essay

Social networks and exchange

Turkana herders of the dry savanna : ecology and biobehavioral response of nomads to an uncertain environmentOxfordPublished In 1999 • Pages: 88-106

By: Johnson, Brooke, R..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This document discusses the context of Turkana social network based on a sample of 22 nomadic and settled herd owners. It shows that the Turkana people have adopted various levels of social interaction and strategies of livestock management that enhance their ability to survive in and exploit the arid scrub savanna environment they inhabit. The relative paucity and patchiness of rainfall require them to keep a variety of livestock. Vulnerability of the livestock to patchy vegetation, limited forage and water, endemic disease, and livestock raids from neighboring tribes requires the Turkana to maintain livestock-exchange and food-sharing relationships that provide a resources safety net. These relationships form an intricate social network that can extend throughout the district and beyond to other areas of the country.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Social relationships and groups
Kin relationships
Community structure
Inter-community relations
Friendships
Localized kin groups
Mutual aid
Age stratification
Annual cycle
Household
Family relationships
Eating
Hunting and trapping
Gift giving
Cultural identity and pride
Pastoral activities
Environmental quality
Exchange transactions
Mode of marriage
Visiting and hospitality
Property offenses
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Turkana
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2010
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Africa
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Eastern Africa
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Anthropologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Teferi Abate Adem; 2009
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1980-1996
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1980-1999
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Turkana, Kenya
NotesAdditional notes
Brooke R. Johnson, Jr.
For bibliographical references see document 24: Little and Leslie
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
99219983
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Turkana (African people)