Abstract This paper addresses the history and the events of the Salem Witch Trials from the perspective of Semiotic Anthropology. Here, the question of the witchcraft trials is examined as a form of social control for a people, specifically women, who had no other element of control.
Tags: ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY (ANCIENT HISTORY) / RESEARCH (METHODS, THEORIES), discussion semiotic anthropology
Abstract This paper discusses the different aspects of medical anthropology. The underlying theories of medical anthropology are discussed as well as the concept of health and disease, taking into consideration different culture-based paradigms depicting each one. Disease profiles of the different civilizations, from foraging nomads to empires are compared and contrasted.
From the Paper "Though giving birth occurs naturally in women, the experience itself varies among women due to the great influence of cultural beliefs and the resources available within different societies. Depending on how a society values or perceives childbirth as a medical event, the process will differ according to who conducts it (e.g. physician versus community midwife), how it is conducted (e.g. through a cesarean operation or spontaneous, natural birth) and where it occurs (e.g. whether it is in a modern and well-equipped obstetric facility or at home)."
Abstract This paper discusses the building and putting together of a new museum housing an anthropological collection in the state of Georgia. The author examines how to build the museum, what type of museum it should be and how to balance the research and exhibit goals of the museum. The paper relates issues of collections, funding, staffing, museum design and layout.
From the Paper "The purpose of anthropology is to study the origin behavior as well as the physical, social and cultural development of humans throughout history and in different cultures. This study can take the form of fieldwork academic study research as well."
Abstract This paper examines three specific sociological theories. The author contrast each theory. The paper demonstrates their impact on the field of historical anthropology.
From the Paper "Some critics of the field of historical anthropology have accused the field and its practitioners of being generally if not entire theoretical. In other words, the charge leveled against the field is that much of its work and research tends to proceed without the benefit of a specific theoretical lens or framework within which a particular subject event or individual group is analyzed. Many social scientists argue that theoretical underpinning for any investigation is analysis allows the researcher to assess results with respect to ..."
Tags:anthropology, globalization, culture, Iraq war
Abstract This paper reviews two works by Mary Douglas and Victor Turner on the matters of ritual and anthropology (article sources are not named and are not included). The paper briefly explores issues of taboo behavior in scriptures and rituals, and concludes that the process of studying such scriptures and rituals is difficult because of the inter-connectivity found between them and their respective host societies.
From the Paper "It is commonly accepted that many religious scriptures help convey social and communal codes. Dietary habits are a good example of this, where certain cultures avoided the ingestion of pork on the grounds that it was prohibited by their faith, but also that avoidance helped reduce the possibilities of disease. However, the authors promote the concept that there are multiple ways to understand adherence to certain scriptures and codes as presented in the religious texts. The concept of what is dirty, soiled, or sinful, for example, can be interpreted on one level as helping practitioners avoid lifestyle traits that were unhealthy. Yet this can be interpreted on a second level as well, where the avoidance of dirt was more of a symbolic avoidance of impurities."
Abstract This paper looks at psychological anthropology through many methods. It looks at the definition itself, how older and contemporary psychological anthropologists analyze their own work, and how personality and culture intermix. The paper looks closely at a few specific sub-categories, such as Freud, madness, and primitive cultures. The paper analyzes it in connection to personality, culture, emotion, madness and primitive cultures.
From the Paper " Psychological Anthropology: A Universal Process Psychological anthropology is an attempt to discover the dynamics of group differences, often via means of close observation and study of a particular theme or culture. It combines the attributes of psychology and anthropology in an endeavor detect similarities between human beings in personal, social and cultural settings. Many scholars have defined their field using distinct nuances, as cater to their brand of craft, but underlying all psychological anthropology is a cultural analysis that aims to discover inherent qualities within us all. Bourguignon (1979), a psychological anthropologist, spent time analyzing the link between classic anthropology--in which scholars studied primitive cultures--and elements of psychology, such as Freud's psychoanalysis of the psychology of childhood development--or the issues of childhood projecting into adulthood."
