Colby Wedgeworth

Ethnography Presentation

Adoption Documentary

This video was very interesting. This woman was very unlucky to have been in the situation she was at the time she was at the orphanage and was sent to America. To grow up in a completely different country where you do not look like anyone around must be hard to take in as a child. Then for her as an adult to find her family and find out she was chosen to be cast aside to save money and try to give her a better life must have been hard to deal with. Growing up away from your real family's culture can change the way your family sees you because you act completely out of the norm and different than the entire family. These things are traumatizing for orphans, in this link, an adoption site has a forum basically where people talk about their experiences. This article depicts a situation similar to that of the woman in this video.   

<http://library.adoption.com/articles/adoption-trauma-that-last-a-life-time.html >

White Privilage

I personally do not like this article or the idea of white supremacy, now or in the past. I feel these controversial topics never seem to go away and with that racism will not go away. Its no a problem solvable overnight, clearly, but it seems society is holding onto racism for some reason. our laws are all based around different genders and races and being a different gender or race still gains you more benefits or misfortune. With the eradication of these specific laws towards different genders and races we need to explore a different approach to the problem. Our current situation is not helping much and we need to get away from this alienating mindset.
This site focuses on equal opportunity and the law set to keep it in place. The world needs to learn to look at people as people and not discriminate or were just going to keep racism alive. <http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/ethnicdisc.htm>

Mixed Blood

This article focuses on the IQ of different races. The point comes up that some people, although black or brown, do not consider themselves black. This fact is interesting and controversial. The idea of race in itself, although controversial, is based on how society sees you. Racism for example is the bashing of a certain race and the entire fight against racism is based on the idea that they are not the way society perceives them. Point of view plays a big role is racism and in designating someone a certain race. You are seen the way you are by other people in their opinions and there is no way to change that.

Just Another Job?

Domestic workers are extremely important to a certain lifestyle. More extravagant, powerful people like to live leisurely lives so they hire domestic workers to better satisfy their desired way of life. Domestic workers are generally disrespected. Cleaning after someone or doing someone's laundry just gives the idea that you are in at least some way not as good as the other person. This is not necessarily the case though, as mentioned in the end of the article, many migrant workers take up domestic work and have no choice but to take undesirable demeaning jobs because they are already seen as lower class citizens because they came from somewhere else to start fresh or they are from a nation where perhaps the woman has always stayed at home but now needs to help cover the increase in bills and all they know how to do is domestic work. These workers should be further respected and have their stereotype dropped.

Why Tourism Matters

The social impacts of tourism are intriguing to me. The article points how how frequent large numbers of tourists in a certain area can overwhelm those people and cause inflation in their society just because of the number of tourists who visit. For example perhaps, in South Carolina, Myrtle Beach generates quite a few tourists year round. Resulting form this it can be hard to find a store that is not built for tourists. You can drive down a whole strip and it will be just constant thrift shops and trinket stores. For people who are spoiled with this coastal lifestyle can find themselves in a constant flurry of people who do not know where they are going or just the large number of people is enough to drive them over the edge. Another example could be near disney world. things are aged down for the younger audience who is attracted to that theme park. Just all of the adjustments that must be made have a great affect on the people in that are. For more examples of tourism issues this site provides a good over view of the situation and provides many links to new articles involving these situations <http://www.twnside.org.sg/tour.htm>

The Mark of Cain

This video was very disturbing to me. I recently read a book in an English class that was set in a Russian gulag and the entire concept is simply grotesque. The people in these gulags are poorly fed and simply chaotic. So much murder, deceit, and drugs go through these systems and they are in a sense some extremely corrupt prisons. Guards can torture prisoners and the prisoners are already tortured just based off of their living conditions go. The social class based off the tattoos was, however, very interesting and it is cool to see how all cultural groups develop based on their conditions. For more about gulags and how stalin brought them to power i suggest visiting this site<http://gulaghistory.org/nps/onlineexhibit/stalin/> it provides good background information and insight into the system. 

Immigration

This video seemed to be easily summed up in the beginning and continued on just as one families struggle with the main point. The immigrants coming to America from Mexico are illegal and cause problems in America and the Mexican people who do not come to America just see it as they have to lose loved ones. The big picture seemed to be most think they will come to America to make money and support their families back home, but the reality is they are breaking the law. Good things don't tend to happen to people who are criminals and once you have broken this law how many more do you think you can get away with? Drugs? Theft? Families do not deserve to lose people due to poverty but they could stay in Mexico and search for a resolve other than crossing a border.

Jamaican Economy

The Jamaican economy has slowly taken hit after hit until they were knees deep in their own struggle. This video showed how Jamaican natives feel when tourists come to their home and pretend its a beautiful place and they wished they could stay longer than their vacation funds will allow. The Jamaicans think the tourists mindset is insulting in that they are going through many struggles and tourists take light of that. I feel like the video had a slightly negative tone towards america and other successful nations who wont/cant help Jamaica get out of their financial rut due to lack of native grown crops moving in the markets.

