Social Control

In this TED Talk video Julia Sweeney talks about her transition in understanding religion from the time she turned 7 till now. Towards the end however she stresses the fact that no matter what religion, ultimately some of the ideals that they are based on sound ludicrous. For example, the story of God impregnating the Virgin Mary without the use of intercourse, and giving birth to the son of God. I may believe in this, however pretend you as an intellectual of 18+ never heard the story before. Would you not think of the story as just a myth? Is it another form of Social Control in that as child you were influenced to believe this and ultimately think it to be true? Do we choose to believe in it now because it works? Or do we just have nothing else to believe in?

Chapter 9: Religion

This week in Thursday, November 6, 2008, our group will discuss religion in a variety of different ways. We want to show how different every religion is and how others use ethnocentrism, believing that their religion is better than other religions. Before class, we want everyone to think about their own religions, if you have one, and what kind of practices your religion performs. Think about whether or not other people from other religions will criticize them.
On thursday, Jiaying will discuss family culture on the Chinese New Year. She will explain the process of how they worship the Gods, as well as bring some of the materials used to worship gods. This will allow us to understand some aspect of the Chinese religion.
Ivana will speak about her Christian Evangelic religion in her home town in Serbia. Her town is separated by an invisible line, dividing the homes of the Christian Evangelics on one side and the Catholics on the other side. This will show how religion can separate people and even cause conflicts.

The picture on the left is the Catholic church on one side of the town, while the picture on the right is the Christian Evangelic church, located on the opposite side of the town.

Eun Ji will be discussing religion in South Korea. Almost 46% of the South Koreans express no religious preference. Of the religious people, 29% are Christian, 23% are Buddhist and 3% have other religious beliefs. Christianity is the biggest religion in South Korea. Christianity in South Korea has a relatively short history, but after a difficult beginning, it has seen significant growth and success. South Korea has different kind of denominations, for example, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptism and Full gospel. Although Presbyterian is the most well-known, there are more followers for Full gospel so here is a clip on full gospel.
Yoido Ful Gospel Church



This is a video of worship in full Gospel Churches in South Korea.

Christian Music Video Body Worship Dance - Worthy Is The Lamb

Tanzina will show some interesting videos on taboos in religion.

Group 4 Gender

On thursday Oct 30 our group made a presentation on Gender. We discussed gender roles throughout different cultures and societies. Lorrain told a story about how she helped her team win a soccer game as young child. However, the opposing coach wanted the win to be nullified because he accused Lorrain of being a boy because of her looks. This caused Lorraine's family to get very upset and just shows how the opposing coach couldn't believe that a girl could accomplish what Lorraine did on the field. Lorraine also showed a video about small children as they innocently pointed out gender roles in our society www.youtube.com/watch?v=am8n5bXefi0
Gabrielle talked her family who are part of a Moroccan Jewish culture. She described how the women of household are supposed to be the ones in charge of cleaning the house and cooking the food. She also mentioned her grandfather's views of gender roles as he had a problem with Gabrielle enrolling in sports activites because she was a girl.
Edwin talked about chauvinism in todays world. He explained that chauvinism is the belief that men are better then women. Male chauvinists often believe that women are property and can accomplish nothing with out men. As out dated a belief as it may seem to us, with the women's rights movements, many people, both men and women, hold this belief to be true. Edwin than showed the following videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xoKiH8JJM and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptx52QwFz10
I talked about how humans are all alike and how sex is seperated by just one single chromosome. I played this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRGNGpwb8nE
Enki showed a "Ted Talk" like video in which a guest speaker discusses how an aid of 50/50 in a poor country given to men and women was not the right solution. The speaker showed how women are better able to manage money than men and use it to take care of their family. The aid given soon moved to a 60/40 split and continued moving in the women's favor until almost all aid was given to the woman of the household.
Nicaury showed how disney cartoons invoke messages of sexism, male strength, and male dominance. She played this video:

Use Active Learning for Your Group's Time in Class

PLEASE NOTE: The week your group is responsible for presenting on Thursday, you and your group members are only responsible for READING the Conformity & Conflict chapter HOWEVER you are not REQUIRED to write any response. You are welcome to comment on it but are not required to do so. My apologies to past groups for not stating this earlier.