Abstract This paper discusses how sociocultural anthropology has not seen significant theoretical changes in the last few decades. It explains that poststructuralist and postmodern theoretical approaches are providing researchers, both in the archives and in the field, new methodologies and resources with which to work. The author mentions that some of the techniques might seem relatively staid and traditional, however, the new focus on these methods has given them a new critical light and allowed anthropologists to interpret and reinterpret their work and the methods that they employ.
From the Paper "The influence of postmodern critical approaches to academic disciplines has not left sociocultural anthropology unscathed. While sociocultural anthropology has not seen significant theoretical changes in the last few decades, poststructuralist and postmodern theoretical approaches are providing researchers both in the archives and in the field new methodologies and resources with which to work. Some of the techniques might seem relatively staid and traditional; however, the new focus on these methods has given them a new critical light and allowed anthropologists to interpret and reinterpret their work and the methods that they employ. One of the most interesting methods that has become popular in recent years in sociocultural anthropology is the life history. The new importance of life histories has stressed the ways in which postmodernism has imbued the social sciences with a fresh look at the way in which human agency interacts with cultural institutions ..."
Abstract This paper examines a body of coursework for a class in organizational anthropology. Twenty-five sources are included. Of these, each is examined briefly and a justification provided for its usefulness to the course. The paper also weighs in on the subject areas discussed, the tension between theory and practice, as well as the difference in definitions of the word culture.
From the Paper "Abram, 2001: I would not retain this article for future incarnations of this course. Though intriguing, the study itself was too pointed in my analysis. Demonstrating the tension between the "politics of policy-making and the technical competencies of 'experts', such as professional planners" did not provide much useful broad applicability (Abram, 2001: 184). This is a good example of organizational ethnography, but not necessarily a useful one. Aguilera, 1996: This article would be retained. It provides readers with an excellent sense of how anthropology can be employed to highlight processes within the business world and assess potential zones of improvement. Aguilera (1996) shows how anthropology can transcend theory and move into business intervention."
Abstract This paper discusses the topic of medical anthropology based on the folk sector. The paper reviews rites of passage, culturally based views on mental illness and treatment, as well as culturally based diseases and their treatments.
From the Paper "The profession of medical anthropology has been around as long as mankind, but according to Janzen was initiated in the 1950's and gradually gained popularity and momentum in the 1960s and 1970s. The American Anthropological Association's journal, Medical Anthropology Quarterly, defines medical anthropology as a field of medicine which: Include[s] all inquiries into health, disease, illness, and sickness in human individuals and populations that are undertaken from the holistic and cross-cultural perspective distinctive of anthropology as a discipline--that is, with an awareness of species' biological, cultural, linguistic, and historical uniformity and variation. "
Abstract This essay shows how the opening scene in William Faulkner's novel, "The Sound and the Fury", teaches the reader how to read the rest of the book by introducing the reader to the difficulties in narration and time that the story will present.
From the Paper "Throughout his writing career, William Faulkner always attempted to push the boundaries of literature. From creating his vast population and setting of southern characters to facing many tough southern topics such as racism and Reconstruction to stretching what was considered accessible and acceptable writing, Faulkner proved himself a true revolutionary and visionary. Perhaps his greatest feat, though, was teaching his reader how to read his work, and any other. One of the best examples of Faulkner teaching his reader how to read and how to experience a text is his masterwork, "The Sound and the Fury", in particular, the beginning passage. "
Abstract This paper discusses sound from an anthropological perspective and concentrates on the origin and the nature of sound. The paper also reviews on how the study and the development of sound progressed with technology. It also concentrates on the association of sound with language and culture and shows how the pronunciation of words have resulted in different sounds with the development made in the writing scripts. The paper also lays emphasis on the association of sound with memory called echoic memory.
From the Paper "People love sound and sound today is ubiquitous; sound will continue to fascinate people for ages to come. The pleasures of sound flow from frequency, amplitude and harmonic constitution or waveform. Perhaps there is no other form of art where the pleasures of mere form are more marvelous in complexity, more intellectual in essence and purer in quality. Plato once suggested that the sensibility for sound might be the most civilizing of educational instruments. People and sound both belong to each other and both grow out of life."
