Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 13:02:27 -0600
Subject:  foraging people


> LR:  When food is scarce, being in a large group _could_ be the
worst> thing for you.  Anything you reach out to pick, there is
everybody> else grabbing for the same thing.  Again, it depends on
the specific> features of the local environment.  If there are only a
few permanent> waterholes during the dry season, people are forced to
flock together> in large groups, but then they eat up everything
nearby and have to> hike farther to get food every day [Kalahari].  

>An individual does> not have to stay in the group or "respect"
anybody unless hse wants> to, and hir behavior I expect to respond to
opportunities, costs and> benefits that ultimately may affect
survival and reproduction.

Adam:
Firstly, citing the Kalahari is not reasonable, since the "bushmen" 
( sorry, I don't know what they call themselves ) are there, and not
elsewhere, because of surrounding class societies, capitalist or in
the past pre capitalist. I think this is a genuine problem with all
foraging societies still existing today, although of course it
doesn't mean we cannot learn anyrhing from them - we just have to be
careful.

Lisa:  Let me accept for this argument that if the San people had no
neighbors they might move out of the desert.  Fine.  Now what is it
about this situation that makes citing them unreasonable?  

No matter what situation people find themselves stuck in, don't they
try to make out the best they can?  This is called adapting one's
behavior to the circumstances.  

[Similarly, sure capitalism sucks, and none of us have a choice about
changing that today, but while we're here, who will not take a higher
wage rather than a lower one, other things equal?]

Please give me specifics on what it is that we must be careful about
when citing the San.  Don't forget that foragers are not the only
people [or lifeforms in general] stuck in circumstances not under
their own control.  

Regards,
Lisa



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