Administration and Primitive Economy

Extract

It has become an accepted fact that the mode of livelihood of a people is related in a number of ways to other parts of their culture and to some elements of their character. Anthropologists have contributed, from their relatively simple data, the clearest statements of these relationships. They have also shown that the goals and motivations in primitive economy are usually multiple and complex ones, and are as distinctive of each culture as are personality, social life, art, and religion. This demonstration has a very direct bearing on the work of those charged with planning or carrying out a programme for the welfare of a primitive people, and because of the distinctiveness of each situation, the most fully satisfactory programme can result only from an. inspection of the actual nature of the people, their culture and their resources.

The relations of the economic to the non-economic life of primitive peoples are high-lighted when a primitive group comes into contact with western culture. As a result of this contact there follows a characteristic sequence of changes in the economic life of the primitive. First of all he adopts, quite readily and often eagerly, the usually superior tools and materials, and alters some of his techniques so as to use them efficiently. The product of his labour, however, he tries to use in the same manner as before. He wants to achieve the goals which hold meaning for him, and which harmonize with his tribal system of distribution and use, its social and political organization, its religion, art, and science. He wants an axe so that he can make a canoe in a month instead of a year, a gun to hunt with or to fight the same old tribal enemies, cloth to replace the less effective barkcloth or hide.