Another new line of inquiry focused on economics. Firth and Herskovits naively tried to apply classical economic concepts within the "primitive" context. Soon the economist Polanyi, in collaboration with several anthropologists, developed a more sophisticated model differentiating various types of economic system. By the 1960s Polanyi's ideas formed the basis for the model known as "substantive economics," while those models developed out of classical economics were lumped together as "formalist economics."
Herskovits, Melville J. 1940. The Economic Life of Primitive Peoples. New
York: Alfred A. Knopf (CFAL: GN420 H4 1952) 1952. 2nd ed. published as Economic
Anthropology. New York: Alfred A. Knopf "Introduction," pp. 3-64 (3 copies
on reserve) "Conclusions," pp. 487-504, "Deduction and Induction in
Economics," pp. 507-531 (originally published. 1941. "Economics and
Anthropology: A Rejoinder," Journal of Political Economy 49(2):269-278) (3 copies on
reserve)
Polanyi, Karl; Conrad Arensberg & Harry W. Pearson (eds.). 1957. Trade and Market
in the Early Empires. New York: Free Press pp. v-x, 239-270, 320-339, 357-371 (6
copies on reserve)
Firth, Raymond. 1939. A Primitive Polynesian Economy. London: Routledge
(Schwerin)
Polany, Karl. 1944. The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of
Our Time. New York: Rinehart (Schwerin)
Once you are finished here, please feel free to return to the Anthropology 546 syllabus, the UNM Homepage, or the UNM Fall 1998 course listing.