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Anthropology Issues
Term Paper ID:37340
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Essay Subject:
Answers questions in anthropology on Weber, language, world view, and ethos.... More...
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8 Pages / 1800 Words
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Paper Abstract:
An analysis of issues in anthropology including Weber, language, world view, and ethos. Examines the metaphors used by different peoples, competing religious systems and the world view of two cultures.
Paper Introduction:
An Anthropological Analysis of Various IssuesIntroduction Three specific questions are at issue in this essay First anexploration of various metaphors used by different peoples i e Hausa Hopi Nuer and Trobiands which illustrate how and what they believe willbe undertaken Second a description of competing religious systems willbe provided Finally the anthropological understanding of world view andethos applied to two cultures will be discussed Various Metaphors It has been suggested that the metaphorical nature of language canprovide an essential key in understanding
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Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2 4.Ortner, Sherry B. Among the Nuer, the metaphor of the ox is quite significant. Yams arethe principle food crop of these people and men and yams are symbolicallyequivalent. Only when they are undergoing rites of passages are they toldthat the Kachina, who have been beating them are really their familymembers ("An Introduction to Hopi Cosmology," 1). Hausasalso metaphorize food as sex, emphasize the iconographic status of themurfu, and assert that women are subordinate to men. Corn grows in a cycle that is comparable to the reproductivecycle of humans, planting corn is a sacred act and mother corn controls thedevelopment of men. These two groups are illustrative of the fact that both acquire andmodify their world views and ethos through modeling, rituals of passage,and observation of the behavior of adults. The Hopi, upon entering the world, pick the small blue corn out ofmodesty, creating a society in which the possession of material things islimited. The murfu is the centerof a woman's domestic world and whereas it is a male symbol and is theequivalent of the cooking pot with its womb symbolism, it is an essentialelement in Hausa ritual. 5 -6 . In these ways, the Hopi learn by seeing and doing("An Introduction to Hopi Cosmology," 6). A Reader in the Anthropology of Religion. They do so through their rituals and through themaintenance of a good heart ("An Introduction to Hopi Cosmology," 2)." These three groups, though different in terms of where they live andwhat they believe, all accept the idea that there are forces of magic andspirit at work in the world, that man is a creature of what we could call ahigher power or a creator-being, and that men have direct obligations tomembers of their kinship lineage and to the larger social systems (i.e.,tribes, villages, cultures, and so on) in which they are found. "Topic: The Murfu: An Icon."Lambek, Michael. Where for the Hopi the dominant metaphor describing the relationshipof men to the earth is that of the corn, for the Nuer it is that of theoxen. An exploration of four different metaphors used by various peoplesillustrates this point. The Nuer, in contrast, were originally a fierce peoplewith a young warrior class that engaged in cattle raiding. The Hopi categorize corn asred, white, yellow, and blue, asserting that corn is the law and the cyclesof corn model the human journey through life and the sacredness of life iscorn. Murfu is seen as having great magical powers andis "a multi-vocal symbol which ties together the many analogies that aregiven potential by the comparison of alimentation and reproduction. This suggests two very different peoples. In essence, anthropological world views move fromthe narrow to the general or the local to the global, searching forcongruences and differences when comparing various groups of people acrosstime as well as space. Among the Nuer, religion is dominated by the creator called Kwoth whoestablished the idiom of kinship and created specific roles for men andwomen. A Reader in the Anthropology of Religion. "From The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. In Michael Lambek, Editor. Hopi children from a very young age forward participate in festivalsthat are designed to honor the corn. This world view is inculcatedfrom birth on. Among the Hausa, the belief is that children are born incomplete andmust be prepared to engage in acts of ci. Finally, the Trobriand metaphor of the yam is important. Each ofthe cultures studied in this course has developed systems of beliefs andpractices to explain and manipulate, for good or ill, the fortunes ofindividuals. "Topic: The Nuer."Anonymous. The Hopi therefore develop theirviews throughout their lives. "Topic: The Trobriand."Anonymous. Anthropologists also argue, said Lambek (8-9), that individualswithin society and society itself have a world view and ethos that is oftenpassed down from one generation to another. Among the Nuer, for example, it is believed that a creatorcalled Kwoth exists as the source of good and bad fortune. The groups discussedabove share a key characteristic in terms of their focus on key metaphorsthat reflect both practically and symbolically those things that areinvolved in shaping and informing the norms and mores of a society.Despite their differences, the Hausa, Hopi, Nuer, and Trobriands share thisprinciple organizing structure.Invention of Religion Max Weber (5 -51) has in fact suggested that religions originate fromthe questioning of people as to why misfortunes occur, or as others haveput it, to develop an answer or response to the problem of evil. In so-called Gar ceremonies, the Nuer male passes from childhood into adolescenceand his sexual identity is established. Themurfu is both a powerhouse and a storehouse; its bipolarity becomesapparent in rites where social relationships are regulated ("The Murfu: AnIcon," 5). The Hopi believe in a nature religion and hold that "human beingshave the crucial responsibility to aid in the harmonious, productivefunction of the universe. Forthe Hopi, the