Essay on Cultural Materialism - 623 Words

When it comes to anthropological theory the combination of several established ways of thought often result in a completely new and independent way of thinking. Cultural Materialism is one of these children theories that resulted from a coming together of social evolutionary theory, cultural ecology and Marxist materialism (Barfield). The goal of cultural materialism is to explain politics, economics, ideology and symbolic aspects of a culture with relation to the needs of that society. From a cultural materialist point of view society is indisputably shaped by the factors of production and reproduction. From this all other facets of society, such as government and religion, must be beneficial to that society’s ability to satisfy the†¦show more content†¦However, cultural materialism and its more scientific approach has brought criticism from other schools of thought who feel that cultural materialism is too simple and straight forward and completely disregards the th oughts and behaviors of a society, an aspect most feel is imperative to understanding culture change. By not relying of native explanations of cultural events cultural materialism has pushed the field of anthropology to become more scientific. This in turn may help anthropology to be known more as a hard science rather than a soft science. Marvin Harris primarily laid the framework for the creation of the cultural materialistic point of view. He has written many works employing his cultural materialistic study pattern. He garnered just as much praise as he did criticism from his peers for works, which is incredible when the fact that his first book almost alienated many who held other view points. His work in India dealing with the sacred cow myth is considered to be his most successful application of cultural materialism. Cultural materialism is a relatively young school of thought and there are several up and coming anthropologists who subscribe to this point of view and are applying it to many different areas of various different cultures. Brian Fergusson of RutgersShow MoreRelatedCultural Materialism And Shakespeare s Plays1197 Words   |  5 PagesDollimore Teaching Pack Thesis-Driven Essay: Hotheaded Hotspur: Subversion in 1 Henry IV In Dollimore’s introduction to a collection of essays on cultural materialism and Shakespeare’s plays, though Dollimore does not directly address 1 Henry IV, much of what Dollimore writes about power, authority, and subversiveness seems to be direct from this of Shakespeare’s plays. In his description of subversiveness, Dollimore states two facts which, in application to 1 Henry IV, provide a richer readingRead MoreA Study Of Culture And Marvin Harris Cultural Materialism1688 Words   |  7 Pagesand Marvin Harris’ cultural materialism in Cannibals and Kings. Whereas Benedict’s configurational anthropology approaches culture as an expressive art form, Harris’s cultural materialism explains the peculiarities of cultural customs as a process governed by environmental restraints and innovation. Each theory will be briefly overviewed and then broken down by fundamental axes to guide the comparison. Benedict’s Patterns of Culture introduced the non-anthropologist to cultural relativity and theRead MoreThe Twentieth Century : Cannibals And Kings ( 1977 ) By Marvin Harris And Coming Of Age1297 Words   |  6 Pagesregarded as one of the most renowned, and controversial, anthropologists of her time, and helped popularize the discipline, especially in the USA where she was born and worked (Geertz 1989: 329). She was a student of Franz Boas and his teachings of cultural relativism, and was also one of the pioneers of ethnographic fieldwork in the anthropology (ibid: 331). Also an American anthropologist, Marvin Harris (1927-2001) is considered one of the most prominent and innovative theorists in twentieth centuryRead MoreAn Analysis of the Article, Two Cheers for Consumerism by James Twitchell.599 Words   |  3 Pageschosen article is Two Cheers for Consumerism by James Twitchell. 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The zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethnical, spiritual, or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, socio cultural direction, and mood associated with an era. The personalistic position in scientific history is the one that surrounds the idea that every person forms the course of ourRead MoreSocial Issues Of A Materialistic Society2000 Words   |  8 Pagesfurther understand this mentality, look at the average African-American community/ghetto. For instance, some African-Americans are addicted to materialistic items because they use materialism to vicariously add wealth to their name. In other words, they may not think much of themselves because they use wealth and materialism to replace self-worth. That is why it is common for an African-American to label themselves as shopaholics. 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He explained that social change and structure is a form of historical materialism that in the history come in two groups: the oppressor and the oppressed. Marx stated that the society is built on the exploitation of the oppressed. The struggle between the classes was what brought about the industrial revolution. This division

The Process Of Adolescence Is A Period Of Different Changes

The process of adolescence is a period of different changes happening in the transition from childhood to adulthood. During this time, a child is changing physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. This stage of life is the first time when parents need to let go and allow their children to be with peers and do more mature activities. A child in adolescence may begin to physically show signs of maturation along with the want for independence. This time can be a liberating part of life but can also cause children to feel disconsolate with themselves. Because of so many different changes happening in a child’s life during the period of adolescence, stress and depression are common factors that child may feel for the first time in†¦show more content†¦For the first time in a child’s life, this is when the opinions of others begin to really matter. In order to establish greater independence from their parents, adolescents feel the need to gravitate thems elves toward their peers more than they ever did in earlier stages of development. The need to fit in with society is at an all-time high during adolescence along with more serious sexual relationships. Emotionally, adolescent children can often feel confused or conflicted about events going on in their lives. With all of the changes and confusion going on in this time period, depression and stress are a common factor of the adolescent years. During the adolescent years, stress becomes more of a recurrent part of life. Stress can lead to anxiety, withdrawal, aggression, depression, or physical illness. Sometimes, adolescents can turn to poor coping mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol. This is the period where kids begin to experiment with adult choices when they may not be ready for them physically or mentally. The pressure to fit in with peers is at the highest it has ever been in a child’s life. If one does not fit in perfectly with society’s demands, that child is ridiculed by their other peers for simply being different and they begin to feel disconsolate about their looks, personality, and social life. The want to fit in is human nature, but especially during the adolescent years, this want is the ultimate goal of many and they will go to theShow MoreRelatedAdolescence : Everything Changes? Essay1199 Words   |  5 PagesAdolescence: Everything Changes Adolescence is a transitional stage of development that has been defined as starting with puberty and lasting the years a person is roughly aged ten to twenty. Dramatic changes take place during adolescence; no other time period of a person’s life except infancy contains so much development into such a short time span. 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Human Nature Causing Mass Hysteria in The Crucible free essay sample

