Dwij Goel: ANT1 answer copy

Culture shock is the surprise element and feeling of uncertainty and conflict when ethnographers go for studying native culture.

(Reason) → 1. Conditioning by our culture limits understanding of new culture.

1. May find conflict in morality.

(Eg) Elopement by couples in Garasiya tribe before marriage → ethnographer may face culture shock.

Stages of culture shock

1. Honeymoon phase where ethnographer tries to get pleasure from ‘surprise’ element.

2. Conflict phase - when he observes conflicting culture rules.

   • Cannibalism in Aztecs.

3. Feeling of acceptance and mental harmony → when staying for long-time gets accepted.

4. Back to own culture - another culture shock.

An ethnographer can reduce culture shock intensity by being more acceptable, have culture sensitiveness, use emic approach.

Pluralism and multiculturalism are the description of social group interaction and relation within a society.

Pluralism: It is the existence of several ethnic, religious, linguistic or sub social groups within a culture.

Characteristics:

1. Interaction between groups is limited.
2. Existence does not mean recognition by state.
3. In individual sphere, can follow one's ideology, but in public sphere, rights are not guaranteed.

Eg: European countries can be talked of as pluralist society.

Multiculturalism - existence of several ethnic, religious, linguistic groups but they have interrelation and interact with each other.

Characteristics - 1. Existence and recognition of rights by state (for ex Art 29, 30 of Indian constitution)

1. Can follow rituals, norms with freedom (within the law).

2. Harmony with other social groups in existence.

Relevance - Need to move from pluralist society to multicultural society where rights of all social groups are recognised. Post-modernist argue it led to multivocality and religion multiculturalism along with peaceful co-existence.

Division of labour

Since the Australopithecus and to subsequent Homo Sapiens Sapiens, division of labour has been there. Louis Leakey observed this in Australopithecus.

① Sex based → Murdock believes biological determinism played role.

• Male → Hunting
• Female → gathering

② → loss of female → more threat to survival than loss of male so male in hunting.

① As per Merton - in simple societies (ex) Bushman - division of labour tied to sex

② Age Based → Child - Adult (ex) Horticulture society

Case Study : Santhals

④ Specialisation - modern day economy "Durkheim in his book "Division of labour" called this as essence for "organic solidarity" (ex) Tailor - stitch clothes Army - fighting.

Thus, Division of labour ensured social order maintenance.

Kinship and Power

In stateless societies Kinship and power are related as kinsmen holds the authority and social power to influence one's decisions.

Kinship as per Abercrombie is the relationship by affinal or consanguine relations for a person.

While Power as per Max Weber is the tendency to do one's bidding in a communal action even when in opposing by majority.

Interrelation

① Kinship influencing power

• Evans Pritchard study on the African political system → Lineage

based hierarchy → kinsmen succeed to maximal lineage leadership.

• social influence → public mockery in case of violation of rules like incest taboo.

(2) Power influencing kinship → In modern day society we observe weakened kinship ties because power of law, state has superseded power of kin relations and supernatural.

(3) Both influence each other → In Mizo → chief is selected who has charismatic personality + comes from kinship lineage → Complex interdependence.

Thus, in contemporary society, power of parents, grandparents to control children decreasing (kin relations) due to modernization.

Hunter-gatherers are the community who live by being dependent on hunting wild animals, fishing and gathering inside forest. Sahlins called them "affluent society".

Ex: Chenchus in Nallamala Hills, Birhor, Man Kadia, Onge in Andaman etc.

Problems

(1) Lack of avenue for hunting due to encroachment by outsiders. → Yanadis faced this issue due to outsider interference.

(2) Forest regulation restricting their movement like → Wildlife protection Act 1972, → not allow hunting for people wild animals.

(3) Malnutrition - due to loss of traditional source of nutrition. → Mankidias → earlier → hunt → protein fulfilled Now do animal husbandry but not know much → malnutrition

(4) Exploitation and decrease in population due to outsiders, disease (Ex) Onge tribe depopulating conditions

(5) Ban on traditional practices like

• Nagas killing Hornbill → now celebrate festival

(6) Unavailability of vast amount of land → restricted Chenchus mobility.