significance. There have been numerous definitions that have filtered through the field, yet not one that everyone can accept or agree with. Franz Boas, an anthropologist in the early 20th Century, and his students, had a difficult time figuring out the objective of what culture is. Culture is about learning and shared ideas about behaviour. Although Boas and his students had a slightly different idea in mind. They ultimately reached a conclusion, a definition of culture in their view that is a contradiction
Though women have played an integral part in the history of the discipline of anthropology, it was not until the early 1970’s that the field of anthropology and gender, or feminist anthropology emerged. Sex and gender roles have always been a vital part of any ethnographic study, but the contributors of this theory began to address the androcentric nature of anthropology itself. The substantial gap in information concerning the study of women was perceived as a male bias, a prejudice made more apparent
Questions Fall 2012 Instructions: In preparation for the exams, here is a list of study questions for each chapter. What you need to know from the text is covered in these questions. For all these chapters, you need to be familiar with the definitions (technical terms) highlighted in the text. Also, while there will be no direct questions on the grey boxes in these chapters, I strongly suggest you read them. They provide real-life examples of the concepts discussed in the chapter and you might
Reflexivity: Crossing That Line Traditionally, ethnographic works had always been about objective studies of the “other.” The discipline attempts to use non-biased methods to research of our subjects to qualify anthropology into the category of science. However, an increasing number of anthropologists begin to question the existence of objectivity in fieldwork. More recently, some anthropologists advocate the incorporation of the self, or the use of reflexivity, in the research to acknowledge
It emphasized that cultural History subdivided historical societies into distinct ethnic and cultural groups by their physical culture, rejecting a comparative method and independent cultural development, with documentation reflecting the development of specific groups have distinctive set of traits unique to each cultural group. It explained change was caused by diffusion and migration in which research with spatial and temporal time and space systematics to shape cultural forms over time that
Anthropology and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Jonah's Gourd Vine Zora Neale Hurston described the study of anthropology as a spy-glass, an illuminating lens (1). Anthropology is defined as the scientific study of the origin, the behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans (2). Through this study and with the aid of an essay defining human nature written by Cardinal Jean Daniello, we can take a closer look at the behavior of the characters in
Tsipy Ivry’s book on Israeli and Japanese pregnancy processes is an important work towards feminist anthropology and the study of pregnancy and birth in anthropology. The focuses of pregnancies brought to term in Israel and Japan, and the U.S. have many differences. The importance of genetic testing in the U.S. and Israel, and the lack of importance of it in Japan is very interesting and culturally-based. In an updated paper from 2011, Rayna Rapp expands on birthing practices and childbearing in
power relations is also important here. Racism is about some people having the power to use racializing and essentializing ideas of different people and cultures against some other people. The consequences of racism can be identified on social and cultural levels ( for example, in the unequal distribution of goods and services, in racializing discourses and representations of peoples and cultures), in face to face interaction in everyday encounters (se e.g Ahmed 2002) and on a subjective level as racialized
In this essay, I will examine the field of American Studies and attempt to explain its ever changing definition. I will take the reader through the origins of American Studies and describe the events that led to changes in the discipline. The scholars in American Studies are constantly seeking to understand the practices by individuals and groups and their history of origin. Scholars struggle to understand how values and beliefs shape social and political realities within the U.S. and other countries
Anthropology 331 Detailed Paper Outline I. Introduction (203 words) A. Anthropology of gender provides a broad look at the issues surrounding the cultural and social formation of gender and ideas about gender. 1. Expands and allows for an unbiased view in the broad scoped discipline of Anthropology. 2. Endeavors to understand and interpret a wide range of significant issues in regards to the Anthropology of gender through encouraging comparative analysis in a cross cultural perspective. 3. The