Transcript Exploration
• Modernism: Began with the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. A reaction to the superstition and hysteria of Europe’s “Dark Ages” (The Witch hunt era that we will get into later). – Rationality, objectivity, reason can discover knowledge and truth and lead to progress. – • We can understand everybody/thing everywhere if we adhere to these principles of logic. – This is where our modern thoughts of linearity come from. Are we really more advanced/improved than previous generations? • Post-Modernism: No “true” knowledge, only subjective and objective knowledge. 1980s-Today – Knowledge as a human construction that we must “deconstruct.” – Science is limited: it does not integrate multiple viewpoints/truths. One must be aware of one’s own biases. – We cannot remove our cultural lens but we can become more aware of it. – • Both Modernism and Post-Modernism are Western Society’s Etic ways of viewing other cultures. The beliefs and behaviors of a society Culture is learned Culture is based on Symbols Culture is the lens through which we view our world, it “invents” our reality Ex: What is a tree? 5 groups (1 notetaker for each group) Answer the following in your groups… 1. 2. 3. 4. What does religion mean to you? What role does it play (if any) in your life, and how is it connected to other aspects of your cultural life? Do you hold any beliefs that you would consider as being part of a spirituality/religion? How/by whom was it started? A Western concept like work/economy/politics/technology. In western society, Religion is mostly seen as a clearly delineated aspect of society, separate from the other terms above. Not the case within all cultures. Ex: the Fore, ancient Egypt Operant Definition As Anthropology is a Social Science we need to make sure the terms we use are observable and measureable and therefore can be studied. 1. Functional: What function (or role) does religion have in society? 2. Analytic: How is religion manifested in society? 3. Does it provide a moral code? Explanations for natural events? Through Narratives? Rituals? Ethics? Essentialist: What is the basic nature of religion? What realm is “religion” in? The natural? The supernatural? Sacred: Entitled to reverence and respect Supernatural: “above the natural” Not obeying the laws of nature as we know them. Many times the supernatural is explained by science, further blurring the line between religion and science. • • • • • • • Cultural Anthropologists will traditionally pick one of the following 5 theoretical approaches to work under. Evolutionary Marxist Functional Interpretive Psychosocial See pgs. 16-21 • • When/how religion began This theory was introduced in the 1800s and went hand in hand with Modernism and the Enlightenment. – Logic, science and Monotheism were the pinnacles of human achievement • Western Society represented this pinnacle – Positivism • The only real knowledge is scientific knowledge • This approach generally carries a lot of negative baggage and is seen as outdated. – • All other societies were seen as “primitive” compared to Western Society. The quest for Religion’s origins is still ongoing and many elements of Evolutionary Theory are now combined under the Psychosocial Approach… What is the connection between culture, personality, society and the individual? Sigmund Freud Psychoanalysis ChildParents = Adult Supernatural elements Nurturing/authority figure The biological basis of religious behavior Does our brain create realities that are indistinguishable from “reality,” whatever that means? Developed in the 1800s around same time as the Evolutionary Approach Karl Marx Religion as a construction of those in control of society Obey this religion & “us” and you will be happy A crutch for people too depressed by the miseries of capitalism. • • What role does religion serve in society? Émile Durkheim – • Radcliffe-Brown – • Collective Conscious: Religion serves to hinder selfish tendencies of the individual and promote social cooperation. Symbols are a manifestation of the collective conscious and, when brought up during religious rituals, help to reinforce social cooperation. Need group solidarity (Religion) in order for society to survive Bronislaw Malinowski – Magic and religion as emotional and mental support Developed in response to the Functional Approach. Clifford Geertz The goal of the anthropologist should be to discover meaning, not to look for origins and laws! Based on the work of Max Weber, who was the first to propose looking at culture through Emic Analysis. Go over the Study Questions from the end of Chapter 1 and be ready to discuss their themes in class. Read Stein & Stein Ch 1 Read Kutsche pgs. 1-12 Optional Read Stoller and Olkes Ch 1-4