Critical Social Studies Editors: JOCK youNGand PAUL WALTON The contemporary world projects a perplexing picture of political, social and economic upheaval. In these challenging times the conventional wisdoms of orthodox social thought whether it be sociology, economics or cultural studies become inadequate. This series focuses on this intellectual crisis, selecting authors whose work seeks to transcend the limitations of conventional discourse. Its tone is scholarly rather than polemical, in the belief that signiflcant theoretical work is needed to c1ear the way for a genuine transformation ofthe existing social order. Because of this, the series will relate c10sely to recent developments in social thought, particularly to critical theory - the emerging European tradition. In terms of speciflc topics, key pivotal areas of debate will be selected - for example, mass culture, inflation, problems ofsexuality and the family, the nature ofthe capitalist state, natural science and ideology. The scope of analysis will be broad: the series will attempt to break the existing arbitrary divisions between the social studies disciplines. Its aim is to provide a platform for critical social thought (at a level quite accessible to students) to enter into the major theoretical controversies ofthe day. Critical Social Studies PUBLISHED Trade Unions and the Media Peter Policing the Crisis Stuart Hall, Chas BeharreIl and Greg Philo (eds) Critcher, Tony Jefferson, John Clarke and Brian Roberts Beyond the Sociology 0/ Conjlict DavidBinns The Anthropology 0/ Pre-Capitalist Societies Joel S. Kahn and Josep R. A Theoryo/Semiotics Umberto Eco L10bera (cds) IQ and Mental Testing Brian Evans The Political Economy 0/ Science and Bemard Waites Hilary Rose and Steven Rose (cds) Capitalism in Crisis: Inflation and the The Radicalisation 0/ Science Hilary State Andrew Gamble and Paul Rose and Steven Rose (eds) Walton The Dialectic o/Ideology and Tech Theories 0/ Underdevelopment lan nology Alvin W. Gouldner Roxborough The Future o/Intellectuals and the Marxism. Ideology and Literature Rise 0/ the New Class Alvin W. CliffSlaughter Gouldner Intellectual and Manual Labour: a The Two Marxisms Alvin W. Critique 0/ Epistemology Alfred Gouldner Sohn-Rethel FORTHCOMING Stopping the Wheels Phil Cohen The Anthropology ofPre-Capitalist Societies Edited by Joel S. Kahn Department ofA nthropology, University College, London and J osep R. Llobera Department ofSociology, Goldsmiths' College M Selection, editorial matter and Chapters 3, 7, 8 and 10 © Joel S. Kahn and Josep R. Llobera 1981 Other chapters © individual contributors 1981 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1981 All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission. First published 1981 by THE MACMILLAN PRESS L TD London and Basingstoke Companies and representatives throughout the world Typeset in Great Britain by mb Graphie Services, Bovingdon, Herts British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data The anthropology of pre-capitalist societies. - (Critical social studies) I. Ethnology 2. Economic anthropology I. Kahn, Joel S 11. L1obera, Josep R III. Se ries 301.2 GN316 ISBN 978-0-333-23418-1 ISBN 978-1-349-16632-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-16632-9 The paperback edition of this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition incIuding this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Dans l'oeuvre de la science seulement on peut aimer ce qu'on detruit, on peut continuer le passe en le niant, on peut venerer son Maitre en le contredisant Gaston Bachelard Contents Preface IX Acknowledgements X111 Part I Pre-Capitalist Modes of Production 1. The Concept ofthe Mode ofProduction in Hunter-Gatherer Societies 2 JEREMY KEENAN 2. Marxist Theory and Anthropological Analysis: The Study ofNomadic Pastoralist Societies 22 PIERRE BONTE 3. Marxist Anthropology and Segmentary Societies: A Review ofthe Literature 57 JOELS. KAHN 4. The Renewed Discussions on the Concept ofthe Asiatic Mode of Production 89 ANNE M. BAILEY Part 11 Some New Directions ofResearch 5. Engendered Structures: Some Problems in the Analysis ofReproduction 109 OLIV IA HARRIS and KATE YOUNG 6. Critical anthropology since its Reinvention 148 BOBSCHOLTE 7. Mercantilism and the Emergence ofServile Labour in Colonial Indonesia 185 JOELS. KAHN viii CONTENTS 8. Durkheim, the Durkheimians and their Collective Misrepresentation ofMarx 214 JOSEP R. LLOBERA 9. On the Structure and Dynamics ofGlobal Systems 241 KAJSA EKHOLM Part III Conclusions 10. Towards a New Marxism or a New Anthropology? 