What Anthropology Class Offered Me This Semester

Before this class, I thought that Anthropology class was about humanity's history and the changes that occurred in different cultures. To be honest, I did not even take a look into the dictionary to be sure that I knew the meaning of it. I just assumed I knew it.
After the first class, I got the fact that I was definitely wrong. I felt like this class was going to be challenging in many ways. It was kind of re-learning what I "knew".
The class opened my thirst of curiosity, and gave me a true definition of "cultural relativism" through my ethnography. Many topics discovered in class were before far far away to exist for me because I never paid attention to it. For example, I never thought that my words shape my vision of the world (The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis). Moreover, I could always directly or indirectly related discussions made in class with my own life. Professor Gaunt's enthusiasm to teach us definitely helped me in regard of my self-confidence. With all the experiences that she shared with us, I created inside me a want to do the same. At none time, I felt being left aside during class. Although, participation was hard for me at the beginning, I finally understood that if everybody did the same as me e.g. not sharing my experiences and knowledge, therefore how could I evolve? How could I improve? What was the point to come into class if I did not share my ideas with people around me? The discovery of TED definitely gave me ideas and an urgent need to stop living as individual but to look around me and to take benefit from all the existing differences.
While I am writing this essay, many other things come into my mind about how the class enabled me to take a step further into my life. But now it is time to act.
One thing that I will never forget that Professor Gaunt said: “We are as extraordinary as Bill Gates is"... It is truly a breath of fresh air straight to the brain.
I never had a class or a teacher as professor Gaunt, so inspiring.
I have now the ability to wear different glasses to see the world in a different way than before ( I wish I had the same luminous glasses though ;) )

Chapter 15 " The Road to Refugee Resettlement", Dianna Shandy

In this ethnography, the author gives us mainly who are the refugees, and, what their techniques of adaptation into new cultural environments are.
However, I could still indentify myself and my family path through what is to be an immigrant. My dad’s family moved from Italy to France when my dad was two. The opportunities that France offered at that time were much more interesting for my grandfather than the ones that Italy gave.
My grandfather wanted to live in France to give t his wife and his two sons the chance to be educated, to have a better life and to be able to build a future, even if he knew that he will have to work hard.
Coming from a very small village of Italy of 150 habitants who speak local dialect and where most of the work is done in farms and fields, my grandfather switched to become a worker in French manufactures. My dad’s family did not escape a danger as refugees would do, but they wanted to escape the common future of working as a farmer, that the village gave to them. Taking with him his family, he knew that these brutal changes would be a difficult task to accomplish, especially when none of them spoke French. Moreover, during this time while immigrant workers were needed into factories, they were still considered as not desirables.
Not only my dad, who was still young at that time, but also my grandmother and my grandfather had to learn a new language: French. They did not know anything about the place where they were about to live in nor what their future would be. When my grandfather started to work, he was not the only immigrant worker. Indeed, specific dormitories town were created to receive these immigrants and their families. Italians, Germans, Polishes and others were living together and trying to communicate as best as they can.
My grandmother, who never wanted to move to France, had difficulties to adapt herself and to create relationships with other immigrants. I must say that she is still struggling sometimes to speak French and even if it has been more than twenty years that they live in a new neighborhood, she did not create friendships with neighbors. Feeling to have been uprooting, my grandmother wishes she could go back in her village. Dianna Shandy said in the ethnography “trying to maintain their original ethnic group identity” (p159, conclusion); I think that is exactly what my grandmother was trying to do. When my grandfather made his choice, he knew that the adaptation to the cultural environment would be either adaptive or maladaptive but for him the try worth it.
Now fifty years after their immigrations, both my grandparents and my dad still have the Italian passport as they refused to give it up for the French one. My grandmother indentifies herself as being an Italian immigrant but never considered having something French within herself. My grandfather, who is retired since a long time, apparently does not regret his choice as nothing will make him go back to the village. My dad, who speaks both Italian and French, also thinks about himself as an Italian immigrant, but for whom the change of cultural environment was definitely benefic. My grandfather accomplished what he wanted: he offered to his family a better future and the opportunity to his sons to have an education.
Finally, I could also consider myself as an immigrant, as I moved from France to New-York in the hope to have a different life than the one in France. I do not yet if my choice was a good one but I truly think that a huge part of people nowadays could be considered as being immigrant.
However, immigration has been a taboo topic by being perceived as a fear to have against the immigrant. Unfortunately, governments do not see the benefits and the valuable resources that it creates within a country. Mainly, I could consider myself as a part-immigrant because for the moment nothing allows me to stay in New York City after graduating.

Shandy, Dianna.. "The Road to Refugee Resettlement." Conformity and Conflict. 4th edition. Pearson Education Inc. 2008. pp.151 - 160

Chapter 9 "Mixed Blood", Jeffrey M.Fished

When Professor Gaunt said that this chapter was without doubt the most amazing from the book, I totally agree with her. From my personal experience I completely felt what the author talked about and what she meant about the American way of classifying people into race.

