Essays on Anthropology

Introduction

Networks have, in a lot of ways, affected a lot of aspects of human life. Since the boom of the internet era, for example, many people have started to exhibit shifting preferences and habits when it comes to making social interactions. As more and more social media platforms got invented, the number of people using such tools to interact and be a part of a larger network has demonstrated a steady and continuous increase. The thing with networks is that they tend to have vague and ambiguous definitions. Some people may perceive them as a mere system of connections Continue reading...

Anthropology

Despite the one child policy implemented into China, due to the turbulent history of China throughout the 20th century, the growth of anthropology made it extremely dissimilar, with major cutoffs in the continent, principally for the period of wars during 1938 thru 1949 and the partisan operations upon the 50’s to the mid 70’s. Paradoxically, the actual first Chinese communication with the effort of Marx along with other nineteenth century advanced philosophers existed through Japanese conversions. China is the second largest, export led economy throughout the globe while the humanity is abundant just over one- billion people Continue reading...

The December holiday is a period of the year when people do a lot of shopping. There is either a lot of stock in the shops for the many consumers, or overpriced goods, and sometimes both. People purchase goods for others, and at the same time they expect presents from the people they are buying for the goods. For this reason, there are those who purchase goods and those who receive these gifts that have been purchased (Bige, 2008, p. 425). The two groups of people have a different perspective on the way they view the gift. There is Continue reading...

- Thesis: Cultural anthropology has the potential to address a myriad of problems; however, research subjects are greatly harmed by lack of regulation from the government.
- Margaret Mead, Paul Farmer and Franz Boas are anthropologists are actively involved in solving societal problems
- Their positions as cultural anthropologists gave them the upper hand in addressing a range of problems that society had to contend with.
- This was based on the fact that they understood most of these issues and as such, knew how to navigate through in a bid to find solutions.
- Potential in Cultural anthropology Continue reading...

In this paperwork, response paper 1, I am going to handle four questions.

Define and describe ethnography. Explain how it is used as a method in Anthropology.
Ethnography is defined as a qualitative research method that is used most often in social sciences, such as sociology and anthropology (Brewer, 2000). Ethnography is, thus, used by cultural anthropologists to learn another culture. Ethnography is a unique method, since it does not rely on statistical data for it is more on recounting an occurrence in the social world and the personal lives of the community. Ethnography method is adopted by anthropologists, since they believe that it gives efficient result when compared to other methods. Continue reading...

- Anthropology by definition is the study of human beings present and past life with an intent of deducing ways of evading problem and ensure development of the human population.
- In respect to the main objective of anthropology research done in this field ought to ensure that humane methods of conducting the same are well adhered to.
- Conflicting to what ought to be the essence of anthropological research are the presentation of inhuman experiments, one example of this is that of Guatemala that entailed using prisoners as subjects for testing the effectiveness of penicillin in treating syphilis.
Continue reading...

Introduction

Raise the red lantern (1991) is a Chinese film whose main theme is sexual enslavement. The protagonist in the film lives life in a closed system where the long established customs that rule demand no escape. The protagonist in the film is a nineteen year old girl who drops out of college in the event of her father’s death. The girl is condemned into a life of a concubine of a wealthy man, alongside four others, because her mother denied her support after the demise of her father. The movie in itself is an anthropological lesson because it Continue reading...

The social structure of a chiefdom is defined as a hierarchical way of living where some people have got great access to wealth, status, and even authority and power. Authority in this case is more limited to the people at the top and they are the ones who determine the way their subjects are going to live. A case in point is when Hawaiian, Tahitians and Trobrianders chiefdoms are considered. The authority of the chief was held in very high esteem and the subjects had no choice but to be under the chief (Kirch 111). Using the Hawaiian chiefdom Continue reading...

Introduction

Both socialization and enculturation can be distinguished. Mead suggests that, for socialization, there are some requirements and exactions that are bestowed on the people by their societies. Fabrega also says that socialization is the symbolic system of people, (1977). On the other hand, enculturation refers to the process whereby people learn a culture into its finest details; all the uniqueness of the culture and its particulars (Merten, 1999). This paper will go further into detail to give the processes of socialization and enculturation, their differences. In addition to that, we shall see why they are both needed for a Continue reading...

Dr.

Introduction
In the excerpt "John Wilkes Booth killed Lincolnbut who killed John Wilkes Booth?" Jesse Hicks probes the ever-so-more confounding mystery of the death of Lincoln’s assassin, the famous/infamous John Wilkes Booth.

Thesis

This paper details the account she posits in the aforementioned article - a factual delineation of the official version of the assassination, John Wilkes Booth’s alleged escape, arrest and murder, the speculation regarding the murdered man’s identity, an uncovering of hidden secrets, conspiracies and a forthcoming of the ‘unofficial’ version of history, the increasing interest in the case of historians on either side Continue reading...

