Abstract This paper shows how cultural misunderstandings are often as a result of incorrect or incomplete translations. The writer explains that people are influenced by the culture in which they live and this helps form their impressions and the ways in which they communicate. Consequently, a metalanguage is required to enable people to discuss a specific language without their culture impacting upon it.
From the Paper "Cultural differences, which upon careful analysis may not be very great, are often exaggerated by the language barrier thus making it hard to conduct a comprehensive cultural analysis. If a person were to attempt to analyse another culture purely in terms of their own culture, this would clearly lead to misunderstanding and a breakdown in communication. This cultural divide is reinforced by the differing languages spoken in the varying cultures being compared. Whilst in a cultural analysis cultures may not be directly compared, the person conducting the analysis is still influenced by the culture to which they belong. As language forms a part of the activities which people undertake in their cultures, language is obviously going to have a large impact upon the cultural analysis being undertaken. By this, I am referring to the fact that if the person conducting the analysis merely translates lexemes from another language into his/her own language, the analysis will be incorrect as the cultural concepts underpinning the languages will be different. Thus it becomes necessary to be able to give definitions in a consistent fashion which does not rely upon any particular cultural concepts."
Abstract This paper is an examination of the recent field cultural history that Robert Darnton used to examine the study of 18th-century France. The author breaks down Darnton's work, "The Great Cat Massacre," by chapter in order to illustrate how his theory was designed to work. Each chapter is discussed in detail, examining both the strengths and weaknesses of the materials discussed. The author looks at methodology, and the inherent flaws that present themselves to the reader. The author looks at the problem of using narration and biography when looking at cultural history, which in their view, contradicts the goal that Darnton set out to accomplish. The author feels that this type of approach is best suited to the investigation of past events in history that are not fresh in our minds.
From the Paper \\\"Understanding a narration poses an entirely distinct set of problems to understanding an event; for one thing, it introduces the problem of reader expectations, which are determined by the previous development of the genre in which the narration is embedded. For this reason, Darnton's analysis seems less compelling than the nature of the bizarre events he would have us believe really took place. Strangely enough, though, his anthropological method is most impressively applied in a chapter, which deals with what would seem to be far more ordinary events.\\\"
Abstract The following paper examines how the Amish are known to live non-resistant lives, and follow the teachings in the Bible in a literal sense. The writer takes a look at their detachment from the world outside Amish communities and discusses how this detachment is practiced through simple living, a trait notable of the Amish people
From the Paper "In the 1690's, they broke away from their organization, the Swiss Mennonites, and created a new group in the leadership of Jacob Amman (from which the word, "Amish" originated). In the year 1727, went to America to escape "religious prosecution" in their homeland Switzerland during the Swiss Protestant Reformation. The Amish were being persecuted during that time because they are Anabaptists, people who do not believe in infant baptism (Amish people are baptized only when they reach the age of 18). Aside from the United States, the Amish also went to Central America and Canada. At present, there are large communities of Amish people living in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Illinois "
Abstract A paper which shows the importance of understanding that international cultures may differ and those differences can interfere with the ability to communicate effectively when doing business on an international level. The writer takes the reader on an exploratory journey through the reasons it is important to be able to manage such communication and the benefits for a business. The paper discusses the importance of the English language in the international business world.
From the Paper "Another example of communication culture on an international level is the understanding of how color affects thinking. African nations consider red to be the color of death. However, Denmark residents consider it a positive color and a sign of future luck. When communicating with various nations through the use of international management it is important not to use offensive colors in banners, memos, seminar posters and other tools of business communication(Heeding, 1996). "
Abstract This paper states some of the history of scalping has been misconstrued to serve political purposes; nonetheless, scalping was practiced and was documented by both Indians and white settlers. Scalping was widely used as form of torture and as a type of trophy. Historians are beginning to discover that white men helped spread the act of scalping throughout North America.
From the Paper "A scalping, by definition, is when the circular patch of skin and hair found at the crown of someone's head is removed. An incision, circular, was usually made around the base of the hairline ? then pulled off the "fleshy layer of the skull". (Parker, 304) Once this was done, there were several options for the use of the scalp, depending on the significance of the particular scalp, and depending on the beliefs of that particular tribe."
