subsistence

Examples of subsistence in the following topics:

• The Four Social Revolutions

  • The Four Social Revolutions refer to the identification of social change through modes of subsistence.
  • Because of their subsistence system, these societies tend to have very low population densities.
  • In a pastoralist society, the primary means of subsistence are domesticated animals (livestock).
  • In horticulturalist societies, the primary means of subsistence is the cultivation of crops using hand tools.
  • In a post-industrial society, the primary means of subsistence is derived from service-oriented work, as opposed to agriculture or industry.

• Societal Development

  • This chapter focuses on the subsistence systems of societies rather than their political structures.
  • Hunter-gatherer societies also tend to have very low population densities as a result of their subsistence system.
  • A pastoralist society is a society in which the primary means of subsistence is domesticated livestock.
  • Agriculture can refer to subsistence agriculture or industrial agriculture.
  • An industrial society is a society in which the primary means of subsistence is industry.

• Lenski's Synthesis

  • People who farm for subsistence often have no surplus goods—they consume all of the crops they produce.
  • Division of labor was virtually non-existent—people working for subsistence completed all steps of each job.

• History

  • The ancient economy was mainly based on subsistence farming.
  • In Medieval times, what we now call economy was not far from the subsistence level.

• Poverty

  • The poverty line is set at an income level that is three times the approximate cost of a subsistence level food budget.

• Women in the Workplace

  • For example, while research has shown that women cultivate more than half the world's food, most of the work is family subsistence labor, with family property often legally owned by men in the family.

• Poverty

  • The U.S. officially defines poverty using the poverty line, which is the official measure of those whose incomes are less than three times the approximate cost of a subsistence level food budget.

• Demographic Transition Theory

  • Birth rates decrease due to various fertility factors such as access to contraception, increases in wages, urbanization, a reduction in subsistence agriculture, an increase in the status and education of women, a reduction in the value of children's work, an increase in parental investment in the education of children and other social changes.

• Urbanization

  • The effects of urbanization may be an overall positive for the environment.Birth rates of new urban dwellers fall immediately to the replacement rate (2.1), and keep falling.This can prevent overpopulation (see discussion below).Additionally, it puts a stop to destructive subsistence farming techniques, like slash and burn agriculture.Finally, it minimizes land use by humans, leaving more for nature.