Identity and Activity

Source: Personal experience

Relation: Personal identity is an extremely important participle of one's culture. Culture is the medium through which Anthropology is studied

It is often touted that one's identity is the result of their past experiences, their opinions, and their physical appearance. But I've come to realize, as I grow older, that it is by a person's actions that he solidifies an identity. Today I went for a ride on my bike, as I do as often as I can. People in cars always glare at cyclists here in Humboldt county, they represent instability, and danger on the road. However, other cyclists would wave and even say hello to me as they passed by. And naturally I found myself associating with the cyclists. I imagined a world in which cyclists and automobile drivers were at war, and I chose the half that pedaled to work. Not only that, but I soon learned to look down on cars and the people who drove them. They were pollutant, obnoxious, and dangerous. The actions and activities that I was taking part in were shifting my personal identity, partly because of how others were perceiving me as I continued said activities I believe this is a common phenomenon.

Drinking, drug-abuse, and drug-dealing are prime examples as well. People drink because they want to "loosen up", and because they want to be perceived as an individual that can have fun. As they continue drinking, they start to believe that they are entertaining, but only with a bottle in hand. Thus their opinion of sober life has lost credibility, and the party-life has been glorified in their minds. Drug-use works much in the same way, except that there are several kinds of drugs, and a drug-user identifies best with people who use the same substances. Soon, people start to believe that themselves. Finally, people who sell drugs do it not only for the money, but because it marks you as a guy who knows people, a resourceful guy who can get what you need, and perhaps most important, it launches you into social situations. Many drug-dealers are social outcasts that seek to wedge their way into complex social dynamics. Once they do, they take on the persona of a businessman, socialite, and tough-guy. And yep, they start to believe it.

The dichotomy of small-town racism and big-city racism in the United States

Sources: Personal experiences.

Relation: Robbins Chapter 7, pg. 162

Regardless of how you perceive racism in America, you must admit that it still thrives. While the focus and intensity of racism may have diminished, there are still people struggling under the weight of their stereotypes, and nearly every town has them.  You might ask why a practice that is widely considered ignorant is still in motion, but the answers are vague. We must think about the perceptions of success in America, and how we weigh success by measure of intelligence. Many people claim Asians are smarter, Blacks are more athletic, and Whites are more privileged. Racism may be ingrained into our social hierarchies, so it may be here to stay (Robbins, pg. 162).  Some claim that comedic media only perpetuates the racial barriers that they try to make light of; Dave Chapelle had to leave his entire life behind when he realized people were laughing for the wrong reasons. Others might say that stereotyping is a practice of the Government, which hands out specific scholarships, gratuities, and profiled responses to people of mixed or foreign background. We are subconsciously predisposed to give reason to the action of those around us, and if a large group of colored men walk by wearing purple and carrying baseball bats, chances are you'll chalk it up to their similarity in skin color and think "gang" before you even begin to unravel the true reason for their action (baseball team?)( Just eight dudes having fun?). But what is curious, is the relationship between concentration of people and the amount of racial aggression.

Small towns are believed to be backwater places, you know, hillbillies, farmers, white trash, and the like. And these stereotypes are deemed abnormally racist, compared with city folk. Having come from both a small town, and a Bay Are city, I can conclude that these assumptions are somewhat inaccurate. The town I lived in
was called Middletown. It had a population of 3,000 people and was almost entirely populated by people who would be considered hicks or hillbillies. Yet I was continually surprised as to the lack of true, hateful racism. There may have been one or two old drunks spouting drivel about the effects of Mexicans on the small-town economy, but other than that, it was a tolerant atmosphere. Through careful observation, and a bit of common sense, I've isolated two possible reasons as to why this is. Firstly, there is not a very high concentration of non-whites in Middletown. When you see one black guy walking down the street, he's a person. But when a group of a people of color walk down the street, a racist person begins to think by numbers, and personal safety. If a minority does not pose a threat, then a racist does not see the need to retaliate. But there is another reason: shame. In a small town, everyone knows practically everyone else's business, and that means if a town as a whole despises racism, then a town as whole will keep quiet about racism. To be different is to be scrutinized, and in a small, California town, to be racist is to be hated. But what of cities, how do they compare? Well, cities like San Francisco, and pretty much any large city in America, has to deal with the problem of segregation. How many times have you passed through "Chinatown" or "Little Italy"? Cities play host to vast sections in which certain races congregate. Latinos will stay in one area, just as blacks in another, and whites in yet another. While the separation of races does decrease the friction, geologically, it does not help conquer stereotypes or misconception. In fact, it may increase them. You can only ever know half a man until you've been to his home, and what despicable eccentricities would the home of another culture contain? Also in cities, are stores and shops both themed and run by minorities. People generally find salesmanship distressing, and to put a person of a different ethnicity behind the counter may only increase the tension between a man of one race to another. While this is in no way a scientific study or one based on much more than observation, I feel it may be relevant. If anyone has some ideas, or wants to call me out on my probable ignorance, I encourage you to comment below.

