I believe anthropology could contribute to finding a solution for the education of diverse students in public schools. I say this because every day I go to class I notice someone of a different ethnic, race and background. Because anthropologists have a background in getting to know and trying to better understand cultures I believe they would be a great asset to public schools. They would know how to better understand each individuals needs personally and privately. They understand that every person needs need to be met and that not everyone can adapt to the same way of learning or style of teaching.
While sitting in class I often notice foreign exchange students from places such as china that have their little computer translator things in class because they are unable to understand out language. I am not saying that our schools need to speak Chinese just to make it easier for students, but I believe that anthropologists would be able to make this situation better for them because they would be able to look in to their culture and better understand them and where they are from.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Extra Credit 3
The movie Slumdog Millionaire changed the way I think about other people, the world I live in, myself, my nation, my culture and my religion. Though it was no directed towards any of those things, the difference from the way I live compared to their makes me reflect on my own life.
In this movie, a young man constantly reflects on tragic stories in his life in order to answer questions on a game show similar to the United States ‘who wants to be a millionaire.’ This movie was filled with pain, hardship, and triumph and made me thank my lucky stars for the life I am able to live. It showed the hardships people of India are feeling and living everyday and what the people in the slums have to go through.
It made me look at the world I live in and be thankful for one, but also made me wish we were/could help 3rd world countries in ways that we are not already. It made me look at myself and realize I shouldn’t be mad that I couldn’t buy a pair of new pants today because the boy in the film probably had to wear the same clothes for days and didn’t complain. It made me look at my nation and reflect on why we are able to live such a good life compared to the people in the film. It made me ask myself why were are giving so many opportunities to better our lives when the only way he could better his was by competing in a game show.
I don’t know anything about India’s past or why they live the way they do. But could it have anything to do with what we talked about for our last blog. And that the fact that economic development has taken over is it taking away from their health and taking away ways in which they would be able to better their own lives?
In this movie, a young man constantly reflects on tragic stories in his life in order to answer questions on a game show similar to the United States ‘who wants to be a millionaire.’ This movie was filled with pain, hardship, and triumph and made me thank my lucky stars for the life I am able to live. It showed the hardships people of India are feeling and living everyday and what the people in the slums have to go through.
It made me look at the world I live in and be thankful for one, but also made me wish we were/could help 3rd world countries in ways that we are not already. It made me look at myself and realize I shouldn’t be mad that I couldn’t buy a pair of new pants today because the boy in the film probably had to wear the same clothes for days and didn’t complain. It made me look at my nation and reflect on why we are able to live such a good life compared to the people in the film. It made me ask myself why were are giving so many opportunities to better our lives when the only way he could better his was by competing in a game show.
I don’t know anything about India’s past or why they live the way they do. But could it have anything to do with what we talked about for our last blog. And that the fact that economic development has taken over is it taking away from their health and taking away ways in which they would be able to better their own lives?
Week 12
Im not sure if im totally on the right track ... so here goes.
Based on the film black gold and the case studies in chapters 13, 17 and 38 I believe the relationship between environmental sustainability, economic development and human health are that without all three of them changes you are trying to make are not going to work. I really am not sure what I am trying to say, but I think you can’t increase human health if you don’t better economic development and environmental sustainability.
In the case study chapter 38 “Medical Anthropology: Improving Nutrition in Malawi” they wanted to see if regular goat milk in a Childs diet would help with malnutrition. In order for this study to work and in order for human health to actually increase they first needed to find goats that could survive the Malawi environment and goats that could produce milk with adequate nutrition. After the succeeded in this task, they then needed to make sure the women would be able to take care of these cows. What I am trying to say is that if the anthropologist did not make sure the goat could live in the environment and produce adequate milk then human health would not increase. Without adequate health how would your economy develop? All three must have a relationship together in order to work.
Pretty much the same thing was talked about in chapter 17, “Malawi Versus the World Bank,” but in a different way. It was explained that when the world bank and IMF “began attributing problems in the economy to government subsidy policies, particularly with regard to commercial fertilizer” the people of Malawi were unable to keep adequate health. All types of subsides and price controls on all agricultural inputs and products were removed. This caused the people of Malawi to not be able to grow their crops causing the economic development and environmental sustainability to drop, along with their health.
Once again, the case study chapter 13 “forest development the Indian way” is very comparative with the other two case studies mentioned above. In this case study, the environmental sustainability is affected by economic development. In this case, because bulldozers, tractors and buildings took over the forest the environmental sustainability is being threatened. “By destroying the forest resources surrounding the Guaraní villages of the region, colonos set in motion a process that destroyed the native culture and society.” Because their land had been threatened and they could therefore no longer produce yerba mate leaves for sale and therefore were forces to plant cash crops, further destroying the forest. “the loss of game and poor crop yields exacerbated health problems.” Because their community’s economic development rose, their community was threatened causing a change of lifestyle and a introduction to disease.
