Anthropological Worldview

Anthropology is the study of humans both in the past and the present. In order to study past and the present, the anthropological perspective uses the approach of diversity by considering the beliefs and practices regarding health, healing, and healers in the context of specific cultures. Anthropologists must consider the worldview connected to the system of meaning being studied because a worldview shapes the structure of our medical systems and different worldviews are directly reflected in our systems of healing. Our worldviews consist of our philosophy of life, our conception of the world, and how we perceive the world but, most importantly worldview consists of the perspective that an individual takes when looking at an individual or
For example, one's language is a system of meaning that is understood, produced, and reproduced. Each system of meaning is made up of symbols that represent our culture, so why do we judge others’ symbols, their culture, or their beliefs? In the western world, one would think that someone who uses chopsticks for every meal is silly, but in Japanese culture it is perfectly normal. Every culture has a diverse range of values and beliefs that help shape their lives, but some values are easier to support than others. If our own individual beliefs and customs are different from other cultures, then we tend to believe that other systems of meaning are wrong and that our own cultural views of morality are more valuable. This is called, ethnocentrism because you believe that your system of meaning is the absolute best or right and that nothing can compare. Ethnocentrism arbitrates other cultures based on the values and standards of one’s own culture especially in the case of language, behavior, beliefs, and customs. In the reading, A Very Bad Disease of the Arms by Kearney, one of the graduate students decided to do his doctoral research in southern Mexico and he quickly stumbled upon their system of meaning. So, the graduate student soon learned that this town in mexico are firm believers of witchcraft and some practice witchcraft as well. He thought, that a women in the town was sick because she just was severely sunburnt, but they think that a witch sent this disease to her. He was so ignorant to their system of meaning, right away he assumed it was a sunburn, gave her his lotion, and then she was cured, but the next day he too received the same arm disease and he quickly assumed it was witchcraft. So, what changed his