Explain the main characteristics of tribal economy?

Answer 1

I don't know what you are looking for but 'Tribes' are a self-sufficient unit. There economy can be based on sharing of responsibilities or service.

When Tribes must interact it would normally be because one has a product or service the other needs. Ideally this will result in barter or exchange of the product or service.

That form of economy changes when there is a recognized standard like Gold or Currency, backed by gold and other commodities, that can be exchanged for the product.

Does that answer your question?

I have to comment on the next answer.

Unemployment. In an isolated area there's no requirement for employment, jobs or industry. They live off the land or migrate with the change in weather or game.

Backwardness. They may not have TV's radios and cars but you don't miss what you don't know about. I've seen many happy people where they had no contact with the outside world. Advancement in Technology has no guarantees of happiness and carries a lot of problems.

Poverty. How is someone with enough food, clothing and education to survive within their society considered to be in poverty. They only become poor when they require money to pay for technology and new toys.

I would not consider the countries like Ethiopia Tribal economies because their resources come from outside the tribe. Is their famine not due to improper agriculture and distribution methods because someone makes money by exploiting the resources.

Answer 2

Tribal Economy

Answer 3

Any tribal or primitive economy, including how all the great civilizations started, was communal and usually had barter or a primitive money system.

Barter is simply swapping; a goose for a knife, a bag of corn for a sandal, etc.

Primitive money would be like wampun used by American indians or Stone money used by the tribesmen of Yap island.

The trouble with the barter system is that you might not have what the other fellow wants. He wants a donkey for his knives but you don't have a donkey, and so on and so forth.

Primitive money, like wampum, might not be universally accepted by all the indian tribes plus it is clumsy to carry.

So tribal economy was simple. Hunter/gatherers divided their labor: women gathered and men hunted, the barter system was used or primitive money (pretty shells etc.).

Answer 4

unemployment, backwardness and poverty are the main characteristics of tribal economy