Course Evaluation & Anthropology Intro

Evaluation of Sessions

• Sessions 1-14 are evaluated via a handwritten, closed-book examination during session 15, readings and explanations from sessions 1-14 are covered, counts for 30% of final grade
• Sessions 1-14 also involve submitting six handwritten outlines to the campus virtual after sessions 2,4,7,10,12 and 14, the content are from class during sessions 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 9-10, 11-12 and 14, six outlines are worth 10% of the final grade
• Sessions 16-29 are evaluated via a closed-book quiz during session 30, content is from sessions 16-29, quiz counts for 30% of the final grade
• Sessions 16-29 also require submitting six handwritten outlines to the online campus virtually after sessions 17, 20, 23, 25, 27 and 29, the material outlined must come from classes 16-17, 19-20, 22-23, 24-25, 26-27 and 28-29, the six outlines account for 10% of the final grade

Session 1

• Friendship is only thing not regulated by law

Session 2

• Anthropology is the study of everything that shapes humans like laws, norms, cultures, habits, tools, and languages
• Stigma is the negative label or judgment placed on someone based on a characteristic, behavior, or condition deemed undesirable

Why Obey? Two Main Streams of Thought

• The question "why do we have to obey" remains unanswered
• Possible reasons, to maintain order, avoid conflict, respect authority
• This question has two main viewpoints

Hobbes' View: State of Nature

• Without government, life is a "state of war" that is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
• Without somebody to guide us, there is chaos
• Escape requires surrendering freedoms to a powerful authority in exchange for order and protection
• Hobbes believes obedience prevents a return to the state of nature, which he believes is worse than oppressive government

Rousseau's View: The Social Contract

• The state of nature consists of humans who are free, equal, and peaceful before society
• "This is a social contract. We have to stay in this in the best way as possible in order to respect the others"
• Individuals give up freedoms to the collective "general will" of the community, not a ruler
• Laws express the common good of the collective will

Why Obey? Freedom vs. Fear

• Obeying laws, reflecting the collective good, people achieve true liberty
• Individuals obey because of moral obligation and responsibility to their community and success, not fear of punishment, unlike Hobbes view

Anthropology: Shaping Humanity

• Anthropology is the study of everything that shapes humans: laws, norms, cultures, habits, tools, languages, and the world
• Anthropology involves two core concepts

Acculturation: Cultural Exchange

• Acculturation happens when cultures interact and aspects are exchanged and incorporated
• These aspects can be language, clothing, traditions, or beliefs
• Acculturation involves adapting to a new culture while retaining original one elements
• Every culture has been affected by acculturation, no culture is pure
• Halloween is not native to Spain, but is now commonly celebrated
• The term "sushi" is integrated into other languages

En-culturation: Learning Native Culture

• En-culturation involves learning the values, norms, and behaviors of one's birth culture
• Involves being taught and internalizing the culture of origin
• Family is the first point of contact
• Individuals receive their mother tongue/language and nationality through enculturation
• Additional enculturation occurs in school
• Joining different circles one shares values, norms habits
• Overtime individuals are influenced by the world

Norms: Societal Expectations

• Norms are rules defining behavior in society
• There is a behavior one should follow
• Punishments occur for failure to follow norms

Three Categories of Norms

• Legal norms are rules enforced for order and justice
• Religious norms are tied to specific religions
• Social norms are unwritten behavior rules derived from customs/values
• Punishments for social norm violations involve stigma

Legal Norms and Their Enforcement

• Legal norms include written rules such as traffic laws, criminal laws, or tax codes that must be followed
• Punishment examples involves jail, death, fines etc

Religious Norms and Ethics

• Religious norms are based on moral beliefs
• These guide behavior on what is considered righteous
• Punishment = hell
• Nowadays perspective replaces the religious in the venn diagram
• Some have people are not religious

Social Norms and Expectations

• Social norms are unwritten rules about societal behavior derived from traditions
• These are without legal enforcement but with social pressures
• Punishment involves social stigma
• Cancel culture is judgement from society

