Smith, Eric Alden; Hill, Kim; Marlowe, Frank W.; Nolin, David; Gurven, Michael; Bowles, Samuel; Mulder, Monique Borgerhoff; Hertz, Tom; Bell, Adrian
citation_title
Wealth transmission and inequality among hunter-gatherers
citation_date
2010-02
Description
We report quantitative estimates of intergenerational transmission and population-wide inequality for wealth measures in a set of hunter-gatherer populations. Wealth is defined broadly as factors that contribute to individual or household well-being, ranging from embodied forms, such as weight and hunting success, to material forms, such as household goods, as well as relational wealth in exchange partners. Intergenerational wealth transmission is low to moderate in these populations but is still expected to have measurable influence on an individual’s life chances. Wealth inequality (measured with Gini coefficients) is moderate for most wealth types, matching what qualitative ethnographic research has generally indicated (if not the stereotype of hunter-gatherers as extreme egalitarians). We discuss some plausible mechanisms for these patterns and suggest ways in which future research could resolve questions about the role of wealth in hunter-gatherer social and economic life.
Type
text;
citation_publisher
University of Chicago Press - Journals
citation_journal_title
Current Anthropology
citation_volume
51
citation_issue
1
citation_firstpage
19
Citation_lastpage
34
citation_doi
10.1086/648530
citatation_issn
0011-3204
citation_language
eng;
Bibliographic Citation
Smith, E. A., Hill, K., Marlowe, F. W., Nolin, D., Wiessner, P., Gurven, M., Bowles, S., Mulder, M. B., Hertz, T., & Bell, A. (2010). Wealth transmission and inequality among hunter-gatherers. Current Anthropology, 51(1), 19-34. February.
