ecological niche theory in sociocultural anthropology: a conceptual framework and an application¹

Abstract

The concept of “ecological niche” is frequently employed in sociocultural anthropology, but there have been few systematic applications of it. This paper examines the utility of the concept for the analysis of social interaction and change, with special reference to complex societies. In a small agricultural valley of northern California, competition between two status groups over a scarce resource—land—has led to displacement and changing patterns of resource use. “Niche” describes the aggregate outcome of underlying processes of competition on the individual level.