Horace Miner’s 1956 piece on the Nacirema has become a classic in anthropology for a number of reasons. Miner’s piece was at once intended to illustrate the pitfalls of ethnocentrism and cultural romanticism while emphasizing the need for cultural relativism and the role of the etic perspective as a descriptive tool. While illustrating the etic […]
How is the study of your ancestors biopolitical, not just biological? Does that make it less scientific or differently scientific? What was gained by reducing organisms to genotypes and species to gene pools? What is gained by reintroducing bodies and species into evolutionary studies? The molecular biologist François Jacob argued that evolution is more like […]
Examine the words and phrasing that Lyell and Hooker used in their letter to the Linnean Society when describing Darwin’s and Wallace’s theory and its discovery. How were they conveying to society the importance of this theory? 2. In your analysis, who did Lyell and Hooker think should receive credit for the theory of natural […]
This week, we’ve learned about anthropological and historical perspectives on the cultural construction of gender and sexuality, as well as changing frameworks for understanding the complexities of sex itself. As described in the lecture, anthropologists talk about gender as a performance, rather than simply identity. We do gender according to norms, roles, and ideologies that […]
Students can comment on especially the social, behavioral, ideological (e.g. beliefs), and very personal aspects of the material culture around them, which they are of course noticing more because of the emphasis in an archaeology class. You might consider these questions about the material of your everyday life: Questions: 1. what different artifacts did […]
Discuss the role of genetics and environment in shaping personality traits. Provide examples and discuss how nature and nurture interact in personality development. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of different therapeutic approaches in treating depression, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and pharmacological interventions.
Explain the concept of cognitive dissonance theory and provide real-life examples to illustrate how individuals might experience cognitive dissonance and resolve it. Analyze the impact of social media on adolescent development, including its influence on self-esteem, identity formation, and social relationships.
Discuss the factors contributing to the development and maintenance of eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and evaluate the effectiveness of various treatment approaches. Explore the phenomenon of bystander intervention in emergencies. Discuss the factors that influence whether individuals are more or less likely to intervene in emergency situations.
Critically evaluate the evidence for and against the existence of repressed memories. Discuss the controversies surrounding repressed memory therapy and its implications for clinical practice. Explore the relationship between stress and physical health outcomes. Discuss the physiological mechanisms through which stress affects the body and strategies for coping with stress.
Explore the role of culture in shaping gender identity and gender roles. Discuss how cultural norms and expectations influence the expression of gender and the experience of gender dysphoria.