First of all, when I came here, most of the people asked me where do I come from and which nationality I am. Considering myself as half French and half Italian it was hard to explain that I was an Italian from my dad and French from my mum. Obviously I am a “Mixed Blood” and like to consider myself as being kind of half and half. However, this was not the only fact that surprised me.

Indeed, when it was clear enough that I could be both French and Italian at the same time, countless students or persons that I met were surprised of this “mix” as I “really look like Russian, Swedish or German”! “But you don’t look like a French girl you know?” Wow! I never had so many nationalities at the same time. Blond, tall with almond shaped eyes made them thought that it was not possible that I was French and Italian. I should have been brunette, have a darker skin and a curvy body maybe. And for my French part, I don’t know which physical traits I should have.
Anyway, I was amused by how people can classify me just by looking at my physical traits. Of course I do have some what people call “north east blood”, if I can say so as my grandmother is Polish, but does it make me Polish as well?! Can people know from where I come just by looking at me and taking a guess?

Another experience that I had concerning my “race” was when I had to fill out papers to apply to universities. Am I black? No. White Hispanic? No. Asian? Neither. So what am I? None of the options available could fit or represent what I am. So I asked someone and he told me that I should put others. That is interesting… I am others. But what does it mean to be considered as others? Should I be offended by it? Of course I was not and I am not. It was just that I was not used to it, at least not yet.

Another aspect of “Mixed Blood” concerning the “race” that I would like to link with the chapter on language and communication is names. Indeed, we classify people into races just by studying their physical aspect, but we do the same when looking at their names. For example, my first name is Charlene, which origins from Germany; and my family name is Scavetta, which is Italian (I could also use my mum’s name which is Baranowski). Then, what do my names mean for people? Should I be German? Italian? Wait a minute; she is French and Italian with a German first name and an Italian family name. She definitely falls into the category others.

I think that it is easy to assume and to categorize people into categories that they are not necessarily into just by looking at them or guessing from their names. But do we have to fit into a pattern? French? Asian? Russian? Is there a prototype of what French or Asian girls have to look like? What about if I had dreadlock?

I feel like “Mixed Blood” is the epitomize of what could be a definition of anthropology. Because culture is shared, as well as language through communication, religion and others, “race” just not and can not exist. It will erase the idea of us as being unique and tend to shape us into a pattern that is not real in order to be classified into a specific “race”.

Chapter 13 "Baseball Magic" George Gmelch

When I first saw the title of the ethnography and the subject matter of the chapter which is religion, I was curious to see how baseball was related to religion. Then I read the introduction and got hocked by it, although it took me a while to see the link between the example and the word religion.

In "Baseball Magic", George Gmlech uses the example of baseball players to give us the possibility to approach religion in a different manner. I really thought at the beginning that the ethnography would be based on a specific religion e.g. Catholicism, Judaism or other ones and maybe related it to baseball (even if it seems like it doesn't make sense). However, while going throughout the text especially with the paragraphs of routines, I thought that these baseball players were crazy to think that because they do such thing or eat such thing before a game, it will help them to win. What about if the tuna fish sandwich that Dennis Grossini (p 126) eats before each match has a different ingredient that day? I started to think about all these questions. But then, I definitely reconsidered my opinion and pictured myself having also "weird" rituals. As an example, when I have a test I take a particular attention on how I write my number question. I must write for example 1) and not 1/ because I know this will help me to understand the question and to answer it correctly. I know this appears to be completely absurd (and it is) but I can't help myself on it. It is like my little thing to give me confidence during a test. I have to admit most of the time I am convinced that it works and do not try to show me the contrary.

What it is even more interesting is that I am sure that I have many other rituals that I do daily, but they are so established in my routine that I am not even conscious about.

Taking also into account the paragraph on taboo, I wondered if taboos are also what the society forbids or not, what is “ok” to talk in public, what is not and so on... I think that each culture and person has her own taboo that gives her limits in the way of thinking or behaving. What if we all do whatever we want without having fears or anxiety about it? Like if everything was accepted no matter what, just because it is what I believe in. Anyway, to give an example of a taboo in the domain of marine, I know that if you are on a boat it is strictly banned to say the word "rabbit" because it is bad luck and the boat might sinks. In the same way, to give to someone the salt from hands to hands, might creating troubles between you and this person. In France, we have numerous taboos related to superstition. It gives people to the possibility to have irrational answers for things that they can not control. Therefore it is reassuring. I am afraid of what I can not control of course, and having some explanations or "tricks" to take control over it, gives me confidence.

However, I do not have fetishes or material objects. I am more a routines and rituals person I guess. Maybe my fetish before taking an exam or doing something important is my dad! Lol. But I would definitely say that talking with him on the phone would be more a part of my ritual to give me confidence.

