Anthropology Class

@megajamel7

🧠Always learning new things everyday.✍🏾 “Failure is not the opposite of success; it’s part of success.”🙏🏾

24 posts

Chapter 14 fieldwork : How does the state become real for you?

FOOD: The state regulates and shapes the food I eat by, for one making sure it’s safe to eat via FDA rules of dating when food and beverages expire.

PEOPLE: The state regulates the people by having them act or dress accordingly based on their workplace. For example, workplace etiquette, uniforms and background checks for people getting a job.

TRANSPORTATION: The state regulates transportation in many ways in my everyday life. For instance, traffic laws, to establish driving etiquette and preventing deaths and injuries whilst driving. Driving Lessons/Test, to further establish driving etiquette for new amd upcoming safe drivers. In addition , paying for public transportation using Metro cards

SCHOOL: The state shapes the schools in my everyday life , by helping me learn new things in all aspects . for example, English, Math, Science and Social studies, so students like me can have knowledge on everything after completing school. Also the state shapes my school experience by helping me pay my way through school using financial aid and student loans.

PUBLIC AGENCIES: The state shapes my life with the public agencies with the establishment of agencies like the Center of Disease control and prevention. Agencies like this helps me and my community maintain healthy lives through physicians .

ENVIRONMENT: The state helps regulate the environment by helping maintain a mostly sanitary and inhabitable conditions for both humans and animals in my neighborhood by establishing , parks, water treatment facilities, animal sanctuaries , and laws that protect the environment in my neighborhood.

INFRASTRUCTURE: The state shapes my everyday life with support like needs of water , electricity and trash removal by providing elements like power plants, sewage, and sanitation to my community.

SOCIAL LIFE: The state impacts my social life by setting rules for what I am able and unable to do at my young age. For example, drinking, curfew and activities.

MEDIA: The state plays a role in my life with the support of media by providing the daily news for update on current events, and weather. In addition , blocking in inappropriate content on platforms such as YouTube.

Absence: The aspect of the state I feel is absent in my life is the over regulation of my life ( Communism) for example ,what jobs I can do, what class system I am permanently in, and the level of education I can get. I feel this is beneficial because I can achieve any level of education as I desire, as well as I am not subjected to be confined to just one social class I was born in, as I can evolve. And I can uphold the job of my choice and skill level.

Chapter 14 film: “Red Hat, Where Are You Going?”

1. Yes, the Cheops still have power . They use it to style local disputes in the community for example, women abandonnning their homes.

2. In this short video I notice that the chiefs have a lot of levels of power. The chiefs have the agency in this dynamic due to all of the power they have. They use their power effectively. I notice that the men have more power than the women, as the men are the lawmakers and the agency of the community, while the women are predominantly the workers of the community.

3. According to the village chief, Naaba Sigri, chiefs still exist under the new Democratic system is because it is a strong system as stated ,“ it is such a democratic system which the colonial government has tried so hard to take apart and it did not succeed. Also Naaba states that “they understood that we can help them.”

Chapter 14 fieldwork film: “Laid to Waste”

1.What environmental racism means to me is , the unfair practices of practicing hazardous things in impoverished areas. Facilities that handle hazardous waste end up in poor, often predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods is due to those areas not being as appealing compared to the others that are predominantly white. Areas that don’t have these such facilities are often wealthier and cleaner areas that attract most people.

2. The people of Chester have responded with the highest disregard of hazardous plants being placed in their neighborhood because of , health issues it has brought to their community. What I would do if I was in their position is fight for the government to take the hazardous plants down and value the lives and health of my fellow neighbors.

3. The agency who has the power of that decision is the state, as they have the power of choice of where to put these hazardous plants.

Chapter 13 Film: “Brother Towns”

1. What motivates the risk decision to migrate from Jacaltenango is the violence. What I would do in their situation is migrate as well for a better life.

2. The kinds of jobs the new migrants do once they arrive is such jobs like, mowing lawns, raking leaves, and landscaping. This impacts the local community in Jupiter, Florida by stimulating the economy, making it grow. The effects this has on Jacaltenanago is hurting its economy as many people constantly migrate from there.

