Some Basic Background

1) Economic anthropology talks about how people in various societies produce, distribute, and exchange stuff. 2) Economics in a conventional Western sense can be defined as the allocation of scarce resources to competing ends.

3) Anthropology and economics "grew up" together.  Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and others were huge influences on people such as Charles Darwin, Herbert Spencer, and particularly Karl Marx.  Many of the ideas of economics were fundamental to both evolutionary theory and 19th century anthropological theory.  Some of 20th century theory emerged in reaction to them.

Critical Questions