welcome to cultural anthropology!lahc.edu/library/documents/parikh/cult anthro-icebreak...
TRANSCRIPT
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Welcome to Cultural
Anthropology!
Professor Janaki Natalie [email protected]
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Todays Agenda Icebreaker & Introductions
Go over syllabus/course outline
Introductory lecture
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Icebreaker Activity
Find someone who Speaks at least 3 languages (trilingual) Has lived in another country for at least 8 months of
their adult life knows the other 3 subfields of anthropology can identify the subject of this iconic image
(w/o looking in the book! =-) Can identify the writer who coined the phrase white
mans burden (Hint: (author of the Jungle Book & Rikki Tikki Tavi)
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Icebreaker Answers Trilingual students? Bilingual? Quadru-lingual? Living in another country for ~8 mos. or longer is
akin to the experience of doing anthropological fieldwork
Subfields? Archaeology, biological/physical, linguistic
Who is she? Rosie the Riveter: usedto encourage that it was
their patriotic duty to join the work force Rudyard Kiplingwell learn more about the
phrase, the poem he wrote by the same name & the extent to which its damage was felt for several decades
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/a/ab/Disneys_The_Jungle_Book_Poster.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tv.com/users/Dark_sageX/profile.php&h=400&w=278&sz=40&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=F0Qxr0AXLIJLfM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=86&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djungle%2Bbook%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Denhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/34/Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cakboliv.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/rikki-tikki-tikki-tikki-tik-tik-tik-my-mother-hissed/&h=475&w=360&sz=63&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=SVw1lwRsVYwsKM:&tbnh=129&tbnw=98&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drikki%2Btikki%2Btavi%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
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Interview & present a classmate:Now, please interview a fellow classmate regarding: Name (ask for last name too, I will be checking off roster
as we go) Yr. of study & Course of Study Swap e-mail addresses (& phone #s if comfortable) Name story (Do they have a nickname, what does their
name mean, or were they named after someone?)
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What is anthropology?
roots of the word, Greek origin:
anthropos = man
logos = word
Thus, the synthesis would be:
Knowledge about mankind, or modernized:
the science of humankind
What makes it unique from other disciplines that fit the same
description?
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Celebrating Human Diversity
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Buzz words Diversity: there are many difft ways of human,
part of the beauty of being human Studying diversity: making sense of the complex &
rich systems of meaning that make up culture Holistic: what does that mean?
whole of human conditn: past, present & future Celebrating diversity & understanding
universals This, of course, is a tall order! Organized into subfields to manage such an all
encompassing focus
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Subfields Archaeology: human cultural diversity in the
prehistoric past (midden) Biological/Physical: human genetic variation,primatology,
human evolution Linguistic: not so much about the history & origins of
languages & lang. families, rather focus on lang. as pwr., examining issues of class, gender, race, sexual orientation & lang.
Cultural: human cultural diversity in the present day
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2007/12/10/indiana-jones-crystal-skull.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2007/12/am_poster_post_indiana_jones_a.php&h=667&w=450&sz=71&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=Im_PfcgTIzgHOM:&tbnh=138&tbnw=93&prev=/images%3Fq%3DIndiana%2BJones%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Denhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000HT3P60.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mediablvd.com/forums/index.php%3Fshowtopic%3D39232&h=500&w=383&sz=37&hl=en&start=8&usg=__cQJ8FZ8mQ5jMdFpWzJMOD_-ixIg=&tbnid=w1AMM904SMNbmM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbones%2Btelevision%2Bseries%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
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Dimensions of Anthro Academic/Theoretical (Ivory Tower): focus is on
research, accumulation of knowledge, formulation of theories, removed from the practical
Applied/Action (Advocacy): what is advocacy? focus is on putting that knowledge to work,
utilizing it to act as advocates & help promote culturally sensitive programs & policies
Of these two, one tends to predominate, which one?
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Applied Anthro Example Medical anthro: has helped revolutionize our
approach to medicine. Heard of acupuncture?Was illegal until a few decades ago, today not
only is it legal, many insurance cos will cover your visits.
