Post 14: Globalized Communities

The China Youth Development Fund is a non-profit social organization that was funded in 1989. They are partners with the International Youth Foundation, Motorola, Coca-Cola and the New Path Foundation. Motorola and Coca-Cola both fund Project Hope, which is a project started by the CYDF. The projects goal is to increase Chinese youth's access to eduction. Chinese youth in rural areas of China are unable to get an education because of their financial situation. According to the organization's brochure, they have provided 2.47 million children access to education. They have also built schools, trained teachers and donated school supplies and books to schools and libraries.
This organization seeks support for Project Hope. The money is used for children's education (one year, or many), training teachers, buying supplies and building schools. The organization is devoted to educational development. Many organizations may provide a school and books but no teachers or leaders to keep development going; but the CYDF focuses on sustainable development. They focus solely of Chinese youth. Companies like Coca-Cola and Motorola, who have factories in China, have donated millions of dollars to the CYDF. I wonder if these donations are truly altruistic behaviour. Could it be that these companies are donating money so that in the future they can have workers with some education like reading and writing?

Link to the CYDF website.
Pictures here.

Post 13: Review of art

I chose the 'Medicine Man Gallery' from the list on DMOZ. This gallery focuses on Native American Indian baskets, trays and ollas. The gallery shows baskets from different cultures such as the Pima and the Hopi. Baskets are one of the most valued forms of Native art according to this website. As the different groups, such as the Apache, become less nomadic, the need for baskets and ollas decreased. The decrease in production makes the Apache ollas very rare, a very well made Apache ollas can sell for over $100,000 today. Collectors look for pieces that "have great symmetry, size, and feature polychrome and multi figures". Pieces are represented as authentic or traditional by the materials they are made out of the patternization and area they originate from. My impression is that the cultural expression is more important to the collector, than the individuals creative expression. Only more recently has the individual artist been important. Basket weaving originally began out of practicality. The women made baskets to collect food an water. From this tradition, the art of basket weaving arose. Therefore, the objects in this Medicine Man collection are both art and ethnographic objects.
My overall impression of the objects is that they are very intricate, and take a lot of skill to create.The intended audience of the gallery seems to be collectors and people who are uneducated about basket weaving. The website offers free evaluations of peoples baskets. The art fits all of the categories of indigenous art, fine art, tourist art, folk art, handicrafts and fine arts depending on how well its made, when it was made and who made it. For example, baskets could be seen as tourist art when they are sold at airports in Arizona.
Here is a video with some more info about basket weaving.
The picture is of a native american indian basket, Ca. 1800 found here.

Post 12: Communication

Being someone who is hopelessly unilingual, this subject intrigues me. Communication is the conveying of a meaningful message from one person to the other, in any form. This topic focuses on non-alpabetic systems of writing that can be read- for example, hieroglyphics from Egypt (see photo). Other types of communication that do not use and alphabet are: logographic (uses signs to represent a morpheme- Ex. Chinese), logophonetic (signs denoting syllables-Ex. Japanese) and syllabic (many signs each having a phonetic value-Ex. Cree).Common features of these language system is that each symbol represents some sound instead of a letter. A difference is that the type of sound mean by each symbol is different, some denote a syllable while others denote a phoneme.Writing was invented independently in at least three places, Mesopotamia, China, and Mesoamerica. While evolutionists like Tylor may think that a non-alphabetic language is inferior to an alphabetic language, modern anthropologists know that having a writing system "is not a marker of civilization". An interesting point made by the author of this website is that even english is somewhat logographic because we do not read a word by looking at each letter individually. We read by seeing the word as a whole like a picture.
Another interesting point he makes is that we may not be able to fully understand the full meaning of language of ancient times. Although Shakespeare's time was not that long ago his poems don't rhyme the way we think rhymes work. But in that time period they rhymed perfectly. So we might think we understand ancient language, but understanding ancient language fully may be impossible.

Picture found here.

