Political anthropology aims to understand hierarchy and equality in human societies. We saw that ultimately it boils down to bargaining power, where conditions are such that some people are in a position to dominate others. The point of this show is for us to figure out how to become effective political actors. And the reason we're spending a lot of time talking about materialism is because it has such important real world applications.
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Human beings have free will, but our actions are constrained by material realities. Understanding how material and practical conditions shape human behaviour can make all the difference between success and catastrophic failure when it comes to the whole spectrum of political action, from private sector negotiation, to crafting legislation, to making a revolution.
In this episode we look at:
The relationship between economic activity and the high status of women in traditional Haudenosaunee / Iroquois society
How World War I helped women win the right to vote in Europe and North America
How World War II catalyzed the Black civil rights movement in the United States.
The success, failure, and accidental success of the English Peasant’s Revolt of 1381
The implications of the Anarchist Revolution in Spain in 1936-1939 for the future of industrial civilization.
