W5 Flashcards
Colonialism
Refers to the acquisition of new territories throughout the world by European powers from 1492 until approximately 1945.
Felt that Indigenous people were “sub-human.”
The colonizers felt that they were brining Indigenous peoples “progress.”
Industrial Revolution:
A period of European history, generally identified as occurring in the late 18th century, marked by a shift in production from agriculture to industrial goods, urbanization, and the factory system.
Modes of Production:
the dominant pattern of making a living in a culture.
for example: humans used to be nomatic but eventually they began to plant crops- became sedentary , they did swidden agriculture
this transitioned to larger groups - from bands to clans- needed leadership
Swidden Agriculture:
A mode of production in which forests are cleared by burning trees and brush, and crops are planted among the ashes of the cleared ground.
very hard on the land- depletes nutrients.
economics
systems of production, distribution, and consumption.
seeing how they lived- how did they get ressources
bands
refers to equalitarian units of social organization, found mostly among foragers; these units usually consist of fewer than 100 people.
Hadza of Tanzania
Ju/‘hoansi of Namibia
clans
Unilineal descent groups whose members claim descent from a common ancestor; these units usually consist of 200 to 500 people.
states
forms of society characterized by a hierarchal ranking of people and centralized political control. Transition to other forms of agriculture.
Hadza-
cultural group in Tanzania- small nomatic foragers/hunters. They have a lot of food. Women did the hunting while men hunted – they live in a band structure
Juhoansi
always looking for food, much greater amount of time looking for food- women do the foraging, men do the hunting
Unilineal Evolution
clan to ban to state
Anthropologists have long been interested in transitions from one type of social organization to another.
Culture Change:
The changes in meanings that people ascribe to experiences and changes in their way of life.
progress
The idea that human history is the story of a steady advance from a life dependent on the whims of nature to a life of control and domination over natural forces.
getting more control around the world that we live in, its directional- only going straight up
Lewis Henry Morgan
!!!!!
Unilineal theory (1900 century social of evolution that all societies go through a series of standardized stages of change) of human development Savagery - barbarism - civilization. Mechanism of passage from stage to stage= major technological invention. i.e. fire, bow and arrow, animal domestication, etc. In this model, Western societies are the pinnacle- already evolved to civilization.
social theorist
particular groups of peo[le are less evolved than others- social evolution- kind of like darwins theory but applied to humans
evolve by going through standardised stages of life: ban to clan to state
3 standard stages of unalineal evolution
savagery
barbarism
civilisation
as we developed fire we moved from early to middle savagery
Leslie White
Developed a very influential evolutionary scheme.
Like Morgan, used technology as the driving force of evolution.
Harness energy through technology to make things we need for survival.
The more efficient technology is at harnessing energy, the more a society progressed.
who said Harness energy through technology to make things we need for survival.
leslie white.
example, plants, animals, natural resource (oil), nuckear energy
the more you can harness energy, the more you are progressed
Unilineal Evolution:
A theory of social evolution which posited that all societies go through a series of standardized stages of change.
Ethnocentrically positions Western societies at the top of a “ladder of civilization”
Progress
: The idea that human history is the story of a steady advance from a life dependent on the whims of nature to a life of control and domination over natural forces.
Progress for whom?
Progress at what cost?
How has the concept of progress impacted various cultures?
Economic Development:
3 assumptions
refers to an increase in level of technology, and by some, standard of living of a population.
“Develop” is often a codeword for “Westernize.”
Three assumptions:
Economic growth and development is the solution to national as well as global problems.
Global economic integration will contribute to solving global ecological and social problems.
Foreign assistance to undeveloped countries will make things better.
Biomedical Model:
the model that combines biology with the diagnosis and treatment of illness and views the body as a machine, independent of social context, that must be repaired periodically.
Social and cultural patterns affect our chances of dying of a disease.
Dramatic progress in understanding and curing infectious disease, we have made little/ no progress in terms of our ability to provide access to these cures.
Interpersonal Theory of Disease:
A view of disease in which it is assumed that illness is caused by tensions or conflicts in social relations.
i. e. Chewa of Malawi- sorsery- breach in social relationships
i. e. Hmong of Laos:evelop because an ancestor’s spirit has been offended. In addition to this, Hmong individuals may also believe that an illness was caused by a combination of natural and supernatural causes. “Other causes of illness are believed to stem from spells or curses, violation of taboos, accidents, fright, and infectious diseases.”
i. e. Ndemdu of Zambia- disturbance in the social field
