Subsistence & Economy

Part One: Hunter-Gatherer vs Agricultural Lifestyles

       1. Benefits of Hunter-Gatherer/Agricultural Lifestyles:

                       --Hunter-Gatherer: Hunter-gatherer societies are nomadic and are constantly on-the-go. One of the benefits of these people are that they can adapt to different environments much easier. If disaster hits where they live, they don't necessarily have to stay there and can easily move. Part of this is due to the fact that hunter-gatherer groups are made up of a small amount of people. Living in small groups can also be beneficial because it would be much easier to govern and organize the roles of each person. Another benefit of living a hunter-gatherer lifestyle would be that we could avoid living in pollution. Since hunter-gatherers are on the go, they constantly settling new areas with no pollution.

                      --Agricultural: Agricultural groups are much bigger in size with regards to population and settle in a certain location. These agricultural communities are usually set up on land that can be easily cultivated or worked on. An important benefit of an agricultural society is that they are less dependent on hunting for animals. People in agricultural societies have more sources of food. Also, with larger groups, these people can assign different tasks and society would be better structured. In essence, there would be more jobs, less stress on people with regards for food, and protection. Living in such large groups, people can be given jobs other than just hunting, gathering, or in this case farming. People can work to protect the community, can fulfill the roles of the leaders, doctors, etc.

      2. Costs of Hunter-Gatherer/Agricultural Lifestyles:

                       --Hunter-Gatherer: Since hunter-gatherer groups are always moving, there are many potential illnesses or health risks that they encounter. Having to adapt to new environments, their bodies might not react in the best way possible. Also, hunter-gatherers have to hunt and gather day by day in order to survive. If nothing is caught in a day, there is nothing to eat. Because they are small groups, hunter-gatherers are vulnerable to attacks from larger groups.

                      --Agricultural: The leaders of agricultural societies are responsible for the well being of a much larger group of people in comparison to hunter-gatherer groups. Also, if the society gets too big, there might not be enough food to feed the entire population. With respect to health, living in large groups of people, illnesses can be spread easily. Another cost of living in an agricultural setting is that in case of a natural disaster, more people would be affected and the damage would be much greater.

       3.Healthier lifestyle, hunter-gatherers or agricultural societies:

                       - In my opinion, agricultural societies have healthier societies. The people in these societies have a more well-rounded diet with comparison to the agricultural societies. Because they have an established farming system, the people in agricultural societies can receive more vitamins, proteins,etc from many different sources other than just meat and some gatherings. In addition, hunters simply kill the first animal they see. By doing so, the people run risks of catching disease.

       4. Transition into Agricultural Lifestyles:

                      -In my opinion, people transitioned into agricultural lifestyles because it was a more efficient way of living. Hunting and gathering for day by day survival did not ensure the well being and the lives of the people in hunter-gatherer groups. Also, by joining agricultural societies, the people would be able to learn new things and  take part in society through other ways instead of just hunting and gathering.

Part Two: Economics and Trade

      1. Surplus and Trade:

                     -"There is a direct relationship between the availability of surplus and the ability to trade". The previous statement says that surplus and trade go hand-in-hand from an economic standpoint. In order for a nation to trade, they would need to have a surplus of whatever they are trying to trade. A nation must be sure it has enough to provide for the demand of its people before giving it away. For example, there must be enough meat to meet the demand of the American people before it trades it with other countries.

        2.Social-benefits of trade:

                      -Among the many benefits of trade, one of them is that, through trade, a new pool of resources becomes available for a nation. From an economic perspective, a nation can only produce from the natural resources it has available. For example, if a nation only has one tree, that one tree can only be used to create a certain amount of things. Through trade, a nation can gain new resources and multiply its manufacturing ability. Also, through trade, a nation can gain access to a resource not available within its own boundaries. Another benefit of trade is that new technologies can be transported around the world.

       3.Negative social results of trade:

                       -One of the biggest negative results from trade is war. Once someone gets a taste of something they like, they would do whatever to get it. Unfortunately, some nations, especially the United States, like to manipulate other countries to get what they want. Nations like the U.S use force to overpower other countries and take over their resources. The most common resource being manipulated at the moment is oil. Due to the high demand of oil, the US government has to look for oil outside of its boundaries to meet the demand of its people.

        4.Development of Agriculture & Trade:

                        -The development of agriculture and trade are two things that facilitated the industrialization of the world via the industrial revolution. First of all, in agricultural societies, families farm in order to live. Because big lots of land are required to farm, sometimes there could be a surplus of certain crops. Since farming families dedicate their time to only farming certain crops, they must get other sources of food elsewhere. This is where trade comes in, families trade crops in order to have everything they need. For example, if family A grows corn and family B raise cattle, the two families could trade to have better diets. This previous example is a metaphor for what goes on in the real world. Certian countries specialize in certain things and trade with others.