-T Brierly

Families That You Can't Refuse

Source: The Godfather Trilogy

Relation: Robins Chapters 5 (pg.129) and 6(pg. 146)

Anthropology is a science of connections. Bringing one idea to another, whether in a symbiotic system or a cause-and-effect relationship, is the essence of the science, or indeed, any science. Part of who we are deals with the relationships we form with other people, how we affect them, and their effect on us. So it makes perfect sense that the people we devote the most time to, have the more profound effect on what we say, how we act, who we associate with. Across all cultures, people exist in social units, which more often than not consist of relatives, people who share a common lineage of elders and ancestors. You and I would probably call such a group by its specialized name: family. Because family exist together for periods of time that exceed generations, and because prolonged exposure to kin can lead to an effect on another's personality, it is credible to suppose a relationship between family and personal identity.

All families have a unique over-all identity, because it is not possible to replicate all the experiences and personalities that compose a family unit. A family is also a hierarchy, so personal identities are formed for each family member, regarding their position in the unit. This idea of a ranked family is elaborated, much to our entertainment, in the classic film, The Godfather.

Separate members of the Corleone family have separate roles and jobs, which contribute to their identity as a whole. Michael Corleone, the Godfather or head of the family acts according to his position by being stoic, polite, and fairly emotionless. To be the head of a crime family, one has to think logically, because the whole organization might crumble otherwise. It's his position in the family that surfaces these characteristics, the necessities of  being the head honcho in a patriarchy. Essentially, as his role in the family changed from underling to boss, so did his identity and the way he viewed himself. This promotes an "identity struggle" (Robins 146), as among some of his other family members, particularly his wife, the change is a stark contrast between the Michael Corleone they knew and loved, and the new Godfather Michael, who has changed his mannerisms in response to his new responsibilities.

Fredo, Michael Corleone's little brother, undergoes an identity struggle as well. The position of Godfather is an impartible inheritance (Robbins 129), meaning it cannot be split between two people. As a result, Fredo loses his equality with Michael and in turn becomes an underling to the Godfather. Whereas contentedness and a willingness to help the family used to be focal points in Fredo's demeanor, rebellion and selfishness take over, ultimately leading to a confrontation that ends in Fredo's death. Shifting positions in a family can lead to a disharmonious nature withing the unit, leading to shifting alliances and therefore identities throughout. There are a myriad of other equatable identity shifts throughout the Godfather trilogy, dealing with maternal roles, marriage roles, sibling roles, etc. It exemplifies the impact families have on one's apparent demeanor, and the way that one might view themselves.

The Power of Presidential Speech

Sources: Robbins Chapter 3, http://artofmanliness.com/2008/08/01/the-35-greatest-speeches-in-history/


Speech is the vessel through which all language is transported. Without it, or its various forms, we would be stranded in a sea of our own interpretations, melded by silent language, but never through human interaction. So in many ways, verbal communication is as important to our mental stability as our conceived notions of happiness are; it grounds our world and brings us together to share in agreement, persuasion, humor, and a myriad of other interactions. It is by no coincidence then, that the changes that have impacted our history profusely, were often sparked by the speeches of great orators. Perhaps one of the most talented modern orators in the last century was, indeed, an actor. He was also our president for a lengthy bit of time, Ronald Reagan.

