13

I think anthropologists could help teachers and educators be better teachers to a diverse array of students in public schools. Anthropologists have a very unbiased and insightful view on different socities and cultures, making them perfect to help teachers with thier diverse students. If the anthropologist could educate teachers on the certain cultures they are knowledgable about, the teachers would have a greater understanding of his or her students. Once you understand your students you can create your curriculum based on how the students learn. If a certain culture of children learn better one way, the teacher should cater thier needs in the class. Because America is the "melting pot" of all different kind of people, educating teachers of all the different cultures would be ideal for the success of the public school systems. Teachers could be put through a program at the end of their schooling put on by educators and anthropologists just for the purpose of understanding students they might have in the future. The main idea is for teachers to have a greater knowledge of cultures and the best way to teach them.

Extra Credit

The book Siddhartha dramatically changed the way I thought about Buddha and Buddhists. It taught me that the main goal is to become enlightnent and fully spiritual, when is not far from what any other religion tries to do. Buddhists try to understand and educate themselves about life, so in the end they can become at peace with everything. They are very peaceful and devoted to their religion. Siddhartha continually was trying to rid himself of wordly ideas and things because it made you less enlightened on what was important. I liked a part in the book where Siddhartha actually meets and talks with Buddha. Buddha was represented as any other normal man would look, having a very soft and nice demeanor, and treating everyone equal. I liked that he wasnt shown as some king needing to be bowed down to. The novel goves a lot of insight and clears up any misconceptions people could have about Buddhism.

12

Reflect on the readings from C&C chapters 11, 13, 17, 37, and 38. Pick three of these to discuss in detail in relationship to the film "Black Gold."
First, based on these case studies and the film, what do you think the relationship is between environmental sustainability, economic development, and human health?
What roles could applied anthropologists play in assisting people in these goals?
And finally, do you think cultural survival is possible with economic development? Why or why not? How could applied anthropologists assist in ensuring cultural survival along with improvement in people's material lives?

Economic development and enviornmental sustainibility has a huge direct impact on many people on our earth, and not just in terms of global warming. The Gurani Indians of Paraguay are faced with the issue of their forests being torn down to make roads and cities. These indians of the forest have lived in thier enviorment and have created techniques to live off the forest in the best way possible. When developers come in and ruin the ecosystems they have taken care of and cultivated over many generations, it turns their whole community upside down. If this same thing were to happen to the coffee growers, there would be nothing for them to grow or any way to provide for their families. When communties rely on something like the forest or coffee beans, it leaves them very vulnerable. The Kayapo Indians of the Amazon face similar problems with development encroaching upon their land. I think we should let these indgineous people of the world continue to live off the land without interference because how they live is extremely pure. If cities and towns were made on their land it would just increase pollution of the earth. Cultural survival isnt really possible with everyone putting up the same cities that serve the same purpose all over the world. If everything is based off our western society the diversity and tradtions will be lost. I think anthropologists can help these situations, especially the problems the Malawi inhabitants have with nutrition. Programs have been set up to provide families with animals to help sustain their family, and in return their children must go to school. I dont see this as interfering with societies like developing. The anthropologists and programs are strictly for betting the people's lives and helping them survive and thrive. Anthropologist could help the coffee farmers of Ethiopia by making education and knowledge about the stocks more readily availible. Something needs to be done about how cheap coffee can be purchased from them because they cannot get out of poverty. These changes would cause upheaval in places around the world because coffee prices would imensely increase, but a compromise needs to be made.

During the video I felt like the world was a lot smaller than I actually thought before. It made the people seem similar because individuals from all over the world are willing to dance and laugh in front of a camera with this one white guy. I think that everybody loves this video so much because it reminds them that humankind is all here on this one same earth and share a common goal of living and being happy. The scenery and music add to the film and just make you want to visit all the amazing places shown around the world. It is almost liberating to know that we are all more alike than we think, and not all against eachother in beliefs and ideals.
I think arts are such human universals because all people feel the need to express themselves in one way or another. There are so many different types of art because there needs to be a kind to accomadate each persons interets. There is fashion for the designers, dance for the dancers, songs for the singers, pictures for the artists, and so on. Basically art is just something someone has created to express themselves. The arts are extremely integrated into culture because depending on what type of artist you are, your lifestyle will reflect that. For example, if you are in a rock band, you will most likely write rock music, wear rock n roll clothes, go to and participate in concerts, and be familar with the music scene. That goes even farther because when your band has a lot of fans they will start dressing like you, buying your music, and creating a whole culture around the one art of music. I also think that art integrates into culture so easily is because if you don't consider yourself an artist, you will find one you like and follow their work. When each person in a society does that art and culture are in just about every aspect of life.