Post 11: Religion

MbaKuhwa is a Tiv women in her thirties who died after only a few weeks of being sick. MbaKuhwa is not a witch. The Tiv determine this by doing a post-mortem examination. During the exam they will examine the heart and look for 'tsav' which in english translation approximately means “witchcraft potential”. MbaKuhwa did not have tsav therefore she was not deemed a witch. The etic view of this scenario would be that MbaKuhwa died of a disease such as an infection. Since her death was not caused by witchcraft the family must determine who's fault it is that MbaKuhwa died. This is a ritual in which family members throw blame back and fourth. The ritual of throwing blame back and forth does not cause one person to be punished for this death, it is more of a symbolic process.
What I found interesting from this article is how the anthropologist interacts with the Tiv people. The author asks one of the Tiv people if he can watch the post mortem examination. The Tiv person then asks him if his culture does a post mortem exam, the author replies that they do, so the Tiv allow him to watch. It seems the Tiv were very welcoming of the author.
You can read more about the funeral here.

Post 10: Feminist Anthropology

In order to be as subjective as possible when doing anthropological research is is important to 'defamiliarize' yourself from the cultural norms you have grown accustom to. Since it is impossible to wipe our memories clean, like we do a computer, George Marcus and Michael Fischer have identified two techniques that allow a more subjective 'cultural critique': defamiliarization by epistemological critique and defamiliarization by cross-cultural juxtaposition.
Saba Gul Khattak, writes about the Afghan women living in refugee camps in Pakistan in an article titled, "Living on the Edges: Afghan Women and Refugee Camp Management in Pakistan". She is using the defamiliarization by cross-cultural juxtaposition technique, focusing on women's role in the refugee camps and how they are given less privileges than the men. She writes, "a high incidence of violence against women was tolerated both within and outside the camps, as were public acts of vigilantism, if women were seen to transgress norms set by the men in the camps." This statement shows that she is comparing her norms (etic view) on violence against women and gender roles, to the norms of the women she is studying. The author calls for more freedom for the women living in refugee camps so that they are not abused or need to turn to working as sex trade workers to support themselves. Women were not allowed to leave the camps which greatly inhibiting their ability to support themselves. The author also argues that their should be more health care and counselling for the women who are traumatized.
Quynh-Giao N. Vu writes from a completely different perspective, being a refugee herself. She experienced living as a refugee and adapted that as her norm therefore she used defamiliarization by epistemological critique when she later moves to the US and can compare the two experiences. The author is calling for more attention to refugees.
These two articles were very different. Quynh-Giao N. Vu writes from personal experience, where as Saba Gul Khattak writes as an outsider.

You can read these articles in the spring 2007 issue here.

Post 9: Social Groups and Social Stratification

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo is a social group consisting of Argentinian women who's children disappeared during the 'Dirty War' from 1976-1983. The Dirty War was a war between the state of Argentina and left-winged militia who included students, journalists and revolutionaries. The association formed when mothers met each other while trying to search for their missing children. The Argentinian government admits that about 9,000 people are still missing, but the Mothers Association have calculated it to be over 30,000. Outrageously, many of the founders of the Mother's Association have also disappeared and DNA tests have confirmed their deaths. The mothers meet every thursday at the Plaza de Mayo, wearing white cloth on their heads with their children's names embroidered on them.
The Mother's have not given up on their children's memory. They have founded a university and cultural centre in honour of their children. They have also been able to raise money to provide other children education and are spokes women for human rights in Argentina.
I think what provides this group solidarity is the weekly gathering to remember their children, this makes them a primary group. Also, they have been able to rise from the tragedy and do good for others.
You can learn more about this association with the book "Revolutionizing Motherhood:The mothers of the Plaza de Mayo".

Picture here.

