows, spears, or digging sticks?
In hunting and gathering societies, men typically performed this task, while women gathered.
What is hunting?
Hunting and gathering societies often moved frequently to follow this vital resource.
What is food?
Hunting and gathering societies typically have populations of fewer than this many people.
What is fewer than 100 people?
These types of social groups form the basic structure in hunting and gathering societies.
What are kinship or family groups?
Food sources in hunting and gathering societies were primarily obtained through these two activities.
What are hunting and gathering?
This term describes how tasks are divided between different members of society, often based on age or gender.
What is division of labor?
These societies are often described as this type, due to their frequent movement in search of food.
What is nomadic?
In hunting and gathering societies, people primarily rely on this to meet their needs.
What is their natural environment?
Hunting and gathering societies tend to have this type of decision-making process, involving community input.
What is consensus decision-making?
Hunting and gathering societies lacked this form of economic exchange, which became common in later societies.
What is formal trade or a market economy?
Hunting and gathering societies had a division of labor that was considered this, meaning roles were assigned based on practical skills.
What is functional or flexible?
The population size of hunting and gathering societies was limited by this factor.
What is the availability of resources or food supply?
These types of societies are considered the oldest form of human organization.
What are hunting and gathering societies?
In hunting and gathering societies, these types of relationships are the primary means of social cohesion.
What are face-to-face relationships?
The use of fire in hunting and gathering societies helped to do this to their diet.
What is cook food or increase variety in their diet?
In hunting and gathering societies, children and the elderly typically contributed to this aspect of society.
What is food gathering or care of the camp?
Hunting and gathering societies had low population density due to their dependence on this.
What is their environment or local ecosystem?
Nolan and Lenski describe hunting and gathering societies as having these two key characteristics of social life.
What are simplicity and equality?
Hunting and gathering societies are described as having this type of social inequality, where differences in wealth and power are minimal.
What is egalitarianism?
Technological innovation in hunting and gathering societies remained limited due to this type of lifestyle.
What is a nomadic or mobile lifestyle?
This aspect of the division of labor allowed hunting and gathering societies to survive in varying environments.
What is adaptability?
Nolan and Lenski argue that hunting and gathering societies had to be adaptable to these types of environmental challenges.
What are climate changes or seasonal variations?