Topic 1: Introduction to Anthropology and Culture
Kottak, questions from chapter 1, 13
DVD questions from chapters 1, 2, and 3
Kottak Chapter 1
1. What do you think is unique about anthropology: its holism or its comparative perspective? Can you think of other fields that holistic and/or comparative?
I think that holism is a unique part of anthropology because it’s the study of the whole human condition: the past, present, and the future. It’s also about the biology, society, language, and culture of the humans. I think it’s unique because it covers all the aspects of the human life. I think sociology is a field that is holistic because it deals with social relations, organizations, and behaviors.
2. What are some areas in
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One issue that has been hard to comprehend is the covering up of the face by the women in the Middle East. It’s very hot over there and if anything I would think they would want less clothes on their bodies.
DVD Chapter 1
1. How did the farming techniques of the Batak differ from those of their non Batak referred as “Christianos”?
Christianos used the slash and burn technique which is done to the surrounding forest. This farming technique is harmful to the environment even though it is faster and more efficient with it covering big kaingens. The Batak make small scattered kaingens without clearing all of the brush the farming method is not harmful to the environment.
2. For what specific reasons did Hariban Palawan, the conservationist group, want to work with Batak? Were the Batak immediately accepting of them?
The Hariban Palawan conservationist group wanted to work with the Batak so they can preserve the forest that was left. They shared the same goal but it took the Batak a long time to trust the conservationist group
3. One of the ways in which anthropology has broadened its horizons is by demonstrating the values that other people’s cultures and ways of life may have for the wider world. What can the Batak offer the world?
The Batak are able to offer the world a way to utilize resources without destroying them. In other words being more environmentally friendly.
DVD chapter
Do you like, or do you dislike bats like they are a cold? If you don’t, well you’ll dislike this paragraph because this one is all about the Northern long eared bat in North Dakota. The Northern long-eared bat has been on the endangered list since November 30, 1979, and frankly they aren’t bad for being bats. There are people trying to save this animal, like environmentalists, and there’s people who dislike these bats, like farmers and ranchers. The thing is, farmers and ranchers are the people who put them on the endangered list in the first place and they don’t realize it, but they are hunting them to try and save their families and animals from this bat. They also put themselves on the endangered list because
There is a debate between scientists whether vampire bats should be killed or not. Firstly, ranchers, believe that vampire bats should be killed. For example, Chris Kraul a writer for the Los Angeles Times, shares that bats are feasting and killing off the cattle. Thus, this point proves that bats should be killed(Kraul). Secondly, Researchers believe that bats should be saved. For instance, Kraul reports that the theory for all of the attacks on the livestock are cause by timber cutting so the bats are losing food rich forests so they head toward the cattle for food. Therefore, this confirms that it is our fault for the bats attacking the livestock. Thirdly, I believe that bats should not be killed. To illustrate, Kraul tells bat based research
An anthropologist usually, at the beginning of their career, conduct ethnographic research in a foreign country or remote location to validate themselves as a “bonafide anthropologist” (Brondo 43). Eventually however, the anthropologist will return home often to conduct research around their own familiar ethnic group. Tsuda refers to the anthropologists return to familiar territory as an “Ethnographic homecoming” (Brondo 44). The use of ethnographic methods in the anthropologist’s home or familiar environment is what Tsuda means by “native anthropology”.
Anthropology is the science that studies human cultures. As her sources of information are the study of human societies and changes between them. Anthropologists exploring human behavior and activities, try to reach the definition of social and cultural phenomens. The science of anthropology is divided into two main areas, physical anthropology and social anthropology. These are two independent science of physical anthropology from each other deal with the biological side of human life and comes in natural sciences and social anthropology deals with the development of human societies and is part of the social sciences.
Topic 7. When citizens describe the nature of Canada, Natural disasters are not often included. Explain a list natural disasters that pose a threat to Canadians and their lives. Introduction Contrary to popular belief, Canada is not immune to natural disasters. As a matter of fact, natural disasters that have a recurring pattern on Canadian land.
