One-Minute Talk Revised

My name is Ashley. Before this class I didn't know what anthropology was. I surely didn't think it was important because I avoided it. I made my LC choice by making sure my block didn't have anthropology in it. The first day of class, I still didn't understand anthropology. The class introduction left me intrigued but puzzled. Then, the first reading assignment cleared things up. I learned a lot about culture. My favorite concept in this course was gender. Perhaps it was because I had a group presentation on that chapter but I just really enjoyed it. I never heard of matriarchical socities. The enthnography in the other book was also interesting. The society described, where there were no fathers, was alien to me.

One Minute Talk

My name is Ashley and before this class I didn’t even know what Anthropology was. I dismissed all the LC’s that offered Anthropology when I was first applying to Baruch. I didn’t hate the class like I thought I would. Out of participating in this class, I decided to try to be more open minded and not compare other cultures to my own. As this course progressed, I found myself wishing we would have more time to allot on each chapter so that I could really learn everything. I also was initially excited to hear that this class environment was going to be different than any other class. There was supposed to be more participation and class discussions. We were so pressed for time this semester that I never experienced that and as a result became disappointed and a bit uninterested.

My Final Blog Post

When I started this semester, I found myself most excited for this Anthropology class. I didn’t like the blogs or the quizzes or all of the reading that was thrown at us in the first few days. I felt overwhelmed. But Professor Gaunt’s animism and enthusiasm made me feel excited none the less. I hated the Kottak book. It was almost always a dry read that I could not focus on. I did poorly on all the quizzes because of how hard it was for me to read that book. I did enjoy the second book. The enthnographies that we read this semester helped me to understand concepts better than the Kottak chapters. Blogging was definitely a chore for me this semester. I don’t like to use the internet so much for homework. It’s easy for me to get distracted or forget. I had to make an immense effort to get the comments and blogs done on time. I also didn’t like that other people had access to my thoughts. I would’ve preferred handing in my reactions on a typed sheet of paper. I liked the ideas and most of the videos that were on the Anthropology 1001 blog. I believe those also helped solidify concepts.

Initially, I did not know what anthropology was and I dismissed it (especially when I was choosing an LC freshman semester). But I took it as a requirement and I learned a lot from it. I don’t know if I’ve become more tolerant but I do try to not compare things cross-culturally. I just try to take everything at face value and stay open-minded. My excitement did dwindle throughout the semester. We were too pressed for time and far too many things were being taught to us. A lot of the ideas that I had to share were ignored and I often noticed students with their hands up who were never called on. I hope that next semester, others students will be able to participate actively in class as we were promised in the beginning of the semester. But there was good feedback when I needed it. I feel that my final project, the mini-ethnography, will be much better because I received the direction that I truly needed.

Chapter 15

"The Road to Refugee Resettlement," by Dianna Shandy, is, to say the least, an eye-opener. And it was definetly my favorite of all the enthnographies we read this semester. The structure of the piece made it feel more like a story then any other ethnography. The beginning of the story of the Nuer youth and the ceremonial scaring seemed like it was going to be what the entire story was about. But, it was overshadowed by the theme of immigration, and more specifically the immigration process for refugees. I thought Thok Ding’s story was interesting. The way it begins with him being in refugee camps and that being the way he gains his education was inspirational. And then, he learned, like other refugees did, to tell a refugee story without making yourself the dramatic murderer. His experience in America was fascinating. He found other Nuer to live with, even though the United States separates groups of refugees to speed up the process of assimilation.

Shandy mentions that in America, when a person is educated they are deemed either underemployed or their degree is not recognized (157). My boyfriend lives in the Lower East Side and frequently visits the local hookah bars. A lot of the employees at the Cozy Café are immigrants and they are college graduates in their countries. One man, Ayman, has a degree in accounting in Egypt but his degree isn’t acknowledged here. His English is impeccable, as are his social skills. I’m around him a lot and I just think it’s unfortunate that he has to pursue his degree yet again here in America. One of my sorority sisters is married to a man from Brazil and his degree is also ignored. He also has to take jobs that he would never have to consider if he still lived in Brazil. I think this is an extreme disservice to the immigrants that come to this country. It’s an injustice that could definitely be remedied through a qualification test or something.

