article
Tappers and sappers: rubber, gold and money among the Mundurucú
American ethnologist • 16 (1) • Published In 1989 • Pages: 100-116
By: Burkhalter, S. Brian, Murphy, Robert Francis.
Abstract
This paper presents a description and analysis of the social and cultural changes that have taken place among the Mundurucu Indians of the upper Tapajós river, Brazil from the time of Robert Murphy's field work in 1952-1953 to that of S. Brian Burkhalter's in 1979-1980. During this period a transition took place in the Mundurucu trade economy in wild rubber, exchanged through a barter-trade system, to the digging of placer gold within the context of a cash economy. This change '…has seen a further erosion of institutions based on communality, commensality, and cooperation, and a growing prevalence of monetary objectification of persons and their labors' (p. 100).
- HRAF PubDate
- 2003
- Region
- South America
- Sub Region
- Amazon and Orinoco
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- John Beierle ; 2001
- Field Date
- 1952-1953, 1979-1980
- Coverage Date
- 1953-1980
- Coverage Place
- Upper Tapajós River area, State of Para, Brazil
- Notes
- S. Brian Burkhalter and Robert F. Murphy
- Includes bibliographical references (p.115-116)
- LCCN
- 74644326
- LCSH
- Munduruku Indians