Archival sources and the culture history of the Indians of the Eastern Subarctic*

This paper discusses some of the historical materials available to anthropologists interested in research on the Indians of the Eastern Subarctic. Until very recently, several important archival resources were either unknown or ignored by scholars, and therefore many ethnohistorical issues have remained unresolved. In some cases, field data have been extended back in time to fill gaps. But when historical materials are later uncovered, they sometimes refute field-derived historical assumptions. This paper, then, stresses the importance of archival research and illustrates its value with reference to several problem areas in Subarctic ethnology. Of special significance are the Hudson's Bay Company Archives in Winnipeg.     

Sociological Theory and the Relativistic Paradigm*

Sociological theory is compared to the relativist paradigm which is found in a variety of contemporary intellectual movements: microphysics, drama, theology, art, music and psychology. The principal elements in the relativist paradigm are: (1) complementarity; (2) indeterminacy: (3) relativity. In contrast to this thought pattern, the apparent pluralism represented in the strict, hermeneutical, and critical schools of sociological theory is shown to be questionable. Extant sociological theory is relatively unified at the epistemic level.     

THE INTEREST ELASTICITY OF MONEY DEMAND, LIQUIDITY AND REVERSE CAUSATION

This paper employs theoretical neoclassical and Keynesian models which have been expanded to include near monies to demonstrate that the interest elasticity of money demand is a peripheral issue to more fundamental differences between monetarists and Keynesians. The analysis indicates that the money supply is endogenously determined by income in such models, i.e. the reverse causation argument applies, and money is therefore an inappropriate instrument of monetary policy. The analysis also reveals that necessary and sufficient conditions for fiscal policy to be impotent are that the interest elasticities of money demand, money supply and all near monies must be zero.