Post 8: Perspectives on Polygamy

I personally do not think that polygamy should be legal in Canada. Seeing as how polygamy is a cultural norm for some people, I find it hard to criticize those who want to live that lifestyle. My biggest issue with polygamy is that it suppresses women. In most polygamist societies the wife's (wives' in this case) role is to fulfil her husbands wishes, and have and raise children. I'm certainly not alone in my feelings considering that "only 20% of 2,093 Canadians surveyed were “willing to accept polygamy”(link).
As we learned in class, kinship is a topic which was of major interest to cultural anthropologists in the past. We can tell a lot about a culture from their kinship systems. For example, in a polygyny (many wives) marriage we can assume that the male has more power than females, and this assumption is generally true. Also, following the kinship diagrams of polygamist families and what they consider incest would be very interesting for anthropologists.
My fear with polygamy, which is naive since I have no experience with polygamy, is that the females in the relationship have no voice. An example is the Elizabeth Smart case. Elizabeth a 14 year old girl was abducted by a polygamist. She was raped and threatened that if she tried to escape or contact her family he would kill her and her family. I know this is a very extreme case, but I worry that females in those relationships live in fear of their husbands and therefore can't make their own decisions.
Polyandry is when one female has many husbands. This is extremely rare, and certainly not an issue in Canada.
Here you can see a time line of polygamy.

Photo found here.

Post 7: Non-Western Medicine

Alternative and complementary medicines are things such as Biofeedback, yoga, acupuncture, massage, naturopathy and meditation (certainly not an exhaustive list). The use of these medicines is becoming more and more popular in North America as a result of globalization and also because of increased rates of disease and illness. People often seek out these alternatives because these types of 'natural medicines' usually have little health risks, certainly less than most western medicines. Complementary medicines are often used in conjunction with western medicine to improve health. For example, patients undergoing chemotherapy (a western medicine) will often practise deep breathing exercises and meditation.
Many of these alternative and complementary medicines have been used for thousands of years. I attended a Mini-Med Program at the University of Manitoba, where one night we focused of naturopathy, which is a type of alternative medicine. The medicines used in naturopathy have proven affective and many are used in what we would consider Western pharmaceuticals. For example, the hormones in birth control pills were synthesized from a chemical in yams. Poppies are another medicine than have been used for thousands of years to treat pain, the active ingredient we use in morphine.
As you can see in the figure native peoples most heavily rely on alternative medicine. The aboriginal people use many of the same medicines today as they did thousands of years ago and is practised by a 'Medicine Man' (pg. 183 of the textbook). Almost 40% of Asians in the USA use alternative and complementary medicine, not suprisingly as much of alternative medicines roots stem from Asia. Asian alternative medicine focuses of humoral healing systems (for example: acupunture) and ethnobotany.
I think alternative medicines can be extremely helpful for many people. They have little risk and often make people feel better. Many really work, others may just have a placebo effect, but if they help people I'm all for them!

Pictures from here.

Post 6: Gender and Identity

According to the WHO, the four types of female genital mutilation are: clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation and the other category consisting of painful procedures such as scraping, piercing, cauterizing and cutting. Clitoridectomy is a procedure which removes part of, or the entire clitoris. Excision is the removal of the clitoris and labia minora (sometimes also the labia majora). The most extreme form of FGM is infibulation, it is a procedure in which the vaginal opening is closed or narrowed by cutting and repositioning tissues.
There are ZERO health benefits of these procedures, but many risks. Some of the most concerning risks are infection, bleeding, fertility issues and birth defects. The mutilation occurs most frequently from the time of birth to 15. Although we are most aware of this occuring in Africa, it also happens in Asia, the middle east and in some communities in Europe and North America. The WHO states that "In Africa, about 92 million girls age 10 years and above are estimated to have undergone FGM". FGM is considered in some groups to be a coming of age practice. Most commonly, it's goal is to stop women from feeling any type of sexual pleasure and keep them pure until marriage. Sexual intercourse after FGM is extremely painful. If a women has undergone infibulation, her new husband will often stab her vagina to reopen it so that he can have sex with her on their wedding night (I know thats a pretty graphic description but it's the sad truth). The WHO issued a joint statement with UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund against the practice of FGM in 1997, the same year that Canada enacted anti-FGM laws.

