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Rules or laws against killing are essentially a cultural universal, meaning all cultures have rules
regarding the killing other people and the punishments for breaking these rules. How do the
Yanomamo rules regarding killing and the consequences for breaking these rules differ from the
rules in Western cultures in general? (5 its) In the Yanomamo culture the consequences are much more sever in the realm of kill and eventually be killed in return. An obvious difference is the way the rules are passed along from generation to generation and with them not having a written language to keep everyone in a certain guided path everyone in the different group know what the unspoken "rules" are. In Western cultures everything is written down (for the most part). Almost every civil matter has rules and laws that have attended to each subject. Everything is very structured leaving room for serious rebellion to take place.
- Describe the process of revenge killings as it is expressed in Yanomamo populations. (5 its) With revenge killing in the Yanomamo population it all centers around groups called "raiding parties" no Yanomamo is said to every go out to do a revenge killing on their own. Once in these "raiding parties" they tea off to the place where the revenge killing will take place and out of the parities that make it to their preferred destination they are able to take revenge. The members of the group that for instance kill sue with an arrow is awarded upon returning back home.
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Revenge killings are a dangerous for those who take part. What are the benefits of obtaining the
status of unokais? How do they compare to the benefits of being a non-unokais? Why would a
man choose to become an unokais instead of being a non-unokais? (10 its) The word unokais means "Those who have killed" so with this title not only opens up a man's life for pride but also the man's "..., political status, economic support, marriage possibilities, and protection from aggressors" (988). Along with that they are as able to have many children thus increasing the size of the kin group. This growth leads it's self well to domination of not only that specific tribe but also neighboring tribes. -
Identify and describe the relationship between revenge killings and these aspects of the
Yanomamo culture. How do they influence and affect each other?
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Political structure (5 pts) The Headmen are the ones who decisions are carried though and done.
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Social Status/Social Organization (5 pts) Social Status is contingent upon the number of killings that that person has all ready finished.
- Kinship (5 pts) There are a lot of interrelated people within the culture that come from the same patriarchal line. It is preferred that women and men get tougher that are from the same lineage but just a town over (first cousin).
- Marriage & Reproduction (5 pts) If a man is an unokai there he has the privilege to live a polygynous lifestyle. The man that is not a unokai do not end up passing their genes on.
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Political structure (5 pts) The Headmen are the ones who decisions are carried though and done.
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Behaviors that are usually labeled as “anti-social”,sat such as killing other people, are generally
thought to be a bad thing to do under most circumstances, other than defense. Why do we need laws against something that no one should want to do? Use your reading of the article to help you explain your answer. (10 its) Without rules everyone would get to do what they wanted to do instead of what is right. With rules people know what the limits are and they comply and either stay within the hard guidelines or rebelling. LIke in the article it talked about the people of the unruled society can use their " own skills and coercive abilities" If everyone just relied on their own abilities then people would start to die off because the strongest would survive.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Vengeance Above All
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It is kind of interesting that we have to have laws to make us focus on someone others than ourselves. You say, "If everyone just relied on their own abilities then people would start to die off because the strongest would survive." If there were no laws, the majority of people would probably just look out for their own interest and do anything to get where they wanted, even if that meant killing someone else. The laws that are in place force us to "see" others needs even if we do not necessarily care about them, even though we should.
ReplyDeleteYou said consequences are more severe in Yanomamo killings - which is true, though I have implied otherwise. It's all about perspective: viewing the situation with consideration of the law or of "human law." I would think, for instance, in the United States, murders do not go unpunished. But then again, they don't go unpunished with the Yanomamo either, does it? The punisher is just different.
ReplyDeleteGood post.
I appreciate that you took a different view on this. Many students argued that this system of revenge killings was the result of lack of rules, but are suggesting that it is the result of a more severe set of unforgiving rules. I tend to agree with you. Rules don't have to be written down to exist and you do a great job of describing the process of transmission from generation to generation.
ReplyDeleteYou make the connection between revenge killings and social status and reproduction, but not between the political and kinship structure.
With the comment of "only the strongest survive", you have pulled in the biological aspect of this article which is a key point. Humans have instinctual behaviors. The Yanomamo act on them and the result are the revenge killings. Despite the fact that we are a western culture with our system of justice with laws against these behaviors, does that mean we have lost those instinctual behaviors. Absolutely not, and that's why we need to laws. Good job.
(Note: Thursday submission)