Applying Anthropological Concepts to Case Studies

From KstructIB

Yanomamo-

- Marvin Harris’ CULTURAL MATERIALIST theory: According to Harris, the main cause of war among the Yanomamo was scarcity of protein; he argued that groups were forced to expand their territory in order to get more food. Chagnon, by contrast, held the FUNCTIONALIST theory that the quest for women was more important. It later transpired that there was no correlation between protein deficiency and war. The Yanomamo were well-nourished and in fact, the frequency of war was highest in areas that were particularly rich in protein. The Yanomamo admitted they were fond of meat, but even more fond of women.

- Levi-Strauss preferred to look at social structure, while Chagnon preferred to investigate social behaviour. Chagnon believes there is a relationship between the two.

- Levi-Strauss pointed out that both men and women are created equal, and therefore they must have been born at the same time and therefore they are incestuous. Yanomamo cope with this by having the myths explain them as being created separately (men by moon-blood and women by fruit), so no incest has occurred.

- Keiser refers to Clifford Geertz in his study of  the Vice Lords. He was an interpretative anthropologist. Interpretative- The idea that an ethnographer’s job is to describe and interpret what members of the culture being studied find meaningful. They try to find the ideal behaviour (etic) and what people actually do (emic), i.e. they try to find the meaning of behaviour.

- Kwaio- symbolic anthropology