San Cultures Case

I have chosen the San ("Bushmen") of the Kalahari Dessert. The San have lived in this area for thousands of years. They live primarily off fruit, nuts, berries, and the meat that is hunted by the men. They live in a resource rich area to where they only have to forage for food two to three days per week and the men only have to hunt two to three days per week as well. The rest of the time they seem to relax and sleep and enjoy each other's company. They also have lots of extra time to socialize with their friends and children.

In our culture, we have to be able to make money for our families in order to live. We have to make money to buy food, clothes, and shelter. For most of us, it requires working 8 hours a day for 5 straight days, but some work more, and some work less. With me, I work 40 hours per week to make sure my family is taken care of, my wife works 20 hours a week to help out with bills, food, etc. When we are not working, we spend time together as a family, and sometimes with friends, we relax, sleep, and enjoy each other's company. The big difference between us and the San is that we do not forage or hunt for food; we buy it in a supermarket.

The San also share everything amongst each other. They share the intake of the food that one band has brought in for the day, so everyone has an equal share of food. They also have a constant flow of nuts, fruits, and berries until each person in the tribe has received and equitable amount. This makes it so no one man is richer than another and no person is poor. I think this is a great approach and think this is how everyone should live their lives. If we all lived like the San, there would not be a need for power over one another. Everybody is equal and shares what they bring in. This would not cause any problems as long as everyone was cooperation with one another.

The San can be looked at like a tribe that knows how to make things work. There isn't a lot of fighting or arguing within the tribe. Everyone gets their own, equal share of food for the day. They only work about two to three days a week hunting and foraging food, and the rest of the time they relax and bond with their family and friends.

References:

Nowak, B. & Laird, P. (2010) Cultural Anthropology.