Human beings are social creatures who live in a society with different cultural backgrounds. Culture can be defined as characteristics or attributes of a particular group of people in the society who can be identified by their language, religion, music, art and even the way they dress, the culture is passed to different generation through learning. Culture has been there since of the evolution story and has evolved with human beings. Culture differs depending on the people living in a certain geographical area, age and also gender. Different nations have their own, the youth, and the adults also have Continue reading...

Worldview

Worldview refers to a set of suggestions and proposals that a person holds and deeply influences the life of people with similar believes.
- The followers of Christian religion commonly regard their religion as a collection of ideas that may change their life and follow Christianity as a guideline to interact with society. Followers hardly comprehend their religion as a whole conceptual framework.
- Following are the few examples of worldview narrated by different authors.
- According to James Sire, the concept of worldview is just a conventional set of suppositions that one may hold of this world and Continue reading...

In the article, ‘'The making and unmaking of the third world'', By Arturo Escobar, the aspects of modernity in relation to anthropology and development are well analyzed. The author states that the economic progress is associated with a lot of painful experiences. The issues relating to regional economic imbalances in the U.S are well elaborated by the author in this article. The dangers of food insecurity were given close analysis and consideration. The aspects of production are of the essence in the facilitating smooth flow of the economy of a nation. The use of modern technological and scientific knowledge Continue reading...

A rite of passage is a very important part of an individual’s life in many cultures. Most typically represent when the individual comes of age in the culture. Young Jewish children have a Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah, depending on their genders, to express when they become adults. The Satere Mawe tribe in the Amazon are forced to wear gloves filled with bullet ants for several hours to show that they have the strength to face adulthood. In rites of passage such as these, sometimes the participants die. In less serious, more celebratory rites of passage, the participants Continue reading...

Introduction

Fathers’ Sons and Brothers’ Keepers is an article written by Charles M. Blow. The article was published in the New York Times on 28th February 2014. He examines the lives of young men and the roles played by their fathers in their development and character. The context of his article is formed, in part, by President Obama’s announcement of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which is a partnership between the private sector and members of the public aimed at improving the outcomes of at-risk young men. Blow states that the issues facing young men have familial, behavioral, Continue reading...

Introduction:

A personal philosophy of ethical practice using core values and essential principles and practices for doctoral research in the field of education should encompass intent, practice and the final use of the materials. To conduct oneself ethically involves more than doing the right thing. Ethical conduct must include acting in the right spirit. Setting out with the right intent and obeying the rules is not sufficient, ethical conduct must also abiding respect and concern for other individuals.
Ethical conduct for doctoral research in the field of education is particularly sensitive and demanding. Unlike research undertaken for commercial purposes, education Continue reading...

Dr D Long

Religion
Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine was a 4th century theologian. According to Augustine, the nature of humans changed considerably following the first sin that Adam committed in the Garden of Eden. He refers to the first Adam’s sin as “the fall”. To Augustine, the fall led to the bond of original sin that had several consequences. Augustine believed that the first consequence of the fall was death as seen in the Confessions where he states thus, “over and above the bond of original sin where we all die in Adam” (St. Augustine 85). The second consequence is that Continue reading...

Body Art and Ornamentation

Body art and ornamentation
For centuries, the human skin has hugely been used as a culture identification and expression. People across the universe honor their culture through skin and body art language to communicate about their beliefs and values. This has attracted interest and much attention among anthropologists since the early 1900’s (Eriksen, 2001). The reason behind skin inscription highlights a central issue to anthropology and other related disciplines. This is because the skin decoration and ornamentation has expressed the boundary marks between different societies. It has further represented individual and societal experiences among people across the globe. Continue reading...

Organization

Introduction
The Mardu Aborigines by Bob Tokinson is a book which provides an up-to-date account of the people belonging to the Mardu culture. It an indigenous Australian culture which has its roots in the Dreamtime. This book is amongst the most read and modern contemporary classics of Aboriginal Anthropology in Australia. Tokinson discusses and researches in detail, the various aspects of the life of Mardu people who live in the Western Australian Jigalong area. This paper is a reflective analysis of one chapter, The Spiritual Imperative, from the book.

The most important aspect of the chapter, The Spiritual Imperative, Continue reading...

Investigational Techniques

Sociologists use many distinct methods to investigate society as well as social behavior. A number of sociological studies include ethnography designed to show the traits of a group of people as completely as feasible. The author describes case study and survey research as research methods used in sociological studies.
In the opinion of Neuman (2009), for a case study investigation, the researcher studies a small group of people or an individual having unusual situation or condition. Case studies are normally clinical in their scope. The researcher sometimes employs self-report measures in acquiring quantifiable data concerning a subject.

Survey Research

Survey research Continue reading...