Med. Anthro research & advocacy has established efficacy of traditnal practices,
Increasing awareness of drs bedside mannerPlayed a role in minimizing stigma against
various illnesses
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What is culture?Brainstorm: art/music
food
Values/beliefsLanguage &
communication
politics
Styles of dress
Gender & sexuality
culture
marriagekinship
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Culture Is
1. Learned: youre not born w/ it, its not hardwired Enculturatn: process by which a child learns his/her
culture2. Shared: its not about one individ. person, culture is
shared by a group of ppl., shared understandingsDifft levels to culture of lrger & smller scale? Subcultures, (brainstorm)
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Culture Is(Contd)3. Symbolic: we assign meaning to things & they become
cultural ,ex: our flag: stars & stripes stand for? Colors?
White: Purity/Innocence, Red: Hardiness/Valor & Blue: Justice/Perserverance
Wedding ring: is there an integral connectn btwn the ring & the actual marriage?
4. Dynamic: Not fixed, always changing Original a symbol of a married , called? Bhindi mangal sutra
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Culture Is (contd)4. Culture is dynamic (contd) Cultural constructions: the set of cultural meanings we
attribute to a concept, the way we actively create the reality of that concept
Ex.s: gender, race5. Culture is adaptive & maladaptive (oft. Simultaneously)
Ex.: Chinas one child policy, how is it adaptive?Maladaptive?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EirCpAByc2U&feature=related
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Culture is(contd) Adaptive & maladative (contd): @ home: automobiles How are they adaptive? Maladaptive?6. Taken for granted: we dont realize the degree to which
it shapes & guides our perceptns & worldviewlike a set of eyeglasses that put the world into focusEx.: Food
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Culture is W/in our context: veal as food & factory farming:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOWQOXeJyUM&
feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHXA1LLB_I&fe
ature=related
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Culture is
Ethnocentrism: judging another culture/tradition by our own cultural standards/values
Cultural relativism? attempting to suspend judgment when viewing another cultl practice/tradition
Another q to ask: is it poss. to take cultural relativism too far? Examples?
Drawing the line w/ human rights violations
ethnocentrismcultural relativism
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Why study culture? Multicultural world: in todays mod. global economy,
highly likely that the co. you work for will be multinatl, Multiculturalism: celebratn of cultural diversity, the
belief that such diversity strengthens a nation rather than threateng it
melting pot: discuss
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://our.ptsem.edu/UploadedFiles/Student%2520Services/Multicultural_Relations/Globe2.jpg&imgrefurl=https://our.ptsem.edu/ics/Campus_Life/Multicultural_Relations/Commitment_and_Direction.jnz&h=424&w=416&sz=83&hl=en&start=20&usg=__l89r31-v3HcNq2FpFcJC9yrYVwU=&tbnid=hp1dFCG1rD1XAM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmulticulturalism%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
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Why study anthro? Studying diversity helps us to better understand
ourselves Emphasizes cross-cultl teamwork Contributes to developmt of cognitive complexity
& helps w/ reconciling cultl contradictns Provides well rounded foundation for active
listening & facilitates social acuity
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Nacirema article Miner: a pinnacle in the soc. Sciences As we read, think about the beliefs & practices of
the Nacirema & what your thoughts are about them, bear in mind cultl relativism
Who are the Nacirema? Lets spell it backwards A..M..E..R..I..C..A..N, yes we are the nacirema! This article illustrates the probs of exoticization Exoticization is dehumanizing even when its not
meant to be negative
Welcome to Cultural Anthropology!Todays AgendaIcebreaker ActivityIcebreaker AnswersInterview & present a classmate:What is anthropology?Celebrating Human DiversityBuzz wordsSubfieldsDimensions of AnthroApplied Anthro ExampleWhat is culture?Culture IsCulture Is(Contd)Culture Is (contd)Culture is(contd)Culture isCulture isWhy study culture?Why study anthro?Nacirema article