Anthro 120, Steven Rousso-Schindler Final

illness

the innately human experience of symptoms & suffering

disease

an alteration in biological structure or functioning

sickness

a disorder in its generic sense across a population concerning macrosocial forces

Goffman's 3 types of stigma

1) body which can be described as physical

2) character which is described as internal or personal

3) tribal stigma which could be considered social or even cultural

Film: Fight Club

themes

1. Consumerism replacing male sexuality

a. After catalog scene, jack has ikea catalog and he turns in sideways by referncing playboy masturbation and mentally masturbates to ikea

2. Advertising teaching men how to be masculine

a. The bus has a calvin klein ads that teaches men to look like ad, consumeris shows men what men bodies are supposed to look like

3. Where capitalism and loss of masculinity converge

4. Castration - the loss of masculinity

a. Penis and balls are a big deal

Film: Fight Club

How does the movie propose that men deal with their loss of masculinity?

1. Inhabiting 'feminine' spaces

a. Giving up and just going into perfect space of femininity

b. Were gointo scene where support group is into circle and men talks about how he wanted kids and wasnt able to have some (talking about masculine strip phsyically)

i. Talking aobout emotion

ii. Physically supporting each other

2. Getting back to 'traditional' practices of masculinity

a. He had this weird formal men thing at the house with structure and military like structure

3. Practicing hypermasculinity

4. Destroying capitalism/consumerism

a. All of the buildings were gone

b. He blew up his own apartment

Film: Rain Man vs Temple Grandin

RM: An exaggeration & sort of generalized Raymond's behaviors to all autistic people.

TG: Is a much more realistic depiction of autism

Both of these films show how the social experiences of people with different diagnoses are such an important part of their lives and the lives of their families (and friends)

Film: Turning Muslim in Texas

How does the music, narration & characters influence the way you think about Muslims & Texans?

Country western music plays; used to remind the audience that they are still Texans

Random Texans are asked if it's possible for Texans to be Muslim & they respond that they are unsure; makes them look ignorant

Mother of Muslim convert compares discovering her son as Muslim to being gay & would be devastated by both; ignorant Texan

"Bible-bashing conservative Christians" tone sounds condescending towards Christians

Film: Mardi Gras: Made in China

What is life like for Chinese factory workers? Do they like their jobs?

Very minimal living standards

They dont make much

Despite their problems, do factory workers like their jobs?

Yes, it helps them and they dont know/have better

What are Chinese factory workers’ attitudes about Americans at Mardi Gras?

They think its crazy and embarrassing for their part

To them, the beads are worthless

What are attitudes of Americans at Mardi Gras about Chinese factory workers?

They dont really recognize where many of the items come from

They rather not know (ignorance is bliss)

Or they convince themselves its okay

Some people care but dont even know or want to know how to fix this issue

What role does capitalism play in the story of globalization?

- Bead Distributor: “if I don’t do that someone else is going to do it – regardless of how much profit we make – and everyone is here to make profit.”

Film: Michael Wesch YouTube videos

As the internet and media changes, the human relationships built because of these things in turn also change.

Are people using YouTube to be part of a community?

Yes, but whether a part of YouTube can truly be called a community depends. There would need to be more research done on those parts.

Chapter 1: Medical Anthropology: Disease, Illness, and Syndemics

Anthropologists look at disease through the study of syndemics, resulting when multiple diseases & social, economic, political, & environmental factors occur together, exploring how other aspects of people's lives lead to the development & perpetuation of illness. The syndemics model focuses on understanding these connections & finding ways to attack the contextual conditions that help cause diseases.

Chapter 3: Culturally Specific Diseases: The Case of Lia Lee

Lia Lee had seizures on Doctor's said it was epilepsy but parent's thought it was something spiritual. She was terminal but lived for 24 years

Stories like Lia's are required readings in many medical & social work programs

greater sensitivity regarding issues of language & culture in healthcare

doctors must understand that treatment is not something they can dictate but something that must be created through collaboration between patients & health care providers

Chapter 11: The Hijras

The hijra of India is a gender role that is neither masculine nor feminine where they are born as men, but dress & live as women

Chapter 11: Female Factory Workers in China

Pun Ngai spent 8 months working at an electronics factory in Shenzhen to study how dagongmei, "working girls," respond to the pressure of China's increasing participation in the global economy

Chapter 11: Women's Rights in Global Perspective

In 2017, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, & Security published a report on global inclusion, justice, & security for women

The ranking's first criterion was inclusion, based on measurements of education, employment, cell phone use, economy, & political engagement.

The second criterion was justice, which included discrimination as measured by (1) the percentage of men who agreed with: "It is perfectly acceptable for any woman in your family to have a paid job outside the home if she wants one," (2) the number of boys born in the country exceeding the number of girls, & (3) the extent of legal restrictions on women that did not apply to men

The third criterion was security, including the presence of armed conflict, how many women said they felt safe walking alone at night, & the level of domestic violence.