The presentations so far have been great. Now I'd like to encourage different kinds of learning environments. The group presentations are also an opportunity to create an active learning environment -- that's where students are not lectured to but actuall create and contribute to what's learned from their own participation. Instead of presenting ideas and videos, you can use a video or facts/statistics to poll other students' thinking or beliefs. It's sort of like moment of participant-observation where the group operates as the scientists polling the emic views of the other students.

Previously I posted guidelines to inspire ideas for your group presentation. I requested it be 15-20 mins. I will allow you up to 20-25 minutes from now on. Please be mindful of that limitation (prepare + practice and time yourselves). Check out the previous posts on group presentations.

ACTIVE TRAINING/LEARNING STRATEGIES
Did any of you see the film FREEDOM WRITERS? In it Hilary Swank's character, a first-time teacher in a "war-zone" urban school abandons traditional teaching practices to get the students more involved in caring about their education. Your group presentations might abandon the traditional method of "presenting" ideas by having the rest of the students actively generate their emic views about religion, race/ethnicity, and the world economic system during your 20-25 mins.

Have the class do a "Take a stand exercise" (polling them on current immigration policy or the history of racial stratification. Do a "campfire" sharing session where groups of 3-4 students share a story/myth that reflects a core value in their religion/faith. Then have the groups discuss the stories they heard from an etic/anthropological perspective: what generalities or universals were shared in the stories; what is it that humans in each culture are striving for and why is there so much conflict between religions given the core values? You are welcome to steal or borrow any of these ideas. Strategies for active learning (rather than just listening) are much more fun and the group does much less work in the end.

Here are great resources for active learning strategies, do your own search on Google, or think of a great example from a film, a book you read, or from a favorite class you took before. I personally love the first one on trading spaces using post it notes.

1. http://www.activetraining.com/active_learning/tool_trading_places.htm
   
2. http://www.activetraining.com/active_learning/WeaveCourseContent.pdf
3. http://www.cat.ilstu.edu/additional/tips/actEngage.php
4. Also check out TEACHERTUBE for great resources and videos
   

New Guidelines for Group Presentations

1. For students to discover new views of their own worldviews and others.
   
2. To counter the ethnocentrism of US educated students
3. To compare multiple emic views and bring a slice of it to the week's conversation.
4. To bring Baruch's diverse cultures into the mix--consider using your own cultural backgrounds as a starting point for the discussion.
5. To present a group view of the subject in 20 mins or less in a way that expands or disturbs our social constructs about the week's subject.
6. Before or immediately after your presentation, create a group post to further the discussion and capture what your presentation was about.
   

Next week's subject in the Kottak and Conformity&Conflict readings is Families, Kinship and Marriage. Here are some great suggestions (NOTE: SUGGESTIONS) for each group's preparation. Delegate tasks so each group member contributes more or less to the project in a way that works for them.

1. BLOG & BLACKBOARD
   Review the video Did You Know 2.0 (8 mins) and checkout our blog's tag cloud, videobar, and newsfeeds. Use your group's email/discussion board on Blackboard.
2. THE CONTEXT IS DECISIVE
   Explore how the U.S. and your home country have changed using gapminder.org. Watch the gapminder.org tutorial first to quickly understand how to use it.
   
3. FIND A KEY CULTURAL CONSULTANT
   Skim the articles on Anthrosource and/or Lexis-Nexis through the Baruch Library DATABASES page or search current news videos from NYTimes, Associated Press, PBS and/or National Geographic. Also look at the bibliographies for the chapters of our weekly reading.
   
4. THAT WAS OUTTA CITE!!
   Cite or keep track of all the sources used (urls, books, articles, videos) and create a bibliography as a group post on the blog for our class and the next to use for the week's subject. Oral communication requires documentation, too.
   