Psychology

Introduction
Sociology is done mostly from the positivist perspective, where there is a growing practice of interpretive research. In anthropology, most data collection is done by interpretivist approach, in which fieldworkers who go out, listen and watch, take notes, and bring all the data home. We discussed and understood the methods used in sociology, as well as the methods of cultural anthropology, and how they differ in terms of their approach and process. These methods are all utilized by sociologists and anthropologists to further understand the roots of social sciences.

Sociological research methods

Sociological research is based on the practice of empirical Continue reading...

Anthropology is the study of the present and past of humans. It builds and draws knowledge from biological and social sciences along with physical sciences and humanities. The biggest concern of the anthropologists is applying the knowledge of anthropology to solve human problems. We shall look at how anthropology affects the society as a whole and the influences it has on people. It views the social patterns of human beings. It does so by comparing the past social patterns with the present ones. In so doing one, anthropology can bring solutions to the problems that affect human beings. It Continue reading...

[Institution Title]
The different social structure theories perceives that societal, financial, and social arrangements or social structures are among the prime cause of deviant and criminal behaviors. Given this effect, it has been significantly noted that because of this society is placed at the mercy of it these institutions to help preserve order and help protect the integrity of man’s basic human rights. Many believed that crimes had only been conceptualized when the world began embracing “order” and started formulating social institutions in the likes of government and trade. While these institutions are believed to be the herald Continue reading...

Evolution is defined as the process by which living organisms are believed to have developed and diversified from various current forms into their current state. Evolution can be stated as having commenced at the same period of time life began. Since then, the first organisms have undergone significant changes throughout the years in gradual process that has seen their transformation into the forms they exist in today. Anthropology, which is associated with the study of human development since the inception of human life, pays close attention to the evolution of mankind. This is achieved through the branch of anthropology Continue reading...

Introduction

Qualitative research, as defined by Thomas from the book of Sampa (2012), “involves gathering and interpreting information from the viewpoint of kinds of objects, ideas, or events” (as cited in Sampa, 2012, p.5). Qualitative research has five approaches, which are narrative research, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study. Each design should be anchored to a theory in order for the progress of a research to be guided. According to Creswell (2009), in qualitative research, a theory acts as a lens for understanding the study, although it may also be formulated during or after the study.

Implication of Theory in the Five Approaches

Phenomenology
This type Continue reading...

An Argumentative Essay based on Shaylin Muehlmann’s

When I Wear my Alligator Boots
The science behind social development lies on the capacity of humans to become more effective in determining a more distinct indication on what the environment’s impact would be on the ways humans live their lives in the face of social changes. It is expected that with every change happening in the society, it could be noted that development is something that cannot be easily disregarded (Muehlmannn, 2013). People’s response to such changes allows the establishment of modern courses of living and progressive behavior. Anthropologists are often the ones in the front Continue reading...

Introduction

The Ghomeshi’s case has affected the image and credibility of CBC radio. While the case has is under the authorities, the Board needs to take some measures to avoid any negative consequences y that the company may suffer from. The Board needs to ensure that there a strong internal control, but be cognizant of the fact that Ghomeshi has a right to privacy. While investigating the case further, the must avoid instances where Ghomeshi’s private information maybe leaked to the media. The internal investigations as stated in the press release must be professional and legal. This will Continue reading...

China has 32 million more boys than girls, which is a major gender gap leading to increased crimes because parent face strict birth limits abort to have sons. This imbalance will eventually lead to problems such as young men unable to find female partners, as mentioned by the British Medical Journal. If there are highly sexed young men, then there is a higher chance of committing crimes. In a study of analysis of China’s census data for 2015, the male population under aged 20 exceeded female populations under 20 by 32 million. The same study also mentioned that Continue reading...

Growing up in an anti-German society would be difficult for any patriotic American with German heritage. In the prologue to his book, Slapstick, Kurt Vonnegut talked about the fall of his family’s pride in their culture and traditions, and how it left him without a sense of belonging (8). The history of his blood was hushed and dismissed, and he had a blank slate to fill with the skewed histories and realities of his books. His parents raised him in ignorance of all things German, things they had always loved and had always been a part of their Continue reading...

4-1

Anthropology has done much for religion by comparing religious opinions and cultural practices across social organizations, concluding that religion is created by human society that practice it.

Assumption of modern anthropology holds that religion is in continuity with magical thinking (Cassirer 1944:122).

God is an imaginative projection of humans as it has been observed that images of gods
worshiped by communities resemble such communities. For instance,

Xenophanes a Greek writer observed that Thracian gods were blue eyed and blond while those of

the Ethiopians are flat nosed and black (Harvey, Van A. 1997). If gods are like the people
worshiping them, then the society is worshiping itself in the disguise of religion- this argument
has not been validated by all anthropologists. But this may make much sense if ‘Emile

Durkheim’s views were to be considered. He defines religion as “projection of social values of a

Continue reading...