263 JOEL S. KAHN and JOSEP R. LLOBERA Preface The recent development of Marxist approaches to pre-capitalist societies, a response in part to the general crisis in the social sciences which became evident in the 1960s, has elicited a growing multidisciplinary interest in the topic. Although the trend originated in France, it has also made an important impact in Great Britain, the United States, Scandinavia and elsewhere. This multifaceted movement has often been seen to be the emergence of a Marxist anthroplogy by supporters and critics alike. The reality is, however, somewhat ditTerent. 'Marxist anthropology' is far from being consolidated, the very concept may weH be a contradiction in terms, ~md it seems to be headed for unavoidable fragmentation. The purpose of the present volume is not ditTlCult to discern. The editors feIt that it was time for stocktaking, for making an inventory of the ditTerent approaches, themes and problems that have been encompassed within the label Marxist anthropology. It is because we are concerned with the future that we have decided to present a critical examination ofthe ditTerent lines of evolution up to the present. The book is critical in intent, since new developments must rest on a scientiftc evaluation ofthe past. We are, of course, far from being 'neutralobservers'. For a number ofyears we have been associated with the editorial group ofthejournal Critique ofA nthropology, ajournal which has been, we believe, a non-sectarian platform for the discussion of Marxist, radical and vanguardist approaches to pre-capitalist societies. It is therefore natural that this reader should reflect an involvement with this group. Indeed many ofthe contributors to this book have either contributed to or had their views discussed in Critique ofA nthropology. Although most of the contributors to this volume are, professionally speaking, anthropologists, the issues raised are not x PREFACE limited by the strict boundaries of any discip!ine of the socia! sciences. It is in the nature of any approach wh ich takes its inspiration from Marx to break disciplinary boundaries and aim at a unifled human and social science in history. The book is divided into two parts, followed by an extended conclusion. The section on 'Pre-Capitalist Modes ofProduction' contains three chapters especially written for the book, and a fourth which has recently appeared in the journal African Studies. The articles on hunting-gathering and pastoralism, by Jeremy Keenan and Pierre Bonte respectively, examine speciflc Marxist interventions in traditiona! anthropological areas. The question of the existence of a primitive communist mode of production looms !arge in the background of these discussions. The lineage mode of production represents a distinctive contribution of the recent French school (Meillassoux, Terray, Rey, etc.) and Joel Kahn summarises its main contributions. The fmal chapter, by Anne Bailey, is abrief discussion ofthe concept of the Asiatic mode of production, an area of research where work has been particularly abundant and polemics have raged for a long time. In this part reference should also have been made to the discussions on slavery, feudalism and peasantry, but because of the complexity of the subjects, the limitations of space and the fact they they are covered in other books we have decided to leave themout. The second part of the book, 'Some New Directions of Research', also consists of chapters written specially for the book. Our aim here is to pinpoint a number of areas of recent work which we fmd froitfu!, and which attempt to incorporate the progress made by Marxist anthropology in the past twenty years, while at the same time attempting to go beyond them and overcome so me of the shortcomings which are set out in the conclusions. In their joint contribution on the problem of conceptualising women, Olivia Harris and Kate Y oung expose important weaknesses in some texts of 'Marxist anthropology' and raise a number of crocia! points on the question of the subordination of women by focusing on the concept of 'reproduction'. Bob Scho!te's paper is an impassionate and well-argued plea for a critical and reflexive anthropo!ogy, that is, a normative discipline aware of the fact that knowledge is not context-free. Joe! Kahn's discussion of the relations of