The San People where living in their small, sustainable community when the government started to relocate them (making them victims of development-induced displacement). The reason for the relocation was to utilize the land for diamond exploration, as well as a space for wildlife and tourism. While going to court, they “The government has maintained that the emphasis has always been on persuasion and voluntary relocation”. The government lost 2\1 with the judges. Allowing the Sans people to return to their home. However, there where flaws in the return. The government was “not obliged to provide basic services”. They also took away the donkeys they had attained as an alternate mode of transportation for the water. Many people did not move back, creating diaspora communities.
I think that the government was definitely in the wrong. They tried to force globalization upon a community by moving them around. They took away their land, and when it was finally returned to them, took away what they had provided as basic needs. Basic needs should be accessible to anyone who wants them from a government. To me this is breaking human rights.
I think its great that the Sans people fought back. I think its also great that they continue to fight as they are living in the conditions they are (without the help of the government to retrieve basic needs, in particular, water.) Although not everyone moved back, its great that they had the option.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
#12. Communication
The Canela people use body modification as a form of social responsibility. The most important aspect of their body modification is the boys ears. The opening of the ears occurs between the ages of 10-15 and is a rite of passage with a small ritual done in the shade in the front of the mothers house. T“Canela say that boys with open ears are more receptive to the knowledge revealed to them by their elders, it is believe to rise their social status,” It is also believed that this makes them more attractive to females, who then watch them and they “wouldn't act foolishly, nor talk badly to anyone, because he knew that the women were always watching him.”
Now the Canela do not practice ear piercing as it was looked down upon by the Brazilian whom they wanted to impress because they believed it would always end in violence if they did not conform. On the contrary, in North America body modification is done to be counter cultural. It is not exactly looked down upon (anymore) however there are certainly things that are classified as strange. It is slowly being adapted into our culture. There are not really any rituals revolving around body modification in North America. The majority of people who get tattoos are young adults.
I believe body modification is someone choice. If the Canela people wanted to continue practicing such methods nobody should tell them not to. They should not feel as though they need to conform to resist violence. The thing that gets to me is that they stretch their ears, where now in North America (although we may not go to the same extreme)we also do that. It has become one of the most popular forms of body modification, where they no longer partake in this practice. I also think that it is great that body modification is becoming more socially acceptable in Canada. Its a great way for someone to express them self.
Now the Canela do not practice ear piercing as it was looked down upon by the Brazilian whom they wanted to impress because they believed it would always end in violence if they did not conform. On the contrary, in North America body modification is done to be counter cultural. It is not exactly looked down upon (anymore) however there are certainly things that are classified as strange. It is slowly being adapted into our culture. There are not really any rituals revolving around body modification in North America. The majority of people who get tattoos are young adults.
I believe body modification is someone choice. If the Canela people wanted to continue practicing such methods nobody should tell them not to. They should not feel as though they need to conform to resist violence. The thing that gets to me is that they stretch their ears, where now in North America (although we may not go to the same extreme)we also do that. It has become one of the most popular forms of body modification, where they no longer partake in this practice. I also think that it is great that body modification is becoming more socially acceptable in Canada. Its a great way for someone to express them self.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
#11. Religion
A shaman is someone who is part of a non ordinary reality : “empirical reality; that is, the person interacts with it, sees it, touches it, hears it, feels it”. It is someone who can feel and see spirit by having an altered state of consciousness. He says 90% of shamans use conciouse changing techniques such as jumping, and only 10% use psychedelic drugs.
According to Michael Harner Shamaistic practices “coexists with established religions in many cultures.” He also says that it is typically practiced in cultures with a animism. He believes many people go to a Shamen when all else has failed, particularly a doctors prescription and that even if not everyone speaks to a shamen, everyone has a spirt and “When people get angry, jealous, or have a hostile emotional attitude, they can vent not only verbal and physical abuse, but spiritual abuse without even knowing it” and that we can therefore hurt others souls unconsciously.
I believe there are problems with believing in something you are studying. You will for one, have a very emic view of the situation. Although this is not nessecairily a bad thing, it is (in my opinion) good to get a combination of an emic and etic views of a situation. At some points Harner tries to pursue you to partake in these practices and really believe they work. This is much like Christian missionaries trying to convince the Hmong of god. There are always going to be biases when you are focusing on your own beliefs and when someone starts to practice it themselves, they are surly in for a surprise.
According to Michael Harner Shamaistic practices “coexists with established religions in many cultures.” He also says that it is typically practiced in cultures with a animism. He believes many people go to a Shamen when all else has failed, particularly a doctors prescription and that even if not everyone speaks to a shamen, everyone has a spirt and “When people get angry, jealous, or have a hostile emotional attitude, they can vent not only verbal and physical abuse, but spiritual abuse without even knowing it” and that we can therefore hurt others souls unconsciously.