The Kayapo Resistance

Throughout this course we have looked at a few Brazilian tribes all of which do not want to conform to society. Most people might see their way of life as savage and archaic but based on history such actions still help societies thrive and as such we should not want to intervene and change their way of life to make others happy. Considering wars and laws and taxes, all of which still do exist in some way in these tribes, the way we go about them today may see barbaric to these tribes and they may wonder why we try to hide that when it comes down to it we are the same. The lack of respect shown to these tribes when this road was built in their territory further proves our lack of civilized attitude, exactly what the world does not like about the tribes). The world spends a lot of time trying to change the "fourth world" civilizations that do not want to be bothered, when there are third world countries out their suffering trying to conform with the rest of the world. 1. Why would we want to make these people change and become another suffering third world society? 2. Why don't we invest less time in bothering those that do not want help, and help the third world countries suffering more?

Cell Phones, Sharing, and Social Status in an African Society

In this article, the author explains how cell phones greatly reflect social status in Africa. The author is told a man of his status should have a nicer cell phone. The people of Nigeria see upper class people should strive to show their class superiority through the possessions they have. On an international level you can compare this to any other society. In America for instance it is also easy to distinguish social class based on the materials certain people can acquire. Even poorer lower class families try to provide nicer things for the family in order to comply with society and try to move up in social status. The idea of needing nice things to be a more civil person is created by society to force others to comply, which i feel is unnecessary and can cause many problems among peers.

Women, Work, and Identity in America

Women's lives are completely affected when they decide to have children. My mom had four kids and ended up a house wife until I was seven, making my oldest brother nine and my youngest brother four. I could not imagine having to put my life and work on hold for nine years just to handle raising children. I feel like the article does a good job explaining all of the factors that affect a mothers' life when a child comes into the picture. Not to say that husbands, or other men supporting mothers, do not have to make sacrifices (i.e. putting in more hours at work, losing family time, and possibly slipping out of the family circle causing more problems in family life).

Encounters with the Elderly in America

Both of my grandparents are retired and I often find myself wondering how they enjoy themselves with nothing to do. This article touches on many of the points I've often found myself asking my grandparents about. My grandfather for example practically lives in his garage. He has a project to do every day and his favorite store is Harber Freight and Lowes, also over most of my summers i spend my time with him working on cars or redoing the house. He often tells me there is no point in slowing down just because he is retired, he, in fact, feels more motivated with his time to do things he loves. He is currently 75 and won 7th place in a world racquetball tournament. So I believe older people do need to stay active in order to give life more meaning and create a will to live.

"Safety Net"

Especially after the video in class, this article touches on many good points. Having your life uninsured is dangerous in itself but a big reason not to be insured is ones financial situation. As the video in class on Thursday (Jan. 24) suggested the lower class, or poorer class, is at higher risk for disease and live to a shorter life expectancy. All of these things tie together, if you do not have insurance you are less likely to have as much medical attention throughout your life compared to someone who does have insurance. Not having medical attention when you know you are sick is one thing but sometimes you may not even know you are ill and without proper check ups, who knows, any day could be your last.

Symbolizing Roles

This reading had a very powerful message. I felt like the author touched on many good points, the conclusion especially was good. The western attitude towards veils, and the culture behind them, is sad and frankly embarrassing to those of us who are socially accepting. There is no reason to alienate people based on what they want to wear. I for one think cowboy hats are ridiculous and look silly on people but I do not spend my time trying to get people to stop wearing them, because it is their expression of character. As the author said, "we all have our veils". So do not patronize others for theirs.

Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving

In Lila Abu-Lughod's writing on Muslim women she confronts the idea that people worry to much about other cultures and what they are doing. She makes the argument that the world should focus on becoming a better place as a whole not just in one persons point of view. She also points out that many places have banned the rule that women are required to wear veils but they still do it because it is a part of their culture. the over all message she is trying to get across is that everyone is different but that does not mean the people who are different want to change.

Chagnon's Ethnography

The Ethnographic video we watched last class was more interesting to me. Chagnon had a different approach to the study that many did not agree with. The study he did actually showed the Yanomoma for who they actually where. The world of Anthropology gave Chagnon a bad name for exploiting those people and showing them as more savage and war prone. This depiction of the people was accurate and i do not quite understand the point of view the other Anthropologists had when apposing Chagnon’s descriptions. If I were to have a study as he had, I would exploit the people for their culture and who they were. Otherwise you are taking away from their culture and giving the world a false sense of who the people are. 

Nacerima

In "Body Ritual among the Nacerima", the author makes a good point of exaggerating the circumstances under which the Nacerima live. When the reader finds out that the article is actually about Americans the perspective adds new light to the situations these people put themselves through. Why, though, would the author make these exaggerations? The extreme changes people make to their bodies these days is just as questionable. Depending on how things are perceived by the world, ultimately defines those things. In this article I found myself slightly repulsed and thought most of these rituals were bizarre and unnecessary. Although knowing what I know now I still believe some rituals of Americans are ridiculous. People must be careful in how they perceive others because they could be completely missing the reason behind their actions and lifestyle.