An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Cultural anthropology, also known as sociocultural anthropology, is the study of cultures around the world. It is one of four subfields of the academic discipline of anthropology. While anthropology is the study of human diversity, cultural anthropology focuses on cultural systems, beliefs, practices, and expressions. Did You Know? Cultural anthropology is one of the four subfields of anthropology. The other subfields are archaeology, physical (or biological) anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. Areas of Study and Research Questions Cultural anthropologists use anthropological theories and methods to study culture. They study a wide variety of topics, including identity, religion, kinship, art, race, gender, class, immigration, diaspora, sexuality, globalization, social movements, and many more. Regardless of their specific topic of study, however, cultural anthropologists focus on patterns and systems of belief, social organization, and cultural practice. Some of the research questions considered by cultural anthropologists include: How do different cultures understand universal aspects of the human experience, and how are these understandings expressed?How do understandings of gender, race, sexuality, and disability vary across cultural groups?What cultural phenomena emerge when different groups come into contact, such as through migration and globalization?How do systems of kinship and family vary among different cultures?How do various groups distinguish between taboo practices and mainstream norms?How do different cultures use ritual to mark transitions and life stages? History and Key Figures Cultural anthropology’s roots date back to the 1800s, when early scholars like Lewis Henry Morgan and Edward Tylor became interested in the comparative study of cultural systems. This generation drew on the theories of Charles Darwin, attempting to apply his concept of evolution to human culture. They were later dismissed as so-called â€Å"armchair anthropologists,† since they based their ideas on data collected by others and did not personally engage first-hand with the groups they claimed to study. These ideas were later refuted by Franz Boas, who is widely hailed as the father of anthropology in the U.S. Boas strongly denounced the armchair anthropologists’ belief in cultural evolution, arguing instead that all cultures had to be considered on their own terms and not as part of a progress model. An expert in the indigenous cultures of the Pacific Northwest, where he participated in expeditions, he taught what would become the first generation of American anthropologists as a professor at Columbia University. His students included Margaret Mead, Alfred Kroeber, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ruth Benedict. Boas’ influence continues in cultural anthropology’s focus on race and, more broadly, identity as forces that are social constructed and not biologically based. Boas fought staunchly against the ideas of scientific racism that were popular in his day, such as phrenology and eugenics. Instead, he attributed differences between racial and ethnic groups to social factors. After Boas, anthropology departments became the norm in U.S. colleges and universities, and cultural anthropology was a central aspect of study. Students of Boas went on to establish anthropology departments across the country, including Melville Herskovits, who launched the program at Northwestern University, and Alfred Kroeber, the first professor of anthropology at the University of California at Berkeley. Margaret Mead went on to become internationally famous, both as an anthropologist and scholar. The field grew in popularity in the U.S. and elsewhere, giving way to new generations of highly influential anthropologists like Claude Là ©vi-Strauss and Clifford Geertz. Together, these early leaders in cultural anthropology helped solidify a discipline focused explicitly on the comparative study of world cultures. Their work was animated by a commitment to true understanding of different systems of beliefs, practice, and social organization. As a field of scholarship, anthropology was committed to the concept of cultural relativism, which held that all cultures were fundamentally equal and simply needed to be analyzed according to their own norms and values. The main professional organization for cultural anthropologists in North America is the Society for Cultural Anthropology, which publishes the journal Cultural Anthropology. Methods Ethnographic research, also known as ethnography, is the primary method used by cultural anthropologists.  The hallmark component of ethnography is participant observation, an approach often attributed to Bronislaw Malinowski. Malinowski was one of the most influential early anthropologists, and he pre-dated Boas and the early American anthropologists of the 20th century. For Malinowski, the anthropologist’s task is to focus on the details of everyday life. This necessitated living within the community being studied—known as the fieldsite—and fully immersing oneself in the local context, culture, and practices. According to Malinowski, the anthropologist gains data by both participating and observing, hence the term participant observation. Malinowski formulated this methodology during his early research in the Trobriand Islands and continued to develop and implement it throughout his career. The methods were subsequently adopted by Boas and, later, Boas’ students. This methodology became one of the defining characteristics of contemporary cultural anthropology. Contemporary Issues in Cultural Anthropology While the traditional image of cultural anthropologists involves researchers studying remote communities in faraway lands, the reality is far more varied. Cultural anthropologists in the twenty-first century conduct research in all types of settings, and can potentially work anywhere that humans live. Some even specialize in digital (or online) worlds, adapting ethnographic methods for today’s virtual domains. Anthropologists conduct fieldwork all around the world, some even in their home countries. Many cultural anthropologists remain committed to the discipline’s history of examining power, inequality, and social organization. Contemporary research topics include the influence of historical patterns of migration and colonialism on cultural expression (e.g. art or music) and the role of art in challenging the status quo and effecting social change. Where Do Cultural Anthropologists Work? Cultural anthropologists are trained to examine patterns in daily life, which is a useful skill in a wide range of professions. Accordingly, cultural anthropologists work in a variety of fields. Some are researchers and professors in universities, whether in anthropology departments or other disciplines like ethnic studies, women’s studies, disability studies, or social work. Others work in technology companies, where there is an increasing demand for experts in the field of user experience research. Additional common possibilities for anthropologists include nonprofits, market research, consulting, or government jobs. With broad training in qualitative methods and data analysis, cultural anthropologists bring a unique and diverse skill set to a variety of fields. Sources McGranahan, Carol. On Training Anthropologists Rather Than Professors Dialogs, Cultural Anthropology website, 2018.Social and Cultural Anthropology Discover Anthropology UK, The Royal Anthropological Institute, 2018.What is Anthropology? American Anthropological Association, 2018.