Human nature is a word describing our reactions to events, our own inner struggles, and our interaction with others, a tendency that every human has in common. (Human Nature in The Crucible) In, The Crucible, several of the characters are constantly feuding, not only among themselves but with the entire community as well. Many citizens spread ridiculous lies and rumors accusing innocent people of being â€Å"under the influence† of the devil. The people of Salem fall victim to an eruption of delirium, caused by natural human tendencies. Arthur Miller illustrates blame, majority versus minority, ideology as being natural human tendencies and driving forces to the mass hysteria in the town of Salem. The citizens of Salem spread many preposterous lies and rumors out of fear and even for their own personal gain. Naturally, blaming someone else for wrongdoing is an immediate and instinctive reaction. For example, the fear of getting in trouble can drive one to put the blame on someone else in order to avoid the consequences. The characters in The Crucible rely on blame to get out of hard situations, motivated by this aspect of fear. Towards the very beginning of the novel, Betty and Abigail have many suspicions surrounding them, and they need to direct the townspeople’s wrath away from themselves. Abigail claims that â€Å"I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil† (Miller 48)! Abigail and Betty therefore avoid their initial fate. As the book progressed, the lies piled on top of each other, and soon everyone wanted in on the action. Blame turned into a use of getting back at one another. For instance, Ann Putnam claims Rebecca Nurse â€Å"murdered seven babies by sending out her spirit on them† (Miller 56). Rebecca Nurse is falsely accused, arrested and later executed. In turn, the natural inclination to blame other leads to false accusations and overall mass hysteria. When the majority of people in a group start to believe a certain thing, it is likely that the others in that group will naturally conform to these ideas. This idea of majority versus minority is argued to be another human tendency causing of the mass hysteria in The Crucible. Throughout the novel, wrong ideas were being defined as right without concrete evidence. Once a few members of the community influenced an idea, naturally, more started to believe that this idea might be true. For instance, Abigail and her band of friends convince the judge, and many other citizens that witchcraft is, in fact alive in the town of Salem. Once they tricked one person, it spread and spread until, finally, the entire community was convinced. One such person who helped convince others was Reverend Hale. Hale originally comes to Salem in search of witches, and citizens look to him as their all knowing savior. Reverend Hale is an intellectual man, and he has studied witchcraft extensively, therefore making him naturally believable and convincing to those who follow and listen to him. Hales goal is purely â€Å"light, goodness, and its preservation† (Miller 24). Another such person was Deputy Governor Danforth, who followed the hype around the hysteria. Since he is of high authority, and is respected throughout the community, citizens believe what he says must be true. He felt that what he was doing was right. He said, â€Å"Now hear me, and beguile yourselves no more. I will not receive a single plea for pardon or postponement. Them that will not confess will hang. Twelve are already executed; the names of these seven are given out, and the village expects to see them die this morning. Postponement now speaks a floundering on my part; reprieve or pardon must cast doubt upon the guilt of them that died till now† (Miller 97). He is truly convinced that the actions he is taking are necessary for the town. Once the entire town was convinced, accusation became a death sentence that no one could escape. The aspect of majority versus minority is apart of human nature and helps to build up the conflict of mass hysteria in the town of Salem. The Puritan society is religious and tightly bound. They initially came to America to practice their religion in peace, and the community has worked together in order to survive. Their rules and morals are based on their religion, with no form of government. This strong faith was evident in the residents of Salem, Massachusetts. Puritans believed that the English Protestant Church was becoming corrupted, and solidly stuck to their theory that they were the chosen ones by God, and thus every rule they set in place was regimented by God himself. Ideology is a set of beliefs or ideas that are the basis of social theories (Fischer, Claude). Many of the church leaders in Salem followed a very strict view on what the description of witches were. They refused to look beyond the reputation and good morals that the character possessed. Many of these court officials believed that whatever happened in the court would be the truth and nothing but the truth. They felt that if they didnt lie in the courtroom then a lawyer did not need to be present. Judge Danforth states, â€Å"As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. Therefore, what is left for a lawyer to bring out† (Miller 59). They were strict in many of their ways. Along with this, the narrow-minded Puritans were easily deceived by Abigail, who is a very deceptive antagonist. They were so brainwashed by the doctrines placed, and they believed whatever the higher authority told them to believe. No one ever sat down and truly evaluated and concluded that there was no evidence. This natural human tendency to place their belief in ideology played a key role in the formation of mass hysteria. Through the development of blame, majority versus minority, and ideology, three naturally occurring human instinctive, mass hysteria is driven throughout Salem. Arthur Miller’s, The Crucible, teaches readers many lessons about human nature and its effects as a whole. Human nature was fully to blame for the disaster which took place in Salem in 1692. The decisions made by the people were critical to the disasters progression. This mass hysteria illustrates how a person’s insight into the witchcraft trials can have an effect on those around them, and the community as a whole. Once the paranoia began floating around in the town, the ball kept rolling. Overall, Miller argues that humanities natural tendencies created the mass hysteria that led to the downfall of Salem, Massachusetts.