Essays and Research Papers on Anthropology

8 pages in length. The writer discusses changes that occurred during this time period as they relate to the cultural development of Homo sapiens. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page definition of these two concepts. Emphasizes that culture is a determinant of microsociological aspects of human interaction while social systems are most often concerned with macrosociological aspects of human interaction. Both culture and social systems are subject to evolutionary processes, however, and aspects of both are intertwined with each other. ...

7 pages in length. The evolution of human language is a great mystery. Its structure is different from that of any other type of communication on the planet, yet its definitive origin is still unknown beyond intelligent guesses. However, linguists continue to pursue the hidden secrets behind the evolution of language, as ...

This 11 page report discusses anthropology of the body and the ways in which every culture constructs a symbolic system of meanings which includes a representation of the body and a theory of the body’s physical existence. In western society the body is viewed as a symbol of individualism and separation. In traditional societies the body connects the individual to the ...

A 5 page discussion of social anthropological concepts. Provides definitions for the concepts of language as a relational system, total social fact as suggested by Mauss, reciprocity, binary opposition, oppositional thought, deep and surface structure in relation to non linguistic phenomena as entailed by the field of Marxist Anthropology (social formation and production). ...

A 2 page overview of several observations of the universal nature of facial expression which support Eco’s argument. Reviews the related work of Farit Emil, Paul Ekman, and Deborah Blum. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 2 page contrast of symbolic domination as proposed by Pierre Bourdieu and Michael Foucault and the paradigmatic approaches to symbolism and ideology proposed by Levi-Strauss and structural Marxism. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A paper which looks at Geertz’s theories regarding the development of culture and how it interacts with the evolution of human thought, in that the one can only be found as a corollary of the other, and some of the ways in which other researchers have dealt with Geertz’ material.

A 5 page discussion of the theories presented in the book The Great Human Diasporas : The History of Diversity and Evolution. Recognizes author Cavilli-Sforza as a renown expert in human genetic diversity. Notes Cavilli-Sforza adds significant contributions to the predominant explanations of cultural evolution. His work in linguistics, for example, has ...

This 5 page report discusses How individual ethnic and cultural groups in America have defined themselves and how that definition has fit into the American sense of self has existed nearly as long as the United States itself has existed. It is important to understand that the attitudes surrounding race in America are not issues defined in terms of black and ...

An 8 page research paper that details the contributions of three men to the field of anthropology. These men are Herbert Spencer, Franz Boas, and A.R. Radcliffe-Brown. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

The art of observation is the single most important aspect of ethnographic research. This 5 page paper compares an essay on first observations by Jane Goodall with Nonverbal Courtship Patterns In Women from Monica Moore. No additional sources are listed.

This 5 page report discusses the fact that stories and legends of the Goddess abound in virtually every culture throughout the world. Archaeological findings throughout the world have revealed an amazing degree of repetition in terms of symbolic associations between the female form, ritualistic objects, apparent practices, and how all of life is related to and dependent on that which creates ...

This 5 page report discusses how anthropologists have invented categories of social behavior or institutions and use them in order to study the pattern of life lived by a group of people even if the individuals within such a group may not necessarily be personally living what the larger group or institution would suggest. Examples of where groups overlap ...

This 5 page report discusses the film “Magical Death,” produced by anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon and ethnographic filmmaker Timothy Asch. Magical Death, made in 1973, portrays Yanomami shamans causing a trance through taking psycho-active drug “ebene.” They do this in order to be able to contact their spirit helpers or “hekura” for assistance and guidance in times of sickness or adversity. Bibliography ...

This 16 page paper considers the work completed by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1596 on his return form exploring Guiana and considers whether we can look at this as an anthropological work, or merely a retelling of come cultural myths. The bibliography cites 5 sources.

Black Picket Fences by Mary Pattillo-McCoy explores the inherent violence of the poverty culture and how it influences the black middle class community; Samuel Wilson in The Emperor's Giraffe, explores many different meanings of violence as they pertain specifically to the initial contact between cultures and Benjamin R. Barber in Jihad vs. McWorld questions the ...

Learning about the world includes learning about what has been 'left out' because of the current interpretation of cultural importance. This 10 page paper explores a few of the alternative concepts to what is commonly believed in today's world. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 5 page paper considers the way that the aboriginal people were treated from the time colonists landed, how they saw the land and the how it was taken form them by force. The writer also goes on to consider more modern injustices, such as the lost generation. The bibliography cites 3 sources.

A 5 page paper exploring the societal importance of this massive series of prehistoric earthworks which overlook the Mississippi River swamplands in northeastern Louisiana. The author of this paper explores the construction techniques employed at the site and the problems which are encountered when archaeologists try to interpret its meaning. This paper contends ...

This 5 page report discusses the fact that human rights organizations ranging from Amnesty International to the United Nations’ High Council on Refugees estimate that there are between eight and ten million women and girls in the Middle East and in Africa who are at risk of undergoing one form or another of genital “mutilation.” ...

5 pages in length. When one considers the contributions of various populations to the overall network of anthropological information, it is with great curiosity that one looks upon the South African Bushmen. European settlers came upon the Bushmen and must have thought they had walked directly back to the Stone Age by the ...

An 8 page description of the festivities which often accompanies sixteenth century English weddings. The author notes that these weddings essentially consisted of two components, the secular and the non-secular. This paper observes that the most criticized component, the excesses associated with the celebrations, is often blamed on the lower classes of society when ...

This 10 page paper gives examples of the many mentors and indigenous peoples that have had an influence on the work and life of anthropologist/ethnobotonist Dr. Wade Davis. This paper also speaks of Davis's predictions for the future of diversity and multiculturalism. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page essay that examines Nancy Scheper-Hughes' classic study of village life in western Ireland during the 1970s. The text is a richly detailed, yet overall sympathetic social analysis that explores the symptoms that indicate the village's decline, covering a wide variety of topics. However, the writer concentrates on the most controversial aspect of ...