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Anthropology Perspective

Anthropology Perspective . Leslie Bohon-Atkinson, Carla Costello, Sharon Stone EPPL 604. Albatross Experience. Pay careful attention to what you observe. What is anthropology?.

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Anthropology Perspective

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  1. AnthropologyPerspective Leslie Bohon-Atkinson, Carla Costello, Sharon Stone EPPL 604

  2. Albatross Experience • Pay careful attention to what you observe

  3. What is anthropology? • Anthropology is the study of human behavior. It includes four broad fields – cultural/social anthropology, linguistics, physical anthropology and archaeology. • Each of the four fields teaches distinctive skills, such as applying theories and employing research methodologies, formulating and testing hypotheses and developing extensive sets of data. Reference: American Anthropological Association, 2011; http:/www.aaanet.org/profdev.careers/Careers.cmf

  4. Anthropology aims to answer: • What does it mean to be human? • Why do people behave in particular ways? • What are historical and environmental pressures that helped shape the experiences and behavior of a specific group of people? • What are the universal facts of human life? Reference: American Anthropological Association, 2011;http:/www.aaanet.org/profdev.careers/Careers.cmf

  5. Culture • Our focus is on the cultural/social field of anthropology • This is where the concern of education lies • Cultural anthropologists study behaviors, customs and beliefs that people attain as members of society (Barret, 1984) • Culture is a body of learned beliefs and traditions that guide behavior-Key word is LEARNED (Barret, 1984). Reference: Barret, R. A. (1984). Culture and conduct : An excursion in anthropology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

  6. ParadigmsSocial/Cultural Anthropology • Post-Colonialism (Leslie) • Structural-functionalism (Carla) • Symbolic Anthropology (Sharon)

  7. Anthropology archaeology physical cultural/social linguistics Structural-functionalism -Alfred Radcliffe-Brown -Bronislaw Malinowski Cultural/Social Paradigms Symbolic -Clifford Geertz -Victor Turner Post-colonialism -Frantz Fanon, AiméCésaire -Edward Saïd -GayatriSpivak Sociology roots -Emile Durkheim -Max Weber

  8. Post-colonialism • the study of the interactions between European nations and the societies they colonized in the modern period • By WWI, Europe (England, France, Germany) controlled over 85% of the world. • After WWII, this colonization began to disintegrate, which led to postcolonial literature, philosophy, theory, criticism www.qub.ac.uk Sources: Emory Univ.:; http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Intro.html; Brown Univ.: www.postcolonialweb.org

  9. Who was colonized? Colonies in 1945 Africa by end of WWI static.newworldencyclopedia.org Decolonization after 1945 dt-ss.tripod.com www.memo.fr

  10. Post-colonialism figures • Edward Saïd, 1935-2003 • Born in Palestine • Wrote about “Orientalism” (study of the East by the West) • Says Orientalism is suspect because it is written as an outside view, for the benefit of the West • GayatriSpivak, 1942- • Born in India • Revived the term “subaltern” oppressed, minority groups – presence is crucial to self-definition by colonizers Myelproductions.com 3QuarksDaily.com jackkerouacispunjabi.blogspot.com

  11. Post-colonialism figures • Frantz Fanon,1925-1961 • Born in Martinique • Supporter of Algerian independence and championed decolonization Myelproductions.com • AiméCésaire, 1913-2008 • Born in Martinique • Poet, author, politician • One of the founders of the négritude movement • Wrote about the cultural identity of black Africans in the colonial setting blackactivism.wordpress.com blackactivism.wordpress.com

  12. Lingering problems of Colonization • Whose language should be used in society? Language as social and cultural capital (Brock-Utne, 2001) • Failure of the “African Miracle ” – Western government doesn’t work in many African countries; brings despair (Livingston, 2009) • The term “Third World” automatically conjures ideas of inferiority (Coronil, 1996) www.phucquach.co.uk

  13. Questions Post-colonialism considers • How did the experience of colonization affect those who were colonized while also influencing the colonizers? • What traces have been left by colonial education, science and technology in postcolonial societies? • How did colonial education and language influence the culture and identity of the colonized? • Are new forms of imperialism replacing colonization and how? • Should the writer use a coloniallanguage to reach a wider audience or return to a native language more relevant to groups in the postcolony? Source: www.english.emory.edu; Brock-Utne (2001) Education for All; Comaroff & Comaroff (2003) Ethnography Graphic: sherise.files.wordpress.com

  14. Structural-functionalism, Radcliffe-Brown • Alfred Radcliffe-Brown, Birmingham, England (1881-1955). Influenced by Emile Durkheim • Developed the structural- functional approach to anthropology-Sociology roots • Conducted extensive research on the Andaman Islands-Rituals References: Radcliffe-Brown, A.F., (1948). The andaman islanders.Glencose, IL: Free Press. Chilcott, J.H. (1998). Structural-functionalism as a heuristic device. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 29(1), 103-111. Homas, G. C. (1941). Anxiety and ritual: The theories of Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown. American Anthropologist, 43(2), 164-172.

  15. Radcliffe-Brown • Radcliffe-Brown ‘s structural functionalism claimed: • The rules of conduct within a society lead to a social structure consisting of defined roles. • As these roles are enacted, they contribute to maintaining the social structure. • Social structure is the arrangement of persons in relation to each other. • Basic premise: Society can be viewed as a system of mutually interdependent parts • Social organization is the arrangement of activities of two or more people • Culture functions to meet the needs of society as a whole Reference: Chilcott, J.H. (1998). Structural-functionalism as a heuristic device. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 29(1), 103-111.

