Anthropology 1031 Lecture Notes (2019) PDF

lOMoARcPSD|31744672 Anthropology 1031 Date: 09/10/2019 WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY ○ There are 4 fields of anthropology. ○ The approach of anthropology is a combination of many different subject fields (politic...

lOMoARcPSD|31744672 Anthropology 1031 Date: 09/10/2019 WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY ○ There are 4 fields of anthropology. ○ The approach of anthropology is a combination of many different subject fields (political science, sociology, geography). ○ Contemporary debates and theory. This course will explore the question what is anthropology? Anthropology is devoted to a study of human life throughout history and all of its variations. Each anthropologist studies a different discipline of anthropology which is divided into 4 fields. 1. Archaeology - the study of lifeways in past cultures and societies. a. Archaeologists examine the material remains of previous cultures and societies. b. Examples: tools, pottery pieces, garbage pit. c. Archaeologists also study old villages and towns (ferryland, cupids) as well as large groups such as Greeks and Egyptians. 2. Physical/biological - study the physical and biological of past life (fossils). a. Physical anthropologists will become forensic anthropologists. Typically volunteer in third world countries to examine graves. 3. Linguistics - study the relation between people and language. Study language how its spoken Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 2 and written. 4. Social/cultural anthropology - study how cultures differ from or resemble one another and the reasons why. a. Studies how cultures influence one another. Allows us to reflect on ourself and our cultures. b. A strength of anthropology. c. Encompasses all human beliefs which results in diversity. d. Ex. how people make a living, how things are distributed between people, how things are reproduced over time, political/religious systems, communication, art/dance/music. (Fifth field): Applied anthropology - anthropologists who use their knowledge and apply it to situations. Do research, write papers. Become professors. Many will take on advocacy roles. Want their voice heard. Quick distinguish between the four fields: Archaeology: studying past lifeways of past cultures Physical: studying skeleton and fossil remains to shed light on diets/work Linguistics: studies language of past and present societies Social: studies how cultures differ from or resemble one another Anthropology is different than other social sciences because anthropologists approach the study of human life differently. There are three basic concepts that an anthropologist is familiar with. 1. Ethnography: This approach is an anthropologist who studies only one culture. First hand detailed description of the life or the certain aspects of the life of a group of people. a. Ethnographies are full page books. b. When anthropologists are referring to ethnographies they are referring to a book that details a life of a certain group of people. c. Malinowski. 2. Holism: maintains that cultures exist of integrated features. Holism argues that in order to understand one aspect you need to understand all aspects. a. Example, in order to understand the politics of people, you need to know their beliefs as Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 3 well. b. Most anthropologists lived in villages and studied all aspects of the culture in their own village. Anthropologists treated the village as if it was isolated from the world. c. Ethnographies were written with holism in mind until about 17th century. d. In the 70s/80s holism became undesirable. e. Present day cares about localities. Cant understand a locality without understanding a global context. f. Take a global issue/event and look at it in a local setting. g. Eric Wolf 3. Cultural relativity: Any other way of life is different than ours. This attitude is known as ethnocentrism. This means judging other cultures based on the standards of your own culture. a. Have a very long history in Western European thought. It is evident in religious ministries who try to change others beliefs. Native Americans needed to “change” so Europeans tried to implement their views on them. (residential schools in canada). b. Ethnocentrism has not gone away (donald trump). c. The opposite of ethnocentrism is cultural relativity. d. A cultural relativist believes one should not be judged by the standards of our culture and must understand it on their terms. e. Frans Boas and Malinowski are key. Both argued that no one culture is better than another. All anthropologists want to eliminate ethnocentrism. f. Often used is critical cultural relativity. Want to study people critically to figure out why they do what they do (homophobes, racists, neo-nazis). Whos winning and whos losing. Contemporary debates and theory There are many theories. 1. Biological Determinism versus Cultural Construction (nature vs nurture) a. Biology vs cultural b. Genetic makeup vs socialization c. Biological determinism argues that there genetics determine makeup. d. Cultural construction argues that socialization determines how one acts and it is not in DNA. e. Anthropologists are cultural constructionists. f. The great diversity is by socialized learning. 