Cultural Anthropology: A Materialist Perspective
History of Anthropology
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Social and cultural anthropology examines how people live in society, including their customs, language, and behaviors. Social anthropologists study the relationship between behavioral patterns and values, standards, and material culture.
Anthropological Research
This anthropological research delves into the lifestyles of diverse cultures, particularly those with seemingly irrational or inexplicable practices. Harris analyzes ethnographic descriptions from other researchers, providing a fresh perspective on the beliefs and practices of these cultures, moving beyond ethnocentric interpretations.
Methodology
Sources and Methods
Harris primarily relies on secondary sources of information, including biographical methods, biographies, interviews with other anthropologists (e.g., pg. 27), and historical texts. Examples of historical texts used include excerpts from the Gospel (pg. 174) and the “Book of the Hundred Chapters” from the early 16th century (pg. 204).
Qualitative Analysis
The analysis employs a qualitative research approach, utilizing inductive reasoning and thoughtful consideration to develop approximate definitions of the phenomena being studied. Harris operates under the assumption that human life is not random and that practical, material explanations often underpin spiritual or mythological beliefs. Throughout the book, he strives to offer plausible explanations for cultural practices, recognizing that even if not entirely accurate, they represent a starting point for understanding different cultures.
Comparative Method
The comparative method is also employed, as seen in the chapter on the sacred cow, which compares the effectiveness of cattle usage in India and the United States.
Materialist Perspective
of different cultures, which introduce and adopt different ways of interpreting the world according to socio-economic moment in which they are immersed.
CULTURE
· · Values are general ideas that people share about what is good or bad.
· The rules are specific guidelines for action that indicate how people should behave in similar situations.
· Symbols are objects, gestures, sounds or images that represent something other than themselves.
• The language is a system of verbal symbols with rules for how these symbols should be chained to convey meaning more complete.
· Ethnocentrism is the tendency to regard self-culture models as good and
correct, as the measure for judging others.
· · Cultural relativism is one position where the values and cultural patterns deserve respect. At the extreme is understood that cultures should be judged only on their own terms.
· Enculturation is the social process by which one learns and transmits culture through the generations.
> · Acculturation is the exchange of cultural features resulting from direct contact between groups.
· Material Culture is what is exposed over time, something physical, material, for example. Sculptures, Paintings, etc.
· Nonmaterial culture is not exposed to the passage of time and most likely to be lost, for example, the oral tradition, language, etc..
EMIC AND ETIC
Yanomamo Indians living on the border of Brazil and Venezuela. It is a warlike and aggressive people. Its inhabitants have skin covered in scars and bruises of women are caused by beatings from husbands of these.
The fatal beating men provided their women without symptoms of provocation. This masculine supremacy is done to highlight the power of men and their destructive power. They come to have numerous clashes even with family members due to the ingestion of hallucinogens. The Yanomamo attribute their machismo and mythical interpretations and women in marriage would be hit by their husbands. The method of communication between them is simply war and bellicosity whose sole purpose is to kill as many men and get a lot of trophies, as embodied in women. The struggles are rooted in the lack of proteins, because animals have been consumed and there is a need to explore cities to loot and to get women.
· · Emic explanations are the views from the participants in this cultural mode. Thus, the lack of protein causes the search fields expand and compete with other tribes, establishing relationships bellicose. On the other hand requires a large number of women to create men who are responsible to go hunting, so people are very interested in having a large number of women.
Etic explanations are the views from outside observers thus cultural, and think that men are rapists, stalkers and abusers of women, and this is how we consider in our society.