List of subsistence techniques - Definition and Overview

The following is a list of subsistence techniques:

• Hunting and Gathering, also known as Foraging
  
  • freeganism involves gathering of discarded food in the context of an urban environment
  • gleaning involves the gathering of food that traditional farmers have left behind in their fields
• Cultivation
  
  • Horticulture
    - plant cultivation, based on the use of simple tools.
  • Agriculture
    - cultivation involving continuous use of crop land, and is more labor-intensive than horticulture.
    
• Pastoralism
  - the raising of grazing animals
  • Pastoral nomadism: all members of the pastoral society follow the herd throughout the year.
    
  • Transhumance or agro-pastoralism: part of the society follows the herd, while the other part maintains a home village.
    
  • Ranch agriculture: non-nomadic pastoralism with a defined territory
• Alternative ends
  - people devote their time, resources, and energy to five broad categories of ends: subsistence, replacement, social, ceremonial, and rent.
  
  • Subsistence fund: work is done to replace calories lost through life activities.
    
  • Replacement fund: work is expended maintaining the technology necessary for life.
    
  • Social fund: work is expended to establish and maintain social ties.
    
    • Ceremonial fund: work is expended to fulfill ritual obligations.
      
  • Rent fund: work is expended to satisfy the obligations owed political or economic superiors.
    
• Distribution and Exchange
  
  • Redistribution
    
  • Reciprocity
    - exchange between social equals.
    
  • Potlatching
    - a widely studied ritual in which sponsors (helped by their entourages) gave away resources and manufactured wealth while generating prestige for themselves.
  • LETS - Local Exchange Trading Systems.
    

See also

• List of alternative lifestyles
• List of things which are neither production nor consumption
• Staple food
• Society