2. Interpretive versus cultural materialism Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 4 a. Do we do what we do because of what we think or because of the materialism around us? b. Interpretive: symbols, rituals used to make sense of the world around them c. Materialism: argues that material conditions are in prime importance. Look at what you do, how you make a living, family, relatives, kinship, political organization d. Not so much of a contrast between them but complementary 3. Agency versus structure a. Do people do what they do and think what they think because of their will or do process of structures and power determines human thought? b. Free will vs mouse traps c. People aren't poor because they're lazy they are poor because they don't have access to immenties (structure) d. Anthropologists have a middle ground. Date: 09/12/2019 WHAT IS CULTURE What is culture? 1. Defining culture 2. Characteristics of cult 3. Differences within cultures Anthropology is the study of human culture, however, the last person you want to ask for a definition of culture is an anthropologist. Culture is vague. Other disciplines have a concrete definition of culture Culture can be what you do. a. Monday-Friday 9-5 job. b. Sitting in class and being quiet. Culture also is the beliefs of other people a. Voting Many different definitions of culture and all are accurate. Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 5 Edward Tyler - British anthropologist that proposed a definition of culture in 1871. Culture is a complex whole that contains knowledge, beliefs, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities, habits by any man (human) in society. “Complex whole” a. Cultures are very complex systems. Native North Americans were deemed as “savages” compared to Western Europeans. No culture is superior or more advanced than one another Civilization is an item of the past Civilization has racist undertones in social/cultural anthropology. Characteristics of culture - multiple choice on exam 1. Levels of culture a. Local culture vs macro culture b. Macro culture crosses local culture boundaries c. Ex meeting someone from Canada outside of Canada d. Local culture focuses on patterns, behaviours, customs of people in a localized group 2. Adaptive a. Cultures are not static b. People are always adapting their culture to changes in their social and physical environments c. Ex Canada was predominantly rural, however, became urban within 100-150 years 3. Culture is not the same as nature a. Humans need to eat, drink, sleep and have shelter b. How we provide basic necessities depends on culture c. Partially shaped by nature but mostly shaped by culture d. What, how, whom, where we eat all depends on culture e. Table manners is cultural i. Ex. Utensils vs hands 4. Culture is based on symbols a. Symbol has a range of meanings and are used everyday i. Ex. No smoking signs, stop signs, raising hand in class ii. Ex. Knight vs night Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 6 b. Understand what these mean because Canadians share the same culture c. Not everybody will use the signs and if they do it may not mean the same thing in every culture d. Ex. Beeping a car horn 5. Culture is learned a. Learning is subconscious i. Pink is for girls b. Learn a lot about culture by observing c. Personal space is not thought about until its violated d. Guidance and instruction from teachers 6. Cultures are integrated a. Idea of holism b. In order to understand one aspect culture you need to understand other aspects c. Education in Canada - cant understand the importance of education until you understand job opportunities 7. Cultures interact and change a. There are similarities and differences b. No culture is isolated c. Cultures have always been in contact with each other d. Ex. Indian food in Canada e. Economic and political systems bring interaction f. NAFTA Differences between cultures This occurred by categories people were grouped into Being a member of any group affects how the person will see the world and how the world will view them Affects everything in their lives These categories can be the bases of social inequalities 1. Class a. Refers to categories that group people due to economic position and is measured in terms of income and wealth i. Upper, middle and lower class b. Upper class refers to people who are very wealthy Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 7 i. Oprah, Bill Gates, McCain family c. Middle class refers to people who can afford to own the basic comfort and necessities in life d. Lower class refers to people at the bottom of the economic ladder who cannot afford the basic necessities in life e. Marx and Engels i. Worked together on the Marxist theory f. Capitalism class - people who own factories g. Means of production h. Working class - people who work for factories i. Classes are always struggling j. Do we lower taxes and lower social services or increase taxes and raise social services? 2. Race a. Race is a cultural construction b. A social category just like class c. In Canada, USA race is by skin color d. In predominant Chinese is by body hair e. In Latin America race is by what you do for a living 3. Ethnicity a. Ethnicity can give someone a sense of identity b. This identity can be stated in a nonviolent matter c. Heritage based d. Race is oppression ethnicity is not e. Ethnicity can be a basis for discrimination 4. Gender a. Usually encounter two terms, sex and gender. b. Gender refers to the socially constructed and learned behaviours that are attributed to either being female or male. c. There is a third gender in some cultures i. People who identify as neither male or female d. Gender differences between societies around the world but there are gender specific roles in every society around the world. i. Ex. in Canada