Here is a list of the African nations which have also passed anti-FGM laws (link):

Benin (2003)
Burkina Faso (1996)
Central African Republic (1966)
Chad (2003)
Côte d'Ivoire (1998)
Djibouti (1994)
Egypt (2008)
Eritrea (2007)
Ethiopia (2004)
Ghana (1994)
Guinea (1965, 2000)
Kenya (2001)
Mauritania (2005)
Niger (2003)
Senegal (1999)
South Africa (2005)
Tanzania (1998)
Togo (1998)
Nigeria (multiple states, 1999-2002)

The picture was taken from here.

Post 5: World Population and Fertility

Women have always been cautious about pregnancy and child birth because of the health risk to the mother. There are endless things that can go wrong during the reproductive process. You could have ectopic pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, bleeding, child in a breech position, nuchal cord... the list goes on and on. Now all of these issues can be taken care of by professional health care workers. But before hospitals and obstetricians women had to figure it out for themselves and their families. Having children was not only a health risk but also an economic decision.
Women controlled fertility in many ways throughout history. Funny enough, the men of ancient greece only write about how they have nothing to do with it... seems familiar. In Europe, some cultures wouldn't marry until they passed the ages of fertility. Other cultures, like the Crete, practised homosexuality to control fertility.
Abortion was also a popular choice in the ancient world because they did not see the fetus as a human, instead they saw it as "having the potential to become human" and considered it part of the mother until birth.
The Christian Church has changed their minds quite a bit about fertility throughout history. First teaching men how to avoid the evil of women. Apparently women were ready to pounce and take advantage of men at any chance they got. Then the church became ambivalent about women, and then they decided women shouldn't have any say in the matter of reproduction. Men even tried casting spells on their women to make them more fertile and have children.
An interesting point from more recent history is that "Feminists particularly worry that the new medical technologies are shifting the attention of doctors from the mother to the fetus as patient." This shift occured because people began to think of the fetus as a human not part of the mother.
Of course abstinence has the greatest effect on fertility. The most popular mode through out history of fertility control seems to be abortion. Although abortion rates vary depending on the cultural view of whether or not the unborn child is human or not when still in the womb.

Picture can be found here.

Post 4: Changing Patterns of Consumption

Kuru is a disease that has affected the Fore people of Papua, New Guinea. This disease is caused by a prion, which is a virus made entirely of protein (most are made of DNA or RNA). The prion affects the neurological system. It is thought that the prion activates other proteins naturally occurring in our cells and causes a mutation which leads to changes in the function of that protein. Prion diseases are often referred to a spongiform encephalitis because it makes the brain sponge like. The disease is passed through ingestion of infected neurological tissue. The Fore people in Papua, New Guinea practice cannibalism which is how they contract the prion.
This disease has the same mode of transmission and action in the neurological tissues as Mad Cow Disease (bovine spongiform encephalitis). Cattle catch the disease because the carcasses of dead cows used to be added to feed to add more protein. Only about a decade ago there was a major outbreak in cattle from Europe. America now bans the import of cattle from Europe because eating beef infected with the prion causes the disease in humans.
Anthropological research was critical to the discovery of the cause of this disease (which is always fatal) because anthropologists were first to observe the cannibalistic behaviour of the Fore people. An economic anthropologist might be interested in Kuru because it would impact export from the area. The Fore people rely of swidden horticulture for their main mode of survival. Females are more likely to get kuru because widows practised a ritual where they eat their deceased husband brain and organs. Children and elderly were also more likely to have kuru because the mothers would feed the deceased to their children and elderly. The emic view of this ritual is that the deceased spirit lives in their family. The etic view is that the people are hungry and need protein.

Kuru: The Dynamics of a Prion Disease

The picture is taken from: http://jreibsane.wikispaces.com/Kuru

Post 3: Non-industrial Economies of the 21st Century

View this site on the Maasai of Kenya. How does the changing economy of the Maasai seem to compare to that of other tribal people with pastoralist and transitional economies? What role does the tourist industry play in these changes?