I believe there are problems with believing in something you are studying. You will for one, have a very emic view of the situation. Although this is not nessecairily a bad thing, it is (in my opinion) good to get a combination of an emic and etic views of a situation. At some points Harner tries to pursue you to partake in these practices and really believe they work. This is much like Christian missionaries trying to convince the Hmong of god. There are always going to be biases when you are focusing on your own beliefs and when someone starts to practice it themselves, they are surly in for a surprise.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Post #10. Feminist anthropology as cultural critique
My focus on this blog was on the articles Reempowering Ourselves: Australian Aboriginal Women by Bronwyn Fredericks and Onward with the Cordillera Indigenour Woman’s Struggle for Liberation, Democracy, and Self- Determination, by Erlinsa Castro-Palaganas in V.35, Spring 2010,
Both of these articles do a good job on issuing cultural critique, making you think about how certain aspects of our society might be affecting people in similar ways. Frederick talks about how colonization has disempowered the “indigenous women’s spiritual and cultural practices accompanied by healing”. They also speak of loss of power. Personally this makes me reflect on whether our own society is representing all cultural groups equally… It might be beneficial for us to create a formal or informal group of people who wish to voice their thoughts: by allowing people to express their thoughts, it may influence others and allow that person to feel as though they have more power. As for changing the future Fredericks says “Through a process of commemorating and remembering the past, Australian Aboriginal women have been reconstructing a useful legacy for the present”
The issue that makes me reflect is the comment “In spite of the enormous natural wealth of the region, a majority of the Cordillera people face widespread poverty and underdevelopment.” The homeless are poorer areas in Canada are like (to a lesser extent) Cordillera. I believe we really need to focus on helping improve the lives of the poorer areas. Like our society larger companies are taking the profit. There is no reason for someone to take an exponential amount of wealth when others are suffering.
Many Cordillera woman decide to go over sees to work, as they are underpaid (paid less then men, even when the job is the same) and even then, tend to end up in prostitution. People should never feel forced into the sex field. This pressure could be reduced by changing living situations everywhere and giving equal opportunities to people (as there are people forced into this industry everywhere)
This author definitely suggests that more focus should be put on the females in the Cordillera people, that fair wages should be implemented and that wealth should be spread. Castro-Palaganas also notes that the woman’s cooperative “Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC)” is takings also of action in improving living situations for the woman of Cordillera
Both articles speak about how capitalism has affected them in negative ways. Clearly, although there may be benefits, its not effective at reducing poverty, and certainly not aiding in the preservation of cultures.
Both of these articles do a good job on issuing cultural critique, making you think about how certain aspects of our society might be affecting people in similar ways. Frederick talks about how colonization has disempowered the “indigenous women’s spiritual and cultural practices accompanied by healing”. They also speak of loss of power. Personally this makes me reflect on whether our own society is representing all cultural groups equally… It might be beneficial for us to create a formal or informal group of people who wish to voice their thoughts: by allowing people to express their thoughts, it may influence others and allow that person to feel as though they have more power. As for changing the future Fredericks says “Through a process of commemorating and remembering the past, Australian Aboriginal women have been reconstructing a useful legacy for the present”
The issue that makes me reflect is the comment “In spite of the enormous natural wealth of the region, a majority of the Cordillera people face widespread poverty and underdevelopment.” The homeless are poorer areas in Canada are like (to a lesser extent) Cordillera. I believe we really need to focus on helping improve the lives of the poorer areas. Like our society larger companies are taking the profit. There is no reason for someone to take an exponential amount of wealth when others are suffering.
Many Cordillera woman decide to go over sees to work, as they are underpaid (paid less then men, even when the job is the same) and even then, tend to end up in prostitution. People should never feel forced into the sex field. This pressure could be reduced by changing living situations everywhere and giving equal opportunities to people (as there are people forced into this industry everywhere)
This author definitely suggests that more focus should be put on the females in the Cordillera people, that fair wages should be implemented and that wealth should be spread. Castro-Palaganas also notes that the woman’s cooperative “Cordillera Women’s Education Action Research Center (CWEARC)” is takings also of action in improving living situations for the woman of Cordillera
Both articles speak about how capitalism has affected them in negative ways. Clearly, although there may be benefits, its not effective at reducing poverty, and certainly not aiding in the preservation of cultures.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Post #9. Social groups and social stratification
Street gangs in New York City are apparently on the fall according to the article Gang Busters by Greg Donaldson. He says that through multiple segments gangs are actually diminishing! Some of these factors include the heroin and crack epidemics, as “of fast money quickly replaced neighbourhood fealty and gang affiliation” . John Jay College also believes that urban renewal has also helped as this has separated the different elthinticities and making it harder to form and ethnic centered gang.