farmer = male occupation 1. In Africa, women are farmers. ii. Knitting = women 1. In Bolivia, toques are knitted by males 5. Age Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 8 a. High school graduation is a ritual to commemorate the end of your required education. Date: 09/17/2019 ANTHROPOLOGY & FIELDWORK History of Fieldwork in Anthropology Terms Used in Research Fieldwork Techniques Analysis Writing About Culture Ethics Armchair Anthropology Was not active in the field, read reports by other anthropologists without gathering first hand experience Veranda Approach Anthropologists began to travel to forgein countries and rather than live with the study population they lived with officials so they ended up studying from a distance and only spoke to a few individuals Fieldwork and participant observation Famous for saying get off the veranda and live with the people you're studying Fieldsite a. Can be a village, a town, a neighbourhood. b. Anywhere where an anthropologist conducts their research c. Emily Martin -AIDS i. Studied how people deal with living with aids ii. Her field sites were the homes of aids people, the hospital, the community organizers Qualitative and Quantitative Deductive and Inductive Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 9 Etic and Emic a. Emic refers to their perception of reality and why they do what they do b. Etic refers to the researchers explanation of whats going on Participant observation a. Self describing b. Sometimes one or the other, sometimes simultaneously c. Would live in same type of housing, eat similar food d. Heart of anthropology Fieldnotes Rapport and Trust a. Need to build rapport with people to find out more things that are more personal b. Rapport is a good thing Interviewing Writing About Culture a. Ethnographies i. Realist 1. Focuses on a description and analysis on a way of life and a group of people ii. Reflexive 1. Talk about what it was like when doing their research b. Ethnographies have a bit of both types Ethics a. Do no harm b. Have to get permission from the people you're studying c. Project Camelot Date: 09/19/2019 ANTHROPOLOGY, ECONOMIES AND TYPES OF PRODUCTION Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 10 1. Intro 2. Types of production 3. Issues 4. Foraging 5. Horticulture A cross cultural study of economic systems. No narrow vision. The vision includes production, distribution and exchange, consumption Types of production Hunting and gathering, farming, industrial setting 5 major categories Foraging, horticulture, pastoralism, agriculture, industrial Issues Nature/culture a. Climate change b. Hard to distinguish between nature and culture c. Nature doesn't dominate culture and vise versa World economy a. All societies regardless of their dominant type of production are intertwined in the world economy b. No such thing as isolation c. Huge influence on societies Foraging What is foraging? a. searching/collecting food that's readily available b. A means of production for living c. First nations people were once foragers d. Many people do still practice foraging in deserts and tropical forests e. Requires little control over the environment f. Most foraging groups are very mobile and move on a seasonal basis Foraging and culture Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 11 a. Most foragers live in small groups b. Cultures of foragers differs c. Some groups do not move if resources are there all year round Labour a. The division of labour among foragers are divided by gender and age b. Women and children are responsible for gathering c. What is gathered is more important than hunting d. Some exceptions are in alaska where there is not much to be gathered so more is hunted Mobile Most foragers move on a seasonal basis due to resources changing locations Property relations a. The idea of private property does not exist to foragers b. Don't own things that they can sell to one another c. Tend to share d. Don't gather or hunt everyday e. Share on the basis of need f. Not class based societies g. Everybody is equal h. Social pressures to ensure equality i. Ex being ridiculed for boasting about being good at something i. Use-rights i. Have a right to use it but do not own it j. Sharing What is horticulture a. The cultivation of domestic crops and gardens with simple hand tools b. It differs from agriculture because agriculture uses equipment and higher use of fertilizers c. Horticulture uses digging sticks, rely on rain, no use of chemical inputs Two main types a. Shifting/slash and burn i. Most common ii. Tropical climates iii. Farming the forest in a cycle 1. Remove a small area of the forest, wood and leaves are left to dry and Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 12 then burned, enriches the soil 2. Can take many years for the forest to regrow b. Dry land Horticulture and culture a. Transforming the land to get more food on the table b. Have to plant and then wait for them to grow c. Invest labour into their gardens d. Increasing productivity of land and modifying environment e. Much larger and more permanent f. Lives in villages rather than larger groups g. Remain in the same place for a long time h. When they move the whole village moves as well Property relations a. Usually family and households have use rights to particular fields and crops b. Not so into sharing c. More defined use rights d. The possibility of producing surplus e. Not class based f. Might be different in social status Labour a. Is based on gender b. No one pattern c. Three patterns i. Men will clear the land and both