3. The responsibility of the local government in meeting the needs of new , undocumented immigrants is to help the quality of life for these new and upcoming citizens, as well as protecting the people of the community . The responsibility of the community is to make the community more peaceful by living in harmony.

Chapter 13 Film: “Monkey Dance”

1. Some challenges Linda faces in her travels to her “home country” was not being used to the aspects of a different country for example, living styles , food, and weather. Her perspective changes is her dancing.

2. Linda’s dancing skills helps her orientation to Cambodia as it further gives her experience of her own born-culture. The role this tradition plays in maintaining cultural identity for second generation immigrants by getting them in touch with their culture by practicing the traditions.

3. Based on Linda describing the youth age of both countries as “exactly the same” , it is possible that they are similar because they are both friendly and have similar personalities and aspects of the youth Linda interacts with back in Massachusetts.

4. I do see a example of transnationalism as she learns more about her Cambodian traditional her family has experienced. I feel she will identify as both American and Cambodian as she will further acknowledge her Cambodian ancestry.

Chapter 13 Fieldwork:

Interviewee name: Moyosoreoluwa

Gender : Female

Age: 18

Nationality: Nigerian 🇳🇬

Migrated from: Nigeria

To: United States of America

Summary

Moyosoreoluwa was born in Nigeria in 2002. She spent majority of her childhood in Nigeria. Moyosoreoluwa describes Nigeria as sort of similar to American life , but she says that her country lacks security and protection of peoples lives. In 2018 Moyosoreoluwa and her family moved to The United States of America with the pulling force being a better life for her and her family. A pushing factor for Moyosoreoluwa describes is the education in Nigeria, as she says colleges in Nigeria are extremely difficult to get into : with the tedious amount of work you have to do. The only barriers Moyosoreoluwa states that were difficult was getting her social security to start working. Moyosoreoluwa states that she likes it better in The United States as she feels like it has provided her and her family with more educational and financial opportunities. As an update Moyosoreoluwa graduated high school, is currently in her freshmen year of college, and now works for Amazon.com inc.

Chapter 11 film- China Blue 👕👖

1. Do you know where the clothes you are wearing were made? Check tags and imagine how far each item had to travel to arrive at your local store.

Yes, I know where my clothes were made.

2. The global economy makes enforcing labor practices difficult , if not impossible. Do you think this model is sustainable? What might help fair labor practices possible? What can you do?

I don’t think it is sustainable as it isn’t very fair. What can help fair labor practices is less consumption. What I can do I cut back on buying things I want and not necessities.

3. Do you notice a contrast between perception of labor practices by outsiders, and the experience of the workers themselves? How is the nation- state involved in this disconnect?

I do notice a contrast in perception , as the outsiders think it’s “ not that bad” and never actually experienced what it’s like for themselves. And the opposing side being the factory workers , who endure labor in harsh conditions to produce these high demand goods for little to no pay. Nation- state is involved as not all areas of the world are impoverished or have the privilege of working in safe conditions.

Chapter 11 film- Birdsong and Coffee☕️

1. How does the global coffee market link producers and consumers?

The global coffee market links producers and consumers as both groups being affected by the prices of coffee. The consumers pay a lot of money for coffee. While on the other hand, the producers get little to no profit for the coffeee sold.

2. How much do you spend on coffee per day? Per week? Per month? How much do you think is going back to the producers of that coffee?

I do not spend any money on coffee ,as I do not drink it.

3. At the height of the crisis in the 1990s, producers earned 40 cents for the same pound of coffee that sold for 60 dollars in the coffee shops in the United States. Do you think this is fair? What role does “fairness” play in the global economy?

I think it is not fair because, the producers of the coffee who provide for the high demand of coffee, make little to no profit off of “frankly”overpriced coffee sales. I feel like fairness plays no role in the global economy as the more powerful companies make huge profit, while the producers make much less.

4. Four global companies control nearly half of the worlds coffee market. How does that affect prices on the global market? How does it affect small farmers in coffee producing regions?

This can affect prices on the global market by increasing prices of coffee. This can affect small farmers in coffee producing regions by the farmers making little to no money at all.

