Cultural anthropology - Essay Example

Cultural anthropology Anthropologists’ deem that food acquisition methods have a significant role that enables them to draw an impressive array of people’s culture (Nanda & Warms, 2011). For instance, the early techniques used by uncivilized people compared to the current society, which regards them as “non-urbanized societies”. The people in earning their living adopted foraging tactics that comprised the two activities. Hunting, gathering techniques then and current depict a profound impact on the society’s health, labor specialization, and communal stratification. Comparing hunting and gathering enables us to assess the nutritional impacts evident in the foraging communities. The two techniques facilitate a society to attain similar quantities of proteins continuously, though gathering one utilizes less energy since it entails collecting edible foodstuffs from the field where the coverage may not be too wide (Wilson & Wilson, 2007). Conversely, hunting entails crossing terrains in search of animals meant for hunting, hence entailing high-energy utilization. However, both gathering and hunting provide the societies with a wide range of selection of proteins even in times of paucity, which maintains high protein outcomes to evade starvation (Park, 2007). Contrastingly, hunting and gathering result to labor specialization among the communities where each task’s allocation depends on the gender. For illustration, men assume hunting task since it encompasses much energy while the women undertake gathering. Nevertheless, some foraging communities have embraced egalitarianism where no certain gender assigned to a given task, hence resulting to a classless society that does not have social stratification. This emanates from the notion that the main objective is to shun extinction of human species via adaptive modus operandi (Wilson & Wilson, 2007). Finally, the societies’ proximity with nature yields to developing of much respect to nature emanating from the admiration of its wonders. This mystery prompts society into believing there is the presence of invisible power that aids them during hunting and gathering activities. They believe that any disobedience to this power yields to unsuccessful ventures in their activities. This inclines them adoration, thus religion among the foraging societies that are much rooted in nature (Park, 2007). 1. Hutterites’ organizational structure encompasses that of chiefdom. Since, their association is more intricate than a tribe or band but less complex than a state. Hutterites comprises of numerous colonies where a leader together with other key advisory associates make daily decisions. These verdicts entail how the people in the relevant colonies ought to conduct themselves, hence maintaining peace and unity, which is vital in their regions. The colony’s political makeup and demarcations encompasses: 1. Colony 2. Gemein – It is a religious unit comprising all baptized adults. 3. Colony’s executive board constituted of at least five to seven elders. 4. Council members - They are the architects of day-to-day verdicts in the colony for the populace. 5. Head preacher – He is the link to the external humanity besides being the colony’s economic executive. Hutterites’s socialization contrary to other surrounding people ensures that it prepares its people to be compliant, hardworking and reliable adults in the colonies (Wilson & Wilson, 2007). This makes the people productive, thus stabilizing their economy and making their organization more strong. Additionally, social control entails absolute adherence of the set rules and punishment for any defiance that may arise among the colonies. The unforgivable cases encompass murdering and deserting the colony, which yield to excommunication from the colony. 2. Search of reliable information regarding the origin and time of modern language has entailed anthropologists to devote themselves in diverse, intensive studies (Nanda & Warms, 2011). This yielded to diverse arguments that settled to selected evidences that seemed close to denoting the time and origin of modern language. However, due to the absence of strong support and evident informational loopholes, scholars have challenged the evidences with their factual knowledge. Anthropologists have utilized biological evidence to trace time and source of current language (Wilson & Wilson, 2007). The study utilized Paleo-anthropometry discipline whose argument was the issue of trachea alterations that entailed lowering of the epiglottis and larynx. Alterations also involved pharynx elongation besides soft palate variations. These transformations were to facilitate air passage through the trachea, which enabled the ancestors to control expulsion and aspiration of air as it passes via the trachea to produce sounds. Second evidence involved study of early man’s skull reproductions to establish whether he had the faculty to utilize vocal communication. In support of the current state of human language, the early man required to have large cranial capacity coupled with similar psychomotor (Nanda & Warms, 2011). This would support communication functions that are evident in the current modern brains. Additionally, to support of this evidence, the brains then had to be asymmetrical which is the main structural aspect associated with modern brains, besides its reliable sites that aid language to be efficient (Park, 2007). Cultural proof from archeological examinations reveals early humanity’s knowledge regarding modern human language (Nanda & Warms, 2011). This is via chronological linguistics, besides cultural anthropology whose evidence emanated from past archaeological excavations reports. Nevertheless, this needs proper dating to substantiate their time of origin despite their wanting validity. Since human utilized modern language far beyond the records’ date, hence the sources being unreliable. Some researchers recommend linguistics as substantiation, but this does not possess a strong support for numerous languages can merge and result to a new language. Hence, its validity lacks reliable facts. Researchers have emphasized utilizing both cultural and biological evidences to unveil the enigma of modern human languages (Nanda & Warms, 2011). This will entail meticulous study, which will entail incorporating the exact dates and relevant information that will make it reliable even for future reference. 3. Sociobiology entails the interrelations study amid behavior and human biology coupled with the application of the acquired acquaintance in resolving the existing issues. However, this interrelations study has faced fierce arguments especially amid the scholars. Since, despite agreeing that humans have biologically and culturally evolved, find it hard to accept if there is any link amid behavior and biology (Westneat, 2010). Nonetheless, utilization of sociobiology helps in appreciating the scientific implications of such a study. Psycho biologists argue that man’s behavior constitute responses to both internal and external stimuli, which emanates from the genetics. An individual conduct while in a social context normally depicts diverse expressions, for instance, love, hatred or resentment that emanates from the information coded in one’s DNA (Westneat, 2010). The major propositions of that suggestion conclude asserts on one argument that freewill is an illusion on whiles the other, impact of culture encounters restraining. Since, the intended actions that emanate from intellectual assessment are only spontaneous responses depicted externally. Anthropology’s perspective argues that biology the impact, is deeper and broad than culture especially on human conduct, which is in agreement with aforementioned study (Park, 2007). Further corollary argues that human conduct is a product of natural selection and adaptation (Bolhuis, Brown, Richardson & Laland, 2011). From then to date humanity has lived in diverse ecosystems that have constantly continued to change; hence its impacts influenced humanity who with time also experienced psychological development. This was to counter the impending diverse alterations. Sociobiologists also deduced simultaneous human conduct emanated from the Homo Sapiens who lived in Neolithic (Wilson & Wilson, 2007). Since, Homo Sapiens had an immense psychological development, which grew from their zeal to deal with diverse predicaments that threatened their survival. This continued to evolve until to the current state of humanity’s mind capacity. However, this argument lacks adequate reference that may prove the information valid due to the absence of date and available communication from the period. This information’s application is wide and varies with a chosen field, for instance, in medicine where the experts can use early mating patterns to make inhibitors that prevent paedophilia (Bolhuis, Brown, Richardson & Laland, 2011). In addition, both political and economic aspects can benefit from predisposition of altruism applied effectively by social scientists. References Bolhuis, J. J., Brown, G. R., Richardson, R. C., & Laland, K. N. (2011). Darwin in Mind: New Opportunities for Evolutionary Psychology. Plos Biology, 9(7), 1-8. Nanda, S., & Warms, R. L. (2011). Cultural anthropology. California: Wadsworth Cengage. Park, M. (2008). Introducing Anthropology: An Integrated Approach. United Kingdom: McGrawHill. Westneat, D. F. (2010). Evolutionary behavioral ecology. United Kingdom: Oxford University. Press. Wilson, D., & Wilson, E. (2007). Rethinking the theoretical foundation of sociobiology. The Quarterly Review Of Biology, 82(4), 327-348. Read More