5. TO POWERPOINT OR NOT TO POWERPOINT?
   Despite what I've said before, you CAN use powerpoint (see a great example about water). Instead of talking, use only visual or sonic communication (photography, hypertext, music, film, audio). How about dancing to learn about courting practices in mating??
   
6. SOCIAL COLLABORATION 101
   Consider creating a slideshow, a social bookmarking account with Digg or Delicious, a youtube channel, or a Flickr or Tumblr account that can be used and built upon next class (ask Prof. G to create an acct for long-term use).
   
7. DANCE IN THE CONVERSATION
   Get us out of our seats, if possible. Use polling or taking a stand, etc. http://www.activetraining.com/active_learning/WeaveCourseContent.pdf
   
8. K.I.S.S.
   Keep it simple, stupid. The best stories and presentations are simple. Think Chris Abani in his TED Talk.

IDEAS FOR FAMILY (or another chapter):

• Compile family photographs or Google images for the week's subject and create a slide show that reflects the members of your group.
  
• Choose a provocative video (e.g., on Shakers) to create a panel of experts discussing the pros and cons followed by Q&A.
  
• Choose a familiar word related to the subject (monogamy). Create a slide with a definition from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. Then show other slides comparing same word or idea defined in other ways, from other sources, famous or indigenous people's sayings, jokes, or other dictionaries, such as a French, Swahili, or slang dictionary.

THE BEST PRESENTATIONS
What makes the best presentations the best, you ask? Hmm. I decided to search the web on that and found a few interesting links:

• http://www.knowhr.com/blog/2006/08/21/top-10-best-presentations-ever/
• http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2008/09/winners-of-worl.html
• Use the 10/20/30 rule of powerpoint. No more than 10 slides in 20 mins at 30 point font.
• http://www.slideshare.net/contest/
  

NEW BLOG FEATURES & USES FOR GROUP PRESENTATIONS

I may not be new to blogging but I am discovering the untapped power of having a blog for this class. I have been wanting to make sure you all stay current with current affairs not just in US but around the globe or perhaps to have YOU share your views of the world with our blog.

So blogger.com allows for video feeds and news feeds from other blogs and sites. So I added that to the right side of the blog. Check it out. The VIDEO BAR is linked to four YouTube channels:

• Journeyman Pictures
• Broadcaster PBS
• AlJazeeraEnglishTV

I also created WHAT'S NEW IN WORLDVIEWS (menu to the right) with links to newsfeeds from NYTimes US report, Associated Press, AlJazeeraTV, Now on PBS, Frontline on PBS, TED Talks, Media Matters, and Wired Magazine on culture.

Let me know if there is a video channel or a newsfeed we should add. Or if you'd like to be responsible for updated the video feed and newsfeed for each week's theme around your group presentation, let's do that.

Group #3 Presents - Kottak, Political Systems

Each group will be required to create a post around the chapter theme and their presentation.

GROUP PRESENTATIONS ANNOUNCED

GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Each assigned group will have 15-20 minutes to give an oral presentation on the assigned chapter for that week. Pick a theme from the chapter and share it with the class in an interesting way. Do not bore us with a mere powerpoint presentation but you can use it if it enhances your presentation. Be creative. Use your own participant-observations in your own communities and cultures. Create a slideshow from pics you took on the subject. Conduct short interviews and present your findings. Create a game of what we learned. Use YouTube to highlight a part of the chapter like the video on the potlatching did. Then start an interesting conversation from it (why was the potlatch banned and what does it say about how culture works?). Or use artifacts, things we actually use in everyday culture (marriage certificates) to allow the class to explore what marriage means.

1. Prepare an interesting presentation on some aspect of the assigned chapter. Include research and collect a bibliography of sources demonstating your research in the matter. 3-5 sources online other than Wikipedia are fine. Also use the bibligraphy in the assigned readings for that week as a reference. Include your bibliography in your blog post.
   
2. Practice your presentation and do not go over the 15 min limit (K.I.S.S.)
   
3. Plan at least one question to lead our group discussion. (i.e., If you had to change your race in the U.S., which would you choose and why? If you could apply generalized reciprocity to an industrial context, which would it be and why?)
   
