The impact of the state on small-scale societies

The effects of development, emergent nationalism, & neocolonialism on small-scale societies (hunter-gatherer or horticulturalist) are examined, using examples from cross-cultural records & personal anthropological fieldwork among tropical forest horticulturalists in the northwest Amazon region of Colombia & Brazil. Four kinds of negative effects can occur: (1) genocide, (2) loss of economic options & autonomy, (3) disruption in population equilibrium & deterioration of health, & (4) reduction of cultural autonomy & self-determination. Reduction in land base & greatly increased sedentarization are inevitable. Important factors are the type of change being promulgated & the goals of the change agents; short of extermination campaigns, homesteading seems the most inimical to continued well-being of indigenous groups. Geographical location, especially involving international boundaries, & the nature of exploitable resources (natural, labor, native manufacturers) play a crucial role. Reasons why small-scale societies are especially disrupted by development are outlined, & suggestions made for discovering & avoiding harmful changes not necesssary to fulfilling a project's goals. 1 Figure, 88 References. AA.