essay question Flashcards
interconnectedness and modernity
Globalization increased the interconnectedness of the world by expanding the Western modernity.
global market > hunter gatherer
Capitalism brought about the global market which differed greatly from the traditional hunter and gatherer systems that non-Europeans and indigenous peoples depended on.
world culture
The world was now creating a ‘word culture’ and ‘shared history’.
effects of world culture on individual culture
Culture in individual groups or states were losing their uniqueness and traditions and were experiencing a sense of Western ‘consumer culture’ and alienation in a variety of ways. Globalization threw anthropologists for a tilt as their job was now, more than ever, a job of walking on thin ice
holistic
It is important for anthropologists to be holistic, as focusing on single aspects will not explain the ‘big picture’ correctly.
positivist –> reflexive approach
Anthropologists adapted a positivist approach which was later seen as too scientific and inappropriate when dealing with human subjects. Anthropologists then shifted to a reflexive approach. This reflexive approach meant anthropologists must think about the way they think in certain cultural situations. They must take into account their own views, morals and subjectivity when in the field.
cultural imperialism –> hybridization
Globalization created the idea of cultural imperialism: one culture dominating another with its views and was of living. Although, it was later better described as culture hybridization; borrowing certain aspects of another cultural ad fusing it with one’s own.
concerns
Many concerns surround anthropologists. Submersing themselves in unfamiliar situations in order to do research and study the people of that land creates a responsibility. Anthropologists’ goal should be to contribute in a positive manner while sustaining the dignity and welfare of the subjects. Consent, intentions and goals should be clear between researchers and subjects.
