Economic Anthropology

Economic anthropology focuses on the activities, relationships, and systems that produce, circulate, and consume objects, taking different forms in different societies and parts of the same society. It provides a fresh and fascinating way of looking at the economic world by placing rational market actors in the world of people, relationships, systems, beliefs, and values.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 28 March 2021
Publisher: Agenda Publishing

Traditional economic theory views the economy as the aggregate of market exchanges conducted by rational individuals who make choices about how to distribute their resources among the various goods and services available that would fulfill their desires. Economic anthropologists, on the other hand, have a different perspective. For them, the emphasis is on the activities, relationships, and systems that produce, circulate, and ultimately consume objects, which take diverse forms in different societies and even within the same society. In this sense, economic anthropology places rational market actors from traditional economic theory in the context of people, relationships, systems, beliefs, and values that begin with production and end with consumption. This accessible and comprehensive introduction to the field of economic anthropology provides students with a novel and captivating way of understanding the economic realm
The economy, according to conventional economic thought, is the result of market transactions conducted by rational individuals who allocate their resources among the various goods and services available to satisfy their desires. However, economic anthropologists take a different approach. They focus on the activities, relationships, and systems that produce, circulate, and consume objects, which take diverse forms in different societies and even within the same society.

For economic anthropologists, the economy is not just about market transactions but also about the social and cultural processes that shape these transactions. They examine how objects are created, exchanged, and consumed, and how they are embedded in larger social and cultural systems. Economic anthropologists also explore the role of power, inequality, and social organization in shaping economic outcomes.

One of the key insights of economic anthropology is that the economy is not a separate entity from society but is deeply intertwined with it. Economic activities are not just about producing and consuming goods and services but also about creating and maintaining social relationships and networks. Economic transactions are not just about exchanging money but also about exchanging values, beliefs, and cultural practices.

Economic anthropologists use a variety of methods to study the economy, including ethnography, participant observation, and historical analysis. They examine how economic activities are organized and performed in different societies and how they are shaped by cultural, social, and political factors. Economic anthropologists also draw on insights from other fields, such as sociology, economics, and political science, to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the economic world.

In conclusion, economic anthropology provides a unique perspective on the economy by focusing on the activities, relationships, and systems that produce, circulate, and consume objects. It emphasizes the importance of social and cultural processes in shaping economic outcomes and the role of power, inequality, and social organization in these processes. Economic anthropology offers students a valuable way of understanding the economic world and its relationship to other social and cultural systems.

Weight: 240g
Dimension: 148 x 208 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788212519