Shandy, Dianna. “The Road to Refugee Resettlement.” Conformity and Conflict. Pearson 2008. pp. 151-160

Mixed Blood

Jeffrey M. Fish's "Mixed Blood," actually was as amazing as Professor Gaunt said it would be. I didn't struggle to relate to the content. I also feel that I learned from it. Race is definitely socially constructed, as Fish says. The physical characteristics that we commonly associate with blacks, whites, Hispanics, or Asians, occur in other races as well. The different textures of hair, such as curly or straight, are not exclusive to a particular region. If that were the case, than people would easily fit into racial categories. In Puerto Rico (as I have been told by family), the inhabitants come in various shades and they classify themselves as white, black or Indio (or India for women). These social constructions are offensive and cause unnecessary division. My grandmother, for instance, would be white. I'm tan so I fall under the India category. As a result, my own grandmother is offended by me. My sister is white so she's favored over me. It's unnecessary.
Also, here in America racial categories have some variety. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, other, multiracial. I've never really understood why we have to explicitly state our race on a census. Why not something more specific or less offensive? Like, ancestral origins and you list all that apply. Few people in this world aren't mixed.
I also found the tipos of Brazil to be extremely interesting. I had trouble placing myself into a category though. I could be a morena because I have brown hair that is slightly wavy (when I don't straighten it), my skin is tan, and my lips aren't thin; however, I do have a narrow nose. But no other tipos fit me. This chapter was extremely informative because it made me see how ineffective racial groups actually are. I never saw that before because when I hear Hispanic, which is what I identify myself as, I think of a pretty inclusive category.

Fish, Jeffrey M. "Mixed Blood." Conformity and Conflict. 4th edition. Pearson. 2008. pp. 84-94.

Chapter 13 - Baseball Magic

“Baseball Magic,” by Geoorge Gmelch, was a very cute ethnography. It brought to light all the quirky habits that baseball players have and revealed them to be more than mere superstitions. Many baseball players perform rituals or adhere to taboos to do well during a game. For example, outfielder John White picks up a piece of paper before each and every game as a ritual. White truly believes that picking up paper will improve his game as a result of the first instance it happened when he “got some good hits that night” (Gmelch 129). Another player, like pitcher Turk Wendell, wears a necklace with the teeth of all the animals he has ever killed.

I never noticed all the rituals that baseball players put so much care into. Perhaps it is because I don’t watch enough baseball, or perhaps it is because my own religious beliefs are too skeptical to permit rituals and superstitions. The chapter in the Kottak book was about religion and the way people do bizarre things in order to establish control. I don’t have a religion or a need to explain the unexplainable. I don’t have good luck charms or taboos. Friday the 13th is a regular day. If there is a ladder and nowhere else for me to walk, I’ll walk under it. But I did find the text on these things interesting. It’s enlightening to understand people and the way they use their charms. Just this Sunday, when I became an official member of Kappa Phi Alpha sorority, I learned of one of their taboos regarding personal gear (greek lettered clothing). I do not know how specific I can be with what they told me because greek organizations are secretive and I’ve yet to be educated on so much, but regardless I thought what they told me was really silly. I have to adhere to it out of respect because if I don’t they’ll think I’m bringing bad luck upon them. But Gmelch’s story and the Kottak chapter kind of help me understand the taboo.

Gmelch, George. "Baseball Magic." Conformity and Conflict. 4th edition. Pearson. 2008. pp 126-135.

Chapter 5: Mother's Love: Death without Weeping

The story, "Mother's Love: Death without Weeping" by Nancy Scheper-Hughes, discusses infant/young child mortality in Brazil. The others of Bom Jesus guard themselves from the mourning of their children. They do not mourn them but view the frequent occurance as a patron saint claiming its angel. Each year "about 45 percent [of deaths] are of children under the age of five" (Scheper-Hughes 49). When is it safe for a mother to love her child? The seemingly callous mothers are really protecting themselves. Some let themselves cry for the death of their children but it is a sign of weakness. It is also a sign of weakening faith. To be unhappy with the fate of the child is to challenge God's plan.

In history, this process of dissociation has been a common one. English settlers, in colonial America, did not name their babies until after the first year. It was a way to protect the mother against depression if her child died. The same occurs in Bom Jesus. The nation is not medically sound. Doctors mistreat and misdiagnosed young patients. The mother's are practically powerless in the rehabilitation of their infants. The mother's are also forced to put themselves and their "strong" children first. They have to continue to work and provide. Taking care of a struggling infant is a risk in Bom Jesus.

It's hard to judge the mothers of this place. "The average woman of the Alto experiences 9.5 pregnancies, 3.5 child deaths, and 1.5 stillbirths" (Scheper-Hughes 49). To lose a child is basically unnatural. The parents are supposed to raise the child, and the child buries the parent. That is what my father has always told me when we hear of a miscarriage or the death of a child.

Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. "Mother's Love: Death without Weeping." Conformity and Conflict. 4th edition. Pearson Education Inc. 2008. pp. 45-54.