What are Subsistence Strategies?

Introduction

Humans have survived through the ages by developing ways of taking advantage of the environmental resources that surround them. These ways are collectively known as subsistence strategies. They are shaped by, and shape, every culture on the planet.

You can divide subsistence strategies into four major categories: foraging, pastoralism, horticulture and agriculture. Though these are listed in order of complexity, I do not mean to imply that there is an order of progression from least complex to most complex. Nor do I mean to imply that one subsistence strategy is more "primitive" than another. One of the key components of a culture is that it suits the needs of the people who are a part of it. Modern day foragers are foragers because the life style fits best for them, not because they are backwards.

This article includes the following topics:

• Foraging
• Pastoralism
• Horticulture
• Agriculture
• Wrap Up

You can jump to a topic using the links above or use the browse buttons below to peruse this article

Sources for this article:

• Anthropology, Seventh Edition
• Contemporary Cultural Anthropology, Third Edition
• Anthropology Tutorials: Patterns of Subsistence

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