Lecture Ecological Anthropology: Theoretical Approaches - Dr. Annuska Derks

Lecture Ecological Anthropology: Theoretical Approaches of Dr. Annuska Derks Cross cultural study of society and environment, Influence Environment on Society vs Influence Society on Environment.
Nội dung trích xuất từ tài liệu:
Lecture Ecological Anthropology: Theoretical Approaches - Dr. Annuska DerksEcological Anthropology:Theoretical ApproachesDr.AnnuskaDerksWhat does Anthropologycontribute to the study of theenvironment?Crossculturalstudyofsocietyandenvironment InfluenceEnvironmentonSociety vs InfluenceSocietyonEnvironmentEcological Anthropology: An Overview Early20thcentury:EnvironmentalPossibilism 1950s1960s:CulturalEcology 1960s1980s:EcologicalAnthropology: Neofunctionalism 1990snow:EcologicalAnthropology:New Ecologies/ProcessualApproaches 3 theoretical approaches CulturalEcology–JulianSteward EcosystemApproach–RoyRappaport CulturalMaterialism–MarvinHarrisCultural Ecology JulianSteward(19021972) EffectofenvironmentuponcultureEcology=„adaptationtoenvironment“Culturalecology=studyofadaptationtoenvironmentbymeansofculture;inthelargersense,theproblemistodeterminewhethersimilaradjustmentsoccurinsimilarenvironmentsMethod of Cultural Ecology First,therelationshipbetween subsistencestrategiesandnatural resourcesmustbeanalyzed. Second,thebehaviorpatternsinvolvedin aparticularsubsistencestrategymustbe analyzed. Third,ithastobedeterminedhowthese behaviorpatternsaffectotheraspectsof thesociety.Distinction culturalcore=thosefeaturesofsocietythat aremostcloselyrelatedtosubsistenceactivities andeconomicarrangements secondaryfeatures=thosefeaturesthatare determinedtoagreaterextentbypurely culturalhistoricalfactorsandwhichgivethe appearanceofoutwarddistinctivenessto cultureswithsimilarcores Shoshone Indians – Great BasinSource:http://www.aaanativearts.com/Native_American_map.jpg Shoshone Indians Smallhuntingand gatheringgroups Dryharshenvironment Lowpopulationdensity Exogamy Patrilocality Patrilinearkinship Source:http://artfiles.art.com/5/p/LRG/37/3726/Y8PAF00Z/skintepeesshoshoneindians18801910.jpgPatrilineal band=culturaltypeasaresultofenvironmental adaptation=crossculturallyrecurrent(Africa, Australia,America)=uniformityresultsfromsimilarexploitation oftheenvironment Ecosystem Approach RoyRappaport(19261997) HumanroleinecosystemsSource:http://www.eoearth.org/article/Rappaport,_Roy_A. Ecosystem=Acommunityofplantsandanimalswithinaparticularphysicalenvironmentthatislinkedbyaflowofmaterialsthroughthenonliving(abiotic)aswellastheliving(biotic)sectionsofthesystem.(ADictionaryofGeography.OxfordUniversityPress,2009)Neo-functionalist approachEcosystems: Selfregulating&homeostatic(keeping balance) Humansareoneofmanycomponentswithin thechainofexchangewithinaboundedarea Cultureissubjecttoforcesofnaturalselection andadaptationlikeanyothertypeofanimal behavior Pigs for the Ancestors (1968)TsembagaofNewGuinea Maringspeakinggroup(≈200people) Heavilyforestedarea Lowmountainrange Littlecontactoutsideworld Horticulturalists (taro,sweetpatato) PigraisingWhen there are too many pigs… Pigs=humansintaroconsumption Peoplemustworktosupportpigswhen theirnumbersgrowtoacertainlevel Producessanitationproblems ProducesconflictsamongneighborsUnderstanding the ritual cycle Explanationsbasedoncognizedenvironment (Tsembaga):ritualassacrificefortheancestors tosettlerelationswiththesupernatural Explanationsbasedonoperationalenvironment (anthropologist):materialenvironmentthatcan beobservedandmeasured(caloricintake, agriculturaloutput,labourinvestment,etc.in relationtoritualandotherevents) Ritual cycleSource:http://flash.lakeheadu.ca/~jkukac/Casestudies_files/image001.gif Rappaport’s ConclusionsRappaportarguesthatpigsareanintegralpartofaRITUALCYCLEthatservesimportantECOLOGICALfunctions.Thiscycletheoretically:1)maintainsanundegradedenvironment2)distributeslocalsurplusesofporkandassurespeoplehighqualityproteinwhentheyaremostinneedofit3)limitswarfaretofrequenciesthatdonotendangerthesurvivaloftheregionalpopulationbutwhichallowsoccasionalredistributionofpeopleoverlandandlandamongpeopleCultural Materialism MarvinHarris(19272001) Humansociallifeisaresponsetothe practicalproblemsofearthlyexistenceCulturalmaterialism=ananthropologicalschoolofthought(orresearchstrategy)thatsaysthatthebestwaytounderstandhumancultureistoexaminematerialconditionsclimate,foodsupply,geography,etc.Cultural materialismAlsocalledtechnoenvironmentalortechnoeconomicdeterminismDistinction:  Emicperspective=thepointofviewofnatives  Eticperspective=anthropologist’spointofviewHarrisregardstheeticcategoryasmoreimportantthanemiccategorybecauseoutsideresearchersareabletoseethebasicfoundationsofsocialstructures,i.e.torevealandexplaintheecologicalrationaleunderlyingvariousaspectsofculture. Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches (1974)Exploringthematerialcausesforapparentlyirrationalandinexplicablelifestyles.E.g.WhydoHindusrefusetoeatbeefeventhoughthey’restarving?Source:http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/indiaphotos/#/sacredcows_6738_600x450.jpg ...