Say what you want about his politics or his ethics, (I can't tell if those are inter-related or poised against each other), Ronald Reagan could deliver words with the impact of a hammer, but utilized even, unwavering tones  that suggested discipline and authority. Drawing extensively from frames of the Masculinity, Empiricism, and stoic Christianity, his speeches were ripe with metaphor. (Robbins page 86,98-99) A perfect example of this is his address to the nation after the space shuttle Challenger suffered a malfunction and exploded during takeoff. It resonated with strength, and somber understanding:

"We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We’ve grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them……

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honoured us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God."

The speech focuses on the merits of the crew lost, highlighting the idea of the American Pioneer. In our culture the pioneer is one to be cheered, for expanding our knowledge of the beyond and providing a first glimpse at what could possibly be dangerous. There certainly is a somewhat heroic connotation surrounding the pioneering spirit. Historically, however, our expansionism caused the near genocide of the Native American Spirit, so from a cultural context, not everyone might see this relationship between astronaut and pioneer so adherent. In classic American-Christian style, Mr. Reagan also incorporated a biblical reference. To reach out into space is to "Touch the face of God", a metaphor that is both cleverly written, and empowering to the seven people that were lost. In Christianity, God is untouchable and unequal to any human. To bring one's hand closer to him is to bring one's self closer to power, wisdom, and courage. This is but one example of Reagan's many spectacular oratory moments. Say what you want about the president, he was a powerhouse at the podium, utilizing speech in ways that connected or affected each and every American, creating much with only so many words.

The Unfree GDP (Blog 4) 10/7/2011

Source:  http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=108&subid=900003&contentid=255055

and....http://able2know.org/topic/152857-1 also....http://www1.american.edu/ted/jail.htm
Relation: Robbins Pg. 61

Money is one of the most interesting and pseudo-important dynamics within the American lifestyle. Pseudo, because its importance is based upon the value of  the goods we substitute it for. Together, we contribute to the GDP of our country, a figure primarily measured in dollars. And upon the acquisition of the dollar, we build our industries, which focus on "perpetual growth", the idea that increasing production of different products to meet different demands,(and exporting these products to as many places as possible), will increase the wealth of the industry. (Robbins pg.61) Perpetual growth, however, isn't easy to achieve, and the externalized costs that arise as a result, grow with the industry. A good example of these concepts is the prisoner-furniture companies, fast growing on American soil.

The prison industry is producing over 2.4 billion dollars worth of products each year. And because the laborers are payed very low wages (usually 21 cents an hour), the cost of production is very low. One large chunk of the products manufactured in prisons is the production of furniture. Prison furniture is all over the place these days. Even the chair I'm sitting in now has the San Quentin seal stamped into the wood underneath the seat. Raw materials are shipped in to different branches of prison factories every day. The laborers assemble the products, test them, and then package them for transportation. The various chairs, dressers, etc. will then be shipped worldwide, to increase customer base and secure revenue. This is typical of an industry, and looks all fine and dandy on the surface, but what of the externalized costs? 

The typical prison factory worker is protected by a human rights inspector. A single person is usually in charge of protecting the rights of hundreds of workers. Its easy to see how some workers fall through the cracks, and end up never being helped when they need it. Back problems and lung disease are common in prison factories, which lead to a myriad of health costs. Post-Parole, an ex-con could have thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of medical costs. Also, while prison made furniture is inspected, it is not given the thorough look-over that legitimate factories try to incorporate into the manufacturing process. Shoddy furniture can lead to injuries, and the cost of replacement. Finally, a prisoner making twenty cents an hour is saving a business owner a lot more money than a free man who works for minimum wage. That could be considered a cost to the private sector, which are in essence losing jobs to men who lost their freedom. Morally, this is all very debatable, but from an economic standpoint, prison labor both helps and hurts the GDP.

Wild Man Syndrome: A Behavioral Disorder, A Mental Illness, or Self Expression? (Blog 3) 9/23/11

Source: http://www.jstor.org/stable/669077 (Wild Man Behavior in New Guinea Highlands Community)

Relation to the text: Robbins pgs. 49-50

Many Cultures exhibit unique explanations for abnormalities in day to day behavior. What ours might say is the root of a psychological problem, another may explain with witchcraft, or genetic disorders. Believing what is true, and which science is most accurate, is really a matter of which culture and consensus you ascribe your beliefs to. Also, what we may consider abnormal or disruptive behavior, another culture could see as a form of self-expression. Susto, the South American belief that depression is linked to a soul beaing torn from the body (Robbins pg.48), is an example of differing interpretations of behavioral disorders. To elaborate the ambiguous nature of uncontrolled illnesses, self-perpetuated disorders, and self-expression, I will highlight the case of the Gururumba Wild Man Syndrome.

