Writing Across A Broad Spectrum

After reading the novel Nest in the Wind: Adventures in Anthropology on a Tropical Island, written by Martha C. Ward, I learned about a culture on an island that is much different but similar in many ways to ours. The Climate of the Island was tropical with heavy rainfall. The Island was known as a “tropical paradise”. Ward a female Anthropologist went to this Island to study its inhabitants . Some area she focus on was Family, Religion, sex, tradition, economics, politics ,medicine, death, resources and daily activities . Ward approach to getting this information as accurate as possible was to live among the Pohnpeians as . She got involved in their culture and community. She even , though unwanted gained rank in their society. Her and

Chapter 8 (Wagley) discusses fieldwork conducted in a small village with Tapirapé Indians in central Brazil. The chapter focused on a man named Champukwi who was a Tapirapé Indian man. Champukwi became a close friend of Wagley and provided him with information regarding Trapirapé culture. Champukwi would frequently visit Wagley’s house and help him with his research. In addition, Wagley and his employee Valentim Gomes took Champukwi on a trip to Furo de Pedra. Champukwi was not accustomed to the culture at Furo de Pedra as it was different in comparison to his. Champukwi became very curious and obtrusive as he would peer into homes of people and sometimes enter uninvited. Additionally, Champukwi told Wagley about village gossip which he would not have told if he was on village grounds. Champukwi’s relationship with Wagley

Calcagno (2003) emphasizes the importance of encouraging biocultural approaches to research. In order to be holistic it is necessary that the research used is widespread across the anthropological sub disciplines (Riley. E, 2006). Calcagno identifies how this approach is easily discussed in practice, but this can be significantly harder to produce successfully in practical settings. The tension surrounding this is due to preceding conflicts in procedures and philosophies disrupting their ability to coexist in the research subfields. Calcagno uses the data collected by Borofsky that indicated the holistic

The following review will be about a movie named Avatar. Avatar dates back to 2009 and was directed by James Cameron. The greediness of those in power will always results in the suffering of those lacks power. This statement refers to the greediness that was depicted in the movie by the Resources Development Administrators (RDA), which led to a forceful relocation of the Na’Vi people. The following essay will include the discussion of three anthropological themes that were displayed. The first theme is the power of knowledge. Here I will discuss how knowledge was used against the NA’Vi people. The second theme is the notion of imperialism. The colonization of the Pandora will be discussed under imperialism. The third theme is the notion of ethics. Under ethics I will discuss the three main ethical principles that should be followed by every ethnographer.

Writing varies from a text message to a novel. Writers often have a difficult task in creating a piece of work that truly identifies the meaning of good writing. Every good writer usually starts with the basics such as genre, audience, rhetorical situation, and reflection of the piece. Throughout this semester, we have gone through all of these key terms in great detail with each new assignment that has come our way. In doing this, not only as students but also as writers, we have come to create our own theory of writing. Every writer has a different theory of writing though most are very similar. Now, at this point in the semester after doing countless journals, in-class exercises, and final assignments, I think I have figured out my own

In Patrick Tierney’s article “The Fierce Anthropologist,” he discussed the faults that are, or may be, present in Napoleon Chagnon’s anthropological research of the Yanamamo, or “The Fierce People,” as Chagnon has referred to them in his best-selling book on the people.

This study examines Horace Miner’s essay “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema. While using the participant observation approach, he gives us a new perspective on the daily behaviors within this group of people. Exploring ethnocentrism and how we view cultures outside of our own.

Alexie uses first hand experiences all throughout his article to depict the reality of American Indian’s lives. By appealing to the pathos, he gives his readers the ability to empathize with him, experiencing both the trials and triumphs. His use of analogies provides his audience with visuals that portray his experiences more accurately. When Alexie writes about himself in

Clifford Geertz in “Deep Play” gives us a detailed account of the Balinese cockfight which he defines as a sociological entity and a simulation of social matrix. Persistently ignored by the natives, anthropologist and his wife were only accepted into the community after demonstrating solidarity by fleeing from the cockfight like other villagers. Through his interaction with the Balinese and observation, Geertz attempts to disentangle the meaning and nature of cockfight which appears to play a significant role in Balinese society. At first, he analyzes the cockfight from general and universal perspective, assuming that cocks are “magnifications of the narcissistic male ego”, but then considers the particularities of the Balinese culture: Its

Rigoberta starts questioning her perspective on ladinos, wondering if they are really all bad. She befriends Indians who have worked with poor ladinos who suffer from the same problems as her community does. The poor, from ladino to Indian, are exploited just the same yet they are so conditioned to dislike one another it’s hard for them to unite and really consider their circumstances the same. This troubles Rigoberta greatly for she knows that the heart of her distress aches from abuse from the rich landowners and if the poor ladinos are abused the same, they ache as well. Rigoberta dares to live in a state of confusion when wondering why there is such an enormous barrier between ladino and Indian. This confused state of mind is progressive for her time because her culture has long equated change and confusion with chaos and

Miner’s article presents numerous anthropological concepts including culture, social behaviors, symbols, material culture and holism. While providing us with a synchronic view of an unexplored culture, Miner tackles the principle mindset that governs the “Nacirema’s” social customs and “rituals”, looks at key symbols and material possessions as the focus of the culture, and highlights the importance of studying a culture in its entirety to gain a full and accurate understanding.

In Wayward Women, Wardlow explores roles of women within the society of the Huli people in Papua New Guinea. Within their society, Huli women are treated as a commodity. They are servants to their husbands and those that attempt to fight this system are labeled as pasinja meri, a derogative term given to those who try to escape the system. Huli women are oppressed and commoditized by the Huli system of brideswealth for their value as a sexual product instead of as people.

The book, Wisdom Sits In Places, is an anthropological study carried out by Doctor Keith Basso based. on his own field work with the people of the Western Apache over thirty years. The book is consolidated of four opulent essays, each one focusing on a member of the Apache Tribe who share the different significance of places within their culture. Their concepts of wisdom, history, morals, and storytelling, which are interlaced within a place. These essays allow us to understand Basso as he expands awareness of the relationships people maintain with places and spaces.

The belief in kinship with creation is widely supported within most indigenous religions. In this way of thinking, there is more importance placed on the concept of “we” than there is on the concept of “I”. Here, the family or village is where strong emphasis lies. In many indigenous traditions, developing and maintaining a respectful relationship with spiritual energy is paramount. This concept doesn’t only apply to humans, but also, in many cases to the immediate natural environment as well. The oneness of the body and the land is vital. Many think of themselves as mere ‘caretakers’ of the earth, and nothing more, who has a duty to nurture and preserve it for future generations. Certain animals are seen as spiritual conduits, just as certain trees are seen to impart herbal healing secrets.

In Temsula AO’s collection of short stories ‘These Hills Called Home’ there are many illustrations of people sharing a deep bond with nature although most of the stories deals with the everyday life of the Naga people, she tries to bring out how people merged along with nature in every walks of their life. ‘The Pot Maker’ one of her stories in the book illustrates how generations of women folk in a village depended upon making pots for their daily needs, in the story Temsula wonderfully represented