Traditional Economies

What's the oldest type of economy that was used all over the world? Does it still exist? The answer is - a traditional economy and, yes, it still exists today! Every economy, according to economic experts, began as a traditional economy. As a result, they predict that traditional economies can eventually develop into command, market, or mixed economies. To learn more about what traditional economies are, their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and more, keep reading on!

Traditional Economies Definition

Traditional economies are economies that don't run on the basis of profit. Rather, they focus on the trade and bartering of goods and services which allow individuals to survive in a particular region, group, or culture. They are primarily seen in developing countries that depend on older economic models such as agriculture or hunting rather than more modern methods like the use of technology.

Characteristics of Traditional Economies

Traditional economies have several characteristics that set them apart from other economic models.

Traditional economies, for starters, revolve around a community or family. They govern daily life and economic activities with the help of traditions drawn from the experiences of their elders.

Secondly, traditional economies are seen mainly within hunter-gatherer societies and migratory groups. They migrate with the seasons, following the flocks of animals that provide them with food. For limited resources, they battle with other communities.

Third of all, these types of economies are known for simply creating what they require. There are seldom any leftovers or extras of anything. This eliminates the need to exchange goods with others or develop any type of currency.

Lastly, these types of economies depend on bartering if they're going to be doing any trading at all. This is seen only amongst non-competing communities. A community that grows their own food, for instance, might barter with another community that hunts game.

Advantages of a Traditional Economy

There are multiple advantages to having a traditional economy:

• Traditional economies produce powerful, close-knit communities in which every person contributes to the creation or support of commodities or services.

• They build an atmosphere in which every community member understands the importance of their contributions and the duties they have. This level of understanding, as well as the abilities developed as a result of this approach, is then passed down to future generations.

• They are more environmentally friendly than other types of economies because they are smaller and produce practically no pollution. Their production capacity is also limited so they can't create much more than what they require to survive. As a result, they are more sustainable.

Disadvantages of a Traditional Economy

Traditional economies, like any other economies, have a number of drawbacks.

• Unanticipated changes in weather can have a significant impact on production due to the economy's dependence on the environment. Dry spells, floods, and tsunamis all reduce the number of commodities that can be produced. Whenever this occurs, the economy and the people both struggle.

• Another downside is that they are vulnerable to larger and wealthier countries with market economies. These richer nations may push their businesses on countries with traditional economies, and that can cause significant environmental consequences. Drilling for oil, for example, might help the wealthy nation while contaminating the traditional country's soil and water. This pollution could reduce productivity even more.

• There are limited job options in this type of economy. In traditional economies, certain occupations are passed down through generations. In the case that your dad was a fisherman, for example, odds are that you will be one too. Change is not tolerated since it poses a danger to the group's survival.

Examples of Traditional Economies

There are a few examples of traditional economies around the world. The Alaskan Inuit are a great representation of a traditional economy.

The Inuit of Alaska, Wikimedia Commons

For countless generations, Inuit families have instilled in their kids the life skills required to thrive in the harsh cold of the Arctic visible in the photo above. The kids learn how to hunt, forage, fish, and create useful tools. These abilities are handed down to the following generations once they have been mastered.

It's even customary for the Inuit to share their spoils with other community members when they go hunting. Owing to this tradition of allocation, the Inuit are able to endure the lengthy, harsh winters with the sustenance and other items they require as long as accomplished hunters remain in the community.

Unfortunately, these economies are becoming rarer around the globe as a result of their vulnerability to foreign forces. Hunting, fishing, and foraging were formerly the primary sources of sustenance for the indigenous peoples of North America, for instance. They went through significant losses after European colonists arrived. Not only were the colonists' economies stronger, but they also introduced war, illnesses, and massacres to them. It wasn't long until Native Americans' economic system began to crumble and they started to use money rather than trade and became accepting of technological advancements and items such as metals and firearms.

Despite the fact that it is not a fully traditional economy, subsistence farming is still practiced by a majority of Haiti's people. It is one of the most impoverished countries in the western part of the world. Communities in the Amazonian region of South America also remain engaged in traditional economic pursuits and have minimal interactions with outsiders.

Command, Market, Mixed, and Traditional Economies

Traditional economies are one of four main economic systems that are seen around the world. The other three are command, market, and mixed economies.

Command Economies

With a command economy, there is a strong central entity in charge of a substantial part of the economy. This type of economic system is widespread in communist regimes because manufacturing decisions are made by the government.

If a country's economy has a lot of resources, it's likely that it'll veer toward a command economy. In this situation, the government steps in and takes control of the resources. Central power is ideal for key resources like oil, for example. Other, less essential parts, like agriculture, are regulated by the public.

Market Economies

The principle of free markets drives market economies. To put it another way, the government plays a minor role. It has very little authority over resources and avoids interfering with vital economic sectors. Rather, the community and the supply-demand dynamic are the sources of regulation.

The bulk of this system is theoretical. Basically, there is no such thing as a complete market economy in the real world. All economic systems are vulnerable to some form of central or government intervention. Most nations, for example, implement legislation to control trade and monopolies.

Mixed Economies

The characteristics of both command and market economies are combined in mixed economies. A mixed economy is often used by nations in the industrialized western hemisphere. The majority of businesses are privatized, while the other, largely public agencies, are under federal jurisdiction.

Worldwide, mixed systems tend to be the standard. It is said to blend the finest qualities of both command and market economies. The issue is that in real life, mixed economies have difficulty establishing the correct ratio among free markets and regulation by a central power. Governments have a tendency to take far more power than is required.

Economic Systems Overview

Traditional systems are shaped by customs and ideas, and they center on the fundamentals of products, services, and labor. A command system is influenced by a central power, whereas a market system is influenced by forces of supply and demand. Finally, mixed economies combine both command and market economy characteristics.