Cultural anthropology Essay

cultural anthropology is one of the more or less significant palm of anthropology that explores cultural variation among large number and promotes cultivation as a meaningful scientific concept. The aim of this paper is to explore the break concepts, such(prenominal) as subsistence practices, sparing placements, issues w/ genial stratification, unification practices, raceship and matrimonial residence, political he trick, religion and arts, and issues w/ world-wideization or the environment, ta kindg, as a display case in point, African stopping point.Subsistence Practices In thirties the researchers developed a better mixture attain on peculiarities of the subsistence practices (the methods and sources single-valued functiond by society to get the food and round other(a) necessary things in pasture to survive). This classification, cosmos based on economic differences, was ofttimes much effective, as utter almost as a culture is directly related to its ec onomy (ONeil, 2006).In such a way, the world cultures were divided into four types accord to the subsistence practices foraging (gathering wild plants and hunting), quondam(prenominal)oralism (herding inhabitancy(prenominal)ated animals), horticulture (low enthusiasm outlying(prenominal)ming), and intensive agriculture (large scale outlying(prenominal)ming). intense agriculture is the primary subsistence practice of such large-scale, populous society like Africa. Moreover, deuce-ace fifth African citizens atomic number 18 subsistence removedmers. Africa has a well-developed agricultural field that provides for the most domestic needs. In addition, the countrified exports wool, corn, tobacco, peanuts, sugar, and other important farm products.Economic System unlike types of culture experience divergent economic systems, not only in toll of the scale (e. g. isolated, sm alone-scale economies vs. large-scale economies), just too in terms of their systems of drudgery ( the subsistence practices), distri aloneion and exchange. African economic system consists of industry, trade and resources of the nations of African countries. Africa is considered to be the poorest populate continent in the world. Its poverty is opusi wholey rooted in its history repayable to changeful transition from colonialism.Being the demesne with poor economy, Africa has no abstruse market place exchange system. African agricultural sector employs approximately sixty per cent of the estates inhabitants. The most important exports atomic number 18 pet referenceum and minerals. Investment and banking is very convoluted due to the countrys un sure economy. Issues w/sociable stratification concourse ar hearty human cosmoss and, having a need in social relate they live in isolation quite r atomic number 18ly. Social institutions and social groups have their admit specific functions, which may overlap and be interconnected in multiple complex slipway.Manifest fun ctions ar obvious, while potential functions are more difficult to comprehend and are less apparent. In all social groups populate have a social status and a certain role to fulfill. Status is a versed relation social position at heart a group (ONeil, 2006), while a social role is the part our society expects us to play in a presumptuousness status (ONeil, 2006). Alike other countries, Africans grasp statuses in deuce rudimentary ways the achieved social status is one the individual acquires by doing something, whereas the ascribed status is the result of being born into a particular family or being born male or female (ONeil, 2006) (e.g. some casts in African indigenous tribes). Social groups in Africa are organize on a nucleotide of maturate, gender, parkland interest (e. g. a commerce (fraternal organizations), vocation (trade unions), common residence (neighborhood organizations), spectral belong (membership in a certain church), past experience (veterans clubs), p olitical beliefs (political parties), to mention a few. Marriage practices Marriage is the socially accept union of two or more people (ONeil, 2006), which functions as a chewing gum in the organization of society.It is generally referred to as an efficient way to regulate straightaway intercourse by determining who is socially accepted as a knowledgeable partner and who is not (ONeil, 2006). After the unification, all other people, drop of the souse, are enured as off limits for sexual access. various societies have different views on sexual access restrictions, and, therefore, have different marriage practices. For example, in Africa marriage partner endurance to a great extent depends on complex rules, which vary significantly from vicinity to region.In addition, the concepts of beauty are also considerably different in different cultures (e. g. African countries consider large and core bodies to be attractive, while European countries like slim women). Ttraditionall y, African marriage is a mental of alliance amidst the kin groups. As well as in other countries, marriage partner pickaxe restrictions in Africa imply two basic categories exogamy and exogamy rules. Exogamy rules insist that marriage should occur outside of a certain social group (e. g.family) (in other words, exogamy explains who the person cannot marry), while inmarriage rules require that the marriage should be within some larger group, such as the local community (ONeil, 2006) (in other words, endogamy explains who the person is recommended to marry). For example, in Zambia a adult female is not allowed to seek for marriage (it is a taboo). Pre-colonial marriage in Africa was a kind of transaction between the two kin groups, where the bridewealth was paid to the brides family. During the period of colonialism polygyny (the marriage of more than one spouse at a time) was a common practice.Nowadays, the ample majority of African countries have attendant monogamy (a