10

The main idea that I got out of the film was that all religions have the same common goal, trying to rid oneself of earthly feelings and attain a sense of higher peace. All of the religous leaders talked about equality of all people, being kind, compassionate, and helping others. Some of the leaders talked about religion as if it didn't really matter which one you picked, the fact that you believe something is good for you. While many people, even Muslims themselves, sometimes view the veil as oppressing women but it was originally meant to honor the woman and set her apart from the rest. In the Koranic verse it explains that the women should only be seperated by the veil because is announces their religion and status, and that they should be honored. Over thousands of years the veil's purpose and who wear them has transformed from the original Muslim tradition, but it's noteworthy that it never started off as a negative practice. I liked the fact that the Muslim extremists were discussed, and that a point was made that every religion has extremists who take things to a terrible level. For example, Opus Dei, a sect of Catholocism is known to have members that abuse themselves when they repent, believing that is what God wants.I already knew most Muslims have no hatred towards the U.S. like the others, but it was refreshing to hear that peace is what everyone wants ultimately. I think it is very valuable to understand other religions around us because it starts to eliminate the boundaries we put up against people, allowing us to work together on issues for the common good of all people. It is extremely important for the the West to be able to understand and work with the Middle East in times like these. Also, wars and genocides have occured because the two different religions believe they have opposing views and goals. If we could understand other religion we then would realize peace is the main shared goal.

Discussion 9

Just like all the hopeless romantics out there, I am stuck on the idea that I will one day marry the "love of my life" or "soul mate". Marriage for me is something very important and necessary. Once I get married I plan on not getting divorced and sticking with it, but of course things happen so we will see. For me, I see marriage as a partnership not only in love but to run a household and eventually have children. Once I have children I see the parents as working together to raise the children according to the parents values and providing a good upbringing for them. I dont think the husband should be the main financial supporter, especially this day in age, and plan to help financially for our family. However, when I have kids I plan on staying home with them until they start school because I dont like the idea of my kids in daycare everyday. The purpose of the family is to love and support eachother in life.
My idea of what marriage should be is different than the Masai culture in that marriage is basically how the women survive in the community. She would be nothing without her husband and sons because they own the cows and wealth in the family. If a womans husband dies it is in her best interest to become married to the brother or some relative of the husband or she will have nothing. That is very different from the U.S. standards because if a husband dies here the women continues living in the house, going to work, raising the children, and eventually may marry again when she finds somebody that she loves. Marriage is mostly by choice. Also, with a few excpetions marriage is mainly just for two people while in the Masai culture and many other cultures, men have many wives to attain wealth and an abundance of children. It was suprising to me that the Masai women could pick thier lovers outside of the marriage because I would have guessed it would be too dangerous for them or that there would be consequences. However, it was not suprising that they would seek out a lover outside of their marriage because they dont even know their husband hardly at all before marriage and I doubt that they have those kind of feelings for them. One part of the marriage that makes sense to me is that the men have many wives and children so they can take care of the house and animals. It makes it easier for a wive to work with a couple other wives to take care of their one husbands things. Mostly in Western society there isnt need for a lot of wives in the house because there is not that much work to be done, and if there is we just hire maids and landscapers. While cultures can be extremely different in how things are organized within marriage, there is good explanations for them because it helps the society function and is adapted to their ways of life.

Discussion 8

My experience with gender is very different than what the Masai women have been brought up in. They are extremely limited to any type of accumulation of wealth and are completely dependent on the males in the society. They grow up knowing that the only thing that will make their life worth while in their community is becoming a wife and having children. A Masai women who cannot procreate is worthless to their society. In our culture nowdays, women are allowed to pick their career and have the choice to marry or not. In Masai culture, marriages are arranged and strictly for doing household duties and taking care of the husbands children.
The way gender is now in the U.S. has not always been the standard and has frequently been changing overtime. The problem with the rapid gender role change in our society is that some peoples ideals did not change with the rest of society. This means that women can still be discriminated against whether it comes to job oppurtunities or recognitition in achievments. For example, some people may be biased against a women doing a heavy duty job and may not give her equal respect. I think that if the Masai culture began to change it would hurt how their society is organizezd because they deeply believe women are below men. They sing songs about just having children and being a wife showing that they have no interest in accumulating wealth or power. The ideas are so deeply setting in the mens minds of what a women is in their culture that they wont ever see them as an equal.
It is difficult to say that how women are treated in a certain culture is against their human rights because they believe so deeply in what they do. People are do not come from the Masai culture are very biased and are not really in a position to decide if the treatment of their women is against human rights. However, if these women are mistreated such as being beat or abused, it is definitely against human rights and worth being looked into.