Finally, what I enjoyed the most in this chapter is the fact that through the example of baseball players, the author made me think "outside the box". Yes, religion is not restricted by the God in whom I believe but mostly by my own beliefs. How do they interact in my daily life as well as the roles they play during specific moments of my life. Religion is what I believe, what gives me power and strength to move forward.
So far “Baseball Magic" is my favorite ethnography because I could relate these examples to me and have a new approach on what is religion. It opens my way of thinking.


Bibliography
Gmelch, George. “Baseball Magic”. In Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology, 12 ed., ed. Spradley and McCurdy. Allyn & Bacon, 2008, 126-135.

Chapter 8 " Life without Fathers or Husbands"

"Life without Fathers or Husbands" by Clifford Geertz is an interessting essay that describes the social organization in a Chinese tribal group: the Na.

At a first glance, I remained kind of stunned while reading the essay.The Na don't have this institution called "marriage" which stuck people to be together until the end. Indeed, the Na share not only the person who they love but also their own children. Both men and women can as many partners as they want. Nothing is forced, any Na has the right to choose whoever they want to have a relation with. The men usually goes to "visit" the women or even more than 1 by night. By having a specific code to tell the other person that she is choosen for tonight, the suggestion remains open until the person has accepted it.

Moreover, since the Na share their partrners and they don't have a matrimonial relationship, they don't know what is jealousy. It is their culture to do so, therefore there is no reason for them to be jealous or to create issue about it. I thought at the beginning that it was kind of weird. By having a european culture where even if you are not married it is not used to have multiple partrner and even less to share them.

However, I enjoyed the part concerning jealousy. I think that divorce exists because being jealous in a couple leads to destruction.
Nonetheless, this essay shows us that marriage is not an universal instituion, nor nuclear family.

Chapter 10 " Life without Chiefs"

I have to admit that I had difficulty to understand this chapter, certainly due to the fact that it is something unfamiliar for me. I had some backgrounds concerning the political system that characterizes large state soctiety, but nothing concerning the evolution of political leadership from Headman to Big Man until Chief.

Although the concept remains kind of tricky to get for me, I saw that there is a huge difference between Headman, Big Man and Chief. The first two are leadership. They are not symbol of power and formal authority upon the population. They don't rule the village but set an example for the villagers. In that time, there was not social structure that enables someone to inspect the life of the others. Headman and Big Man shared what they had and therefore reinforced the political and the economic system of the village. Conflicts among the population were unusual as all were treated at the same level.

On the other hand, with the emergence of the Chief, the aspect of equality and sharing among the population became more unusual. The Chief had a more important role in the economic and political life. He could grow away from the others by dressing himself smarter, building higher houses and having volunteers to satisfy what he needed. Through the explanation of what is a Chief, I see how power and formal authority became "normal", accepted and how it shaped hierarchical groups and demarcations between people according to their ages, sex, religion, jobs...

By relating this chapter with the presentation on "Political Systems" something called out about it: regardless if it is in India, China, Israel or another country the aspect of the power was obvious for each country. For example, in India the cast system is still existing, in Israel going to the army is required. People do not have choices about it because it represents a legitimate aspect of authority.What happened and what it is still happening is certainly a consequence of the evolution of political organization. When someone has not only power but also formal authority upon a population, conflicts are more likely to happen in the society.

Chapter 12 " The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words"

When I started to read the first pages of “The Sapir- Whorf Hypothesis: Worlds Shaped by Words” it was confusing for me because I couldn’t see how languages shape our view of the world. But at the second paragraph of the page 118 it was much clearer for me. The example of the shade of colors is familiar to me since in French we have countless words to describe one color e.g. purple that can be “lavender” or “plum”…

Another example that I find interesting is the comparison between rice grains and automobiles p 118/119 made by Gleason. The contrast between the amount of vocabulary of the Hanunoo to describe rice and the amount of vocabulary of Americans for automobiles stunned me! Actually it is very true and obvious! Depending on where you live and what is familiar to you, you are most likely to acquire certain words linked to the way you live.

When came the illustration of translating one word from French into English I totally recognized myself through it. I always try to translate directly from French into English and sometimes it sounds like neither French nor English for my listener. The comparison that the book made between “distingue” and “distinguished” are one among numerous. The word “cinema” in French, which means “Movie Theater” in English, was kind of new for me. I always thought that it was the same word in English! I just discovered that it was not while I was speaking with a friend. In the same way, strangely as it is, there are words that are used both in French and English. It is probably a great illustration of how culture is shared through languages.

I experience all of these little things everyday, especially when it comes to write something. French people, we tend to write our thoughts not in a straight way as English or American people do. We love to put adjectives, euphemisms or images whenever it’s possible. As an example instead of saying: Yes I want to see you, I would say: It would be a pleasure to have the possibility to meet you again. Problems here I come! When first I came here, I learned how to be concise when writing and I struggled with it and still I do. Changing the way I think before to write down is very tough, it is almost learning how to write again for me.

That is how I finally understood how Worlds are shaped by Words. Each culture has its own language but also its own way to perceive, to feel and to interpret things. I think that culture and language definitely go hand-to-hand and that it influences our perception of the world as well.