Good Country People by Flannery OConnor Characterization...

Good Country People by Flannery OConnor Characterization as Theme The Depth of Hulga?s Despair Characterization is the most prevalent component used for the development of themes in Flannery O?Connor?s satirical short story ?Good Country People.? O?Connor artistically cultivates character development throughout her story as a means of creating multi-level themes that culminate in allegory. Although the themes are independent of each other, the characters are not; the development of one character is dependent upon the development of another. Each character?s feelings and behavior are influenced by the behavior of the others. Joy/Hulga, as the story?s main character, is the singly most significant character to the themes†¦show more content†¦The omniscient narrator allows the reader to see that Hulga?s stereotyping of the other characters is flawed; she never bothers trying to get to know the others as real people. If she had, she would have realized that there was more to them than meets the eye. Hulga?s lack of interest in the other characters effectively isolate s her character from any meaningful relationships with other people. Her superior attitude towards the other characters is manifested in her disrespect for all of them. It never occurs to her to do unto others, as she would have others do unto her. Another theme emerges from her contemptuous behavior: Treat others with disrespect and eventually you too will be treated that way. This might also be stated through two well-known clichà ©s: ?you reap what you sow? or ?what goes around comes around.? Hulga uses her handicap, a leg partially shot off during a hunting accident, as an excuse for stomping loudly around the house in the hope of irritating her mother. Although Hulga sees herself as intellectually superior, her self-esteem and self-image are low due to her handicap, as evidenced by her complete disregard for her appearance. Further evidence of her low self-esteem is her changing her name from Joy to Hulga, a name that her mother, Mrs. Hopewell, felt was ?the ugliest name in any language.? Unbeknownst to Hulga, Mrs. Hopewell grieved for her daughter?s tragic life and excuses much of her behavior ?because of

