Introduction to Anthropology: Major Social Issues - Essay Example

Final essay questions for Introduction to Anthropology Q issues confronting the world today and their effects on the field of anthropology Racism: it has been a big issue that has been persistent in one way or the other, negatively impacting the community. For instance, the blacks have been always discriminated in most of the international functions like games; they have constantly been referred to as monkeys. Anthropologists and socialists have tried to come up with ways that could show that we are all the same in the eyes of the Lord, stating the creation theory and related norms that tries to explain that mankind came from a single parent. Gays and lesbianism: this issue also is on the rise in the developing nations. Basing on many beliefs, for instance, the biblical belief, the practice is seen as against the norms of the societies. Anthropology has tried to enlighten people about such like practices ((Kottak 33). Child labor and abuse: this is another issue that is on the rise in the developing countries. Children are being overexploited in their life. Child abuse is deadly as it causes those exposed to such conditions being affected directly or indirectly. The role of anthropologists here is to try and come up with ways that could show those doing so that what they are doing is not right. Violence against women: in most states, women are taken as inferior creatures who have no power to talk against what they don’t want and that what is said by men is always right and every woman should follow it without obligations. In the changing world, women are becoming just like men, to have ideas of much help in the development of the world. This has called for the intervention of anthropology in trying to show the world that when given equal chances like men, they can be productive to the society in one way or the other. Alienation of Youths. The world is fast to recognize the presence of a great and powerful youth sub-cultures. This, with its own individual behavior and values, is particularly prominent in the cities (Kottak 45). Alcohol-related Violence and Crime: Law implementation officers estimate that 90% of the crimes reported are in some way related to alcohol. Suicide: there is a good confirmation to designate that suicide rate has been on the rising in recent years. In most cases, it was elicited by a fall out that the victim had with a spouse, a close relative, or parents over what seemed to be a trifling matter. It seem to be normally a response, both self-pitying and bellicose, to the danger that a close interactive relationship will be ended (Kottak, 60). In all these issues, anthropology has tried to play a role so as those that are not in line with straight living realize their mistake and change for the developement of the community and the world as a whole. Q. 2 differences between religion and magic Religion encompasses, first, a belief in extraordinary beings ruling the world. Second, an effort to win people’s favor. It obviously assumes that the way of nature is to some degree elastic, and that it can persuade the mighty beings who governor it to deflect the current actions from the conduit in which they would else flow. It meant that elasticity of nature is directly different from the values of magic, which adopt that the courses of nature are severe and invariable in their actions, and that they can be turned from their way by persuasion and appeal or by threats and fear. So far as religion adopts the world to be headed with conscious agents who may be spun from their purpose by coaxing, it stands in important antagonism to magic, which takes for granted that the way of nature is indomitable, not by the passions or notion of personal beings, but by the way of absolute laws acting reflexively (Kottak 91). It is true that magic usually deals with spirits, which are individual agents of the kind anticipated by religion; but whenever it does so in its appropriate way, it treats them precisely in the same style as it treats lifeless agents, that is, it constrains as an alternative of soothing or propitiating them as religion would do. Perception of anthropologists in the correlation between religion and magic Rendering to anthropologists, it is alleged that there is a comprehensive continuity amid magic and religion. In the past, for instance, there were many trials by anthropologists to come up with some basic distinctions between magic and religion. They tried to validate that magical thinking is a system of proto-science or pseudoscience other than a way of religious practice, and that by this thought, initial magical views developed over a post-hoc fallacy — a entreaty was made on the altar, and then it drizzled shortly afterwards. Irrespective of whether the entreaty was the real cause, it was accredited with the variation, and thus magical beliefs could develop (Kottak, 125). Q.3. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis The concept is that human languages define the structure of the actual world as perceived by human beings other than the reverse, and that this organization is different and incommensurable from one language to the other. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis can be categorized into two primary components: Linguistic Determinism and Linguistic Relativity. Linguistic determinism, points to the idea that what is said, has some effect only on how they are known by the mind. In an experiment of deaf children viewing a doll, and placed a toy in a box. The children then see the toy detached and positioned in a bag after the doll is taken. They are at times asked where they trust the doll will look for the toy upon returning. Tremendously, the deaf children with deaf parents answered correctly. The deaf kids with non-deaf parents answered incorrectly (Kottak 43). In this context, it is shown out that a given number of the South Pacific inhabitants studied didn’t have a word for "war" in their languages. Fascinatingly, these people did not play a part in wars. So, the postulate is that we must be able to reflect on some phenomenon before we can name. In a given part of New Guinea, residents live a hand-to-mouth survival as they always have done. Subsequently, they have no prosperity or reason to count things. Their linguistic has a word for one and the other word for two. But that is the degree of their counting system. Today, due to the contact with the external world, they have had to adjust their language. They use dogs to designate the number four (perhaps since a dog has four legs) (Kottak, 300). Effects of Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis to the society. Sapir Whorf hypothesis proposes that languages move culture. Certain words in a linguistic affects what kind of opinions people might not have. For instance, Russians do not have a word for confidentiality, and Russian culture is communal much additional to English speaking cultures. But emotionality are much more significant and including aspects of idioms and culture. Just go in an ethnic cafeteria and will see that Russians or Italians speak much more emotionally than Americans. Q. 4 anthropology Anthropology is the study of man, his past and his present. To comprehend the full sweep and intricacy of cultures through all of human history, anthropology appeals and builds upon understanding from the biological sciences and social as well as the humankinds and physical sciences. A central apprehension of anthropologists is the presentation of knowledge to the explanation of human problems. Traditionally, anthropologists in the United States have been skilled in one of four areas: linguistics, sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, and biological/physical anthropology. Anthropologists often incorporate the outlooks of several of these areas into their professional life, research, and teaching. (Kottak, 258). Application of anthropology Applied anthropologists use anthropological approaches and tools of exploration and data recovery as professional experts to solve real world harms and issues. Applied anthropology comprises applying the study of biology, human culture, language, and behavior. Anthropologists aid humans using observation, ethnography, and gathering research and data. These tools of practical anthropology aid people in understanding the “other,” an individual or group of people that are unalike than the observer, and provide contrasts, differences, and evolutionary facts to gain a holistic viewpoint on a different way of human life. The Society for Practical Anthropology has stated that practical anthropology is the scientific examination of the principles regulating the relations of human beings to each other, and the inspiration of the wide application of such principles to actual problems (Kottak, 277). Practical anthropology takes the four subfields of anthropology: linguistics, biology or physical ethnology (cultural), archeology, and finds ways to relate these subfields to societal issues in order to come up with possible solutions. Practical anthropologists are involved in regimes, political, corporate organizations, social, and economic fields, including world business, generating law enforcement, public policy, medicine, and the communication field. These categories of anthropologists give anthropological perspective to areas not formerly considered applicable to anthropology. Traditional anthropology emphases on tribal studies and vanished or dying peoples and cultures all through history. The abilities and data recovered through in-depth human studies by the use of anthropologic study, which allows the developing world to understand what the affects might be, have been and presently are from continuous advancement and enhanced technology (Kottak, 342). Q. 5 Kinship, descent, and gender Kinship in anthropology means the mesh of social associations that form a vital part of the lives of most individuals in the societies. Largely, kinship patterns may be deliberated to include people connected by both descent (ones social families during development), and by matrimonial. Human kinship associations through matrimonial are commonly called "affinity" in comparison to the associations that arise in ones group of origin, which may be termed ones "descent group". In particular cultures, kinship association may be considered to encompass out to people an individual has economic or political association with, or other types of social connections. Within a culture, some lineage groups may be taken to lead back to gods, or animal ancestors. This may be considered on a more or less literal foundation (Kottak, 234). Gender is the variety of behavioral, physical, mental, and biological traits pertaining to, and distinguishing between, masculinity and ferminity. Descent is the act or process of patenting by generation from an ancestral stock. Most cultures limit people’s range through whom to trace descent by the use of unilineal descent ideology. This principle traces descent solely through one line of male, female, or ancestors. In anthropology, both males and females belong to a single unilineal family. However, descent links are solely realized through relatives of a single gender. Unilineal descent are in two forms, which include the matrilineal and patrilineal. With the Patrilineal descent, both genders fall under their father’s kinship as opposed to the mother’s. Nevertheless, only males can pass the identity of their family to their children, while a woman’s children belong to the patrilineal line of her husband. On the other hand, matrilineal descent is that form of unilineal that follows a female line. Here, individuals are relatives only if they can trace their descents via females to the same female ancestor. Even though both genders (male and female) belong to the matrilineal descent of their mother, only girls can pass on the family line to future offspring (Kottak 104). Work Cited Kottak, Conrad Phillip. Mirror for humanity: A concise introduction to cultural anthropology. McGraw-Hill, 1999. Read More