Firstly, Vampire bats and their survival are important to the food chain and are a secondary pollinator leading to increases in plant based food production of which helps to prevent famine in a particular area where they are common. Many tropical to subtropical and desert plants depend on bats for pollination. These plants include but are not limited to mangoes, bananas, and desert plants like the fruit of the cactus etc. A bat pollinates by landing on a plant and/or flower and the pollen of that plant sticks to bat's fur as the bat continues to do this the traits and attributes of the parent plants are spread to cover a larger area. In recent years the poverty rate has soared in recent years leading to as many as many as ten thousand people
While wearing a metaphorical mask helps a woman hide the ugliness nobody wants to see, a literal mask conceals too much. Men want to see women, especially if they are the correct size with the correct amount of curves; if they reach the right size, arrogance or pride will take away from the physical attraction. The Middle East takes the right to flaunt their beauties away by participating in the custom that most know as veiling (the act of covering with a light gauze cloth). The practice alone seems unimaginable but even scarier, the girls seem apathetic towards the demeaning tradition. Much like India, they brainwash girls to believe in a repulsive custom. They choose to believe they help men resist the temptation of a woman’s body. In Behind the Veil by Elizabeth W. Fernea, a woman attempts to clarify the lack of self-respect: “If I wanted to take it all off (her ababbayah and veil), I would have long ago. It wouldn’t mean as much as it does to you.” (Behind the Veil, Robert Fernea). Covering up the problem does not present triumph, but among the wreckage and turmoil of this wretched tradition, hope remains. They have a stronger force on their side; America will save them from their
When I was given a tour of the Psych-Med-Unit (PMU) at Saint Mary’s Hospital, I was slightly uncomfortable and thought the hallway was dark. But I quickly realized that the dim light was designed to create a calm and healing environment for psych patients occupying the unit. Bright light may push schizophrenia patients into manic episode, for example. As I walked in the hallway, I was surprised to see how comfortable the staff were with their surroundings. The scene opposed my previous personal and professional belief about psych patients. I have always believed that psych patients are combative and are challenging to manage. This notion came from way back when my clinical teacher told me to always place one hand in the front of my throat when
Northern Long-eared bats consume the insects that are posing a threat to our agriculture such as beetles, flies, and moths. If the Northern Long-eared bat became absent, our agriculture would be pushed into more harm’s way. Besides, the bats are out of our habitat, therefore, we should stay
The methods the farmers used would really depend on the type of land their farming on. The technique slash and burn is a technique that the 4 used in forested areas. The process begins with the cutting down of the growth and then using the ashes as added soil nutrient. Over a couple years the nutrition will fade and will result in the Mayans looking for another area while waiting for the first one to grow back. In the lowlands of the Mayan world it could sometimes be swamped so the farming technique had to be different, that's why they used raised field farming. The farmers would start by digging up mud shaping into raised field, they grew up to 4 to 5 feet in the water canals. The fish would later come and provide fertilizer inside the water canal. Plants would then start to grow and prevent the canal from drying up, the farmers would then use the plants as fertilizer for
Anthropology is holistic. Humans are social beings more than anything, but with underlying psychological, biological and cultural connotations. The field of anthropology encompasses everything and anything having to do with humankind throughout history. Anthropology attempts to answer the tough questions about the human condition. What influences our actions? How has our species changed? Why do we look down on other cultures or societies? The questions are endless. It is the anthropologists’ job to try and answer them with unbiased subjectivity in order to come analytical conclusions about us as humans. (Kottak 14). To understand humans and the complexity of our cultures anthropology uses knowledge not only from the social and biological sciences, but also the physical sciences and humanities. In order to cover such a wide base of human history and interaction, anthropology itself has been split up into four different subsets that allow us to delve deeper into the understanding of the human condition. What is common throughout all the subsets is the application of knowledge in an effort to solve human problems. Throughout history though, the problems we have faced as humans have not always been the same. In fact they often change from generation to generation. For anthropology to keep up with these changes it’s had to
One of the most interesting indigenous groups in the world is the Batek of Malaysia, this is a group of people that live in the oldest rain forest of peninsular Malaysia. Orang ASli means “Original people” in the native Malay Language, and they truly are the original people of the land. Being a nomadic group of hunters and gatherers, means that they are at the mercy of the land and the elements for survival. Batek beliefs note that, the rainforest was created by “superhuman” beings for the Batek to use and will destroy the world and everything on it if the Batek were ever to leave the rainforest ( K.M. Endcott 1979a; Lye 2004). The Batek believe that the “superhuman” beings created the forest for the Batek to harvest, build houses in,
Knowledge and Ethics in Anthropology: Obligations and Requirements, edited by Lissette Josephides broadly discuss the epistemological and ethical elements that are involved in the field of anthropology. The book is largely inspiring in Marilyn Strathern’s work, challenging and debating different aspect of her contribution to the field.
Tim Ingold mentions in an essay that, “ Human beings are makers of the world”. This is evident through my research in a way that we understand how communities travel across the seas around Borneo to take on a new way of living within their newly formed tribes. These tribes make do with what they have in a completely new environment. As more and more communities spread across the coasts, setting up their new life, so did the distinction between the various tribes.
In society today, the discipline of anthropology has made a tremendous shift from the practices it employed years ago. Anthropologists of today have a very different focus from their predecessors, who would focus on relating problems of distant peoples to the Western world. In more modern times, their goal has become much more local, in focusing on human problems and issues within the societies they live.