FAQs

Why do anthropologists study world systems?
The world economy means that nations and societies are increasingly economically and politically interconnected. This process has accelerated since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. City, nation, and world increasingly invade and affect local communities, so all anthropologists must be aware of its effects.

Are there any "pristine" or "isolated" societies left?
Likely, there was never such a thing as an "isolated" culture. For most of human history, all societies have interacted and been influenced by their neighbors. Today, all societies are increasingly participating the world system of exchange. Even in the most remote locations, such as the highlands of Papua New Guinea or the tropical forests of South America, a visitor is likely to encounter a missionary or a prospector.

Today a large percentage of the residents of the New World trace their heritage to Africa. How is this related historically to a European fondness for sugar?
Sugar was first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. Europeans were exposed to sugar in the first millennium A.D. through maritime and overland trade with south and southeast Asia. However, sugar remained rare and expensive in Europe because it had to be imported from such a long distance. Later, after European sailors began to travel to the Americas, these sailors discovered sugarcane grew well in the tropics of the New World. Colonies were established, and they began to import slaves from Africa to work the sugar plantations.

What are the effects of industrialization?
In the twentieth-century, industrialization added hundreds of new industries and millions of new jobs and production was often increased beyond immediate demand. This spurred strategies such as advertising to increase consumption, and in turn this has led to a culture of overconsumption. Despite the advantages, the benefits of industrialization have not been shared equally. Generally, those who own the capital, or the means of production, benefit more from these changes than those who must sell their labor. More recently, wealthy countries have been able to reform labor laws. These changes allow more people to participate in the benefits of industrialization, but often these reforms are supported by exploiting cheap pools of labor in less industrialized parts of the world.