On the Edge of the Global Modern Anxieties in a Pacific Island Nation Niko Besnier Publisher’s Summary: Life in twenty-first century Tonga is rife with uncertainties. Though the postcolonial island kingdom may give the appearance of stability and order, there is a malaise that pervades everyday life, a disquiet rooted in the feeling that the [...]
Researchers and Students from the Institute for Public Anthropology presented a number of our latest research projects at the 2012 annual meeting of the Southwestern Anthropological Association (SWAA) held on the campus of California State Universtiy, Chico. SWAA 2012 showcased IPA research projects on a number of different panles. The papers represent the important work being conducted at the IPA, [...]
A fellow blogger wrote a great description of the importance of this piece of art to a wider audience here: Rene Magritte‘s piece, which translates to, “This is not a pipe.” No, in fact, it is a picture of a pipe. It’s not the actual thing. Magritte’s piece (which was actually done decades before Warhol) illustrates what I believe Warhol [...]
What is the image that goes through your mind, when thinking about evolution? Is it the picture above, “the evolution of man” or do you see a woman? What did women look like evolving? With sexual dimorphism it would be much different than what people have in mind. Why isn’t this taken to mind when [...]
Structuralism (from Josh Liggett) http://prezi.com/kw1o_4onrhek/structuralism-levi-strauss-and-ortner/ Claude Levi-Strauss (b. 1908-2009) Linguistics and Anthropology A Breakdown of the Reading In this article, Levi-Strauss discusses at length the multi-tiered nature of the notions of the relationship between language and culture. And it it his premise that if you study the Culture, than you will have an intimate knowledge of [...]
While Marvin Harris‘ contributions to anthropology are widely respected, they do not represent the only views within that field. It has been said that “Other anthropologists and observers had almost as many opinions about Dr. Harris as he had about why people behave as they do. A prolific writer, he was highly influential in the development [...]
Julian Steward Studied anthropology at Berkley under A.L. Kroeber. He first started in archeology and then moved to ethnography and worked with the Shoshoni, Pueblo, and later the Carrier Indians in British Columbia. He investigated the parallel developmental sequences in the evolution of civilizations in the New and Old Worlds. He proposed that cultures in similar [...]
On an unrelated note, here is a posting from Savage Minds (i.e., the best Anthro blog out there) regarding “how anthropology and the occupy movement” overlap. http://savageminds.org/2011/10/21/academia-and-ows-an-open-thread/ Academia and #OWS: An open thread by Kerim on October 21st, 2011 There have been a couple of good posts online about the links between anthropology and the Occupy Wall Street protests. [...]
FRANZ BOAS Franz Boas changed American anthropology by introducing a new perspective of historical integration in understanding society. He discredits the method of evolutionary theories and stresses on the importance of conducting ethnography studies based on collective data and observation. Boas was concerned with social development and historical changes that effected individuals of society and [...]
Emile Durkheim believed that human society followed laws, just like natural laws of physics or biology that could be discovered by empirical observation and testing, sound familiar. He also believed that society was much more than simply a collection of individuals and to discover the laws and principles by which society operated. He began to [...]
Presentation of The Development of Science by James Mullooly Who is this charming fella?
Nineteenth-Century Evolutionism This was a period in science and human thought that affected great changes in how people understand the world and human development. Notable people of this era include: Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace, Herbert Spencer, Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, Lewis Henry Morgan, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Notable publications include: -Herbert Spencer, The [...]
Here are some great examples of what you can do to spread the noble word of anthropological theory: Functionalism - Malinowski, Radcliffe-Brown, & Gluckman, sans Evans-Pritchard: http://prezi.com/ty1m09nfn7uh/functionalism-malinowski-radcliffe-brown-gluckman-sans-evans-pritchard/ Historical Particularism - Eighteen Professions – A.L. Kroeber: http://prezi.com/68vqsc8woquu/eighteen-professions-al-kroeber/ Structuralism – Levi-Strauss and Ortner http://prezi.com/kw1o_4onrhek/structuralism-levi-strauss-and-ortner/ Sociobiology, Evolutionary Psychology, and Behavioral Ecology – Wilson & Barkow http://prezi.com/6z8_qfokbhu-/sociobiology-evolutionary-psychology-and-behavioral-ecology-wilson-barkow/ Rousseau’s “Emile” mkII (this [...]
You have to check out Hannah Arendt’s work, particularly with regard to labor. The following is from: i. Labor: Humanity as Animal Laborans Labor is that activity which corresponds to the biological processes and necessities of human existence, the practices which are necessary for the maintenance of life itself. Labor is distinguished by its never-ending [...]
