Anthropology 53 Final

Foucault

1960s-1980s Foucault's method embodies existentialism. The anthropologist became accustomed to an/forms of identity manifested by society, bringing into question self-identification and what is considered to be "taboo." In simplicity, Foucault proposes that the individual does things as a complex product of discourses and techniques. While society demands the surrender of the individual by identification through normalization, the philosopher suggests that identity is arbitrary. Thus, proposing the concept that power is concentrated in a institution.

Geertz

20th century cultural anthropologist who is most famous for his ideas of symbolic anthropology, in which cultural symbols are analyzed in order to understand the culture. He is most famous for works such as "The Interpretation of Cultures," in which he demonstrates how symbolic anthropology can be used. An example of that is in the chapter he writes about Balinese cockfighting, in which he uses the cockfight as an overarching symbol for Balinese society both traditional and modern, in contrast to the ideas of Jeremy Bentham who described "Deep Play" as a game with stakes so high no rational person would play it. Geertz elucidates the idea that symbols are ambiguous. Interpretation of cultures = different perspectives & an array of cultures

EP

A 20th century English social anthropologist famous for his investigations of African culture and his explanations of witchcraft and magic. One of his most famous works is "Witchcraft Among the Azande." There, he argues that the Azande system of witchcraft--or Mangu, in it's emic term--is just as rational in its own way as Western science. Further elaborating on the ideational system, the anthropologist conveys that systems such as religion, superstition, taboo, and witchcraft are concepts that seek to make reason of misfortunate events through deeper meanings, often being metaphysical. He was a leading anthropologist in that concept, helping to create the field. Azande witchcraft etic cultural meaning/ Critique of functionalism 1911-1932 "Witchcraft" ---> etic ideational system: the system of concepts & ideas religion superstition, taboo, witchcraft = misfortunate/events reasoned by a deeper meaning, often metaphysical portrays the idea that Azande are rational // not primitive nor lesser ideas, concepts, pictures of reality natural & supernatural = claims about reality; beliefs

inside vs. outside

A commonly discussed idea in anthropology, also called "emic" and "etic" meanings, respectively. Authors like Geertz use it when discussing the values assigned to activities such as cockfighting outside of its objective value (monetary value, in this case) to outsiders. Mintz uses the concept to describe how sugar is valued as a commodity due to social connotations outside of its value as a flavoring or food. Evans-Pritchard uses it to describe how the Azande system of witchcraft is internally consistent and rational, despite looking superstitious and nonsensical to outsiders. The local, internal side of something is assigned values and connotations outside of its objective, outside meaning. "etic vs emic" Emic: Participant -> experienced (contemporary, local, cultural) Etic: Non-participant -> perspective (historical, larger historical)

The Five Sexes

An essay by Anne Fausto-Sterling describing the role of the hermaphrodite in modern society. Fausto-Sterling talks about how naturally humans are not confined to two sexes (we are not confined to five, either, she simply uses that to serve a point), but rather that that idea was created in order to label and thus control people. This is similar to Foucault's idea of biopower, where people are controlled, politically and socially, through their biology. By labelling people as one or the other, we are able to better control them.

Mintz

An important figure in the anthropological trend of in-depth study of particular aspects of a group, including its cultural and historical context. His work "Sweetness and Power" is a good example of this, as it goes into detail on the history of sugar. Mintz also propagates the idea that individuals do not merely decipher culture but also actively participate in its codification. He also writes about sugar as not just consumption but symbolic exchange, and status symbols. Mintz analyzes the process of how a commodity becomes used in a culture. He analyzes how meaning is put into behavior, especially noting its historic roots and connotations. In the book "Sweetness and Power," Mintz portrays the concept that individuals not only decipher culture as a code, but the process of codification itself. In the book "Sweetness and Power," Mintz conveys and observes consumption as status, or a symbolic exchange.

Mangu

Azande term translating, in English, to "witchcraft." The Azande believe that witches use mangu to cause bad things to happen to people they don't like. Evans-Pritchard was the leading anthropologist studying both Azande witchcraft in particular and that field in general. He concluded that although from the outside mangu seems superstitious and primitive, they only use it to explain coincidence--mangu explains why sometimes bad things happen even though normally it doesn't, like a granary collapsing on people even when they normally don't. In this way, E-P says, Azande witchcraft is just as logical as Western scientific thinking in seeking to create reason for the unknown.

