Modern Day Hunter

Gatherers
Theoretical Perspectives
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 Hunter Gatherer Society – direct acquisition of
edible plants, animals from the wild, and 2)
foraging and hunting without significant
recourse to the domestication of either.
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 Social Exchange Theory – Men and women
and Urueu Wau-Wau tribe have negotiated
roles according to what is necessary for
survival.
 Male Role is to hunt for live food, sometimes
for days at a time; Female Role is to gather
food in surrounding forest, prepare food,
maintain home and care for children
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 Family Life Cycle Theory - non-traditional
“family”. Strict monogamy is not enforced among
couples. Couples procreate for survival of
community (more members = more
hunters/gatherers). As a family unit, they pass
through similar developmental stages with marriage,
child birth; but child is not likely to leave village
when he/she leaves family to form their own.
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 Family Life Cycle Theory - non-traditional
“family”. Strict monogamy is not enforced
among couples. Couples procreate for
survival of community (more members = more
hunters/gatherers). As a family unit, they pass
through similar developmental stages with
marriage, child birth; but child is not likely to
leave village when he/she leaves family to
form their own.
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 Systems – sociological
 The “Family system” in this tribe is complex.
In a sense, the whole community might be
considered extended family, because children
are raised and socialized by all members of
community.
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 The System: elders are agents of socialization because
they define and teach community members the roles of
men, women and children.
 Values – they value cooperative living and roles within
community (men hunt and women gather as a WHOLE
community for subsistence); they value/have respect for
nature and rainforest environment; they value community
rituals; value social status (marked by haircuts, tattoos,
makeup); they value separation from industrialized society.
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 Structural Functionalism
 The hunter – gatherer society has simplistic structure
that relies heavily on the “family” as an institution for
survival.
 Norms – men and women tend to form couples, but it
would be abnormal for a man in this society to choose
not to reproduce. It would also be abnormal for man
to stay in village (unless elder) during hunting
expeditions. If a woman were to hunt instead of
gather this would also be considered abnormal.
 Urueu-Wau-Wau Tribe
Of Brazil
 The children experience a rite of passage when they
are old enough to perform traditional roles according
to their gender. Their gender specific function
within society is taught at an early age. Adolescence
as North Americans understand it, does not exist in
the tribe because the community cannot afford to
have its members lazing about on their cell phones
and playing Farmville on Facebook.