Economic Anthropologists Have Been Concerned with Two Main Questions, One

question 14

Multiple Choice

Economic anthropologists have been concerned with two main questions, one focusing on systems of human behavior and the other on the individuals who participate in those systems. The first question is: How are production, distribution, and consumption organized in different societies? The second question is:

• A) What motivates people in different cultures to produce, distribute or exchange, and consume?
• B) What encourages overconsumption in Western economies?
• C) Why has the myth of the profit-maximizing individual been so pervasive, despite evidence to the contrary?
• D) What has been the impact of globalization at the level of individuals?
• E) What are the best ways to convince individuals in funding agencies of the value of ethnographic knowledge in the realm of economics?

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Definitions:

Self-centred

A personality trait that involves prioritizing one's own needs and interests over those of others.

Freudian Perspective

This perspective, based on the theories of Sigmund Freud, emphasizes the importance of the unconscious mind, sexual and aggressive instincts, and early childhood experiences.

Psychodynamic Theories

A group of theories originated by Sigmund Freud that emphasize the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior.

Unconscious Forces

Internal drives, desires, or impulses that influence thoughts, feelings, and behavior without an individual's conscious awareness.