Volatility of Animal Wealth among Southwest Asian Pastoralists

Accounts of Southwest Asian pastoralism often suggest that wealth in animals is volatile. However, no systematic study has been undertaken to determine either the potential for herd increase and loss or the likely long-term implications of this potential. Drawing on an analysis of data from teh Koma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human ecology : an interdisciplinary journal 1982-03, Vol.10 (1), p.85-106
Main Author: Bradburd, Daniel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Asia/Asian/Asians/Asiatic
Breeding
Economic fluctuations
Economic growth rate
Epidemics
Herds
Human ecology
Iran/Iranian/Iranians
Pastor/Pastoral/Pastoralism
Pastoral nomads
Pastoralism
Wealth
Wealth/Wealthy
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Summary:Accounts of Southwest Asian pastoralism often suggest that wealth in animals is volatile. However, no systematic study has been undertaken to determine either the potential for herd increase and loss or the likely long-term implications of this potential. Drawing on an analysis of data from teh Komachi nomads of south-central Iranand other Southwest Asian pastoralists, this paper addresses these questions. It argues that, contrary to conventional expectations, (a) Herds inthe region do not show potential for dramatic increase; (b) radical shifts in individual economic sttus are unlikely to occur through normal gains and losses; and (c) to the extent that short-term gains or losses of individual holdings do occur, long-term economic differentation within a population can be expected.
ISSN:0300-7839
1572-9915
DOI:10.1007/bf01531106