The Flexibility of Pastoralists' Social Groupings and the Difficulty of Herding: Labor Organization and Herd Control for Day-trip Herding of Sheep and Goats in Arkhangai Province, Mongolia

摘要

Day-trip herding is one aspect of the person-animal interactions that form the basis of the domestication process. This study examines the infl uence of socio-economic factors on subsistence techniques and the variation of person-animal relationships among pastoralist societies. Domestic sheep and goats are herded together as one herd in Arkhangai Province, Mongolia. I observed that the herds frequently mingled with each other when they came in proximity during day-trip herding, and herdsmen intervened in their herds repeatedly throughout day-trip herding. However, previous studies conducted in Africa have suggested that herds with fi xed membership did not mingle and they moved autonomously with little intervention by herdsmen. The distinctive behavior of herds and techniques used by herdsmen to intervene in herds to control their activity in Mongolia appeared to stem from a combination of such factors such as the social organization involved in animal management, folk knowledge of animal behavior, and the infl uences of the natural environment. Concerning the social organization, several households formed a temporary residential group and combined their animals in a single herd to share the work of day-trip herding. However, the composition of residential groups changed in a few weeks or months and the membership of herds also changed in the short term. Indeed, the herds mingled frequently, unless herdsmen intervened to integrate, lead and control the activities of animals. The day-trip herding of such herds was only possible with frequent intervention by herdsmen.