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These
discussion topics are designed to get you thinking about the readings on
anthropological theory and analyzing sociocultural systems in Scupin.
They also suggest ways to think about the videos for the week on
the Kayapo, which provide an example of a traditional band society in
transition.
I found the
video on the Kayapo especially interesting, since nearly 25 years ago in
1980, I went on a trip with a group to visit healers and shamans in
Ecuador, and one of the four groups we met with was the Kayapo, located on
the border near Brazil. (You can see photos I took of the Kayapo at
a website I put up for one of my books featuring shamans in other cultures
-- at
http://www.shamanismtoday.com/photoscayapapf.html . You
can see photos of other shamans if you click "Photos" at the Website).
At the time of this trip, the Kayapo (here spelled Cayapa) were just
starting to be changed by Western contact, including a former Chicago
businessman who had set up a local factory to turn out wooden birds he
designed. They were then sold in the city gift shops to tourists who thought they
were buying traditional Kayapo carvings. I even have three of
these on my mantelpiece at home.
At the time, I was
shocked by the introduction of Western ideas into what I thought was and
should be a pure and pristine tribal culture -- in retrospect a romantic
notion that some people, including anthropologists, have about these
traditional societies. As you'll read in the chapters this
week, this tendency to romanticize these cultures was contributed to by the work of the early
ethnographers who wrote about "their people" as if the cultures
they studied were
fixed in time. They also paid little attention to the inter-community
networks that already existed connecting one local village to another
(such as in the case of the Kayapo). What I also didn't realize back
then was the way the people we visited created a show for the visiting
Westerners, mostly from the U.S., and the way
the visits of our group and other tourists was changing these
people. Then, as you'll see in the film, the people's lives were
further changed by economic development, in this case by the government
wanting to build a dam through their territory.
Although we
can't cover all of the theories and concepts about social systems in these
discussions, be sure to become familiar with these different ideas.
I've selected those for discussion which seem especially relevant for the
modern world and current events today. Then post your thoughts on
the discussion board for this week -- and if you want to raise other
topics, post those in the "other" thread on the discussion board.
Discussion
Topics from Chapter 6 in Scupin
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In Chapter 6, the early 19th century evolutionists --
Tylor and Morgan -- proposed their theories of unilineal evolution,
based on the evolution from savagery to barbarism to civilization (Tylor)
or based on a evolution of the family from primitive hordes to
brother-sister marriage to group marriage to a matriarchal family to a
patrilineal system (Morgan). So what do you think was wrong with
these ideas and why? And is there anything useful to be gained
from these theories today? |
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The early diffusionists - Smith and Perry in England and
Schmidt in Germany -- offered different theories about the diffusion of ideas
and practices
from one society to another, whether from Egypt (Smith and Perry) or
from early centers of civilization (Schmidt). So what do you think
was wrong with these ideas and why? And is there anything useful
to be gained from these theories today? For example, what kind of
ideas might be diffused today and how? |
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The discussion of historical particularism,
advanced by Boas, includes the notion of cultural relativism and the
importance of participant-observation to gain empirical facts.
It also led to ideas about culture and personality theory, such as
reflected in the work of Benedict and Mead. What do you
think of this approach and how might you apply it today? Do you
have any
criticisms of this approach? |
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Some of the other theories discussed include: the
structural functional approach of Radcliffe-Brown, the psychological
functionalism of Malinowski, the ideas about cultural evolution and
technology associated with White, and cultural ecology associated with
Stewart. Still other theories mentioned are cultural materialism
associated with Harris, Marxist anthropology, symbolic anthropology,
sociobiology, feminist anthropology, and postmodern anthropology.
Are there any theories you feel a particular resonance with and why? For
example, which theories might you use if you were going to do a study of
a group -- whether in another society or in the U.S. -- and why? |
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In the postmodern approach, which characterizes much
modern research, there is an emphasis on being more subjective and
reflexive, which includes putting the anthropologist in the research.
Thus, the anthropologist may begin a book or article about the subject
of a research study by
explaining a great deal about the anthropologist and his or her own
biases and processes in conducting the research. Also, many modern studies involve anthropologists working on teams with
other anthropologists or individuals from other disciplines.
Often the subjects of the study are involved in conducting the research,
too. What do you think of these developments?
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Discussion
Topics from Chapter 7 in Scupin
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In Chapter 7, Scupin discusses the process of doing ethnographic
fieldwork, using key informants, interviews, and observation. He
also distinguishes between qualitative and quantitative data and the etic
and emic perspectives, although one correction should be noted here.
The etic perspective doesn't only involve quantitative data. It can
also involve an analysis and interpretation by an outsider, such as when
you apply an anthropological theory to interpret your
findings or the data collected by anyone else. A big emphasis
in anthropology is on using both the emic and etic points of view.
So what do you think of these basic techniques, and when do you think it
might be best to apply one method or another?
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When you study different cultures, one problem can be
"culture shock" going in to the new environment or going out to return to your own culture.
This experience of culture shock can also occur when people move from one country or community to
another. Have you or members of your family ever had this experience,
and if so, what happened and how did you or your family member get over
this?
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Some of the factors that contribute to different
sociocultural systems are the environment and subsistence methods,
though modern technology and the mass media have reduced many of these
differences. In what ways do you notice that ecological
factors, such as the biome and subsistence patterns, make a difference in
the patterns of different cultures?
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In the discussion of social structure, some of the factors
that affect the individual include ascribed or achieved status, role
expectations, social stratification, the family of orientation or
procreation, and gender. These factors can all influence your goals,
what you do in life, and how well you succeed. For example,
what have you noticed in your own life or in those of people you know?
How have differences in these factors for you and others contributed to
differences in your life?
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Discussion
Topics from the Videos: The Kayapo Out of the Forest (1989 & 1991)
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What did you think of the videos about the Kayapo?
The 1989 video focuses on their traditional lifestyle, while the 1991
video focuses
on their interaction with the developers and government trying to build a
dam in their area. What do you think about the differences?
What likely changes do you foresee when the dam is built?
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Do you consider these changes that have occurred or will
occur in Kayapo society progress, or do you think
that the developers and government should be leaving them alone?
You might consider these changes in light of the theories about the
evolution of societies discussed in Chapter 6 on anthropological theory.
Though anthropologists may not give much credence to such theories, the
value placed on progress to a higher level of society and the view that the civilized
world knows best seems implicit in the efforts to change and bring
modern developments in the world of the Kayapo.
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As you see the videos, think about how you might
apply the concepts from Chapter 7 on analyzing social systems.
For example, notice what biome different peoples live in and their subsistence pattern.
Think about such demographic factors as their age and life expectancy.
Look at economic factors, such as their production, exchange,
consumption, and division of labor. Notice elements of social
structure, such as the status and roles of different people in
society, the nature of the family, marriage, male-female roles, and how
age interacts with work roles and status. Consider political power
in terms of the way the political system is set up within the group, and how the
group's leaders interact with outsiders. Also, notice the role
that religion, such as the myths, rituals, and religious specialists in a
society,
plays in the life of the people. Lastly, think about how the cross-cultural
research perspective might apply, such as in comparing the way other
traditional groups have responded and have been changed, when they are
similarly confronted by developers and governmental representatives
seeking to develop and modernize their area.
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