metaphor is that of the corn. Lambek (12) points out that while outsiders lookto anthropology for generalizations, anthropologists themselves for themost part tend to examine differences, explore particularities, followconnections, trace patterns, elaborate context, demonstrate complexity, andilluminate paradoxes. Works CitedAnonymous. In Nuer society, men are introduced to manhood through the Garceremony in which deep cuts are made on their foreheads indelibly markinginner and outer nature. The Hopi depend uponsubsistence agriculture and live in close harmony with the natural worldand its seasons. The transmission of aculture's values and beliefs is not totally linear in that it isoccasionally shaped and informed by changes external to the society orencounters with the outside world. This positions women as scapegoats for men'sfailure to live up to their obligations to the lineage, while alsoestablishing an inherently patriarchal and at times abusive society("Topic: The Nuer," 1). They equate menand cattle as opposed to men and corn and live in a fairly simple and starkenvironment in which their greatest passion is their cattle ("Topic: TheNuer," 1). In essence, the ox symbolizes the Nuer moral ideal ("Topic: The Nuer,"1-2). Both emerge from the earth. "Topic: Hausa Hermeneutics."Anonymous. The gar ceremonybrings men and oxen into an intimate relationship so that in some sense, anequation is brought about between man and ox. Editor. Second, a description of competing religious systems willbe provided. In each instance, the metaphors selected by a particular people areimportant because they describe as key symbols the meanings attributed todifferent elements of the world. Among the Hopi, for example, young children are introducedto the Kachina cult by being physically attacked and beaten during Kachinafestivals. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2 4, pp. First, anexploration of various metaphors used by different peoples (i.e., Hausa,Hopi, Nuer, and Trobiands) which illustrate how and what they believe willbe undertaken. Among the Hausa, the key metaphor is that of the murfu, a three stonedbase upon which cooking pots or tukunya are positioned and which representsthe male symbol and the male reproductive organ. Kwothrepresents the moral order of the Nuer which rewards the upright and thejust man while punishing sinners with affliction and adversity ("Topic: TheNuer," 1). The Hausa are increasingly integrated into Islam, creating a numberof major concerns and changes within their particular group ("Topic: TheMurfu: An Icon," 4-5). The Nuer argue that women are the root cause of alltransgressions against lineage unity which along with lineage identity isthe primary Nuer virtue. A Reader in the Anthropology of Religion. He does not milk cows which iswomen's work and is now allowed to care for and own oxen. "Topic: An Introduction to Hopi Cosmology."Anonymous. Surgeries are performed on thethird day of a child's life which to prepare the child for success. Among the Nuer, the most serious offenses are incest consistingof intercourse of marriage within the lineage, adultery, and disrespectfulbehavior to an in-law. According to the course handouts: "Among the Hausathere are two vying traditions of hermeneutics; one is the Islamic,consisting of the Koran and Sufi interpretations of it, and the other isthe remains of a traditional, pre-Islamic world view, which has beenmodified to accommodate and augment Islamic views ("Topic: HausaHermeneutics," 1)." Among the Hopi, ancestors are considered to be important in the formof Kachina. 158-167.Weber, Max. The anthropological world view and ethos is,at least in terms of contemporary anthropological inquiry more universalistthan was once the case. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2 4, pp. Infants are left in the dark for 2 days like corn seed planted in the ground and then shown the sun along withan ear of mother corn. Finally, the anthropological understanding of world view andethos applied to two cultures will be discussed.Various Metaphors It has been suggested that the metaphorical nature of language canprovide an essential key in understanding what people believe and how theybehave. Much the same comment could bemade about any group of people living in any circumstances, including thoseof the traditional middle class American suburb. The Gar ceremony presents a male as ready to livehis life in the company of men and as no longer dependent upon his motherfor food (Topic: The Nuer, 2). An Anthropological Analysis of Various IssuesIntroduction Three specific questions are at issue in this essay. Myth,ritual, symbols, and metaphors are used by all three groups to explain goodand bad fortune and to regulate behavior in order to maintain order.The Anthropological World View The anthropological world view or ethos has been explained by MichaelLambek (2) as incorporating an interdisciplinary approach to understandingthose specific factors, variables, rituals, symbols, myths, norms, legends,and so forth that specifically identify a culture and a people as uniqueand distinctive from others. At the completion of gar, ayoung man's father gives him an ox and he takes the name of his favoriteox. As significantly, "the gardenmagic treats the soil like a womb, the seed yams like a fetus, and pyramidsof poles are built to symbolize breasts ("Topic: The Trobriand," 6).Spirits play as important a part in the gestation of yams as they do inthat of humans and yams function as important and appropriate gifts fromone individual to another, representing the importance of reciprocity tothis particular people. In the case of the Hopi, the Hausa, the Trobriands, and the Nuer, thestructure and logic of ritual symbols which unite the members of societyare based on a key metaphor ("An Introduction to Hopi Cosmology," 1). Most of Hopi ritual focuses on the control of natural forcesamong which the most important is the rain which is vital to the success ofcrops. Ortner (159) notes that most societiescontain key metaphors that reflect dominant values or orientations that areof enormous significance in terms of the religious as well as thesociocultural beliefs and practices of a people. "On Key Symbols." In Michael Lambek, Editor.
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