THE MOBILE-SEDENTARY CONTINUUM∗

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nomadic pastoralism, shifting cultivation, and periodic market systems are conceptualized in a three-stage model based on changes in mobility. In Stage I the systems are small and relatively self-sufficient, with high internal coherence and low mobility. Stage II has high mobility of residence and/or the means of production. Population growth, technological changes, the increasing size of social and political organizations, and the intrusion of foreigners and of new information and opportunities result in regional integration, greater specialization in local systems, and different forms of diversification. Stage III systems have reduced mobility or are entirely sedentary, although individual mobility may increase. Regional systems become integrated into and subordinate to national systems, with increased specialization and local and regional systemic instability. Key Words: DiversityMobilityPastoral nomadismPeriodic marketsShifting cultivationSpatial organization Notes ∗ The authors wish to thank the University Research Institute at the University of Texas for financial aid, and T. P. Bayliss Smith, Harley L. Browning, Robin Doughty, and William M. Denevan for their comments on a draft of this paper.