Anthropology #2

Group 3:

1.) How do the lives and diets of the Hadza hunter-gatherers compare to your own?  Do you think you could live this lifestyle?  Why or why not?

 

2.) Do you agree with Leslie White’s theory that “technology is the true measure of progress,” or do you think that simpler ways of life (referred to as a “lost paradise” in Chapter 2) are more ideal? Imagine if you were one of the people in an nonindustrial country; What problems or feelings would you have adapting to a more modern way of life?

 

3.) Why do you believe infectious diseases are more common in modern societies than in simpler societies, despite the progress of healthcare and hygiene? 

 

Group 4:

1.) With the five stages of grief everyone deals with letting go differently, as we have discussed in class, people may skip stages or not even deal with grief in these stages. Do you think people grieve in a different way because of their age?  What do you think the most important/valuable stage of grief is?  What makes our culture different from other cultures in regards to how we deal with the death of a loved one?  

 

2.) Cultural Anthropologists have to look critically at everyday experiences in order to find the purpose and meaning of everyday things in the world. In what way could a Cultural Anthropologist’s morals interfere with looking at the world objectively? Is it at all possible for a Cultural Anthropologist to view their subjects in a completely objective way, or will personal morals and beliefs always reflect in their findings?  If an Anthropologist disagrees with or dislikes aspects of a culture is it possible to change them?  Is it morally acceptable to attempt this?

 

3.) When individuals or groups started to change from hunting and gathering to a more agricultural based setting, what do you think made these particular groups want to change? Why do you think that it would benefit them further at the time of change?