Abstract This paper examines the views of Tylor and how he regarded animism as the most primitive stage in the evolution of religion. He thought all religions, from the most primitive to the most complex, shared some sort of animistic belief. Tylor suggested that the experience of primitive people lead them to believe in the human spirit.
From the Paper "Primitive people lived close to nature in a way modern people could scarcely imagine. They were bombarded with phenomena they couldn"t explain or predict"animal attacks, floods, disease. They must have had an overwhelming sense of powerlessness. It would seem natural that primitive people would have made some attempt to explain the phenomena of their world. Tylor suggested that the concept of an eternal soul or spirit arose from an attempt of primitive people to explain their experience of sleeping, dreaming, and death. Tylor suggested that primitive people decided that, during these times, a spirit, a force separate from the physical body, leaves. In sleep or in a dream, the spirit may journey and interact with other spirits, then return. In death it leaves for good. Sickness, too, could then be explained as the spirit's departure, either to subsequently return, or leave for good. (Tylor)"
An examination of the roles of families in Mesopotamia and Egypt, looking at how family structure determined and ordered everyday life and looking particularly at the role that women had in these different societies.
Abstract The writer explores these ancient civilizations and focuses on the family unit. The paper shows that women enjoyed a degree of independence and authority within the family. It shows the fashion and artistic tastes of people in this time era as well as the role of women in religion and worship.
From the Paper "Because the classical civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia flourished so many years ago, we might assume that there are no important common links between their own culture and our own. However, while there are obviously vast differences between Sumer and Los Angeles, for example, there are also key similarities between those ancient cultures and our own. This is true in part because our own societies are the inheritors of the accomplishments of the peoples of the classical world, but it is also true because many of the functions performed by the most important institutions are still essential. Children must be raised and educated. Clothes must be made and laundered. The sick must be tended to and the aged helped along. Crops must be planted and reaped and the gods given praise. "
Abstract A discussion about the differences between weddings in America and Indonesia and how those differences show things about each of the different cultures.
1. Introduction
2. Traditional Javanese Wedding
3. American Wedding
4. Modern Indonesia Wedding
5. Comparison
6. Implications
From the Paper ?The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer travel to Indonesia.? This recent posting on the State Department's Website is not uncommon or uncalled-for, but it is ironic when you know the attitude of Indonesians toward America. When I was in Indonesia, I asked one the Indonesian young men that I had become friends with to take me shopping for ?Indonesian clothes.? I was expecting that he would show me stores with pecis, batiks, and sarongs. Instead he took me to stores with Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and Guess. It soon became apparent that these were the new style of Indonesians clothes, because young Indonesians want to be like Americans. This is also revealed in the current trends in wedding practices in Indonesia."
Abstract A review of this book which follows the life of a man in the Japanese corporate world. It examines what his functions in a company are and what qualifications he needed to achieve such a position. It goes back to the man's past in order to understand how his potential. In analyzing this man's path of life we get a fuller understanding of the life of corporate Japan.
From the Paper "Arai Shinya's Shoshaman: A Tale of Corporate Japan details the life of a middle-aged shoshaman (or salaryman) in a large sogo shosha, a Japanese General Trading Company. Sogo shosha came into existence when Japan began to modernize after World War II. They engage in the whole scope of industry and are considered the backbone of the Japanese economy (Shinya 1991). Shinya captures the management structure and the power struggles that beset a shoshaman on his rise to senior management level. Sogo shosha is a mind-set of its own, locked in tradition, culture and absolute loyalty to the company. The shoshaman is the modern day samurai. He is willing to sacrifice his life so to speak, willing without pause to hold the interests of the company above his own (Shinya 1991). A shoshaman begins his career, after obtaining a degree from a university, in a two year training school, where he rooms and boards with others who are entering the sogo shosha world. Like disciples of a religious faith, they see the sogo shosha as the answer to any of life's questions. Whatever the problem or sacrifice, the answer and reward must surely lie at the end of their life's work, a safe and secure senior position within the company. Their entire mental and emotional attitude, as well as their physical conduct and behavior is a lifelong grooming process for that safe company position. It is taken as seriously and often as fanatically as the promise of life after death in religions. Actually, it could be likened to a cult, a mentality that fears the unknown and feels threatened by any outside beliefs (Shinya 1991)."
Abstract This paper, written as a comparative creative writing essay, compares the physical and mental characteristics of dogs with men and discusses whether the phrase "men are dogs" truly makes sense.