marria ge to multiple spouses but only one at a time) (ONeil, 2006) Kinship Kin groups are very important part of African culture. Kinship is a culturally rigid relationship between the people who are commonly thought of as having family ties (ONeil, 2006). African culture uses kinship to classify people and to form social groups. Yet, as with other cultural practices, kinship patterns and rules are different for different types of countrys region.African kinship is the most important social organizing principle along with gender and age (ONeil, 2006), because it provides a means for transmitting skills and situation from generation to generation (ONeil, 2006). No extol that inheritance rights are predominantly based on kinship ties. Marital habitation Alike the vast majority of societies, African newly get hitched with play offs seldom establish their own residence. Instead, they generally become a part of compound household active by relatives or a part of existing household. Ther e are some(prenominal) types of residence in AfricaPatrilocal residence (when a couple establishes their hearth not far from or in the grooms fathers house). It is the most common type of marital residence followed by the vast majority of African people Matrilocal residence (when a newly marital couple establishes their home not far from or in the brides brings house) Avunculocal residence (a couple establishes their home not far from or in the grooms maternal uncles house) Ambilocal residence (when a newly married couple establishes their home not far from or in the brides or grooms house)Neolocal residence (when a newly married couple establishes their home independent of both sets of relatives). Other types of marital residence (e. g. virilocal, uxorilocal, and natolocal) occur very rarely in African culture. Political life Alike all other countries, Africa has some sort of political system, because the politics is a competition for power over people and things (ONeil, 2006) . The simplest type of political systems can be presented in bands and tribes (in Ancient Africa and some late African indigenous tribes).These kinds of societies are acephalous (Greek without a head) (with no leader in the sense we commonly expect) (ONeil, 2006). Tribes are a little bit more multiform system, compared to the band. Nowadays, modern Africa has plenty of political structures organized into bureaucracies of positions. Each of them has different levels of power, responsibility and authority. African Union (AU) consists of all Africas states except Morocco. African Union has a parliamentary government (the AU Government) and consists of judicial, legislative and executive director organs.It is headed by the Head of State and the AU President Gertrude Ibengwe Mongella. Religion Generally, religion is a system of beliefs that usually involves the worship of witchlike beings and/ or forces. Religion plays an important role in African culture, as far as it introduces a kind of order in what might otherwise be seen as a chaotic cosmos (ONeil, 2006) and provides the meaning and understanding for inexplicable things and events. African spiritual people define religious beliefs as the core of their world views. sub-Saharan African traditional religion revolves nigh ancestor worship and animism.Indigenous African religion divides the ancestor spirits into two categories helpful and harmful and involves the performance of rituals (a conventionalize and repetitive act that occurs at a set time and location and involves the use of symbolic words, objects and actions). African religion has mental and social functions. It helps people confronting and explaining death, fears, and anxiety closely the unknown and supernatural. They can provide a basis for common purpose and determine that can help maintain social solidarity (ONeil, 2006).In addition, there are legion(predicate) other religions in Africa, such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, to mention a few. According to encyclopedia Britannica, most 46. 5% of all Africans are Christians and another 40. 5% are Muslims with about 11. 8% of Africans following indigenous African religions. African Art African culture enjoys a rich tradition of crafts and arts, such as brass, leather art works, woodcarvings, paintings, sculpture, pottery, religious and ceremonial headgear and dress, to mention a few.As far as Africans bear much attention to personal appearance, jewelry is the most important personal accessory. Traditionally, Africans confine jewelry from cowry shells. The art of making masks is one of the most important aspects of African culture. There are several themes astray used in African art and craft. Couple theme is one of the most interesting, because, unlike in European cultures, the couple theme rarely expresses the intimacy between man and woman. Instead, the couples are most belike to represent married couple, ancestors, twins, and community founders, etceteraMothers or womans theme is the second most important theme in African art. It embodies the womans desire to have a child, and may symbolize spawn earth. The depiction of the man with the weapon or depiction of animals traditionally symbolizes power and honor. Issues w/ globalisation or the environment Africa is the country solely dependent on rains, global warming may cause scourge effect on the country by worsening the food supply and, consequently, exacerbating the widespread poverty in the consummate African continent.Moreover, it is assumed that the reality of globalization for African continent is dramatically environmentally destructive and the human influenced environmental misfortune in Africa is worsened by the concussion of globalization that may result in further devastation of the continent. References ONeil, D. D. (2006, November 30). ethnic Anthropology. 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