Exam 12: The Global Economy

How were the Old World long-distance trade routes a precursor to the global economy? Provide two examples of the commodities exchanged by Arab and Chinese traders, discussing how these products circulated from Asia to Europe. How and when did the movement of slaves occur in the eighth and ninth centuries?

The concept of flexible accumulation describes an overall strategy of multinational corporations to increase profitability. What is one of the keys to the success of this strategy?

The Triangle Trade that emerged in the early 1500s resulted in an unprecedented level of economic, social, and military activity between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The European effort to expand their own economic power in the Caribbean quickly proved unsustainable due to a shortage of what essential commodity?

Are structural adjustment loans as provided by organizations such as the World Bank consistent with the goals of neoliberalism?

The problems with industrialized agriculture are discussed in the book and include dangerous chemicals, weather susceptibility, large amounts of energy, and health risks. Taken all together, what might we note about the sorts of global problems that industrialized agriculture helps create?

Explain the controversies associated with neoliberal policies. What is the reasoning behind structural adjustment policies? Use two examples from Jamaica to discuss problems associated with structural adjustment.

What is one caveat of world systems theory?

Prior to the European exploration of the Americas, how were trade routes between China and Europe accomplished?

Currently, the world is consuming natural resources at double the rate required to maintain sustainable levels. What problem does this illustrate about the sustainability of the current global economy?

What is the term for contracts based on (derived from) some other asset-commodities, interest rates, credit, foreign exchange rates, equities, and mortgages?

In July 2016, the U.S. stock market opened higher after the Labor Department reported substantial national job growth. If an anthropologist were to study this phenomenon, what might he or she look into?

Explain where and when the so-called Triangle Trade occurred, identifying the three primary commodities the text discusses in this exchange network. Contrast the production and exchanges that occurred in the Caribbean plantation economy with the exchanges occurring between European trappers and Native American populations in North America.

Henry Ford is known for the introduction of the assembly line and the Model T. As his manufacturing effort expanded, however, he also adopted an attitude that came to be known as Fordism. What was one of the central tenets in his system?

Which of the following distinguishes agriculture in nonindustrial states from agriculture in egalitarian societies?

Agriculture is an intensive farming strategy involving permanent cultivation of the land. What is an important characteristic of this process?

The process of "closing a deal" in business often has both parties trying to get the best deal they can. What kind of reciprocity would an anthropologist call this?

Why is Haiti considered a significant former colony?

Groups of humans adapt to their environment in order to use the available resources to satisfy their needs and flourish. What do anthropologists call this cultural adaptation?

How does the Tsukiji fish market demonstrate the nature of a global commodity chain?

Colonialism had a long-lasting effect on world politics. While the development of the slave trade meant that the coastal regions of Africa were heavily colonized, the interior was not affected until the Berlin Conference in 1884. How did the colonial powers choose to divide the interior region among themselves?