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Cultural Anthropology   Term Paper ID:40946 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discusses cultural anthropology in terms of psychology and subsistence using Haviland's Cultural Anthropology as ...... More...

7 Pages / 1575 Words 1 sources, 14 Citations, APA Format $28.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Discusses cultural anthropology in terms of psychology and subsistence using Haviland's Cultural Anthropology as a basis. Paper Introduction: Understanding Culture in Terms of Anthropological Concepts Haviland identifies culture as representing a set of rules orstandards that when acted upon by the members of a society producesbehaviors within the range of variation that the group considers to beproper and acceptable Culture in and of itself therefore consists of abroad array of elements that combine to influence attitudes and behavior to structure relationships between and among individuals and groups and tovalidate or invalidate specific practices Culture in and of itself asdescribed by Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Even thebasic foods that different groups eat are determined in large measure bygeography. The video serves to illustrate several general themes inpsychological anthropology. It has also given rise to a field of study known aseconomic anthropology which Haviland (2 1) suggests has become moresignificant as anthropologists recognize that the economic system must bestudied in the context of the culture in which it exists. Certainly, this change was dramatic in itseffects, demanding the development of new skills and fostering the creationof new technologies. One of the key characteristics of contemporaryWestern or First World societies in this regard is that these societiesdepend on intensive agriculture. Culture in and of itself therefore consists of abroad array of elements that combine to influence attitudes and behavior,to structure relationships between and among individuals and groups, and tovalidate or invalidate specific practices. While it is common to think of the United Statesas a society that has moved well beyond any foraging necessities,subcultural groups such as the homeless may find that foraging remainsnecessary in order to survive. Indeed, commercial fishing, whaling, and seal hunting may threaten the survival of some species, so that environmentally oriented groups campaign vigorously to eliminate or control the killing of whales, seal, porpoises, and other creatures. Further, culture is a complex whole, including knowledge, belief,art, law, morals, customs, and other capabilities and habits that areaccepted as normative by members of a society, although perhaps to varyingdegrees. Understanding how these cultures validate attitudesand behaviors that are if not taboo, at least frowned upon in the UnitedStates is challenging at best. Some cultures and societies movedfairly rapidly from good gathering to food production whereas others havereversed this pattern. Haviland (2 1) says that the diagnosis ofthis man's illness, explanations about how it occurred, and treatment forthe illness are consistent with the values of Aymara culture. Haviland (2 1) points out that many societies made the transitionfrom food foraging to food producing out of necessity due to a shortage ofgame and plants for food. All cultures,regardless of their specific attributes, produce norms and standards ofbehavior against which individuals are assessed. (2 1). In Western culture, concepts of mental illnessare vastly different than they are in the culture of indigenous peopleslike the Aymara. What is appropriate for women in one society or culture may beinappropriate in another. Haviland(2 1), in the text and via the various videos, presents cultures that arequite different from that of the Western world in general and the UnitedStates in particular. Culture permeates all aspects of human life andshapes all human relationships. Haviland(2 1) suggests that nomadism began to disappear in concert with thetransition from food foraging to farming. Such issues may also be influenced by one's place in society asthe video segment depicting a homeless American living in an urban area ofthe Northeast suggests. If culture is the most important analytic tool used byanthropologists, it is also one of the most complex and challengingconstructs addressed within the field (Haviland, 2 1). Anthropology helps us to understand cultural relativismin which a phenomenon that is universal takes on unique meaning accordingto the culture in which it occurs. Culture, consequently, becomes the most important analytical toolused by anthropologists to study and understand disparate societies andtheir members (Haviland, 2 1). For the vast majority of people living in the world today, nomadismhas been abandoned in favor of a more sedentary way of life. When one examinespatterns of subsistence occurring in food-foraging cultures, understandingculture leads to an understanding of gender roles, the impact oftechnology, the effects of modernization, and other key issues. One of the greatest challenges foranthropologists is recognizing how their own culture creates or fostersbiases that impede their capacity to understand another culture. All aspects of a culturetend to be related and integrated, but most cultures as described byHaviland (2 1) allow substantial room for individual differences and thusthere is always a very real potential for change within a culture. