The universal and the particular
The universal and the particular
Ryan Schram
ANTH 1001: Introduction to anthropology
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 (Week 1)
Available at http://anthro.rschram.org/1001/2020/1.1.2
Required readings
Thomas Hylland Eriksen “Anthropology: Comparison and Context,” in Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (London: Pluto Press, 2015), 1–11.
Thomas Hylland Eriksen “A Brief History of Anthropology,” in Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (London: Pluto Press, 2015), 12–31.
Anthropology is holistic. What does that mean?
Google “define holistic” and you get
holistic /həʊˈlɪstɪk,hɒˈlɪstɪk/ adjective
The opposite of a holistic explanation is a reductionist explanation, which would describe something in terms of a single, ultimate origin.
People are the same and different
For instance, I argue that everything about human beings can be located somewhere in a space with two dimensions, like a Cartesian plane.
The horizontal dimension is better labeled as “particular” on the right (+) and “universal” on the left (-).
The vertical axis is better labeled as “acquired” on the top (+) and “innate” on the bottom (-).
Acquired traits are learned, unlike innate traits which are automatic, essential or fixed, that is, one is born with them. Hence,
Human life in a two-dimensional space
<HTML
>
<
table>
<colgroup><col style=“width:50%”/><col style=“width:50%”/></colgroup>
<tr>
<td>
</HTML
>
Q
uadrant II (top left) contains all the traits that are <html><strong></html>universal<html></strong></html> and <html><strong></html>acquired<html></strong></html> [-,+].
<HTML
>
<
/td>
<td>
</HTML
>
Q
uadrant I (top right) contains all the traits that are <html><strong></html>particular<html></strong></html> to groups of people and also <html><strong></html>acquired<html></strong></html> by them [+,+].
<HTML
>
<
/td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
</HTML
>
Q
uadrant III (bottom left) contains all the traits that <html><strong></html>universal<html></strong></html> and <html><strong></html>innate<html></strong></html> [-,-].
<HTML
>
<
/td>
<td>
</HTML
>
Q
uadrant IV (bottom right) contains all the traits that are <html><strong></html>particular<html></strong></html> and <html><strong></html>innate<html></strong></html> [+,-].
<HTML
>
<
/td>
</tr>
</table>
</HTML
>
Y
ou can see a version of this table on page 54 of (Eriksen 2015c).
Quiz! (Or, rather, Survey!)
Let’s take a survey in the Canvas section for quizzes.
Go on the class Canvas site now. Go to Quizzes and take the in-lecture survey for today, February 26. (Scroll down for the “Surveys” section on the Quizzes page.)
This question does not have a right answer. We are using the question as a survey to see what you all think.
The key word is “culture”
Many, many things people do are acquired patterns, and are particular to their environment. They are cultural, not natural.
Examples:
Liget (anger) among the Ilongot of the Philippines (Rosaldo 1984, 1989 [2009])
Dreams in Auhelawa, Papua New Guinea
Taking back the culture concept
Culture is often an overused word. For anthropologists who are interested in the acquired and the particular, it is often a misused word. This class is about taking back the word culture.
Culture is not just people’s identity
Culture is usually implicit and invisible, like a habit, not obvious or deliberate expression
One’s culture is not just what makes people different from each other. Everyone needs to acquire patterns from a shared culture to be complete.
References
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. 2015a. “A Brief History of Anthropology.” In Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology, 12–31. London: Pluto Press.
———. 2015b. “Anthropology: Comparison and Context.” In Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology, 1–11. London: Pluto Press.
———. 2015c. Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology. London: Pluto Press.
Rosaldo, Michelle Z. 1984. “Toward an Anthropology of Self and Feeling.” In Culture Theory: Essays on Mind, Self and Emotion, edited by Richard A. Shweder and Robert A. LeVine, 137–57. Cambridge University Press.
Rosaldo, Renato. (1989) 2009. “Grief and a Headhunter’s Rage.” In Death, Mourning, and Burial: A Cross-Cultural Reader, edited by Antonius C. G. M. Robben, 167–78. Malden, Mass.: John Wiley & Sons.
A guide to the unit
ANTH 1001: Introduction to anthropology—A guide to the unit
General info: The goal of this class | What we will do in this class | Readings, other class requirements, and online resources | A note about attendance | The keys to success in this class | A guide to effective email | The ANTH 1001 class Canvas site (requires USYD login)
Lecture outlines and guides:
| Module 1: What makes us human? | Weeks 1–3 |
| 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.3.1, 1.3.2 | Ryan Schram |
| Module 2: Can an anthropologist really leave her culture? | Weeks 4–6 |
| 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.2.0, 2.3.0 | Ryan Schram |
| Module 3: Is family universal? | Weeks 7–9 |
| 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.3.1, 3.3.2 | Jadran Mimica |
| Module 4: Where is the mind? | Weeks 10–12 |
| 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.3.1, 4.3.2 | Jadran Mimica |
| Review | Week 13 |
| 5.1.1, 5.1.2 | Ryan Schram |
Assignments: Online discussion posts and responses | Weekly reflections | Module 1 concept quiz | Tell me a story...: An analysis of qualitative data | Proposal for a Grade 12 lesson on kinship | Comprehensive (open-book, take-home) essay response assignment