Chapter 12: Religion and Fertility

in many African nations, women have an average of 6-7 children each while in wealthier countries like Italy, the rate is 1-2 children per woman

people in many societies don't think about numbers & have few notions about their family size, children's average per woman, or how many children they desire.

first step to limiting population growth is to teach people to count their children & understand that they can decide on the number of children they want.

Chapter 12: The Rastafari: Religion and Resistance to Domination

Two important Rastafarian symbols are marijuana (ganja) & the use of a special vocabulary. Ganja use has been common on Jamaican agricultural estates since the 20th century & is part of Jamaican working-class life. Although illegal at first, the upper classes approved it as a stimulant & an incentive to work. But to Rastafari, ganja became a tool of illumination to be used at "reasoning sessions," where they gather to interpret biblical passages & share beliefs about freedom, slavery, colonialism, & racism. They believe ganja allows them to see through the evils of the bourgeois world, understand the roots of their oppression, & verify the authenticity of the Rasta lifestyle

Chapter 12: The Globalization of Religion in the U.S.

Americans have been becoming less religious & less likely to identify with any particular religion

U.S. religious diversity is increasing. There have been more Muslim, Hindu, & Buddhist communities in the U.S. since the 19th century

One result of the growth of other religions has been an explosion in the construction of places of worship, such as Buddhist & Hindu temples, mosques, & Islamic learning centers in most large U.S. cities. Although these religious centers celebrate their traditions, in many cases they have become Americanized, offering classes & youth programs, programs similar to those offered by churches & synagogues

As religions expand, they often meet with hostility

Chapter 13: Museums and Culture 1: Who Gets To say?

Museum exhibits are a major point of contact between members of different cultures. Museums originated as private collections, national treasure houses, & scientific institutions that sought to preserve disappearing cultures. The earliest museum may have been created more than 2,500 years ago in the Babylonian city of Ur.

Visitors marveled at the beauty, oddity, or craftsmanship of objects that have relation to a culture (European paintings, African masks, or Chinese silk screens) but neither collectors nor viewers knew much of the cultural context of their creation or use

Chapter 13: The Arts, Tourism and Identity in Tana Toraja, Indonesia

tourism could affect cultures positively and negatively, it could make people more conscience about their own culture

artistic expression is particularly important in relation to cultural identity

there are buying and selling of cultures, what does this mean? and how does it affect the identities fro those selling and those buying?

Chapter 13: World Music

Despite the close connection between artistic works & the cultural themes of specific societies, one of the fastest-growing global phenomena is the emergence of world music which incorporates different musical styles from cultures throughout the world

sometimes music can change over years are have different meanings to other people even if song is from a culture and both people are in same culture

Medical Anthropology

seeks to better understand those factors that influence health and well-being. It is concerned with the experience of being sick as well as its distribution, prevention, and treatment

5 criteria for a diagnosis of autism

1. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts

2. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities

3. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period

4. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning

5. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability

Stigma

Refers to an attribute in a person that is deeply discrediting. As a result of this attribute, this person is reduced in our minds from a whole and usual person to a tainted, discounted one (Goffman 1986:3)

Three different types of stigma

1. "Abominations of the body"

The various physical and mental disorders

2. "Blemishes of individual character"

examples: imprisonment, addiction, unemployment, or suicidal attempts

People have stigmatization on those who came back from prison and shut that person out

3."Stigma of race, nation, and religion"

Sex

biological differences between males and females

Gender

cultural and social classifications of masculine and feminine

Intersex

an umbrella term used for a variety of situations in which a person is born with reproductive/sexual anatomy that doesnt fit the boxes of female or male

FEMININE SPACE

traditionally and known for being in the home (specifically the kitchen)

Jack was spending his time in feminine space

Man working in a corporate space = not masculine space

Men usually have hands on jobs (construction, engineering, military)

Four important themes in this film related to masculinity

1. Consumerism replacing male sexuality

a. After catalog scene, jack has ikea catalog and he turns in sideways by referncing playboy masturbation and mentally masturbates to ikea

2. Advertising teaching men how to be masculine

a. The bus has a calvin klein ads that teaches men to look like ad, consumeris shows men what men bodies are supposed to look like

3. Where capitalism and loss of masculinity converge

4. Castration - the loss of masculinity

a. Penis and balls are a big deal

4 potential purposes of religion

Provide meaning and order in people's lives

Reduce social anxiety and give people a sense of control over their destinies

Have control like praying or have faith in future

May promote and reinforce the status quo

We do it because of our fmailes or where we grew up

It also may be an important force resisting the status quo and it may catalyze radical politics

Sosmology

set of principles or beliefs about the nature of life and death, the creation of the universe, the origins of society, the relationship of individuals and groups to one another, and the relation of humankind to nature

