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Home/Anthropology/Mains PYQ/2023/Paper I/Economic & Political Anthropology
UPSC MainsAnthropology Optional Paper I 2023 15 Marks Model Answer Available

Globalization and Indigenous Economic Systems — 2023 Paper I

Question · 2023 · Paper I · 15 Marks

Discuss the impact of globalization on the economic systems of indigenous communities.

Model Answer

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Introduction Traditionally, indigenous economic systems were "substantive" (embedded in kinship, religion, and ecology), relying on reciprocity and redistribution rather than profit. Globalization—driven by transnational markets, neoliberal policies, and digital connectivity—has forced these communities into the formal capitalist economy. As Karl Polanyi noted, this creates a "Great Transformation," shifting indigenous economies from subsistence to market-mediated relations.

Negative Impacts: Dispossession and Disruption

  1. Resource Alienation and Neo-Colonialism: The global demand for minerals and timber has led to state-backed corporate encroachment on indigenous lands.
    • Example: The Dongria Kondh of Odisha faced severe threats to their traditional shifting cultivation (Swidden) and foraging economy due to global bauxite mining interests (Vedanta).
  2. Commodification of Traditional Knowledge (Biopiracy): Global pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries often exploit indigenous ethnomedicine without fair compensation.
    • Example: The historical exploitation of the Kani tribe's knowledge of the Arogyapacha plant. While the Kani model eventually shared benefits, many other tribes suffer outright biopiracy.
  3. Labor Migration and De-skilling: As local forest-based economies collapse, indigenous youth migrate to urban centers as unorganized manual labor. This disrupts traditional agricultural cycles and leads to the "feminization of tribal agriculture" back home.
  4. Destruction of Egalitarianism: Capitalist integration creates class divisions within historically egalitarian tribes. A few families who monopolize trade or government jobs accumulate wealth, eroding traditional safety nets and reciprocal sharing.

Positive Impacts: Adaptation and Opportunities

  1. Global Markets for Indigenous Crafts (Commercialization): Globalization provides a global consumer base for tribal art, textiles, and organic products, often facilitated by e-commerce.
    • Example: The global success of Araku Valley Coffee (produced by tribal cooperatives in Andhra Pradesh) and the recent GI tags awarded to tribal crafts like Lanjia Saura paintings (2024/25) provide premium pricing in international markets.
  2. Ecotourism and Cultural Economy: Communities can monetize their traditional lifestyles and ecological conservation models through global tourism.
    • Example: The Angami Nagas of Khonoma village successfully transitioned from hunting to running India's first "green village," earning revenue through global ecotourism.
  3. Digital Integration and Fair Trade: Platforms like TRIFED (Tribes India) and global Fair Trade networks bypass exploitative middlemen, directly linking indigenous artisans to global buyers.

Conclusion The impact of globalization on indigenous economies is not a simple narrative of victimhood; it involves complex adaptation, resistance, and integration. For globalization to be emancipatory rather than destructive, the economic integration of tribes must be dictated by their own terms—safeguarding their collective resource rights under frameworks like the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and PESA, ensuring they transition from mere raw-material providers to stakeholders in the global value chain.

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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2023 — Paper I

28 questions

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10 Marks150 words
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10 Marks150 words
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5(c) Glottochronology

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 7. Culture, language and communication > Language change
2023Paper ICulture & SocietyModel answer available

5(d) Menopausal symptoms

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 11.1 Relevance of menarche, menopause and other bio-events to fertility
2023Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyAnswer coming soon

5(a) Polygenic Inheritance

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.2 Mendelian genetics in man > Polygenic inheritance
2023Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

1(c) Race and Ethnicity

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 9.5 Race and racism > Race and ethnicity
2023Paper IHuman Genetics & Human BiologyModel answer available

5(e) William Ogburn and Cultural lag

10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper I > 6. Anthropological Theories > Cultural lag (Ogburn)
2023Paper IAnthropological TheoriesModel answer available