Abstract This paper examines how feminist anthropology emerged in the latter half of the twentieth century and attempted to combat the representation (or lack of it) of women in anthropological writing. It looks at how in doing so, it moved through several stages, from trying to redress the imbalance in ethnographic knowledge, through a critique of the theoretical praxis of anthropology to the uncertain place that it has at present. It examines the background to the feminist movement in anthropology and attempts to see it in historical perspective. It then analyses each of the stages of feminist anthropology and assesses their contribution to the broader subject.
From the Paper "Feminist anthropology has allowed two great ethnocentric divides to be broken down. The first is that between nature/culture. Running through all the work of feminist anthropology is the rejection of the place women have been assigned as somehow preordained or organic. Fatima Mernissi shows that the passive role of the women in some Muslim societies, who is seen as potentially more sexually aggressive than the male, is a cultural construct: ?what is feared in Muslim marriage is the growth of the involvement between a man and a woman into the all-encompassing love, satisfying the sexual, emotional and intellectual needs of both partners.? Such as involvement would be seen as a direct threat to man's relationship with Allah."
Tags: economy, foucault, culture, kinship, political
An illustration of the benefits of field work in the anthropology field through field projects, as seen from the view of Crane and Angrosino's,"Field Project in Anthropology: Third Edition."
Abstract This paper is a thorough analysis of the benefits of field work to the anthropology field, especially to a student or ethnographer. It uses fourteen different field projects as guides for an aspiring anthropologist to use when beginning fieldwork. This paper demonstrates the importance of fieldwork to the anthropology field as a whole, as well as to the individual. All of Crane and Angrosino's projects are summarized, and their meaning is clearly outlined. Topics covered include how to approach, research, begin, continue, and conclude fieldwork in any culture. It provides a concise base from which to base ethnographic studies.
From the Paper "Julia Crane and Michael Angrosino's Field Projects in Anthropology (Third Edition) seeks to illustrate the benefits of fieldwork to the anthropology field. Fieldwork is unequivocally necessary for a student to gain anthropological perspective (Crane 1992: v). There are numerous ways that a student can approach fieldwork, and Field Projects shines light on several aspects of anthropological fieldwork through fourteen different projects. These projects characterize some of the more useful data-collection techniques and show students an array of ways to approach anthropological fieldwork (1992: vi)."
Abstract A historical perspective clarifies the concept's significance and its development through changing anthropological views of the world's peoples. The film "Smoke Signals" focused upon the anthropological issues of ethnography, ethnocentrism and cultural relativism of Native Indigenous people in order to bring a new culture concept to life.
From the Paper It's A Good Day to be Indigenous Anthropology relies upon the culture concept which is a starting point for understanding human experience regardless of sub-discipline specialization or theoretical orientation A historical perspective clarifies the concept's significance and its development through changing anthropological views of the world's peoples Whitten The best example of an Anthropological film which caused major changes in the public views of America's contemporary indigenous cultures was Smoke Signals In the course of their travels in this film the stern and angry Victor showed the goofy gregarious
Abstract This paper explains that Lavina and Schultz in "Core Concepts in Cultural Anthropology" see political anthropology as the study of power, political ideology, political economy, political organization, social stratification, social control and law, status and role and much later ideas of nationalism and hegemony. The author points out that, in 'economic anthropology', all societies are reported to show a form of material life that can be explained in terms of production, exchange or related material culture, which dictates the types of laws and political practices in that society. The paper states that the study of emergencies, crises or wars tells a good deal about matters of nationalism, hegemony and leadership as reactions of weakness to situations that are unpredictable, such as the strong instinct for 'communitas' that was seen when the United States experienced 9/11.
From the Paper "Some anthropologists like to study how societies cope with unnatural situations or crises. For instance, if a society has known famine and starvation, or is in a climate that means food can be grown or found only for part of the year, there will be effort to save food for hard times. If the food supply is year-round and easily found, there will be less of this planning ahead. What is very valuable will be guarded by law that can mean tradable goods of high value or perhaps special religious items that no ordinary person is to touch."
