Cultural artifact

The Tiananmen Square massacre resulted in the death of around two thousand Chinese citizens (Paxman 181). These students advocated for their right to vote in democratic elections and express their freedom of speech. However, the Communist government responded by sending tanks to slaughter the students gathered in Tiananmen Square. China then attempted to downplay the massacre in order to maintain “peace” among the citizens. Following the massacre at Tiananmen Square, the Communist government of…

Human beings are different than other living creatures on Earth not only because of intelligence, but also different values of humanity. Every individual of mankind is independent and unique due to their different values and beliefs. A person’s values are an important component that makes him who he is today. Different Values are also a significant guideline when an individual has to make a choice on a life event. Amazingly, a person can have two different values that can come into conflict. As…

Different cultures have their own symbols which have specific meaning that pertain their traditions and way of life. Clifford Geertz's Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight manifests the notion that cultures possess rituals that are implicit, resulting in anthropologists attempting to interpret the importance of customs embedded in specific cultures. In the article, it is emphasized that cockfight is one of the significant rituals in the Balinese culture. While being perceived as a simple…

At the late of 20th century, Mao Zedong, communist leader, organized the Cultural Revolution in order to assert the authority over the Chinese government. He declared that the nation’s youth to purify the “impure” elements of Chinese society and to revive the revolutionary spirit that lead to victory in the civil war 20 decades earlier in order to restore the China’s reputation and power. However, his leadership position in government as in the Soviet Union was weakened and failed his Great Leap…

Academic anthropology is the study and knowledge of regular anthropology such as cultural, archaeological, biological, and/or linguistic. In the video “Doing Anthropology” Heather Paxson states “not only as anthropologist do we talk to people and ask them what they think but we do things with them alongside them” (Mitanthro 0:17-0:27). This is an example of academic anthropology as they try to learn more about what they are observing. Asking a lot of questions will help find out a lot about the…

Cultural identity is a powerful force with the ability to preserve history, create a sense of belonging, and provide a reference point for an individual's identity. Reflections on the importance of cultural identity can be found within the two essays, “Memories of Montreal - And Richness,” and “Lend Me Your Light,” authored by Moses Milstein and Rohinton Mistry respectively. Milstein’s story, describing his vibrant journey to school on the busy streets of nineteen-fifties Montreal, is bookended…

Margaret Mead was a popular American writer, cultural, and visual anthropologist. Throughout her career, Margaret Mead has conducted over twenty field trips (Yans-McLaughlin 2000). In addition, Mead’s fieldwork focused on the development and growth of adolescents. The reason why I chose Margaret Mead is because of the tremendous contributions that she has made to the field of anthropology and the public. In addition, I find it very astounding that Mead “offers a resolution of the old apparent…

throws kids into an abyss of identity and connection correlates with corporations discovering a way to generate revenue off of likes, retweets, and followers. Chris Rojek, author of Cultural Studies, delves into how social media creates this social phenomenon through cultural hybridity, and how corporations use cultural genre and production to their advantage. According to Rojek, “before birth [humans] are culturally positioned” (Rojek Pg. 68). This means that humans’ practical approaches…

Yaobang Hu was an instrumental figure in inspiring the student protesters in China. He was able to rise through the ranks of the Chinese government and at one point was the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, the Party’s top position. Hu advocated for greater freedoms in choosing occupations, more liberalized economic policies, and a halt to corruption within the government. It was Hu’s ideas that resonated with the Chinese protesters. However, Hu’s Western-like ideas were seen as…

Comparing and contrasting divergent cultural characteristics: 1. Uncertainty-Accepting Cultures versus Uncertainty-Rejecting Cultures Open mindedness and tolerance are constructive ways to learn about other cultures. By accepting and respecting other cultures we take important steps to new experiences that can teach us about the world at large. Canada, United Kingdom and United States are examples of uncertainty accepting cultures. Intolerance in cross-cultural societies reflects their…