Eating Christmas in the Kalahari

In this paper I will discuss Social Theories such as Structural Functionalism, Conflict theory; with emphasis on Karl Marx’s early work and how it relates to the conflict theory and Symbolic interaction. I intend to define and discuss relevant sociological terms of these theories and how these theories could apply to my favorite holiday which is Christmas.

Cannibalism: It Still Exists By: Linh Kieu Ngo and Love: The Right Chemistry By: Anastasia Toufelis are the two selections assigned to go with the concept essay. In the Cannibalism essay author Ngo explains a different side of cannibalism. The side of cannibalism that is practiced for dietary reasons, ceremonial purposes, and survival. Toufexis’ essay on love talks about the “physical” more chemical and biological aspect of love, relationships, and romance. It delves into the comical explanation for passion and why people fall in love.

self­inflated and overzealous his pride becomes the only thing on his mind, and in doing so he

Foer was first introduced to vegetarianism by his babysitter who confronted him about eating chicken one night at dinner. He did not realize “that chicken is chicken” and was immediately taken back by the emotion of guilt for the poor little animal that lost his life so that Foer could eat his dinner (451). This was

The perception of foreign cultures can at times be quite peculiar. The article “Eating Christmas in Kalahari” by Richard Borshay Lee, foretells a classic example of cross culture misunderstanding when people from different cultures operate in a culturally unfamiliar environment. Richard Lee, a social anthropologist, explains what he learned living with the !Kung Bushmen, a South African tribe, for three years. This Gemeinschaft community of hunters-gatherers worked together to teach the anthropologist something important to their people, even though he was unaware of their intentions in the beginning.

Pride, which becomes a major life lesson that is being taught throughout this book, concludes that pride it self is a life changing characteristic that one may chose to attain. In attaining pride one may seem arrogant or stubborn or one may chose to toss the pride aspect of life aside, yet seem somewhat less respectable. This book entails that pride should be taken into serious consideration since it has a major impact in everyday

Still, we have to be very careful when we boast so we don’t come off as prideful to others around

We have all demonstrated humility one way or another, whether it be holding your tongue when you want to boast, or keeping details to yourself so that another may be

Instead, Lee was taunted and belittled by everyone for choosing a “bag of bones”. He was even told that the ox he had chosen was going to ruin the Christmas feast, but Lee insisted that he had chosen a beautiful animal and was confident that they would still eat with pleasure. They replied saying, “Of course we will eat it; it’s food. But it won’t fill us up to the point where we will have enough strength to dance. We will eat and go home to bed with stomachs rumbling”(Lee, Eating Christmas with the Kalahari Pg. 2). Lee was also told that the lack of meat would cause a fight over how they were going to distribute it amongst the Ju. The response frustrated Lee to the point that he tried searching for a better ox, but was unable to find another. He decided that he was just going to serve the ox regardless.

John C. Maxwell once said “Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That's not a guess, it's a guarantee. With pride, it's not a matter of 'if' we will fall, but 'when.' There are no exceptions.” This quote Maxwell says shows how influential pride is and how it can/will lead to someone’s downfall.

Boycott: An act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for social or political reasons

Furthermore, he yet again displayed his excessive pride in a time of

We want to succeed with pride so we are worthy of being honored or respected. We don't want to feel prideful when others are just going to judge us then we feel that shame. Sometimes there isn't a point of being prideful when we cannot judge. We want others to see us being prideful, but then that can be good or possibly bad. There is also a point where we can just be humble.

Thus, remarking that pride does not go unpunished by the

How he acts towards his crew, for example, appears to be out of a jealously – they are whole and he is not. For this reason, he feels that he must make up for it by being stronger and more powerful than they are. He tries to control the men, for if he can control them then he is greater than they are, though they are complete and he is not.