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich. For example, in traditional patriarchal societiessuch as those of the Islamic world, women are generally regarded as bestsuited for responsibilities in the home and centered on the family. Additionally, as Haviland (2 1) has noted, cultures have thefunction of resolving human needs. Personality, which is addressed through the study of psychologicalanthropology as practiced by, among others, Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict;they explore enculturation, or how an individual acquires information aboutand then becomes a functioning member of his or her culture. These transitions are also associated with other culturalchanges, including those that impact on the division of labor, genderrelationships, social interaction patterns, distribution of wealth andresources, and land ownership practices. What aparticular social group can and cannot do in terms of providing support foritself via hunting and foraging or by fairly limited farming and herdingactivities is often influenced by the region in which one lives. Culture becomes important in howsuch behaviors are interpreted and dealt with. Human psychology is very much an artifact of culture (Haviland,2 1). This essay has examined issues related to the concept of culture.With respect to both human psychology and patterns of subsistence, Haviland(2 1) demonstrates that culture is a normative force whose influencecannot be overstated. Personalities develop inresponse to these norms and tend to either reflect adherence to culturalexpectations or deviation from those expectations. Cultural Anthropology. Even in North American society, there are segments of thepopulation that gather food from nature, but Haviland (2 1, p. Culture in and of itself asdescribed by Haviland (2 1) is multifaceted and encompasses both internaland external variables. While there are undoubtedly certain universalaspects of culture, most autonomous societies present their own specificattributes, which shape and inform their cultures. ReferenceHaviland, W.A. Haviland (2 1) makes it clear in the text that aspects of humanpsychology, such as personality and illness/health, are very much rooted inculture. Human psychology, therefore, is firmly positioned within the largercontext of culture itself. How a society constructs deviance is also related to culture.Virtually very aspect of social relations are linked to cultural norms andmores. The video describing the case of Alejandro Mamani of the AymaraIndians of the Bolivian Andes depicts the ways in which different culturesapproach deviance. Even among the relatively fewgroups remaining that are nomadic to some extent, limitations on thefreedom to move across large spaces and territories is bringing aboutsignificant changes in lifestyles and in cultures themselves. Subsistence patterns in such cultures as those of the African Kungand the Nepali Sherpas are identified in the videos as directly impactednot only by culture, but by environment, climate, and topography. How culturesstructure such economic activities as barter and trade, creation of acurrency, transportation and distribution of goods, and ownership of landand goods says a great deal about that culture and what it values(Haviland, 2 1). 62) states: these subsistence activities have been dramatically altered by increases in population resulting from a more settled way of life. They have moved beyond horticulture,which consists of relatively simple agricultural practices, to what isbetter understood as agribusiness, which not only permits providing for thenutritional needs of large populations but also provides for theaccumulation of substantial surpluses, the development of cities, and, asHaviland (2 1) notes, the emergence of more complex political and socialpatterns. Haviland(2 1) argues that with relatively few exceptions, formerly nomadicsocieties are becoming hemmed in by the forces of civilization andindustrialization and are forced to adopt more sedentary and "fixed"lifestyles. Cultural relativism, as described byHaviland (2 1), must also be avoided at all costs in order to fullycomprehend how human psychology and its constructs are structured in aparticular culture. Understanding Culture in Terms of Anthropological Concepts Haviland (2 1) identifies culture as representing a set of rules orstandards that, when acted upon by the members of a society, producesbehaviors within the range of variation that the group considers to beproper and acceptable. In this video, the protagonist presents as anindividual who has been possessed by spirits that are not from his ownculture and is therefore treated by means of a ritual that is unique to hisculture. Haviland (2 1) claims that cultures neither change at the same ratenor necessarily in the same direction. InWestern societies this is no longer largely the case; gender roleattributions are invariably an artifact of culture and are affirmed bytradition as well as customs. This function is accumulated andtransmitted to each generation through language. However, thesymptoms of the illness, depression and/or mania, are not unique to thisculture but are relatively universal. Haviland(2 1) asserts that while food foraging and pastoral societies still existtoday, these societies, such as the Nepali Sherpas, the Nuer, and theBasseri are relatively small and are being dramatically impacted byglobalization. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.