In his article "The Original Affluent Society," Marshall Sahlins challenges the notion that hunter-gatherer societies were impoverished, arguing instead that they were affluent in terms of their needs and desires. He posits that these societies had a sustainable lifestyle, working fewer hours to meet their basic needs compared to modern industrial societies. Sahlins emphasizes the importance of social organization and the relationship between consumption and production, suggesting that affluence is not solely about material wealth but also about the quality of life and leisure. Ultimately, he calls for a reevaluation of how we define wealth and affluence in different cultural contexts.
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