BEST QUESTIONS: Inquiring minds want to know

1. After reading the Conformity and Conflict essay on the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis by David Thomson, Kevin C. wrote:

Why is it that when an unsightly person on the street mutters non-sense to imaginary figures, they're crazy? But when someone talks to a figure they believe to be true but can't prove, on their knees, in a pointy building, its prayer?

EXTRA CREDIT: TED TALK ON CULTURAL WEB OF LIFE--THE ETHNOSPHERE

Watch this video and read about Wade Davis and write a 250-word comment relating it to what you learned from the video and from the class about cultural anthropology and how you think it relates to the real world in your life. 

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/wade_davis_on_endangered_cultures.html

You can earn 1-3 extra points towards your overall grade. Post the comment HERE below not on your personal blog for credit. 

Ethnography: Emic Perceptions

Reality and Perception (from http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/001200.html)

People who say "perception is reality" should stop saying it. Perception is a reality, in the sense that it's something we have to deal with. But perception isn't reality itself. In fact, perception is often demonstrably false. {CHECK OUT OTHER PERCEPTIONAL TESTS}

OK, the following test works better if you hear these instructions rather than if you read these instructions.

That said, here's the test:

1. Look around the room you're in.
2. Now, close your eyes.
3. Answer this question: Is the room still there?

Posted by Ara Rubyan on April 23, 2003 at 8:02 PM

For the conversation of race, how do you describe/identify a diverse group of people without talking to them about their race/ethnicity? Does it mean anything that you describe them a certain way ultimately? How does our enculturated view of race shape our views or perceptions of race? Does it change and how when you learn that race was learned as a social construct?

The science of anthropology -- ethnography -- is not about getting rid of things. It's about assessing different views of life and comparing how we view life. You could come to the conclusion that ANYTHING is possible rather than things don't exist. I'll talk more about this the last day of class.

It's hard to see the world beyond ourselves.
It's even harder to see the world beyond our clan, our country, our religion . . .

It's hard to see justice.
It's easy for blind bigotry to backfire.

UNTIL WE
DEVELOP THE NEEDED
PERCEPTION, WE DO
NOT "SEE."

"The more we learn and understand, the more we realize that most of the universe is, in fact, outside our understanding -- like most of the electromagnetic spectrum is outside our perception. Much -- and likely most -- of that "outsideness" is in ways, in dimensions, that we find hard or impossible to grasp (see falter points)." Might ethnography be essential to us?

Everytime instructors communicate, new concepts compete with preconceived ideas of the listeners. All students (in classrooms or of life) hold these ideas but they are unaware of their private theories or universes. Ethnography is a conduit to awareness (think Josh Klein's interviews in college). It is our job as enlightened beings to discover how to free ourselves from the private universe we were born into, raised in, taught by others and accepted as if the only or right truth or reality. An important conduit is not "knowing" but "not knowing" being willing to let go of being right or wrong.

By doing ethnography, you may discover we are all inventing taxonomies, rituals, and beliefs or myths we live by.

CULTURAL IMPERIALISM + ETHNOCENTRISM = LACK OF EDUCATION

HammerSickle
February 24, 2007
YouTube-Outcome Of Consumerism And Pop Culture

"Intention of this video is to show how pop culture and consumerism are making people superficial and stupid. People in 1st world use resources five times more than people in 3rd World but their level of knowledge and understanding is far lower than any 3rd world country" (More info from YouTube). Most citizens are clueless about the basics. At one point the interviewer asks about the "Coalition of the Willing" and the anwers are humorous but our ignorance is what keeps the core's hegemony and imperialism in place.

REMADE IN AMERICA: NY Times series on Immigration

http://projects.nytimes.com/immigration/

Refugees, Poverty and Venture Capitalism

CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS OF RACE/RACISM
Well we had a unpredictable conversation today. My intention was to as I said "push you off the edge" of the social construct of race/ethnicity or more importantly "difference" as if being different means something. Perhaps it means everything and nothing.

Today was an agree to be offended kind of conversation and I truly appreciate you being willing to stay in the conversation even when it was uncomfortable, confusing, or difficult to hear or talk about. Race, racism, are both social constructs but what do we need to really get about that to make a difference for our children's children and in what way? This conversation might be THE conversation of the semester for you. Maybe not. And if it isn't, it's all good. You'll pop anyhow. Promise!

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE: THE ROAD TO REFUGEE SETTLEMENT
I didn't get to have a conversation about Thok in the Conformity & Conflict chapter on refugees in class today. So you should share any thoughts about that chapter. Share in regards to this question if you like:

QUESTION: How does Thok's story influence your views of U.S. immigration policies? or immigration policies in your home country?

After Losing Freedom, Some Immigrants Face Loss of Child Custody

“My parents were poor, and they never gave me to anyone,” Ms. Bail recalled. “I was not going to give my son to anyone either.”

There was a related article in NYT about refugees that is a must read. One of the other TED Fellows brought it to my attention serendipitously just after class today.


TED TALK: A VENTURE CAPITALIST FOR POVERTY
I mentioned I wanted to share a TED talk related to the chapter.



This video was chosen inside the intention of having your POWERFULLY RELATED to what's possible of out the process of ethnography, out of the ethnographic method of participant-observation and interviewing.

Jacqueline Novogratz heads the venture-capitalist organization for poverty called THE ACUMEN FUND. Here's a short video about what the Acumen Fund is all about.