Kant's Contribution: Separating Norms

• Emmanuel Kant separated legal and religious norms in the 18th century
• Separating law from religious beliefs was pivotal in shifting away from societies dictated by religion

Historical Context: Religion's Dominance

• Religion dominated law and society in Europe
• Disputes between religious groups (Catholics and Protestants) caused violence and wars (eg, The Thirty Years' War)

John Locke's Letter of Tolerance

• In 1968, John Locke argued for freedom of religious belief and state non-imposition
• Key idea → Tolerance = respecting the right to believe differently
• A way forward for religious freedom

Impact

• Paved the way for church and state separation and religious freedom

Separation of Powers

• A separation between the powers of the state and the church
• The church had symbolic power

Human Rights

• Human rights are at the center of legal, religious, and social norms

Human Rights Declaration (1789)

• Significant expression of rights in written form, from the French Revolution and modern human rights foundations
• "When confronting people with the law, we are all the same"

Equality and Universal Rights

• All individuals declared equal before the law
• Rejects privilege based on status and the same legal standards apply
• Recognized inherent human rights such as freedom

Rule of Law

• The declaration emphasized that laws apply equally
• No one should be above the law.

Layers of Discussion

• Legal: Is it legal?
• Legal Existence?
• Theory of Law
• Respect: Is law respected?
• Operation in real life?
• Sociology of Law
• Fairness: Is law fair?
• Justice
• Philosophy of Law

Steps to Freedom of Expression

• Freedom of belief and expression for any type of expression
• Publishing
• Freedom to distribute

Progression of Thought

• Thinking freely and openly about beliefs
• Out loud speaking
• Express ideas
• Sharing written ideas to the masses

Key Milestones in Human Rights Development

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 by the United Nations
  • UN declaration as global standard
• Council of Europe
  • Promoted rights and democracy among European Countries
• The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)
  • Protects human rights in Europe
  • This has a court that hears that cases if countries violate the convention
• European Union
  • Adopted rights in the EU consolidates expansion
  • Covers a wide range of topics

Sessions 3 & 4

• Fake News
• Info check nowadays

Information Quality

• Freedom of thought leads to everything
  • Allows all expression

Knowledge and Philosophy

• Philosophy arrived from people searching for answers for why things happen
• Philosophy has 3 stages

Stages of Knowledge

• Ontology
  • What is out there and the nature of things, with questions of how the world works, and what a thing is, that attempts to classify existence
• Enlightenment
  • Kant shifts philosophy to how people perceive things, morality
  • We do not understand reality objectively but by a priori knowledge before experience in the world
• Linguistic Stage: 13th Century Onward as language as a basis of knowledge
  • Language shapes philosophy and our understanding of the world and moral thinking
  • Everything is limited and constrained by language
  • J.L Austin states there are two kinds of words: words that do things and do not do things

Speech Acts

• Some words describe, others actively create like "accept this wife?" in a marriage situation by answering yes
• Meaning is a key factor

John Searle and Language

• expands of language and meaning
• language makes things real
• concepts would not exist without it

Language and Social Reality

• language builds social reality
• concepts are intangible but exist through words and meanings

Bias as Intrinsic

• Everyone is different, everyone has bias
• Communication is never neutral

Understanding Bias

• All statements made carry implicit bias
• Influenced through intent
• Communication filters through view
• Oh, the weather
• Staying home to watch Netflix

Bias in Communication

• Knowing peoples manipulation, biases, fears, and information is framed

Cognitive Bias Codex

• helps one navigate inherent biases
• brain works a certain way
• parts to how brain is affected
• Too much Information
  • Brain has to prioritize the information
  • Brain focuses on bizarre, emotionally intense

Meaning

• If a person does not like people they might assume things people are are less important or worth less, the brain fills in the gaps

Act

• Quick brain decisions rely on shortcuts