From the Paper "Men are dogs! We have all heard that phrase before. Depending on what sex we are, we agree or attempted to nil the phrase. I intend to show the comparisons and contrasting facts on men and dogs. When you examine the layman's terms for the meaning behind these words, it means that the male human species is the same as the canine species. That definitions makes perfect sense to some, and boggles others minds. I will explain some views on the phrase that you have not heard before and hopefully you will walk away from my essay with a better understanding of the phrase."
This paper examines how the agriculture, hunting, social and economic advances that took place during the Neolithic revolution improved the way humans lived and how these changes continue to impact us today.
Abstract This paper lays out in great detail the various hunting, farming, social and military improvements that where created by humans during the Neolithic revolution. It further examines the methods used by these early people to domesticate animals, which was their new sources for food. The author also discusses the roles that men and women now had. It also discusses that since humans no longer needed to travel to look for food, they now began to live in communities called bands, which lead to the need for the first military and governing body.
From the Paper "For the bulk of pre-history, man has managed to live in harmony with all forms of life in the natural world. Even though we cannot be certain of much about our activities before the advent of written records, some conclusions can be deduced about ancient ways of life through the examination of archeological evidence. For most of the time humans have been around, stability rather than change have characterized their way of life. Pre-historic Humans relied on a combination of hunting animals and gathering plants for sustenance. They lived in small bands of about 25-50 people and were constantly mobile in their search for food. Though intermittent starvation may have been the fate of some, there is strong evidence that food was almost always in supply and there was never any need for accumulation or storage. Most people had very few possessions because extra goods would be an inconvenience in their mobile way of life; most people could carry everything that they owned. Furthermore, there was less of a distinction between private property and public property. What was the property of one member was the property of all and vice-versa."
Tags: agriculture, civilatization, ecology, environment, farming, hunting, neolithic, revolution, western
Abstract The paper shows how the subject of sex was an important part of life in ancient Egypt and that fertile women were considered the most attractive. The paper discusses ancient medicine, treatment of infertility, midwifery and childcare, cancer and gynaecological procedures. The author notes how advanced Egyptian medicine was even in today's standards.
From the Paper "Advances made in ancient times regarding midwifery are still used today. In ancient Egypt, midwives frequently used potions and herbs to assist during pregnancy and labor to reduce the pain and induce labor, if needed. Many of these potions and herbs were helpful in forming the foundation of modern medicine.
"In ancient Egyptian tomb paintings, midwifery is always depicted as a female duty. These paintings show that two midwifes participated in a woman's labor. One attended to the mother while the second attended to the unborn child. Pregnant women and new mothers in ancient times believed that the best way to learn was under the supervision and expertise of seasoned midwives. Even today, many pregnant women seek out experienced midwife but most women use the assistance of midwives with the advancement of science and technology."
Tags: Kahun, Gynecology, Papyrus, Nile, Isis, contraception
Abstract The following paper discusses a brief ethnography of a cultural institution, the Albion College Swim Team Culture. The writer discusses the relatively few formal rules of behavior and general lack of hierarchy in the team. The way in which the members of the team draw on values and patterns of behavior that they have brought with them from the larger world are examined as well as the way in which they draw from their own experiences about being taught how to behave in American culture.
From the Paper ?All cultures and all peoples mark significant events in their lives with rituals and ceremonies. Sometimes these are of a religious nature, but they do not need to be. Rituals, as Maurice Bloch defines them, are recognizable to the participants by their repetitive nature and the formally prescribed elements that they contain and they mark out for the participants the important themes of the culture. Rituals must be done a certain way to "count" for the individuals concerned, and following tradition is more important in a ritual than seeking personal fulfillment through individual expression. This is certainly true for members of the swim team.?
Abstract This paper defines what culture is and discusses what hurdles an outsider faces when joining a new organization. The focus is an example of a new work place and dress code ethics.
From the Paper "Culture had been defined not as the behavior of the people living in it; it is the "it" in which they live. The culture of an organization includes the language, dress codes, and habits of the operations, value systems, an ethics? code, attitude and interactions between various strata of the organization and work principles. Norms-are the organized and shared ideas of what the members in the organization do and feel, and how these norms should be regulated. The basic needs are physiological, needs for security, affiliation, to feel self-esteem and for self-actualization (Harvey and Brown, 1976)."
Abstract This paper considers the issue of culture within the context of post-colonial Asia. The paper examines the cultural structure of two cultures; the Sinhala elite and Shiv Sena and how these groups developed and emerged, redefining their own identity. How the Hindu religion has influenced these cultural developments is also discussed.
From the Paper "Religion is a man made concept, as such all things connected to this can be seen as pure superstition and non existent, yet from an anthropological point of view the religions and superstitions of other races is seen as an important and integral aspect of research and calls for an open and understanding mind. Man has since the dawn of time been involved in one form of symbolism, whether it be through cave paintings or making idols of goddesses."