Biopolitics

Biopolitics is a term first coined by Foucault. The style of government that regulates population through biopower. This political technology allows for the control of entire populations. It is used to indicate practices of public health, regulation of risks, birthrate, death rate, etc.

Biopower

Biopower is a term coined by Foucault defined by the juxtaposition of both authority and expertise. Through this "specialists" are enabled to utilize specialized vocabulary in passing moral judgements off as "expertise." Because humans romanticize (love) order, categorization is derived as a play on power.

Dramatization

Dramatization attracts the masses; thus, bringing attention to the larger, deeper conflicts through the practice of dramatics to evoke a reaction. Behaviors and habits are ideally forms of art, in which expression is demonstrated through human action. Like text, culture at large is dramatized in its practice to be analyzed and understood. Despite high emotional stakes and drama, no one's status ever changes as the direct result of a cockfight.

Bentham

English philosopher in the late 18th and very early 19th centuries. Most importantly he came up with the idea of "Deep Play," or games with stakes so high no rational person would play them. Clifford Geertz's seminal work "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight" debates this idea as Geertz describes betting on cockfights which rationally make no sense in terms of economics but which makes perfect sense to the locals because of the status and other values assigned to the activity. Bentham argues that men are fools and are irrational by nature.

Eskimo Science

Eskimo science, an article by Richard Nelson, represents the use of cultural relativism in methodological approaches. Science and technology in entirety underlyingly implicates a connotation of power. Because Western Science tends to damage nature in it's practice it, in essence, displays humans at a higher status than that of the environment and nature. However in contrast, Eskimo science utilizes it's practice by engaging as a participant of nature, as their knowledge is based on a foundation of understanding and respect for the both the environment and animals alike.

Balinese Cockfight

Geertz argues that money matters to a degree, as it also doubles as a cultural artifact. In gambling Geertz implicates that currency is less so a matter of "economic gains" and more of a "status" view in gambling. In terms of Balinese cockfighting, the cock is very much a representation of pride and masculinity as much as money represents prestige. The utilization of power is more significant than the importance of money in it's literal sense. Therefore in gambling, winning represents a transfer of power; seamlessly connoting that succession embodies a casual form of ascension itself.

Values vs Disvalues

Geertz describes how cultures, especially in regard to a specific symbol, have connotations which are favored and those which are not. In the example of the Balinese cockfight, ramé, or the highly desireable social state of a crowded, active situation is in contrast to paling, a "whirling confusion," which is very undesirable and even akin to madness. Both of these are represented in the extreme in the cockfight, which Geertz interprets as an explanation of how the cockfight represents both good and bad aspects of the Balinese worldview.

Culture as text

Geertz proposes that culture should be understood in parallel to reading a textbook. In simplicity, analysis of culture is not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning. In its practice, evaluating culture as a text requires the implementation of your own personal experiences to the understanding of culture.

Deep Play

Jeremy Bentham was a philosopher in the late 18th and early 19th centuries who described "deep play" as a game with stakes so high no rational person would play it. Clifford Geertz addressed this idea in the 1950s with his paper "Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight." There he says that though it seems like betting on cockfights in Bali would be economically illogical, the social connotations attached to gambling are the real reason why vast amounts of money are put on the line.

Demand

Mintz questions the traditional economic conceptualization of demand in his book "Sweetness and Power." Instead of focusing on standard supply and demand economics, he questions where the demand comes from and why such demand would occur. In his book he focuses on the commodity of sugar or sucrose, which he argues became the generalized food of choice to provide the flavor of sweetness. Pretty much, Mintz just considers "demand" as a social and cultural question, because demand only exists because of the cultural context surrounding the commodity.

Sweetness

Sweetness is a taste, otherwise known as a quality. Mintz seeks to differentiate sweetness as opposition to sweet substances.

Disciplinary Power

This is the method of control over a society that attempts to create reform through things like asylums and prisons. This is in opposition to corporal punishment that was evident in methods like beheading or cutting off a thief's hand. Foucault argued that this method is ineffective and saw that it resulted in 'docile bodies'. Disciplinary power attempts to reform the individual instead of the things that happened to the individual.