Essay Sample on Evolution of Economic Anthropology: A Systematic Approach

Amongst those aspects of humanity that cannot be separated from people is the economy. This article focuses on economic anthropology and the process through which labor and material culture were recognized as part of anthropology. It took a significant amount of time before early researchers started to pay more attention to the economy as part of humanity. The author adheres to a systematic approach through which he examines the evolution of economic anthropology while pointing out significant theorists who made their significant contribution to the study. A substantial part of the study was dedicated to evaluating how various concepts have been established to help in the study of the economy as part of humanity.

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It appears that the definition of the word economics has evolved with time. In the beginning, the word economic anthropology was used to replace the phrase 'primitive economics.' Karl Polanyi was one of the theorists who existed during that time and was able to come up with two definitions for the word economics (Hann, 2018). He argued that economics could be defined as a situation under which human needs are equally satisfied in a given context. Maximizing of means-ends represents the second phenomenon in which the philosopher believed to be the definition of the world economy. "substantivist" was the word used to describe the people who believed in the two meaning approach on the world economy.

As various studies were carried out, it turned out that only two groups of theorists remained dominant on this subject arguing on the best combination of concepts that could be used to describe economy even from the ancient times. According to this article, the debates between the two groups were at times exciting with the formalism group arguing that the substantive group had nothing to the industrial revolution or even the economy at large. Most of the arguments led to the conclusion that economic anthropologists can make significant contributions in today's economy regardless of the massive technological advancements(Hann, 2018).

To help prove his theory, the writer undertakes a literature review which makes a significant number of literal works regarding the main subject. Some of the most significant initiatives taken by the author include reaching out to various theories like the Marxist theory. The writer indicates how some economic anthropologists have sought guidance from such theorists in an attempt to solve the controversies that existed between formalists and substantives. He engages with several methods whose indications seem to support or challenge his arguments (Hann, 2018). He also explores several core themes in economic anthropology during which he explores several communities and the traditional business systems. It is though those themes that he is also able to organize knowledge on the central concept and raising varying points from topic to topic. He also evaluates other universally recognized and their relationship with the economy worldwide. Ethnography plays a significant role in the study of economic anthropology since the economy is inevitably part of humanity as the distribution of resources is instinctively embedded in understanding.

In his findings, the writer concluded by first establishing the role played by ethnography towards the support and promotion of economic anthropology. The economy is inherently one of the ancient aspects of life that can be used to explain how humans interact with their environment and one another. Even though the writer focuses on two ideas developed in the past to help determine people's relationship with business, he was also able to incur insights beyond what anyone could expect by reading the topic of the content. He also points out that economic anthropology has turned out to be a fuzzy and porous (sub) discipline as different anthropologists from the sociocultural sector reject both social and natural sciences (Hann, 2018). Furthermore, the author recognizes the impacts that ethnography has had towards establishing a better understanding of economic anthropology. He also points out that the main problem in the future would involve trying to illuminate people on how to avoid global inequality by utilizing a combination of concepts.

The author was open and conscious while presenting his ideas and concepts. There are two main concepts of interest that the writer uses in his attempt to put his arguments through. He can identify each purpose and use issues involved in each concept to develop compelling arguments regarding economic anthropology and also helping connect those theories to renowned otherworldly theories like the Marxist theory(Hann, 2018). Even when various ideas are linked to the main subject in an attempt to evaluate other thoughts about humanity, the writer always comes back on track and remains consistent with his argument. There are minimal or no contradictions y the writer as far as the presentation of ideas is concerned.

Amongst the articles whose primary subjects relate to anthropology, the economy seemed to be one of the universal themes with which anyone can relate. It is also interesting to operationalize different ideas in a process that can help bring neutrality between two opposing theories. Sometimes these theories can give birth to other methods which can be utilized to help describe humanity and history in a more efficient way. It was also particularly fascinating since most people wish to contemplate on why most anthropology theorists don't show much interest in the issue of anthropology. It is also an article which engages multiple researchers whose ideas towards the subject are elaborated. The report also introduces some compelling arguments from which anyone can enter controversy to make the whole experience better (Hann, 2018).

One of the most exciting ideas obtained from the article involves the ability to investigate other concepts in the field of anthropology, like religious anthropology by exploiting the concept utilized by the author to explain economic anthropology (Hann, 2018). One of the main reasons why one would think about religious anthropology is based on the potential it has in bringing insights to the contradictions raised by various anthropologists on the main subject. Also, a comparison between multiple anthropological theories can be conducted to help understand when and how humanity came to conceive specific insights and also incorporate them as part of their practices. For instance, to help solve issues raised on economic anthropology, creativity and transposition can be used to transfer ideas from one anthropological concept to another. One can also try to study how various anthropologists in the past examined an idea before considering it a potential aspect of humanity. It is apparent that some concepts were more interesting than others, and that is presumably why they were the first to be studied.

Works cited

Hann, C. (2018). Economic Anthropology. The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 1-16.