4. Create a group post before your presentation to get us started. Post it 1-2 days before class meets. Can include any videos or other online materials you intend to use unless you surprise us.
5. Consult the group presentation rubric to see how you'll be informally evaluated. You must participate in a group presentation to pass the class.
   

This group presentation rubric will be used to informally evaluate your presentations and give you feedback

The Group Presentation Rubric is publicly viewable at: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhnm7kdd_19f24254hj

SOCIAL COLLABORATION 101
Now you can speak, chat and create with your ANT1001 group, and your group only through Blackboard, as you plan your group presentations.

Click on Groups and you'll see your group only come up on Blackboard. If you are not in a group yet, wait til Thu.

ANT1001 2:130pm (TV24A section-Learning Community)

THURSDAY OCTOBER 23 Sean's Group - Family, Kinship and Marriage
Sean / Yaroslav /

THURSDAY OCTOBER 30 Caroline's Group - Gender
Bilal / Melissa / Dereck / Kashif

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6 Victor's Group - Religion
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20 Dan's Group - Ethnicity and Race

ANT1001 4:10pm (XZ24C section)

TUESDAY OCTOBER 7 Group 3 - Political Systems
Rickey / Hyunwook / Ken / Xiang / Terentiy

THURSDAY OCTOBER 23 Group 1 - Family, Kinship and Marriage
Kayla / Gabrijela / Ira / Craig /Maimouna

THURSDAY OCTOBER 30 Group 4 - Gender
Nicaury / Edwin / Enki / Lorraine /Angel / Gabrielle

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6 Group 2 - Religion
Ivana / Tanzina /Jaiying / Eun Ji / Phylicia /Eugene

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20 Group 5 - Ethnicity and Race
Nuzzy / Eileen / Ellie /Erica or Jou-man /Sze Yeung / Claumery

Eugene and Gabrielle need to be incorporated into a group. Preferably not Group 6. They have 6 people already.

Ch. 6 Political systems: Indian Caste System

One of the most controversial topic regarding Indian society and culture is its stringent caste system. The word "caste" is taken from the Portuguese word casta. It can be defined as a rigid social system in which a social hierarchy is maintained generation after generation and allows little mobility out of the position to which a person is born. This is a perfect example of Max Weber's theory.

This system dates almost 3000 years back and was formed on the need to form a social order in ancient India. It is still very prevalent as part of India's society. Today, it occurs more in the rural villages than in big urban cities; and more in the social matters of kinship and marriages than in impersonal day-to-day interaction, such as taking the bus. Having been around for centuries, it is highly doubtful that the caste system will die out completely. Its presence will still be felt in the near future.

The four major roles excluding the dalits are:

Brahmans - priests, holy men, arbiters
Kshatriyas - kings, warriors, soldiers that protect and guard the country
Vaishyas - businessmen, traders, commercial class
Shudras - farmers, producers, peasants

The lowest class and the one excluded from even being in the list is the dalits. These have it the worst of the worst and as the video explains not even because of government amendments does it fade away from people's customs and beliefs. The true meaning of a social construct.

CH. 3 - Culture: Recipe for culture from Natalie's Group

FROM NATALIE:

Hey guys! I wanted to post the poem I read in class for any of you who enjoyed it and wanted to read it again. Me and my group members had an awesome time writing it. We thought it was straight to the point and made you think. We would like to hear what people in the class had to think about the poem. For instance, what they liked, or maybe didn't like about it. Enjoy!


"Recipe for culture"

by Group 5

Culture is integrating
and forever changing.
As individuals or as part of a group,
our core values are all part of the soup.

The different types of soups represent the difference in our lives
As people, as groups, and how we civilize.

Oh, how women have come so far
From housekeeping, to office working,
these are examples of how were integrating.

From slavery to unity
How things have changed
We've come together
but still kept our names.

All these recipes for different soups
What are your ingredients?
THINK.
Now, sit in your groups.