Final answer:
The subsistence strategy where men predominantly hunt and women primarily gather plant foods is referred to as gathering-hunting. The Hadza exemplify this practice, illustrating both the division of labor between genders and the flexibility within these roles.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the subsistence strategy where men typically hunt and women typically gather plant foods, the strategy is known as gathering-hunting. This term is used to reflect the significant contribution of gathering, which is commonly undertaken by women and provides the majority of calories in the diets of such groups. The Hadza of northern Tanzania are an example of a society that practices gathering-hunting, where both men and women may venture out to gather, but men primarily seek out meat and honey. Additionally, other groups might exhibit variations in this strategy based on environmental factors, where some women also participate in hunting.
It is important to understand that in these societies, labor division is somewhat flexible and is not strictly bound to gender. Sometimes, men also gather plant foods, and women may hunt small game or collect honey. However, hunting is considered a prestige activity, adding prominence to men who are successful at it. Despite this, in most contemporary gathering-hunting societies, a significant degree of equality between men and women exists.
The gathering-hunting mode of subsistence is one among the four basic modes which also include farming, herding, and fishing. These modes of subsistence are complemented with a variety of strategies to adapt to various circumstances, such as environmental changes or resource scarcity.