Anthropology and Subsidiary Topics

Explanation of the Following: From approxamately 3 pm to 5 pm (pacific) Allison Moody and I, Pamela Schnake, engaged in a inerringly fluid, and continually interseting conversation unwaveringly orbiting the sphere of Anthropological theory and observation - with a concentration in the sub-topic of Cultural Relativism. Upon the untimely conclusion of this discussion we felt that the lack of documenting the content of this discussion would be an injustice to great to commit; therefore spending the next half hour reconstructing the conversation to the best of our memory and ability.
Note: for the sake of readability this chart has been broken into categories of the major subjects covered and their resulting sub-topics. However due to the fluidity of the origional conversation such divisions are impositions rather than actual direct topical changes.

Please Enjoy:


Our respective homework

• Ally's anthropology reading
• School
• People who talk a lot in classes
• Woman in Allison's
• Man in Pamela's
• over achievers (specifically in Pamela's Spanish class)

Discussion vs. lecture class

• How that affects us
• How that effects people
• Know it alls
• the folly of debating with professor on their field of study

Getting hit on (each relayed a recent experience)

• talking to people on the bus
• the difficulty of meeting people without church life
• the difficulty of meeting people in classes
• How to meet people in classes
• Conundrum of speaking to boys in classes

Margaret Mead/The development of Anthropological method

• Error in ethnographic studies – Mead's biased study of teen sexuality in Samoa (Coming of Age in Samoa)
• Ethical boundaries within social science – Meade's study involving blue/brown eyed children
• Pros and Cons of cultural relativism and typical anthropological/sociological though

Linguistics – the folly of Political correctness/the problem of vernacular definitions vs. dictionary definitions

• College class discussions
• Woman in Ally's class

The function and perpetuation of classes in society

• Conflict theory vs. functionalist theory
• Positive function of poor in society – a rarely accepted but inherently obvious topic.
• Story: political correctness as it relates to Ally's friend and gypsies

Gypsy culture and personal experiences: observations, thoughts, and questions

• Pamela's interaction with Gypsies in Romania
• Lack of ethics in their lifestyle
• How outsiders respond:
• Social Scientists – do not find error in lifestyle in the name of cultural relativism
• General public – shun Gypsies completely and avoid interaction
• The need for a median and standard of behavior – yes their lifestyle is unethical, harmful, and mostly wrong – but how do we work with them regardless?
• Amazing ability of transplant globally while retaining culture/ inability and lack of desire to meld into any given culture

More on Cultural Relativism

• Introspection on the establishment of personal convictions/opinions and their origins
• Experiences with Romanians/Eastern Europeans: Allison's in America, Pamela's in Romania/Latvia
• Meeting Pamela's Latvian friends (interjection)

Stereotypes vs. Socio-types

• friendliness
• differences between North West, South, North East, and Mid West (in US)
• Similarities between Mid West and North West
• The effect of topography on shaping Cultures (though MW and NW do not follow)
• Similarities between Austria, Oregon, and Colorado (all being mountainous areas)
• Cultures with Cold Surface vs. Friendly Surface
• difference between Austria and Germany
• Pamela not liking German or English bluntness
• Dislike (for lack of better word) of social stiffness in England
• Comments on respective skill in relating to colder cultures (Allison) and warmer but needy cultures (Pamela)
• Europeans Stereotyping Each Other
• Specific Examples: England/Scotland, Germany/Poland, Norway/Sweden, Europe/Turkey

Gushing over Northern Ireland: love, fascination, and experiences

• Northern Irish: nice to everyone but each other
• Tempers of Northern Irish (one and only drawback to otherwise perfect personality)
• Introduction of tourism to Norn. Iron. (in last 4 years)
• General public's lack of knowledge about N. Iron. verses Rep. Of Iron.
• Hair color of the Northern Irish
• Red Heads
• Query and discussion: How is red hair so rare while apparently being genetically dominant
• The dorkyness of redheads: examples and possible explanations

END OF DISCUSSION DUE TO RINGING PHONE


FINAL THOUGHT: We've been in school waaaaaaay too much.