Chapter 11 Fiedwork - Biography of a Chocolate Bar

1. The ingredients of this brand of Choclate bars are cocoa, sugar ,vegetable oil, palm oil , Shea oil, Sunflower oil, Kernel oil, Skim milk, wheat flour, Corn syrup, 2% milk, lecithin( soy) , Vanillin artificial flavor, Salt, yeast, and baking soda.

2. Interestingly, most of the ingredients come from cacao beans from West Africa.

3. Cocoa beans are produced from cocoa pods, which grows on the branches of the Cocoa tree , which is most commonly found in the rainforests of the continents of South America and Africa.

4. According to make choclate fair.com, the conditions of people who produce the cocoa bean are very harsh. For instance, low pay, forced labor, trafficking , exposure to pesticides,and the fact that children are often working in the harsh conditions of the cocoa farms.

5. In order for the cocoa beans to be marketed , the cocoa beans must be fermented, dried and cleaned, then in which they are sold.

6. The prices of cocoa beans are set very high, due to the high demand for choclate.

7. The international coroporation that dominates the choclate trade is Mars Mondelez.

8. The cocoa trade is regulated by the FDA or Food and drug administration.

9. Chocolate is marketed by the weight and the price.

10. I brought this chocolate bar from Target.

11. According to www. profitableventure.com , the profit a store owner makes from selling a choclate bar is between 55 to 75%.

12. Surprisingly, there are hidden cost. For instance, a small portion goes to the cocoa farmers, and non choclate producers ,like milk companies.

Biography of Cocoa

The cocoa bean grows on the cocoa tree in the rainforest. It is then that gatherers chop it down collecting it for a use. It is then taken to taken to a farm where it is then cut open with a machete. Cocoa beans are fermented, dried and cleaned. It is then traded many of the choclate driven companies around the world for a profit. It is then cooked, designed ,branded and sold to many stores. It is then organized by the store to entice the consumers( costumers) to buy it. It is sold to the Consumer, who then eats and enjoys it!!

Chapter 10 Fieldwork film- “Homelessness in Paradise”

1. Homelessness is extremely visible in my community. The community response has been mixed as some people put forward to aid the homeless. While on the other hand ,others ignore the homeless doing nothing.

2. In my community poverty is visible, due to certain areas in my community being more impoverished than others.

3. Some ways societies criminalize poverty is by making certain areas inaccessible by law to the homeless. What I think these measures have on the underlying causes of poverty is that it promotes it as leaving people in poverty with no places to go.

4. I would approach the problem of homelessness by providing aid , such as, providing more job opportunities for people in impoverished areas, as well as building more areas accessible to the homeless, to reduce public living. I would see it as a structural economic problem due to unequal opportunities.

Chapter 10 Fieldwork

Karl Marx theory

No, I could not live of off $2 a day . I say that because ,even the bare necessities cost more than $2 dollars. I find it impossible to live off of that amount.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/karl-marx-yesterday-and-today/amp

The nineteenth-century philosopher’s ideas may help us to understand the economic and political inequality of our time.

This image illustrates Karl Marx’s idea of Conflict theory by depicting the two social classes of the proletariat and bourgeoisie. The proletariat class were people who exploited their labor .while, the bourgeoisie were the people who owned the means of labor for example, factories, materials, and tools.

Max Weber theory

https://www.business.com/articles/management-theory-of-max-weber/

Weber's theory prioritizes efficiency, but it isn't necessarily the best practice for leaders to implement.

This image demonstrates Max Weber’s idea of bureaucracy. Weber believed that class was determined by a persons power, property, and prestige. Weber belived that these elements( as shown above) would contribute to economic success.

Pierre Bourdieu theory

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369118X.2017.1301519

This image illustrates Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural and social capital. Bourdieu believed that people’s income received from labor can help them improve their social class. He believes that social capital can improve cultural capital, as applying for colleges etc.

Chapter 9 Fieldwork: Kinship diagram

After analyzing my diagram I created, I realized that my immediate family is very extensive due to me having lots of siblings and cousins. Another thing I analyzed is that I have a lot of half brothers from different mother’s.