men and women will share the rest of the tasks ii. Men will clear the land, women will contivate basic crops and men will contivate prestige crops iii. Men will clear the land and women will do the rest of the tasks Date: 09/24/2019 TYPES OF PRODUCTION (CONT) a. Pastoralism Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 13 b. Agriculture c. Industrial Economies Pastoralism a. Animals provide the main means of food and resources rather than crops. b. The livestock raised are: i. cattle, camels, sheep, goats, reindeer, horses, llamas, alpacas, yaks c. They do not cultivate crops for their livestock i. Opposite of a ranch who cultivates grain to feed cattle d. Pastoralist livestock feed on natural grasses so they must move to where these grasses are available in any given season e. Highly mobile f. Occur in many different environments, grasslands, mountains g. These are poorly suited for cultivating crops Property relations a. Find both private property and use rights b. A herd of cattle is known as being owned by a household or kingroup c. Not class based but can be differences in status and power i. The extent varies between pastoral societies Labour a. Organized by gender and often by age b. Men are responsible for herding the animals and women are responsible for producing animal products c. Men who are adults are only allowed to herd d. Some societies let women herd smaller animals i. Sheep, alpacas Sustainability a. A very sustainable way of livelihood b. Livestock eats grass humans can't digest c. Animals eat the stuff humans can't eat and then humans eat the animal d. Needs a large territory e. Takes a long time f. Needing to pay taxes leads to herding more animals Agriculture Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 14 a. Include animals for plowing, tractors. b. Uses fertilizer c. The land can be cultivated more intensely d. Settlements are permanent i. No moving e. Produce surplus crops f. Not everybody needs to grow their own food g. Can become a specialist in other occupation h. Only some people need to cultivate the land Family Farming Agriculture a. Produces products for their own consumption and the market b. Found throughout the world c. Predominant form of agriculture in mexico, india, china, bolivia d. Diversity i. Part time vs full time Labour a. Based in the family b. Men, women and children c. Gender and age d. Men engage in cultural activities and women/children processing food Property relations a. Varies a lot b. Use rights to their farm c. All the farms within an area is owned by a village d. Individual household will have use rights to a part of land e. Landlord - tenant i. Prevalent among peasants in europe ii. Family owned a lot of land 1. 10,000+ hectares iii. Landlords don't cultivate land iv. Peasants paid rent to use land 1. Usually a portion of their harvest v. Relationships were exploited vi. Wealth of landlord was from the peasants f. Children typically inherit the farms Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 15 Plantations a. Very large farm with lots of equipment b. Owned by one family or a corporation c. family/corporations own the land and equipment d. Most are owned by corporations e. People who work on the plantations are hired labour f. Only one crop is produced i. Sugar, coffee, tea, bananas g. Slavery was present h. Servere inequalities i. Work under horrible conditions i. Class based Industrial a. Farmers will cultivate crops, raise livestock b. Use expensive machinery c. Produce crops and livestock strictly for market sales Property relations a. Women make the income i. Teachers b. Keeps farm running Date: 09/26/2019 CONSUMPTION a. What is consumption? b. Types of consumption c. Consumption funds d. Consumption inequalities e. Consumption categories In one sense consumption refers to the use of something, what food you're eating, use of electricity. Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 16 In another sense, its ones use of resources to obtain what they consume, how much money rent is, how much money you spend on clothes. Subsistence a. Refers to someone who produces what they consume b. Are not isolated from cash economies c. Not totally dependent on the market economy to consume Minimal consumption a. Very few consumer demands b. Adequate and sustainable means of meeting those demands c. Example: foragers i. Mobile ii. Use the land for what they need iii. Never collect unnecessary stuff d. Sharing is prevalent Consumer/consumerism a. We are a very consumer based society b. Economies require us to spend money shopping c. inequalities Minimal consumption is more use rights while the consumers are more private property Not everybody uses money to consume There are times where people don't use money to consume a. Berry picking b. Moose hunting c. fishing Rather than money, anthropologists look at “funds” a. Funds doesn't have to mean cash b. Can mean saving extra things and using them the following year Tax fund Entitlement The work of economist Amartya Sen Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 17 Entitlement is what you have access to and what you consume a. Income can be your entitlement b. Student loans can be your entitlement Some entitlements are more secure than others Indirect entitlement allow you to indirectly access what you need to consume a. Cash is an indirect entitlement Famines Always enough food in the world to feed everyone Natural disasters don't cause famines Famines were occuring in pleases with normal means of production Famines are caused by the economic systems Global entitlement