Lecture 16 - World Of Discovery Flashcards
What are naturalizing discourses?
Representations of identities as eternal and unchanging rather than products of history and culture
Examples include caste, class, race, ethnicity, and nationality.
Why are anthropologists suspicious of naturalizing discourses?
They ignore historical evidence, present-day variations, and distract from social inequalities
For example, the concept of monogamy may overlook historical social arrangements.
What is the root of inequality in nation states?
Multiple social categories organized hierarchically.
How are classes defined?
Hierarchically arranged social groups based on access to wealth.
What historical events shifted class structures in Europe?
The French Revolution and Industrial Revolution in the 1700s.
These events replaced feudal aristocrats with bourgeois capitalists but did not undo the hierarchy.
How does class reflect in food consumption?
Different classes have access to different types of food, such as oysters and truffles.
What is an example of a high-cost food item?
White truffles costing 300,000 Euro for 1.5 kg.
Examples of present day naturalizing discourses around food.
Veganism is ‘better’ and meat eaters are ‘better’.
What is an example of cultural expectations around school lunches?
Teachers advising students to bring whole grain bread instead of white bread.
What is a universal aspect of family meals?
Historically, children did not eat with parents or speak during meals.
How are social classes in North America typically defined?
By income and thought to be open and permeable.
What aspect of class does income represent?
Only one aspect of class; Canada separates systems via income.
What is the definition of caste?
Ranked groups in a hierarchically stratified society that prohibit movement between castes.
What is the prototype of caste stratification?
A system in India where lighter skin correlates with higher class.
How have anthropologists applied the term caste?
To describe societies with endogamous occupational groupings or ruling elites.