This paper analyzes critically the role and position of women in the ancient Israel with reference to Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and contemporary scholarly journals and books.
Abstract The paper discusses the place of Israelite women in ancient days, her status and economic roles. The author states that the Israelite women could have been better, more productive citizens had their status and their environment been more favorable towards them. The author continues that understanding the role of Israelite women in ancient times has a significance place in understanding women in the modern world. She illustrates this by discussing the lives of Jewish women in the coal field economy and in the modern practices in Judaism.
From the Paper "In the masterpiece by Adler, "Engendering Judaism", the author skillfully explains the hardships faced by Israelite women and the obstacles that the Jewish feminists have had to overcome: "Jewish law needed to be reconstructed to eliminate the ancient premise that women are subordinate to men, yet at the same time maintain the law. For without law there is no means to translate the stories and values of Judaism into action" (Jones et al, 58) . Hence taking into account the author's opinion as well as what the biblical law stated above, it is evident that Israeli women were considered not only subordinate to Israeli men due to lack of women rights awareness and inaccurate interpretation of the Hebrew biblical context, it was strict adherence to the rituals, the olden day's traditional laws and socio-economic rules that led to Israelite women's submissive attitude towards their male counterparts for rituals play a pivotal role in shaping our concepts, attitudes, emotions, behavior and social status. For "a ritual is a spiritual ballet", it captures in symbols the emotions that go with an important life transition. "
An introduction to the South American Indian tribe, the Yanomamo and and an exploration into their customs, including their system of cross-cultural marriage.
Abstract A paper which examines the Yanomami people - a remote tribe in the Tropical Forest on the border between Venezuela and Brazil. The paper shows their customs and culture and focuses on their system of cross-cultural marriage which follows a bilateral cross-cousin marriage system. The paper also discusses Napoleon A. Chagnon, a young American ethnographer who brought the knowledge of Yanomamo ethnography to the world.
From the Paper "The practice of infanticide is practiced in their culture. This is one of the reasons why there are more males than women. If a female is born she is killed at birth. They feel that women are inferior. Some Yanomamo women kill their infant because they fear the wrath of their husbands for having a female baby. The Yanomano may choke the baby with a vine, suffocating the infant by placing a stick across her nose, or slamming her against a tree. "
From the Paper "The essence of Hasidism is both its orthodoxy and its passion. Although there are many sects of Hasidic Jews, they all share the fundamental idea that the soul must be on fire for the creator, not for anything else. It is the creator who is at the center of life and all of life is lived in accordance with principles, commandments, and guidelines that have been long-established as likely to lead the community closer to the time of the messiah and the beginning of heaven on earth. With this as its goal, the child-rearing practices of Hasidic families differ from the average American family in many ways. The goal is to mold an observant Hasidic Jew, with understanding of his..."
From the Paper "Neanderthals have long been thought of as a very primitive species, but this view is changing as evidence to the contrary emerges. Studies on Neanderthal remains have shown that they were not as primitive as initially thought, and that they possessed the ability for flexible, creative behavior similar to modern man (Brainard, 1998). They have previously been thought of as lacking language skills, foresight, creativity, and other cognitive abilities found in modern humans. In 1977, German anthropologists reported finding aerodynamic wooden spears belonging to ancestors of Neanderthals made 400,000 years ago (Brainard, 1998, p. 72), and stone spearheads have been found at many Neanderthal sites in both Europe and the Middle East (Bower, 1999, p. 4). Scientists investigating Neanderthal remains in a cave in France found evidence of tool marks on the bones..."
From the Paper "David M. Hayano, in Road Through the Rain Forest, tells a compassionate, empathic and humanized story of the lives of the individuals of the Awa people of Highland Papua New Guinea at a time when their culture is undergoing dramatic changes brought about by the incursion of the world of progress and technology. It is a very personal narrative in which the author, striving for a "living anthropology," includes his own life as an integral part of his work. As the author writes,
These are not dramatized men and women, but actual individuals, some living, some dead, of flesh and blood. . . . Conventional ethnographies are usually writings about people with no personal names, no utterances, no feelings, no individual life experiences. Rather than beating the life out of the..."
An analysis of how Islamic people are depicted by U.S. and Western mass media and its effects on Americans of Mid Eastern descent. It discusses cultural bases of biases & stereotypes with examples and political aspect.