a. Most people get their food through indirect entitlement b. Export the bulk of it and import other foods c. Exchange one food for cash and purchase another with that cash d. Colonization e. Integration into the global economy f. Low income countries were self sufficient g. Farmers were encouraged/forced to grow coffee instead of products they can eat in their household h. Small scale farmers went from having direct entitlement of food to indirect entitlement of food i. Growing cotton, tea, coffee i. Farmers started growing one crop for cash and buying other foods with that cash j. Food can be used as a weapon (political) i. In Sudan, the civil war ii. Intentional for war iii. Tactic of war iv. Means of livelihood was destroyed k. Food aid (political) i. USA giving food to India because they suffered a drought and lost wheat production capabilities Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 18 ii. Traded wheat for titanium National a. Food banks b. Only certain groups of people will be affected c. Abundance of food where the famines hit hardest d. People who have no food also have no money Intra-household a. Households will break up i. One or two people will find food easier than 6 or 7 b. Nancy Sheppard-Hughs i. Research amongst shanty-town dwellers in Brazil ii. “Death Without Weeping” iii. People are very very poor iv. Have basic shelter on land they don't own v. There isn't enough food for everyone in the household vi. Death of infants is present 1. A woman will make her decision if her food will go to the infant or not 2. If not, the infant will stop getting fed so they die of hunger vii. Sheppard-Hughs does not blame the mothers viii. Brazil used to be the most unequal country in the world Consumption categories Class a. Important role in entitlement and equality b. Influences preferences in taste c. Bourdieu i. There are very strong class patterns of preferences d. What you consume reveals what class you are in/inspire to be in i. Evident in art, music, books, food, theatre ii. Ballet vs wrestling iii. Country music vs classical music iv. Hockey vs polo Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 19 Date: 10/01/2019 DISTRIBUTION & EXCHANGE a. Intro b. Reciprocity c. Distribution d. Market Exchange Gender a. Certain goods and services that men and women are allowed to consume i. What females wear etc ii. Non-binary roles and consumption iii. Women in sports 1. There is a FIFA for women Race a. Southern USA during slavery b. State laws were in place to create inequality between races c. Only whites could have property, wealth, food, education d. High prevalence of poverty with black people Age a. Influences choices and preferences in consumption b. Advertisements and products are made for different age groups c. Can shape entitlements i. Elderly people have little income ii. Rely on pensions iii. Not enough money to live on d. Gender is an issue i. Women may not have a large pension because they did not work as much as their male counterpart Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 20 Every society uses one type of distribution and exchange Reciprocity a. Friendship established through trade b. Acquiring spouses by trading c. Mutual transaction of objects without the use of money or other media of exchange d. There are three types i. Generalized ii. Balanced iii. Negative Generalized reciprocity a. Those who give goods dont expect the recipient to return in any time in the future b. Don't expect the exact same thing c. Occurs between individuals who have an emotional attachment to one another i. Spouses, parents and children, siblings, close friends d. Found in all societies i. Is the dominant in many societies Balanced reciprocity a. The return is expected in a certain amount of time i. Throwing a birthday party and receiving a present is supposed to be returned b. When A gives to B, B is in debt to A and owes them a favour in return c. The absence of bargaining Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 21 Negative reciprocity a. Both parties try to gain as much as they can with giving as less as possible i. Gambling, theft, used car salesmen G = generalized B = balanced N = negative Social distance Distribution a. Taxes b. How will the government will distribute our funds c. Is authority-based Tribute a. A political authority will retribute goods in smaller groups b. A material quest to show people still are under political leaders c. Inca state i. Inca means ruler ii. Peru Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])  lOMoARcPSD|31744672 22 iii. Small villages involved in farming, gave a portion of their labour rather than goods iv. Work so many days a week on Inca farms v. Products were kept in a big store used to feed the military, craft workers, times of need Market exchange a. Predominants in industrial societies b. Use money as a method c. 4 types i. Object used as exchange 1. Money ii. Prices iii. Alternative buyers and sellers iv. Private property Date: 10/03/2019 MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY a. Intro b. Ethnomedicine c. Interpretive approaches d. Critical medical anthropology e. Medical pluralism Test #1: does not include medical anthropology a. Multiple choice and true/false b. Understand the concepts c. Includes anthropologists names on test i. Malenoski (fieldwork) d. 35 multiple choice & 15 true/false Western vs non western medical systems (Ethnomedicine) Illness and healing (interpretive approaches) Political health (critical medical anthropology) Downloaded by Makayla Yvette Spence-Kelly ([email protected])