The movie Black Gold, also shows the same results as these case studies. Because of the way the world market works the coffee growers are being screwed over. Coffee is the second most active traded in the market, and when the market is down they cannot sell coffee for very much. They sell their coffee for 12 cents where as we sell it for 230 dollars. What seems fair about that? While we are using them to see coffee in our country, they are becoming more dependent on emergency aid than ever before.
Applied anthropologists could assist in making sure these goals were brought about in the right way. Take chapter 38 for example, without the anthropologist making sure everything was understood in a correct manner and that no one would be affected in a harsh way the results would not have been as positive as they were.
I am not sure if I believe cultural survival is possible with economic development because when reading the case studies from conflict and conformity when economic development occurs, health problems also occur.
Based on the film black gold and the case studies in chapters 13, 17 and 38 I believe the relationship between environmental sustainability, economic development and human health are that without all three of them changes you are trying to make are not going to work. I really am not sure what I am trying to say, but I think you can’t increase human health if you don’t better economic development and environmental sustainability.
In the case study chapter 38 “Medical Anthropology: Improving Nutrition in Malawi” they wanted to see if regular goat milk in a Childs diet would help with malnutrition. In order for this study to work and in order for human health to actually increase they first needed to find goats that could survive the Malawi environment and goats that could produce milk with adequate nutrition. After the succeeded in this task, they then needed to make sure the women would be able to take care of these cows. What I am trying to say is that if the anthropologist did not make sure the goat could live in the environment and produce adequate milk then human health would not increase. Without adequate health how would your economy develop? All three must have a relationship together in order to work.
Pretty much the same thing was talked about in chapter 17, “Malawi Versus the World Bank,” but in a different way. It was explained that when the world bank and IMF “began attributing problems in the economy to government subsidy policies, particularly with regard to commercial fertilizer” the people of Malawi were unable to keep adequate health. All types of subsides and price controls on all agricultural inputs and products were removed. This caused the people of Malawi to not be able to grow their crops causing the economic development and environmental sustainability to drop, along with their health.
Once again, the case study chapter 13 “forest development the Indian way” is very comparative with the other two case studies mentioned above. In this case study, the environmental sustainability is affected by economic development. In this case, because bulldozers, tractors and buildings took over the forest the environmental sustainability is being threatened. “By destroying the forest resources surrounding the Guaraní villages of the region, colonos set in motion a process that destroyed the native culture and society.” Because their land had been threatened and they could therefore no longer produce yerba mate leaves for sale and therefore were forces to plant cash crops, further destroying the forest. “the loss of game and poor crop yields exacerbated health problems.” Because their community’s economic development rose, their community was threatened causing a change of lifestyle and a introduction to disease.
The movie Black Gold, also shows the same results as these case studies. Because of the way the world market works the coffee growers are being screwed over. Coffee is the second most active traded in the market, and when the market is down they cannot sell coffee for very much. They sell their coffee for 12 cents where as we sell it for 230 dollars. What seems fair about that? While we are using them to see coffee in our country, they are becoming more dependent on emergency aid than ever before.
Applied anthropologists could assist in making sure these goals were brought about in the right way. Take chapter 38 for example, without the anthropologist making sure everything was understood in a correct manner and that no one would be affected in a harsh way the results would not have been as positive as they were.
I am not sure if I believe cultural survival is possible with economic development because when reading the case studies from conflict and conformity when economic development occurs, health problems also occur.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Dancing
To be honest, I am not totally sure how I felt during the video. I liked seeing everyone do the same dance in different cities, countries and cultures. It was really interesting to see everyone join together in so many different places to dance in a similar way. I have no idea why the Dancing project resonated with so many people around the world because to be honest I have never heard of it before. But I will admit, if I saw matt dancing in the middle of PLU I would be right there with him, I would be one of the people joining him, because it would make me happy.
Everyone expresses themselves in many different ways. Many of these ways include art. Drawing, writing, dancing, singing … whatever you consider art to be. I believe that art is a human universal and everyone can express their selves through it. Dancing is a form of expression that everyone can relate to in some way. If you made, angry, sad, happy, excited, I say you should dance about it and let your feelings out.
Everyone expresses themselves in many different ways. Many of these ways include art. Drawing, writing, dancing, singing … whatever you consider art to be. I believe that art is a human universal and everyone can express their selves through it. Dancing is a form of expression that everyone can relate to in some way. If you made, angry, sad, happy, excited, I say you should dance about it and let your feelings out.
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