Communication & diversity

1. Choose one social identity group: race, gender, sexuality or ability. Explain how that group has been socially constructed throughout history and how the social construction has led to marginalization.
Gender differences have been an important part of society formation as well as division of labor from ancient times. The social class system has had a great impact on societies and their formation. Philosophers and thinkers have tried to analyze various elements of these classes and inequality system in the society and this has led to the marginalization of women as the fairer and weaker sex. Gender discrimination has Continue reading...

In a society where we interact with other people on a daily basis, the concepts of cultural anthropology are vital. For instance, I have a better understanding of the political systems and their influence on the society (Turnbull 384). This knowledge is important seeing that we live in a world where politics is an integral part of the social fabric. Through the concepts learnt in class, I am more attune with the very important cultural element that is religion. This concept is very important and relevant to life because it offers answers to existential questions (Spradley & McCurdy 258). Religion Continue reading...

Adolf Hitler started writing Mein Kampf- My Struggle- while in jail. The book discusses his childhood, aspirations, and the internal conflicts arising from his father’s expectations of him following his footsteps to become part of the civil service. As a child, Hitler did not feel challenged with school; however, he aspired to be an artist or painter but his father is not pleased about it. He gained interest in history; he started to study about the Germany-Austria history. Hitler studied Karl Marx and Jewish race theories, his hatred for the Jews starts to grow. In the book, it Continue reading...

Introduction

Where the universe originated from remains a philosophical issue. Different people argue differently about the origin of life. Although people live in a more technological developed world, they still have certain criteria to explain where life came about. In biological aspect, specialists argue that life originated from genetic traits (Moore, 59). This is different from myths that have the idea of the universe to have originated from accounts of divine creation (Pollitzer, 34). In this concern, Evolution and Creationism are the popular anthropological theories of origin. This research aims at determining people’s opinion about the two accounts. With Continue reading...

Postmodernism is a movement of art that emerged in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. Among all art movements, this one is considered to be the most controversial (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2014). This movement defies definition and is said to have fundamentally introduced an unstable mix of theoretical and theatrical. It was majorly multifaceted and was characterized by elements ranging from the luxurious to the completely ridiculous (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2014). This new brand of art is considered to have shattered some of the previously established ideas and styles as well as generally introducing radical freedom Continue reading...

One cannot talk about cultural anthropology without the mention of the man popularly referred to as the “Father of American Anthropology,” Frank Boas. Frank Boas, a German-born anthropologist, was born on 9th July, 1858 and lived till 21st December, 1942 when the cruel hands of death took him away. He is accredited with founding the culture-centered, relativistic school of American anthropology that dominated the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A preview of his work reveals that he came up with arguments against contemporary theories that centered on racial distinctions between humans. His theory of relativism sought to downplay Continue reading...

Western Australian museum

The western Australian museum was established in the old Perth goal in the year 1891. It consisted of geological collection and was therefore known as the geological museum Biological and ethnological exhibitions were added and in the year 1892. It was pronounced the western Australian museum and art Gallery in the year1897. The Museum was recognized under the Museum act 1969. Within the art portfolio, Western Australian museum is a statutory authority. It is the premier organization of the state. It houses western Australian’s cultural and scientific collection. For the past 120 years, the museum has been making Continue reading...

Anthropological Perspective on Illness and Healing

Illness and disease have challenged the whole world so profoundly and sickness has apparently become a crucial element governing the shells of the poor. Consequently, medical anthropologists became keener upon taking a closer look, or rather a holistic analysis, of the association that exists amidst the health and wellbeing of the mankind and the culture. The basic intention of taking a holistic approach towards anthropology is the premise that human behavior and human health ascends out of a multifaceted interface happening within the cultural structures. This encompasses the health and wellbeing of the human society at large, among others.
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Why did the abominations emphasize on family relations?

Established during the Tang dynasty in China, the Tang code was used to maintain the ethics in the society supplemented by various statutes and regulations. The criminal code was one of the major achievements of the Tang dynasty. The Tang code which was established after the Sui dynasty is one of the greatest dynasties in the history of China (Hansen 349). The code was not only important in China but it became useful in the whole of East Asia. The Tang code was based on Confucian and legalist interpretations of the law, comprising more than 500 articles. The confusion Continue reading...

Introduction

The tilted arc was a public art that was commissioned in 1979, to grace and occupy the open space that spanned the compound of the Javits Federal Building. The sculpture was made of steel and was designed and implemented by one of the renowned artists at the time, Richard Serra. Made of corten steel, the sculpture stood 12 feet high, 120 feet long with a width of about 2.5 inches. Due to the length of the sculpture, it blocked the pathways of people and employees working at the building. This attracted a considerable controversy of the work that led Continue reading...