Abstract This concise paper looks at the evolution of man from the earliest Australopithecus through to the three branches of the "family tree" to the dead end species of neanderthalensis, and finally to modern homo sapiens.The paper includes graphs.
From the Paper "My phylogeny begins with the base species of Ardipithecus ramidus (sometimes known as Australopithecus ramidus) is the earliest known fossil of a hominid found, dating back to around 4.5 million years ago (mya) small hominid that stood upright, had teeth and skull closer and similar to that of apes, this gives them a closer lineage to those of chimpanzees than to humans."
Abstract This paper describes the relevance of anthropology in today's world. The paper demonstrates that their discoveries and theories bear heavily on our understanding of our past and future, as illustrated by the recent discovery of Neanderthal violence also sheds light on man's capacity for love and caring. The paper states that anthropology is defined as ?the science of the physical, cultural and social development of man, his evolution, behavior and geographic distribution from prehistoric times to the present.?
From the Paper "Anthropology is sometimes viewed as a bit arcane as well, but even a quick glance at some of the aspects of anthropologists? work indicates immediately that anthropology is more relevant today than ever. Indeed, anthropologists are one of the only groups of intellectuals who are able to draw together the hard sciences and social sciences and develop cohesive and encompassing theories of history, sociology and understanding."
Abstract The paper explores the true meaning and distinct definitions of culture and society. It defines culture as the set of beliefs, values, behavior and material objects constituting a people's way of life, and society as a set of cultural rules. The paper examines the paradoxical relationship between who forms who: the individual on society, or vice versa, the society is molded by individuals. The author uses the example of this process by looking at tobacco use in our society, from cultural ban to outlawed societal ban. The author writes that people bring about change by influencing others first in small groups and then in society at large by enlisting the assistance of groups, the government, and the media.
From the Paper "Consider the idea of culture more fully. "Culture" is a label for an abstraction encompassing the total way of life for a group of human beings. Culture can also refer to the shared patterns of belief, feeling, and adaptation which people carry in their minds as guides for conduct and the definition of reality. Culture helps define such things as values, symbols, language, and norms and how they will be viewed and utilized in society. A value is a belief upon which an individual acts by preference, and the clarification of values is a cognitive act leading to specific and related behavior. Behavior is determined for the individual by what he or she values. Decision-making is governed by values. This is an ongoing process whereby individuals are continually evaluating alternatives and making decisions based on the values they hold and the degree to which the various alternatives open to them fulfill and serve those values. Culture helps define how people view these issues and how they make these decisions. All societies place a high value on the inculcation of values in the young, for this is the means for perpetuating certain cultural norms and thus values from generation to generation. Clearly, values may differ from one society to another, from one culture to another, even from one region within a society to another. Every society has a set of core values are to be transmitted from generation to generation. Other values may be associated with common practice, religious beliefs, or a basic world-view that is prevalent in the given society and culture, and these are also elements of culture itself. "
Abstract The paper begins with a synopsis of the state of general education in the country, and then turns to the social beliefs and the traditional roles between women and men that are responsible for this disparity. It explores primary, senior and higher education.
From the Paper "Papua New Guinea is located in the South Pacific. The island is rich in resources and has been called "an island of gold awash in a sea of oil" (Schaper). The natural resources haven't been exploited because of the expense associated with building a modern infrastructure along with the area's naturally rough terrain. So, with all of its natural wealth, the island has failed to develop economically. Around 37 percent of the population are living in poverty (Papua New Guinea). Due to gender disparities in education, only half of the nation is educated with an opportunity to obtain high-paying jobs."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts two studies by anthropologist Elizabeth Marshall Thomas author of "The Harmless People" (1989, Vintage Books/Division of Random House Inc., New York) and Tim O'Meara author of "Samoan Planters: Tradition and Economic Development in Polynesia" (1990, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.) in terms of how they conducted their research.
From the Paper "Anthropological study no doubt is complex and it is even more complex when one want to study how external forces like globalization and development influence primitive civilizations. The emergence of a new nation takes a long time to detect and only one who is fluent in the local culture can sense a difference. Two anthropologists Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of "The Harmless People" [1989] and Tim O'Meara author of "Samoan Planters: Tradition and Economic Development in Polynesia" (1990) have attempted to do the most difficult task of depicting the cultures under their study in print. Thomas, proud studier of the Kalahari Desert Bushmen, based her study on their cultures, tradition and how they came about to accepting globalization and development prevalent in other parts of Africa. Similarly, O?Meara took to the task of investigating the people of Samoa, a state independent since 1901. "