The Gururumba tribe of New Guinea have a strange problem, one that associates itself mostly to young men. Every so often a person will rob various households of objects that hold little value, take them into the forest for several days, and then return amnesiac of it all. They call this "ahaDe idzi Be" meaning "to be a wild pig". Essentially there is no cure, other than for the wild phase to end, generally after the "wild man" leaves the forest and returns to civilization.  The cause is unknown, though a psychologist or neurologist from the States might say something about a neurotransmitter deficiency due to a noticeable decrease in mental activity and cognition.  But is the root of this problem related to a person's mental well-being, or is it a question of self-expression? The concept of a "wild" man is a man who's broken away from his societal roots. So perhaps "Wild Man" syndrome is something more along the lines of self-expression, about a growing discontentment with a society as a whole. New Guinea is still a struggling country, policed by foreign peace officers. Perhaps there is enough negativity there to spark outbursts of wild activity.We have the same thing in America, but we have many names for our Wild Men. Transients, anarchists, drug-abusers. Anyone who seeks to break away from their box is, by our definition, wild. College students, are, in many ways wild men and women in their own respect. They spend their weekdays in contemporary society, studying, testing, and socializing, but when the weekend comes they break out of their societal chains and partake in less-than-contemporary activities. My point is: Illnesses can be interpreted differently from many different standpoints, as the definition and constitution of what an illness is, is entirely subjective.

The Movie Mannequins

Political Anatomy is the idea that in certain situations, the contortions of our bodies are controlled to better focus us on a task at hand. It's easy how this applies in the classroom, with desks, bending the body up and foward, and the positiong of said desks in neat rows, but where does it apply outside of learning institutions? Oddly enough i found my answer at the mall.

Ever gone the the movie theatres? First, they make you stand in line, and shuffle one by one up to this little booth where a worker is standing, practically forced to keep eyes front and hands on the counters. After we get our tickets, we have to stand in another line so that they can check our tickets and make sure we dont move ourselves into the wrong viewing room. After we finally get to purchase our snacks and drinks thatwill almost certainly fit into our cup-holders, we sit down in angled chairs, designed to sit us up straight, eyes toward the screen. The armrests are almost never adjustable, encouraging you to now lay across multiple seats, and the seats are easily gotten to by theater workers, busily checking tickets at rater R flicks. Its amazing how that even when we are aiming to entertain ourselves, we still happen to be restricted physically, one way or another. Whether it be rollercoasters, kayaks, or museums, we almost always have a set of rules that both limits and concentrates or efforts to entertain ourselves. I believe the purpose of political anatomy may be interlaced with the idea of equality. We queue in lines, sit in specified seats, and are unable to touch certain things because to do so would be to take away from the experience of another individual. Perhaps political anatomy serves other purposes as well, but it certainly exists for the sake of sharing.

What is culture: Do I have one?

Relation to text: Robbins, page 5


So here is what's up. I'm currently taking a college course on cultural anthropology, and for one of my projects I have to maintain a blog on my observations of my own culture: academia. strenuous right? I mean, who wants to balance a project like that in between intensive science courses and whatnot? However, if I have to do it, then I'm certainly going to have fun with it. So I'll be here frequently to post my observations, hopefully intelligent ones, and hopefully you'll follow along and share a little of your knowledge with me as well!

Now: onto the good stuff. Robbins explains culture as a group of people within a certain society who view the world in the same way. I believe that culture is a utilitarian phrase, representative of many different ideas and practices. It's kind of like when people refer to their mp3 players as Ipods, even though they may be Sony or Microsoft brand. If someone has a unique way of going about something, and they exist within a modicum of other people who do similar or the same, then that person might call his practice a part of their culture. So, if my definition is in any way credible, then I belong to the culture of academia. Just like my roommates and fellow dorm-livers, I awake, rush to class, fill insane amounts of paper with notes, and engage in night-time debauchery. School is my source of activity, the system in which I place my faith, and the forum in which i shout my ideas: my culture.