Definition of Pastoralism
(noun) The domestication and herding of animals as the primary type of food production and economic exchange.
Examples of Pastoralism
- Bedouins of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
- Tuvans of Mongolia.
Pastoralism Pronunciation
Syllabification: pas·tor·al·ism
Audio Pronunciation
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈpæst(ə)rəˌlɪz(ə)m/
- British English – /ˌpæstəˈrɑːlɪɪz(ə)m/
Usage Notes
- Plural: pastoralisms
- Pastoral societies are often small and nomadic.
- Pastoralism is a primary subsistence strategy, others include:
- Also called:
- pastoral society
- pasturage
Related Video
Additional Information
- Ecological and Environmental Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Food and Agriculture Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “pastoralism” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
- Carr, Claudia J. 1977. Pastoralism in Crisis: The Dasanetch and Their Ethiopian Lands. Chicago: University of Chicago.
- Catley, Andy, Jeremy Lind, and Ian Scoones, eds. 2013. Pastoralism and Development in Africa: Dynamic Change at the Margins. London: Routledge.
- Clutton-Brock, Juliet. 1989. The Walking Larder: Patterns of Domestication, Pastoralism, and Predation. London: Unwin Hyman.
- Smith, Andrew B. 1992. Pastoralism in Africa: Origins and Development Ecology. London: Hurst.
- Pastorialism: anthro.palomar.edu
- Pastoralism: Research, Policy and Practice
Related Terms
- agriculture
- cultural ecology
- cultural environment
- ecology
- horticulture
- hunting and gathering
- industrialism
- physical environment
- slash and burn
- subsistence strategy
Works Consulted
Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.
Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).
Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).
Ravelli, Bruce, and Michelle Webber. 2016. Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.
Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).
Cite the Definition of Pastoralism
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “pastoralism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved October 3, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/pastoralism/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
pastoralism. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/pastoralism/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “pastoralism.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed October 3, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/pastoralism/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“pastoralism.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 3 Oct. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/pastoralism/>.