They also note that as street gangs are getting smaller, youth gangs are growing in high school. And that many gang members have particular rivals against there own ethninticity, therefore, as ethnic gangs dimish, so will gang affiliated violence.
I believe while gangs are appearing to dimish as ethnic groups, they will still continue to grow as mixed groups. Probably creating more violence in the future as more groups will want more domains.
I do also believe that separating the areas where new immigrants move is a good idea as they are very venerable. I do believe this is an effective way to slow the process of gang formation. And probably create safer societies.
They also note that as street gangs are getting smaller, youth gangs are growing in high school. And that many gang members have particular rivals against there own ethninticity, therefore, as ethnic gangs dimish, so will gang affiliated violence.
I believe while gangs are appearing to dimish as ethnic groups, they will still continue to grow as mixed groups. Probably creating more violence in the future as more groups will want more domains.
I do also believe that separating the areas where new immigrants move is a good idea as they are very venerable. I do believe this is an effective way to slow the process of gang formation. And probably create safer societies.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Post #8. Perspectives on Polygamy
Polygamy to me has more negative effects than it does positive. Polygamy, the marriage of multiple spouses, is more common when a man marries multiple women ( polygyny). Making a type of polygamy legal could help the government influence protnatalism with polygyny or decrease the population with polyandry. However, this would have to be a permanent choice, and would likely set the populatiion to far in one direction. It can also cause the production of an unsustainable amount of children, “he had five wives and more than 30 children”
I believe polygamy creates a lot of social issues. The first being there seems to be issues with sexual abuse among adolescences. Such as the case of Warren Jeffs. “Critics of the sect say young girls are forced into "spiritual" marriages with older men and are sexually abused”.
I also believe polygamy would lead to the domanince of one gender. If one man or woman is entitled to having multiple marriages it places them as more important then the others who “only” look at them.
I believe polygamy creates a lot of social issues. The first being there seems to be issues with sexual abuse among adolescences. Such as the case of Warren Jeffs. “Critics of the sect say young girls are forced into "spiritual" marriages with older men and are sexually abused”.
I also believe polygamy would lead to the domanince of one gender. If one man or woman is entitled to having multiple marriages it places them as more important then the others who “only” look at them.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Post #7. Non-Western Medicine
Dr. Timothy McCajor Hall's website on Culture-Bound Syndromes in China four different culture bond syndroms: Suro yang (Koro), Shenkui “semen loss syndrome”, qi-gong psychotic reaction and neurasthenia.
Suo yang (Koro) is also known as genital retraction syndrome (GRS). This is the belief that the genitals will retreat into your body and (according to tradition) says it is typically fatal. The etic view is this is hyperinvolution. Typically this occurs in large epidemics instead of soli individual cases. The cases tend to happen when people are experiencing more stressors then normal. I agree with the author’s comment that “GRS cases seem to be similar in many ways to the Western category of panic attack, with sexual elaborations”.
Neuasthenia (Shenjing shuairuo) which is a kind of “encouraged” Somatisations. The symptoms are similar to our symptoms for “major depressive disorder”. Some symptoms are: increased fatigue, “bodily weakness and exhaustion after minimal effort” “muscular aches, tension headaches; sleep disturbance; inability to relax; irritability; dyspepsia”,
I think a lot of culture bound syndromes are brought on my abundant stressors. They should be signs telling you to slow down. At least in Western societies, I believe a lot of them could be handled without medicine by just taking a vacation (if possible) and relaxing. Cultural myths also have a large influence on culture bound syndromes. For example: yes GRS would probably be frightening, however, the myth says this could cause death... making things much more terrifying (and, in some situations, such as voodoo cases, possibly fatal)
Suo yang (Koro) is also known as genital retraction syndrome (GRS). This is the belief that the genitals will retreat into your body and (according to tradition) says it is typically fatal. The etic view is this is hyperinvolution. Typically this occurs in large epidemics instead of soli individual cases. The cases tend to happen when people are experiencing more stressors then normal. I agree with the author’s comment that “GRS cases seem to be similar in many ways to the Western category of panic attack, with sexual elaborations”.
Neuasthenia (Shenjing shuairuo) which is a kind of “encouraged” Somatisations. The symptoms are similar to our symptoms for “major depressive disorder”. Some symptoms are: increased fatigue, “bodily weakness and exhaustion after minimal effort” “muscular aches, tension headaches; sleep disturbance; inability to relax; irritability; dyspepsia”,
I think a lot of culture bound syndromes are brought on my abundant stressors. They should be signs telling you to slow down. At least in Western societies, I believe a lot of them could be handled without medicine by just taking a vacation (if possible) and relaxing. Cultural myths also have a large influence on culture bound syndromes. For example: yes GRS would probably be frightening, however, the myth says this could cause death... making things much more terrifying (and, in some situations, such as voodoo cases, possibly fatal)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)