Cultural Anthropology explores different cultures in all of their manifestations - from how people make a living to what people live for. In an increasingly interconnected world, cultural differences lie at the root of many of our most pressing challenges, throughout the world and in our own personal lives. There has never been a time when Cultural Anthropology has been more important than it is right now.
Subsistence.
- minimal (or marginal) resources for subsisting; "social security provided only a bare subsistence"
- a means of surviving; "farming is a hard means of subsistence"
- the state of existing in reality; having substance http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
- The means of living; obtaining food and shelter necessary to support life; everything that is done to "make a living" resweb.llu.edu/rford/docs/VGD/GSLVT/gslglossary.html
Last week you read about culture. This week about making a living.
Chapter 5 - Making a Living seems rather dry and uninteresting to most students. However, this chapter begins to explain the history of mankind through five adaptive strategies used to subsist, to survive, to ... make a living. It is useful to know these strategies, which are still part of modern culture in some places. These strategies help us distinguish between the ways humans in the past and the present organized into groups that shape our the shared, learned, symbolic and integrated culture we live by as well as reflect adaptive and maladaptive approaches to our survival.
This chapter will also help you understand the documentary The Corporation (which we will watch) that explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time that rose out of industrialization. "Taking its [the corporation's] status as a legal "person" to the logical conclusion, the film puts the corporation on the psychiatrist's couch to ask 'What kind of person is it?' " As we look at the forms of reciprocity that are common in each adaptive strategy, the example of corporations reflect the tensions of balanced and negative reciprocity.
YOUR COMMENTS THIS WEEK: Rather than quoting the chapter this week, write a 1-3 sentences responding to the (1) video above IF THE WORLD WE A VILLAGE as well as the (2) videos below on the Kwakiutl potlatch which was once outlawed by the government in British Columbia.
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12 comments:
I really enjoyed the first video, "If the world were a village", it shows how thankful we ought to be for what we have; especially many of us in the city. Not only that, but also the close proximity we have to those that are less fortunate than us, but we take no action in changing the reality. The 2nd video was also interesting, although I didn't quite understand it, i think it showed how sometimes for the sake or progress many traditions are lost and sometimes values for certain things.
The second videos on Kwakiutl potlatch were very powerful. The way the first video began impacted me. "They expect us to be like them" sums up assimilation. It's just sad. As for the first video, I think the final message, that things aren't evenly distributed and we should appreciate what we have, is admirable.
The fact that 43 people live without basic sanitation, only 7 are educated at the secondary level and more than half of the "world population" lives on $2 or less per day really struck me the most. Living in the US and especially New York, you forget sometimes that you really should appreciate it. The second video, made me think why are some expected to give up their traditions for others. The potlatch was outlawed, but I do not see anything negative in it. It is simply a different cultures way of something we might call "charity".
It's actually not the first time I have seen that video "If the world were a village." It is really interesting to know that 16 out of the 100 people would be atheists. If these were to be the real numbers, that'd be a pretty huge amount of people that are atheists. It was also surprising to think that if you can afford a bed, refrigerator, closet and roof over your head, you're richer than 75% of the entire world population. That's crazy. I didn't really understand the second video and can't understand why potlatch was outlawed. "What matters most is not what you take from life but what you give to it."
The first video is very good at putting numbers into perspective. The most dumbfounding figure is the amount of people living in COMPLETE POVERTY. Many would argue that our capitalistic society is by far the most efficient and productive of any in history. However, it is also the most skewed and gapped in terms of social structure and class. How can there be a man like Warren Buffett who has $60,000,000,000, and whole nations of starving people and kids.. The top 500 richest people in the world have enough money to feed, clothe, and house MILLIONS, there just isnt enough moral pressure for anyone to do anything significant--not that they don't try (i.e. Bill and Melinda Gates)
Regarding the second video, I feel that this has been an all too regularly occurring process--of forced acculturation that isn't bilateral--of huge, ethnocentric societies and cultures sucking up indigenous and unique cultures. It's sad, but I suppose it's the natural order of human civilization --it's all headed to one big climax--one nation, on Earth, one culture, in the not-too-distant future.
Seeing the first video made me step back and think about what I take advantage of having. I watched the video last night before and had a dream about what it would be like to live without basic sanitation.
My parents always told me to appreciate everything I have. This includes having a bed, a place called home, education and even a heater. Somehow I always manage to forget that and always want something more, like the newest phone or more clothes than I could wear. After watching the first video, it was like a slap of reality and how fortunate I am compared to a majority of the world. However, even after the video I wonder what could I do or could I have done to help change the situation the world is in right now.
The second video was a little confusing for me. I suppose that it is a positive and negative impact that the minority groups are being assimilated. In a way, they will be able to incorporate newer technology and customs into their lives, but doing so will also make them lose their roots.
Coming from a developing nation, none of the statistics in the 'If the world were a village' video startled me. I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to study in the United States. I guess the solution to this lies in making efforts at an idividual level. And more importantly, we should realise that the world needs us and that we co-exist and interdepend on each other.
The second videos relating to the survival of a unique culture is an issue close to my heart. As technology is advancing, we're getting caught in the tangibles of life. We're giving rise to a materialistic view of life and leaving no value for culture.
By viewing the video "If the world were a village" I was wondering which village in particular it would be? A developed nation or a devoloping one? It might help us to indeed think outside the box.
I think the stucture of the first video made it effective in comunicating the message. The start of the video gave simple facts about the world, then it slowly began to address the important problems that surround us. Some of the fact were really shocking to us who dont know about the world outside of our sheltered enviorment.
The first video "If the world were a village," gives us several messages. The first, I think, is that we should appreciate our life. At least, we are studying in college without starving. The second is that we can world change with small effort. People who are in poverty could escape from hunger and disease with our small help.
The first video "if the world were a village" is a scary reality and it shows that we al l really should be appreciative of what we have because we are 75% richer than the rest of the world. Although each human cant do something to change this...many people together, can. As for the second video, I agree with a few other people in that it was a little confusing.
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