3,375 words (approx. 13.5 pages), 25 sources, 1999, $ 119.95
From the Paper " Media Portrait of Middle Eastern Peoples
Introduction
This research discusses the way in which the peoples of the Middle East of Muslim origins are portrayed in the American and other Western mass media, the effects of this portrayal on persons of Middle Eastern descent who live in the United States and the complex psychological, political, economic reasons for such treatment.
On the whole, the Western mass media--the movies, television, radio and other publications--portray Middle Eastern peoples from predominantly Muslim countries, including those who have emigrated from the region, in a stereotyped, biased and derogatory manner. The effects of that treatment on public opinion are to predispose the American public to expect the worst..."
This paper reviews the article "The Clash of Civilizations" by Samuel Huntington that argues that conflicts in the future will occur between the different civilizations.
Abstract This paper discusses the article "The Clash of Civilizations" by Samuel Huntington based on the idea of cultures and to which civilization a particular culture belongs. This paper looks at civilization itself as the cause of conflicts because of differing values. The author says that the clash of civilizations will dominate global conflict, pitting Non-Western states against Western culture.
From the Paper "A civilization is the highest level to which one can group people (24). During the cold war, civilizations were classified as being in the first, second or third worlds. Now, each state is different in terms of its culture and to which civilization it belongs (23). Huntington says, "a civilization is a cultural entity. Villages, regions, ethnic groups, nationalities, religious groups, all have distinct cultures at different levels of cultural heterogeneity" (23-24). Civilizations also have sub civilizations."
Tags: values, global, non-western, western, war, borders, religion, power, history
This paper discusses the Iroquis, a branch of North American Indians who belonged to the Hokan-Siouan linguistic family: Prominent role of women, religion, economics, food and mistreatment by whites and the government.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, 1983, $ 47.95
From the Paper The Iroquois were a branch of North American Indians who belonged to the Hokan-Siouan linguistic family. They were the initiators of the Iroquois Confederacy, or Iroquois League, a North American Indian confederation consisting of five nations joined together for greater strength, commerce and survival: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca (founded 1570). Around 1722, the Tuscarora joined the League, and these people inhabited what is now the north and west sides of New York's Hudson River. These Indians numbered 5,500, and materially, politically and militarily their culture was the most advanced in the Eastern Woodlands..
The Iroquois conceived of themselves as living in a metaphorical "longhouse" in which each nation had a role. For example, the Mohawks guarded the eastern door. By allowing ... "
An examination of the nineteenth century exploitation by whites of American Indians. The theft of their lands, reservations and destruction of their Indian heritage.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 3 sources, 1989, $ 47.95
From the Paper " From the Micmac in the Northeast to the Hopi in the Southwest, from the Chinook in the Northwest to the Seminole in the Southeast, the North American continent was filled with Indian tribes when white men first set foot on the shores that would become the United States. For the most part the new white settlers found the Indians to be friendly and willing to trade with them and allow them to share their lands. This friendship would not continue, however, as the white populations grew and exploited the Indian. Much of North America was rich in natural resources which the white men wanted. They also wanted the lands that would provide homes and farms for the constant flow of immigrants that were to arrive.
For the most part the United States government and wealthy easterners were responsible for the Indians losing their land."
Tags: AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES, HISTORY: U.S. (After 1865)
This paper examines a 1969 work, "Custer Died For Your Sins" by Vine DeLoria, Jr. about the American Indians from demythologizing and intercultural communications viewpoints.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1990, $ 47.95
From the Paper "It seems as if both historians and ethnographers are again concerning themselves with the diatribe of past events in relation to modern, more pragmatic, communicative efforts. In fact, many of the recent works tend to readdress some of the historical issues so prevalent in ethnographic research, and attempt to merge the varieties of fieldwork with an historical perspective--presumably to reformat some of the issues in a newer, more modern, bent. Within this context, this paper will examine a 1969 work, Custer Died For Your Sins, by Vine DeLoria, Jr.
In brief terms, the book is less of an historical interpretation of the American Indian, for it would be difficult for any book to attempt such a feature in only one volume, than an extended essay-like commentary on the way the American Indian ... "
