Anthropology - 1343 Words

Stone 1 Sam Stone Sepetember 20, 2010 Global Encounters Letter to Medical Students Medical school’s purpose is to prepare students to become doctors, allowing them to have a positive impact on their patients’ lives. However, medical school is bias with its teaching, because it believes its’ methods are the only way to treat medical problems. This idea is becoming more problematic with the diverse cultures coming to America. With each culture comes more boundaries for biomedicine to face. Instead of trying to cross these boundaries, biomedicine strictly believes that their knowledge of medicine is far superior to other cultures. The problems that occur due to these barriers could be overcome if the doctors were able to†¦show more content†¦They will not recover until the lost soul has been returned back to them. In order to retrieve their life soul they must have a Shaman come visit them at their home. The Shaman represents the Hmong’s version of a doctor. Shamans can be described as â€Å"people who perform spiritual/physical healing roles in societies with notion of ‘soul loss’ † (Van Hollen, September 20, 2010). Unlike doctors, Shamans’ are believed to have â€Å"powers to cross boundaries between human and spiritual world† (Van Hollen, September 20, 2010). The Shaman uses their powers to go into the spiritual world, and try to return the lost soul to the sick patient so that they can be well again. By making home visits, they allow their patients to have a sense of security in their home environment during the healing process. Security can also be exhibited through conversation. Doctors should be aware of who they are communicating with because this will dictate how they converse with them. Since the younger generation finds it much easier to assimilate to our American culture than the older generation does doctors can be more open with their practices. The reason for this is because they grew up with other American children, and they do not want to be looked at as an outcast. This idea can be seen in the film The Split Horn. Paja Thao stone 4 becomes upset because he believes that his family is losing touch with their own culture. As his daughter Chai Thao states â€Å"Dad isShow MoreRelatedAnthropology : Anthropology And Cultural Anthropology1472 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is anthropology? This is a question that can be answered in numerous ways, but we are going to define it as simple as possible. If we break the word down into its two components it means the study of human beings. â€Å"Anthropo† means human beings or human kind and â€Å"logy† or â€Å"logia† is Greek for the study or knowledge of something. When we put it all together, it is the study of human beings which can be very broad. Anthropology can be broken down into four subfields: physical anthropology, archaeologyRead MoreAnthropology : Anthropology And Anthropology1550 Words   |  7 Pagesimagined the endless careers that are available to anthropology majors, before taking Professor Sharratt’s Intro to Anthropology course. The things that I have learned in anthropology have opened my mind to a variety of different career paths that is possible with a degree in anthropology. Anthropology majors go off to a plethora of careers with their degrees in anthropology. Anthropology is â€Å"the study of humankind in all times and place†. Anthropology has four different subfields which include: Physical/BiologicalRead MoreAnthropology : The Anthropology Of Sports1496 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology is a generic term which originates from the Greek word anthropo logos which means the â€Å"study of man.† Anthropology is the most comprehensive among the social sciences, covering every aspect of human behaviour, past, present and the future (Blanchard 1995:2). The anthropology of sports serves as a unique social scientific approach to understand and analyse sports alongside the practical application of results to real problems (Blanchard 1995:23) and like all other social sciences, operatesRead MoreCultural Anthropology : Physical Anthropology3800 Words   |  16 Pagesglossary Anthropology: It is a general comprehensive science of man in the past and present of any culture. This is divided into two main areas: physical anthropology, dealing with biological evolution and physiological adaptation of humans, and social or cultural anthropology that deals with people living in society, ie forms of evolution of language, culture and customs. Anthropology uses tools and knowledge produced by the natural sciences and the social sciences. Aspiration of anthropologicalRead MoreThe Anthropology Of Cultural Anthropology1370 Words   |  6 Pagescultural anthropology, which seeks to understand the purpose and place of the humans in this world. It will include anthropology as a social science, the concept of culture, and it would also introduction the human evolution and to archaeology, ethnographic field methods. The importance of human language, human development, patterns, global economy, marriage and the family, gender issues, global politics and local political organization, social stratification, medical anthropology, ethnicityRead MoreVisual Anthropology And Cultural Anthropology1554 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropologists have been able to study the differences in human cultures and how they have evolve. â€Å"There are now four major fields of anthropology: biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology† (Dennis O Neil). Within these fields are subfields, visual anthropology is a very important subfield of cultural anthropology. Visual anthropology is the study of the history of human customs and culture through what one sees or perceives in various types of media. ThereforeRead MoreAnthropology and Its Branches1728 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropology is the study of human beings, in particular the study of their physical character, evolutionary history, racial classification, historical and present-day geographic distribution, group relationships, and cultural history. Anthropology can be c haracterized as the naturalistic description and interpretation of the diverse peoples of the world. Modern-day anthropology consists of two major divisions: cultural anthropology, which deals with the study of human culture in all its aspects;Read More Anthropology1316 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology Anthropology what a vulnerable observer you are! You may well have to jump into the arms of the scientists if you are going to try to keep your grass hut at the academy! -- Ruth Behar Debates on the role the reflexive plague the field of cultural anthropology as postmodern critics join the bandwagon attempting to claim authority in this dubiously recognized discipline. In the borderline realm between the sciences and humanities, cultural anthropology has tried to find a nicheRead MoreCultural Anthropology Of Humans Living And Dead Anthropology938 Words   |  4 Pagesnot share the same ideals as them. This lack of communication is a major barrier in advancement of our world. Anthropology, in short, is the study of humans living and dead Anthropology is divided into five main categories: applied, linguistic, medical, biological, archaeological, and cultural. Each of these five divisions teaches a different aspect of human life. Cultural anthropology teaches acceptance. There are social norms that can be found in every culture, the difference from culture to cultureRead MorePhilosophical Anthropology2982 Words   |  12 PagesPhilosophical Anthropology ABSTRACT: Philosophers cannot avoid addressing the question of whether philosophical anthropology (that is, specifically philosophical inquiry about human nature and human phenomenon) is possible. Any answer must be articulated in the context of the nature and function of philosophy. In other words, philosophical anthropology must be defined as an account of the nature of the subject of philosophical thinking. I argue that if philosophical thinkers admit that they