Introduction to Anthropology: Notes
SA 101 Intro to Anthro midterm
---Coming of age in samoa--- (1928)
Child rearing and shaping personality
Sexuality, ‘there’ ‘here’
Popularizing with American students; not concerned with natural functions of life in samoa. Completely different ways of living. America in 1940; the comparison of here and there.
Wanted to see how society was shaped. Culture doesn’t simply exist, but that cultures were formulated from an early age A study of socialization in a Polynesian island and an explicit cultural critique of her own middle-class America. She argued children were given love and encouragement, and they were subjected t few prohibitions. Grew up to be more harmonious and happy.
‘Growing up in New Guinea’---Mead compares four Melanesian societies which display fundamental differences with respect to gender and the use of violence.
In this study, the main conclusion was that Balinese culture ‘lacked climax’ in its social relationships. It was a conflict-avoiding culture where even the relationship between mother and child lacked real intimacy.
While social anthropology in Britain was profoundly sociological in nature – the main emphasis was on politics, kinship and law and the relationships that made up the social structure.
Agency and Society ---
Models of social organization
Barth: “How is social integration possible?”--- look at society as individuals. Why do people do what they do? The choice individuals made, society wasn’t separate from the individual but that individuals affected the shape of society. Born into a social and cultural setting that pre exists and outlasts us.
Individuals and collectivism
Transactions and emergent forms--- argued that individuals are creating society. What we do at any given time, we are creating directions after the fact. Make up the rules as we go along. A society being something that emerges and needs to be maintained. Barth changed the order, its an ongoing thing.
‘Going too far’ – building choice
---Coming of age in samoa--- (1928)
Child rearing and shaping personality
Sexuality, ‘there’ ‘here’
Popularizing with American students; not concerned with natural functions of life in samoa. Completely different ways of living. America in 1940; the comparison of here and there.
Wanted to see how society was shaped. Culture doesn’t simply exist, but that cultures were formulated from an early age A study of socialization in a Polynesian island and an explicit cultural critique of her own middle-class America. She argued children were given love and encouragement, and they were subjected t few prohibitions. Grew up to be more harmonious and happy.
‘Growing up in New Guinea’---Mead compares four Melanesian societies which display fundamental differences with respect to gender and the use of violence.
In this study, the main conclusion was that Balinese culture ‘lacked climax’ in its social relationships. It was a conflict-avoiding culture where even the relationship between mother and child lacked real intimacy.
While social anthropology in Britain was profoundly sociological in nature – the main emphasis was on politics, kinship and law and the relationships that made up the social structure.
Agency and Society ---
Models of social organization
Barth: “How is social integration possible?”--- look at society as individuals. Why do people do what they do? The choice individuals made, society wasn’t separate from the individual but that individuals affected the shape of society. Born into a social and cultural setting that pre exists and outlasts us.
Individuals and collectivism
Transactions and emergent forms--- argued that individuals are creating society. What we do at any given time, we are creating directions after the fact. Make up the rules as we go along. A society being something that emerges and needs to be maintained. Barth changed the order, its an ongoing thing.
‘Going too far’ – building choice