Unraveling the Human Puzzle

1. We humans have lived millions of years without a written language, but that does not mean we do not have laws of punishment and behavior just because they are not written. While each culture has a set of rules, the Yanomamo rules generally differ from Western culture. The killings that the Yanomamo commit raise the stature of the individual within the community. Children are encouraged and rewarded to “act” aggressively; a shared belief that it’s acceptable to murder another person from the perspective of revenge. Similarly, Western culture uses the death penalty as a similar act of revenge against those who committed an act of murder. We also see killing as an expected part of war; individuals such as police officers or federal agents are authorized to kill others if the lives of others are threatened. However, Western culture does not typically reward killing someone, and aggressive behavior is not seen as positively encouraged. Western culture does not justify individuals murderi...

Part 1:  Describe your experiment, both from your perspective and from your partner’s perspective. How did your partner change the way they communicated with you?   (5 pts) This experiment was very intriguing and fun! Being asked to communicate in different ways gave me a better understanding of language and all the different aspects involved. In the first experiment, I was not allowed to speak for 15 minutes; that was the hardest part of the entire experiment for me. I love to talk and engage in conversation and most of the time, I carry conversations. In awkward situations, I always feel the need to fill the silence with my voice. So being unable to talk the entire time filled me with anticipation and frustration. My partner initially was having a lot of fun with this experiment. He took this as an opportunity to talk to me about video games that I knew nothing about and did not plan on playing. He was able to understand that I was bored through my yawns and body langua...

Zulu Population      1. During the Winter (May-September), the dry season has very little rain and bright clear skies. In May, it is typically 81°F in the afternoon. From June-August, the afternoons average 75°F. In September, spring begins with the average temperature around 61°F. In Summer (October- April), the wet season begins. In October and November the average temperature is typically 82°F. From December-February, most days become very humid and hot with frequent thunderstorms. In March and April temperatures are around 88°F with rain subsiding making the climate less humid.  They inhabited a well-watered region in South Africa however the environment was harsh during certain seasons. The temperature and rainfall influenced productive crops and long growing seasons. However, the growing season abruptly stops after rainfall and temperature decline in the winter. It makes it harder for the population to maintain homeostasis because there is not a plethora of foo...

PART A 1. Devoted Throughout the reading, everything the Nacirema population does and believes is out of love for their traditions and culture. They spend a grand portion of their day in “ritual activity” that practices the “dominant concern in the ethos of the people,” which is the perception and healing of the human body (para. 3). The reasons for “how” or “why” they chose to show admiration for their culture narrow down to devotion toward their beliefs. The Nacirema are willing to participate in long practices and rituals because they do not view time as a sacrifice but rather as an importance. They live each day to contribute themselves toward this practice, not because it is expected of them.  2. Structured The Nacirema can not continue their rituals without a thorough step-by-step process. First, they must build a chest into the wall to create a shrine stored with “magical potions,” (para. 6). Secondly, before they can receive the potions, they must visit the “medicine me...

     I would take sunscreen because I never want my skin to be damaged by the sun. I would like to take this time stranded to develop a great tan, rather than be burnt and in pain instead.      My  second item would be a big silver plate with a fancy silver covering (like the plates used for hotel room service/ in movies). Every time I would uncover the plate it would provide an endless amount of fresh sushi. If I were to ever see a boat in the distance, I could bounce the reflection from the plate off of the sun. It would shine in the direction of the captain so they know where I am and save me.