https://youtu.be/TQd2k1pEXp4?si=Os4YPwY9C842yDPk
Anthropologist Richard Lee popularized the concept of the "original affluent society" based on his 1960s fieldwork. He observed the Ju/'hoansi !Kung people in the Kalahari Desert spending about 17 hours per week on average directly hunting and gathering food, which was enough to sustain a highly nutritious diet. [1, 2, 3]
While this 17-hour figure frequently surfaces in discussions about work-life balance, later anthropological research provides deeper nuance: [1, 2]
- Direct vs. Indirect Labor: Lee's initial 17-hour figure only accounted for time spent directly acquiring food. When including indirect but necessary chores like making and repairing tools, butchering meat, gathering firewood, and processing food, the total work week was closer to 40–44 hours.
- Alternating Routines: Rather than a consistent daily grind, the !Kung alternating between heavy days of exertion (hunting/gathering) and lighter, easy days of rest, socializing, and storytelling.
- No Surplus: Hunter-gatherer societies typically did not accumulate surpluses. People spent the necessary hours to get what they needed and then stopped, relying heavily on the immediate ecosystem.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
To dive deeper into Richard Lee’s original data, you can read his chapter on !Kung subsistence in the seminal collection Man the Hunter. For a broader discussion on the implications of this lifestyle, explore the New Yorker's deep dive into the history of work. [1, 2, 3]