From watching commercials from the channels nick, nick toons and nick jr. I have found two commercials that are aimed at females, one commercial aimed at males and one commercial that is not aimed towards a particular gender. The strategies I saw to in aiming for the female demographic is using more lighter colors, with a addition of effects like sparkles. Commercials targeting the female audience has more of a sweet and angelic tone. The strategies I saw with drawing in the male audience was using darker and somber colors, while the tone is more aggressive tone.

After reading my classmates post I have found that it isnt natural that boys will be boys and girls will be girls for example, the commercials aimed at boys had a more dull tone. However, the commercials aimed toward girls had a more cheerful tone. With comercials demonstrating these different tones to each of these gender demographics, it represents how some feel boys should act to be considered masculine and “manly”. Girls are being drawn in with a gentle tone, basically demonstrates how girls should grow up being more benign and feminine.

Chapter 6 fieldwork

People I received information from - Luebertha Scarbrough( Grandmother), Regina Scarbrough( Cousin)

Question 1. How long has your family lived in the United States?

From the information I received from my grandmother ,it is an unknown vast amount of time generations of my family has lived in the United States ,due to us not having documentation of our past generations. However the furthest my family dates back to the year 1875. ( this is the year that my Great-great Grandmother Ada Scarbrough, passed away).

Question 2. Where did we come from?

As far as what I know , we have originated from Africa and Europe, due to my great grandmother Emma Lee being biracial. But ,in the aspect of my immediate family, we have originated in Doddsville, Mississippi.

Question 3. Has your family embraced nationalism?

Yes, my family has embraced the idea of nationalism, due to us living in America, and following the American traditions.

My biracial Great Grandmother Emma-lee.

1. Institutional racism

The first picture depicts Institutional racism or in other words, a unequal racial structuring in a facility such as a school. This image exhibits institutional racism by the separation of the white students together in front and the African-American students pushed to the back corner of the class.

2. Jim Crow

The second image displays the impacts of Jim Crow laws on African-American people in the south, from unequal opportunities, denied rights, and unfair laws. As demonstrated in the picture above, during this time period most people of color were unable to get job opportunities based off of their skin color alone.

3. Nativism

The third image exhibits nativism, the favoring of mainly white immigrants over other immigrants of different ethnicities. As showed in the image white immigrants were welcomed to early America, while immigrants from other backgrounds were unwanted.

4. White supremacy

The fourth image pictures the idea of white supremacy , the superiority of the white race and inferiority of other races. As shown white people who follow the idea of white supermacy strongly do not believe in diversity of people outside of the white race.

5. Racialization

The fifth image portrays racialization or stereotyping of a specific race. The image displays this by using a common stereotype of the African-American race; that we “love watermelon”. This racialization is false because respectfully not every African- American person eats nor likes watermelon (I don’t !).

6. Miscegenation

The last image exhibits miscegenation a demeaning term for interracial marriage. The image shows an infamous interracial marriage of the Loving family. The loving family was shunned in the then segratory state of Virginia. Due to the 1967 case of Loving vs Virginia, the Supreme Court ruled that banning interracial marriage is a violation of the fourteenth amendment in the U.S constitution.

Fieldwork CH. 4: Language and Gender in virtual classroom

Class observed: MATH106.011

1. In this class there were 6 men and 13 women.

2. In this clsss no student uses their mic to respond to the professors , but instead they responded via comment section. A total of 4 women a two men responded to the professors daily question and participated during class via the comment section.

3. The trend I see in the style of speaking is that the women students participated more in the lesson, while the men students were more laid back.

4. In this class neither women or men students use their cameras.(Bigbluebutton.com)

5. The instructor of this class is a male. The instructor strongly encourages everyone to participate in every lesson.

6. The gender of the instructor does not influence the way they interact with the class.

Fieldwork: Gender & Power

Song: “Miss Independent” by Ne-yo

The reason I choose this song because it represents the gender role of a female handles things without a help of a man, expressed by the lyric “ Kinda women that dont even need my help.”This song shows true power in females being both independent and self-driven to success it says “She got her own thing.” This song displays how all females can be independent and are strong on their own to manage without a man. Women can be their own boss.

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