The Maasai people are one of the most recognizable cultures of Africa (you can see the region they live in in the photo). When I saw this topic I immediately thought of the videos I've seen of the colourfully dressed people jumping unimaginable heights. This question asks about how the tourism industry has affected the Maasai people. Considering that most people around the world can recognize the Maasai culture, that indicates to me that there is a lot of interest and therefore tourism to areas where the Maasai people live. Tourists want to see first hand the experience I mentioned earlier of their beautiful coloured necklaces and jumping dances.

The Maasai people live in villages build in a circle, surrounded by a fence made of thorns so that lions won't attack their livestock (mostly cattle, but also goats and sheep). The men build the fence and the women are responsible for building the homes which are also circular. Women are also responsible for "supplying water, collecting firewood, milking cattle and cooking for the family" (http://http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html). The Maasai economy is a public-private dichotomy because the men's role is to herd the cattle, where as the women's roles are more close to home.
Cattle is the main sustenance for their economy. They rely on cattle to trade for other things such as clothing, livestock products and sometimes cash. This makes the Maasai peoples a pastoralist culture, meaning that they rely on livestock. They also have a transitional economy and are traders. More recently the Maasai women have been selling things like cellphones. The Maasai Association website says that the "entrepreneurial spirit" is something new in their society, but it's clearly there. Something I found interested from the textbook (on page 159) is that some Maasai men are travelling to large cities to get their Ph.D. in order to prove their man hood.

Similar to other tribes of Africa, the Maasai people's land has been taken away bit by bit by both the Tanzanian and Kenyan government. The text book says they have lost over 1 million acres of land. What's different about the Maasai people is that they are so well known, and the art work and jewelry the women make is very recognizable (see photo). Tourism has both helped the Maasai (because they sell more) but also hurt them (because they have lost their land). It seems that the Maasai are trying to embrace tourism which is also different from most other similar tribes. The website I've linked to is written by a Maasai tribe member and there people can sign up for tours. The package includes spending the night in a Maasai village and visiting Maasai schools and hospitals.

(Both of the pictures are taken off of http://www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html... I still can't figure out how to do captions lol)

Post 2: Anthropology and Anthropologists online

Explore Laura Zimmer-Tamakoshi's fieldwork site The Anthropologist in the Field. How has the author dealt with issues of field site selection, rapport, and data collection?

Dr. Laura Zimmer-Tamakoshi's website is a how-to guide for other anthropologists beginning to look into field work. It brings to mind the article we went over today "Notes and Queries on Anthropology" which to me seemed like a Dummies Guide to Beginner Anthropological Research. Dr. Laura Zimmer-Tamakoshi's website is of course geared to people in the anthropological field, not just anyone who happens to be on their way to Papua New Guinea for an extended period of time. She talks about choosing a field site in the 'Field Site' section of her website. There she describes how you should find an area that is exemplary for what ever issue you are going to be studying. She says since her topic was quite broad (outmigration for better pay) she had more places to choose from. After doing research and reading the censuses she decided Bundi would be the best place for her research because it had a very high outmigration rate. She then changed her field site to study the Gende peoples.
Laura says that the advice she received before leaving for Papau New Guinea was to introduce herself to everyone and take no one for granted. This allowed her to have a good relationship or rapport with the all of the people she met, especially the locals. Here you can see photos of her interacting with the Gende people: http://www.theanthropologistinthefield.com/images/
Although being kind helped Laura with rapport, Dr. Laura Zimmer Tamakochi has an emic view. She says it was difficult at times because she felt like an outsider because, "among the Gende everyone is a member of a clan, related to other Gende through kinship, marriage, and exchange. To be otherwise is to be a stranger." Dr. Laura Zimmer-Tamakoshi's data collection consisted of many, many field notes which she says she guarded with her life! She also talks about the importance of taking pictures. As we all know "a picture is worth a thousand words".

-Annie