Part 1: This experiment was pretty easy. The person I had a conversation with was even more expressive because I was giving her facial feedback and that got me more engaged even though I wasn't even speaking. If two people were interacting together for the first in this type of situation it would make both parties uncomfortable. The expressive/ symbolic culture would be more at ease when speaking of complex ideas am. Like, the symbolic person would be very thoughtful and well understood while the non-symbolic person was just looked at as weird.
Part 2: I was able to last the full 15 minutes off and on, I spent most of the time trying to pull myself together and not laugh that the situation at hand. The most difficult thing was not using expression that would add a deeper element of understanding to the conversation. She was not able to connect with me in this time of communication and her eyes glazed over because she was not involved, she said that it seemed like I wasn't even talking to her. Eye contact was also extremely awkward.
Our non-speech communication is so important because many people thrive on that connection to get the main point across.
Yes there are definitely people that have trouble reading body language excluding people that might have had autism that grew up with non- expressive parents. A benefit to not reading body language environmentally could come about with hunting.
Part 3: No I think written language would have been a distraction to the flow of the story that my conversational partner was sharing with me.
It gives people a outlet to express themselves when other people might read there body cues or expressive cues in a hazardous way.
Through written language people have been able to write down exactly what they mean because they have had time to run the idea through their mind over and over to get to the main point. Written language has also been a catalyst for dialogue among people which in turn pushes people to think differently. This has therefore gotten people to express themselves in a different way.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Miners Findings
Part A:
1. Developed
We can see that this tribe is not playing around when it comes to tribal worship matters. It is understood throughout the tribe that these shrines are to be put into each household with a 1 shrine minimum. "While each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret."
2. Vague
"In this chest are kept the many charms and magical potions without which no native believes he could live."
3. Punctilious
"The supplicant entering the temple is first stripped of all his or her clothes. In everyday life the Nacirema avoids exposure of his body and its natural functions. Bathing and excretory acts are performed only in the secrecy of the household shrine, where they are ritualized as part of the body-rites."
4. Masochistic
"If there are no naturally occurring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance can be applied. In the client's view, the purpose of these ministrations [8] is to arrest decay and to draw friends."
5. Persuasive
"It was reported to me that the ritual consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures."
Part B:
1. As an American, how do you feel about your choice of descriptive words in Part A?
I think that my words (developed, vague, punctilious, masochistic, and persuasive) were pretty spot on when describing the different facets of American society in general and in some extreme ways.
2. Do any of your choices exhibit ethnocentrism on your part?
None of my choices exhibited any bias because I was looking this free from trying to fluff a society for my own gain.
3. For any of the words that are biased, can you provide alternate words that are free of bias but communicate the same explanatory information and intent of your original word?
I believe that all of my words that were chosen were unbiased.
4. From this experience, reflect on the importance of avoiding ethnocentric judgments when describing other cultures. Why is it important to describe another culture in a manner as free from personal cultural bias as possible? Do you think it is possible to completely avoid personal cultural bias as a Cultural Anthropologist?
The importance of avoiding ethnocentric judgement goes hand and hand with the ethical sound and validity of a Cultural Anthropologist. The better an Cultural Anthropologist is able to describe and experience a culture with a blank slate and openly discuss what happens shows that this person has the best idea in mind for the culture at hand.
1. Developed
We can see that this tribe is not playing around when it comes to tribal worship matters. It is understood throughout the tribe that these shrines are to be put into each household with a 1 shrine minimum. "While each family has at least one such shrine, the rituals associated with it are not family ceremonies but are private and secret."
2. Vague
"In this chest are kept the many charms and magical potions without which no native believes he could live."
3. Punctilious
"The supplicant entering the temple is first stripped of all his or her clothes. In everyday life the Nacirema avoids exposure of his body and its natural functions. Bathing and excretory acts are performed only in the secrecy of the household shrine, where they are ritualized as part of the body-rites."
4. Masochistic
"If there are no naturally occurring holes in the teeth, large sections of one or more teeth are gouged out so that the supernatural substance can be applied. In the client's view, the purpose of these ministrations [8] is to arrest decay and to draw friends."
5. Persuasive
"It was reported to me that the ritual consists of inserting a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then moving the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures."
Part B:
1. As an American, how do you feel about your choice of descriptive words in Part A?
I think that my words (developed, vague, punctilious, masochistic, and persuasive) were pretty spot on when describing the different facets of American society in general and in some extreme ways.
2. Do any of your choices exhibit ethnocentrism on your part?
None of my choices exhibited any bias because I was looking this free from trying to fluff a society for my own gain.
3. For any of the words that are biased, can you provide alternate words that are free of bias but communicate the same explanatory information and intent of your original word?
I believe that all of my words that were chosen were unbiased.
4. From this experience, reflect on the importance of avoiding ethnocentric judgments when describing other cultures. Why is it important to describe another culture in a manner as free from personal cultural bias as possible? Do you think it is possible to completely avoid personal cultural bias as a Cultural Anthropologist?
The importance of avoiding ethnocentric judgement goes hand and hand with the ethical sound and validity of a Cultural Anthropologist. The better an Cultural Anthropologist is able to describe and experience a culture with a blank slate and openly discuss what happens shows that this person has the best idea in mind for the culture at hand.
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