Characteristics of Religion

Stories, Sacred Narratives, sometimes called myths

Stories are there to tech us about life lessons,

Symbols and symbolism

The cross is the most important symbol in the world

Supernatural beings, powers, states and qualities

God/Gods

The being that created the universe and has some control over it

Monotheism vs. Polytheism

Monotheism vs. Polytheism

Monotheism - believe in one God

Plytheism- believe in more than one God

Anthropomorphic vs. Zoomorphic vs. Naturalistic

Anthropomorphic- takes on the form of a person

Zoomorphic- taking on the form of an animal

Naturalistic- associated with the features of the natural environment

2 Different Kinds of Religious Practitioners

Shaman

A person that has direct experience of the supernatural that other members of the community accept as authentic

They use prayer, meditation. Song, dance, drugs, or any comvinstjon of those to reach a trance state so they can enter into the supernatural world where they can talk to spirits that can define the future

Priests

a person who is formally elected, appointed, or hired to a full time religious office. Priests are responsible for performing rituals for individuals groups of people or an entire community

The Five Pillars of Islam

Shahadah - sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith

Salat - performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day

Zakat - paying charity to benefit the poor and the needy

Sawm - fasting during the month of Ramadan

Hajj - pilgrimage to Mecca

Art vs Crafts

Art- Forms of creative expressions that are guided by principles and involved imagination, skill, and style

Crafts- The application of aesthetic principles to the production of usable objects and activities

Digital Ethnography

Digital ethnography: can anthropology (the study of human culture) be done on different digital platforms?

Ethnocentrism

- One's own culture is superior to another.

- Judging other cultures from the perspective of one's own culture.

Cultural Relativism

- The concept that cultures being analyzed should not be evaluated according to the values of the evaluator

- Should be analyzed in reference to their own histories and values rather than values from another culture

Ethnography

Includes fieldwork among people in a society as well as written results of fieldwork.

Participant Observation

- Gathering information about human cultures by living among persons of the culture.

- Observing social interactions and participating as much as possible on a daily basis.

Culture

the learned behaviors & symbols that allow people to live in groups; primary means by which humans adapt to their environments; the way of life characteristics of a particular human society

Ethnicity

- The perceived differences that include one or more patterns such as culture, religion, language, national origin, and historical experience.

- Used to distinguish groups of people from others in the same social environment

Race

- Recent human invention

- About culture, not biology

- Race and racism are heavily intertwined in U.S. culture. More specifically, involved in social institutions and daily interactions.

- "Racism is not about how you look, it is about how people assign meaning to how you look."- RACE project of the American Anthropological Association

Nation-States

- Governments/Territories identified with culturally similar populations and national histories

- Members consider their nation their identity which is based on language, culture, history, and territory.

- Modern nation-states are now comprised of many ethnic groups.

Gender & Sexuality

- Sex- biological differences between males and females

- Gender- cultural and social classification of masculine and feminine

Cultural Construction of Gender: different cultures construct gender differently. Masculine and feminine traits are not necessarily the same across all cultures.

Emphasizes different ways cultures think about, distinguish, and symbolize gender.

- Gender Roles are cultural expectations of men and women in a particular society.

The 5 Main Eras Since Mao Took Power

1949

1949 - the “Mao era” begins. Mao developed “The People’s Liberation Army” & took control of China in 1949 after a civil war. He was a communist in the tradition of the Soviet Union, which meant having people work the land - to create strength & self-dependency.

The 5 Main Eras Since Mao Took Power

1950

1950 - Korean War. The UN & the US get involved in a conflict between North Korea & South Korea. Communism vs. the West. Mao gets involved in his first international conflict & China sends many troops & over 132,000 of them die.

The 5 Main Eras Since Mao Took Power

1958

1958 - “Great Leap Forward.” This policy was aimed at rapidly raising industrial & agricultural production. Its main technique was collectivization - the opposite of privatization. That is the movement of goods & services from individual ownership to centralized governments. There was a famine in which tons of millions of people died.

The 5 Main Eras Since Mao Took Power

1966

1966 - “Cultural Revolution.” The cultural revolution was in reaction to Mao’s perception that there was a bourgeois element in the Communist Party that wanted to restore capitalism. He insisted that these elements be removed through post-revolutionary class struggle by mobilizing the Chinese youth.

The 5 Main Eras Since Mao Took Power

1976-1989

1976-1989 - Mao's death & Era of Reconstruction under Deng. Mao died & Deng took over China. Deng stressed the importance of four modernization strategies - modernizing agriculture, industry, technology, & defense.

The 5 Main Eras Since Mao Took Power

1989

1989 - Tiananmen Square Protest. Set off by the death of (Communist leader) Hu Yaobang - a symbol of democratic reform - in April 1989, the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. There was a series of demonstrations led mainly by students & intellectuals because of a growing sentiment for political & economic reform.