Anthropology: Cultural diversity in anthropology
Anthropology
Name
Institution Affiliation
Anthropology
Cultural diversity in anthropology is the act of scientifically studying human beings, their cultures, beliefs, ideas, values, economies, technologies and other sections of social and cognitive organization. It is therefore the face of anthropology that looks into and describes human customs and their behavior depending on their culture. In the study there is also cultural relativism that that assists in imposing one’s cultural values on other cultures. It is significant to practice it for it is a device for neutral review which aids in re-examining and correcting one’s suppositions and prejudice on beliefs and people globally (Friedsman, 2017). Learning different cultures has helped me in understanding the world better, reduction of stereotypes, promoting effective communication and increased the opportunities to meet new and interesting people, as well as giving me more experiences among others.
Learning cultures have given me biases in examining my culture from emic and other cultures from etic perspectives. This is because in the etic cultural view, it concentrates on the outside where many anthropologists take this approach to avoid changing the culture they are studying (Friedsman, 2017). This affects my cultural examining due to the trust I have for the data produced by outsiders without observing and proving whether it is reliable. On the emic perspective, it views culture on the basis of intrinsic cultural distinctions which are vital to the members of a specific society.
According to Miner’s article, the discussion will assist me take an outsider’s perspective in my culture. This I because of the magical views and practices of the Nacirema present like the uncommon traits that seem necessary to describe them as samples of the extreme as to which social behaviour can go. Another practice that can change my cultural perspective is the way they have made some practices ritual, routine and relegation to secrecy like the intercourse which to them is a taboo (Miner, 1956). Though it is difficult to understand how the Nacirema has survived the burdens brought by the practices, it has shown that the overall result is the production of magi-ridden people.
References
Friedman S. (2017). Culture, Bias, and Understanding: We can do Better. The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 388-390. http://jaapl.org/content/45/2/136
Miner, H. (1956). Body ritual among the Nacirema (Links to an external site.). American Anthropologist, 58(3), 503–507. Retrieved from https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/miner.html