Business Process Analysis Versus Business Analysis

Question: Discuss about the Business Process Analysis Versus Business Analysis. Answer: Synopsis Business Analysis is a vast subject and comprises of different key section. The Week 5 Module discusses a very essential part of business analysis that is Stakeholder analysis and management. The module discusses the essentiality of effective stakeholder analysis. Stakeholder analysis involves assessment of stakeholder categories and their identification. As stated by Paul et al., (2014) stakeholder analysis is extremely important part of the business as it helps to identify the key stakeholders of the business and also helps to address their needs and requirements which help a business to gain competitive advantage. Darwish (2015) states that the key competencies which are required to analyse stakeholders which are behavior, characteristics, knowledge and personal qualities. Overall the present module of Stakeholder analysis and management focuses on highlighting the essentiality of stakeholder analysis and also discusses the different strategies of stakeholder management which will help to gain insights about stakeholder management. Critique Stakeholder analysis and management is an extremely important part of a business and hence it is important to understand the key competencies and knowledge required to do effective stakeholder analysis (Freeman, 2010). The stakeholder analysis taken up by the authors in the module mainly focus on the starting of the project and the role of the stakeholders during the initial part of the project. The module here mainly focuses on analysing stakeholders which will help to get the desired goals from the project. In the present module the authors have reflected on the business importance of stakeholders, in fact to say the author have discussed the role of stakeholders in the initial part of a project but doesnt talk about the social role that stakeholders play in promoting a business. The authors have tried to discuss the tasks and techniques which will help a company to run its operations with the help of the stakeholders but they completely do not highlight the exact role of the stake holders in running the business operations. Reflection Self reflection is an excellent way of learning especially for the lifelong learners and hence as a computer professional it is important for me to continuously works on the past experiences and analyse my knowledge and their implementation in order to get better result (Yang, 2009). Stakeholders are essential entities involved with the business and it is important that I am able understand their roles and responsibilities in the operation of the business. From the above module I have been able to understand the role and responsibilities of the stakeholders. The present module has assisted me to develop a strong understanding about the process of analysing key stakeholders as a part of business analysis. Since business analysis is a vast subject and there are number of subsections it is important for me to understand the role of stakeholder analysis in developing favorable insights as a professional. This module has helped me to understand the key competencies which are important to do stakeholder analysis and management. Implementing stakeholder analysis is an extremely important process and the present module has helped me to gain much needed insights that has allowed me to understand the module successfully. References Paul, D., Cadle, J., Yeates, D. (2014).Business Analysis,3rd edn, BCS Learning Development Ltd, Swindon. Darwish, A. (2015). Business Process Analysis versus Business Analysis: Why most organizations confuse them?.Business Process Management. Freeman, R. E. (2010).Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge University Press. Yang, S.H., 2009. Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice.Educational Technology Society,12(2), pp.11-21.

Private Institutes Should Be Banned free essay sample

Furthermore, consequences could be devastating for the future of individual and perhaps for the whole nation. On the other hand, there will be huge positive impact on the way our Government Schools work if the private institutions are banned. Once government institutions realize their problems and shortcomings, quality of teaching and code of practice will improve. As the code for conduct improve in the Government institutions, their way of teaching will be more pragmatic. Also there will definitely be profits from schools which will go in Government Treasury once the private institutes are banned; hence the school conditions will improve. These schools will then retrospect the multi-religious culture and will teach students to be respectful towards other religions. Parents will definitely benefit from this decision by paying less tuition fees in Government institutions as compared to private institutions. Furthermore, there will be sense of equality between students and there will be exhibit of nor rich or poor in schools. We will write a custom essay sample on Private Institutes Should Be Banned or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Absence of private schools may become a source of anguish in middle and high income people. It may be misunderstood as a loss in freedom of choice as Government has taken the right of choice form parents for their children education. Some of the children who need special education or attention need private education. For instance, people with disabilities will be cared more in private institutions for their needs as compared with Government Institutions. Similarly, blind or deaf students also need special attention and care which in my option is impossible to provide in Government institutions. In nutshell, I would like to assert the importance of private institutes in our community. Private institutions cater needs for all type of students. They always change their teaching styles and skills in accord to the demand of students, providing them with high stands of education. So I strongly feel that private education should not be banned.