  16. Structural-functionalism, Malinowski • Bronislaw Malinowski (1884-1942), Polish Anthropologist. Influenced by Emile Durkheim. • Known as the father of the founder of Social Anthropology, father of the functionalist school • Trobriand Islands- Ethnography “Writing about the tribe/nation” ---Participant observation

  17. Malinowksi • Ethnocentrism, by contrast, evaluates other’s beliefs in comparison to your own. This increases the likelihood of cultural misunderstandings. • Believed that anthropologists must have daily contact with their subjects to fully understand their culture. Malinowski’s structural-functionalism stressed: • Culture functions to meet the needs of individuals rather than society as a whole. • When the needs of individuals are met, the needs of the larger society are met. References: Malinowski, B. (1944). A Scientific Study of Culture. Chapel Hill: UNC Press. Gregory, K. L. (1983). Native-view paradigms: Multiple cultures and culture conflicts in organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28 (3), 359-376.

  18. Myth • “Malinowksi argued that myths serve primarily to support social institutions” (Peacock, p. 998). • He gained support for this argument through his ethnography of the Trobrianders. Reference: Peacock, J. L. (1981). Durkheim and the social anthropology of culture. Social Forces, 59(4), 996-1008.

  19. Symbolic Anthropology • Emerged in the early 1960s • Rooted in psychoanalysis and sociology of knowledge • Tendency to focus on myth and ritual • Inclined toward qualitative, thick description • Two major strands: • Clifford Geertz, University of Chicago • Victor Turner, Cornell

  20. Symbolic Anthropology • Clifford Geertz(August 23, 1926 – October 30, 2006) • Influenced by Max Weber and Sigmund Freud • Culture is embodied in public symbols • Symbols are vehicles for communication and meaning • His question: “How [do] symbols shape the ways social actors see, feel, and think about the world” • Reference: Ortner, S. B. (1984). Theory in anthropology since the sixties. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 26(1), 126-166. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/178524

  21. Symbolic Anthropology • Victor Turner (May 28, 1920 – December 18, 1983) • Influenced by Emile Durkheim, Max Gluckman, and Sigmund Freud • Interested in ritual analysis and the predictive value of drama • Symbols are operators producing social transformations (pragmatic dimension)

  22. Symbolic Anthropology • Convergence with cognitive anthropology • Both can be termed “microanthropology,” i.e., an interest in process rather than structure • Neither has a strong theoretical framework • Linguistic theory brings greater precision to both Reference: Colby, B. N., Fernandez, J. W., & Kronenfeld, D. B. (1981). Toward a convergence of cognitive and symbolic anthropology. American Ethnologist, 8(3), 422-450. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/644295

  23. Symbolic Anthropology • Intent is to find meaning through cultural symbols, including myth and ritual • Problems • Rich symbols are multi-layered • Which meaning is relevant? • Are all meanings equally important? • Emerging practice: use linguistic tools to analyze cultural symbols in the form of metaphors, etc.

  24. Anthropology and education

  25. Applications to Education • Ethnographic research-observations and interviews • Important in understanding different cultures • Individuals have different constructs of reality • Students must make sense of their environment • “Teachers can recognize, as Malinowski did, that the introduction of a new element into the system requires adjustments to be made throughout the whole system” (Chilcott, p. 107) Reference: Chilcott, J.H. (1998). Structural-functionalism as a heuristic device. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 29(1), 103-111.

  26. Applications to education • Educational phenomena is examined in a cross-cultural framework • Anthropologists, like educators, try to place behaviors in comparative cross-cultural settings • “The branches of archaeology are dedicated to participant observation. Participant observation is central to anthropological approaches to education” (Harrington, p. 327-328). • Anthropological approaches take a very broad view of education. “Education must encompass both formal and informal learning” (Harrington, p. 328). Reference: Harrington, C. (1982). Anthropology and education: Issues from the issues. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 13(4), 323-335.

  27. Applications to education • Cultural transmission-can be understood as an anthropological definition of education • Examines the ways values and behaviors are taught within a specific society or culture • How does a culture transmit itself from generation to generation? • How do individuals adjust to change? • Cultural transmission studies of formal education focus on schools and classrooms • Schooling is only one type of cultural transmission

  28. Applications to education • Individuals are seen as members of certain groups • They learn which actions and beliefs are acceptable-encultured • School teaches us how to mesh with society • We LEARN to behave in ways that others expect us to • “Structural-functionalism provides tools for the social structures that mediate between larger society and individual choices. This paradigm also shows us that choices are controlled by social contexts” (Harrington, 330). Reference: Harrington, C. (1982). Anthropology and education: Issues from the issues. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 13(4), 323-335.

  29. Applications to education • Symbolic anthropology applies to organizations, like school divisions, buildings, and classrooms • However, these cultures are embedded in a wider system • Organization is maintained through symbols of shared meaning and shared reality • How do interpretations of symbol relate to action? • Leadership in organizations can be described as the management of meaning References: Hannerz, U. (1986). Theory in anthropology: Small is beautiful? The problem of complex cultures. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 28, 362-367. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/178977 Smircich, L. (1983). Concepts of culture and organizational analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 2(3), 339-358. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2392246

  30. Cultural Values Activity

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