In this paperwork, I am going to demonstrate my understanding about cultures in conflicts drawing a minimum of ten key concepts introduced throughout the term.
When it comes to conservation, which plays a major role in culture conflict, it is clearly depicted that the Maasai are excluded by park managers from their traditional territory and resources to allow them practice conservation. The move of excluding the Maasai from their native land results into disagreement between the two parties, thereby, bringing up unnecessary fracas contributing to cultural conflict.
Through a literature review, it is noted that the Maasai herding systems thrives together with parks that operate in the same ecosystem, but the park managers are against this culture since they fear for their animals’ safety, due to an increase in poaching incidences that have been experienced of late. The park managers have experienced intense poaching of rare and almost extinct species of the animals, hence according to them; they are right, but according to the Maasai community, it brings cultural conflicts, since, according to the Maasai community, the park managers are interfering with their land. The park managers should come up with adaptive management, hence balancing the environment and the needs of the Maasai society. By doing this, learning from their mistakes, both the society and the park managers will be at peace, whereby, the situation of cultural conflict will be no more in existence. Through the weekly reading, we learn that the Maasai peoples are the original inhabitants of these settlements that the game managers are trying to conserve- indigenous peoples (ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 5)).
Cultural relativism is defined as the ideology that particular cultural ideas vary from one society to another. According to the weekly reading, it is illustrated as the opinion that ethical and moral standards are relative to what particular society or culture believes to be good, bad, right or wrong. Experts have it that cultural relativism greatly thrives in the different class, sect, caste, gender, and ethnic origin which are present in all cultures. Cultural relativism assumes uniformity and stationary position on cultures; hence it does not allow the concept of change, thereby, creating a favorable environment for the existence of cultural conflict, since it is a poor and unpersuasive basis for objecting to modernization (ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 10)).
It is also important to note that from the weekly reading, some people perceive their culture to be more superior to other cultures, hence resulting to culture conflicts. Cultural relativism tries to explain this notion of perception: - more superior to others, by understanding other cultures on their own terms.
Another contributing factor to the culture in conflict is the tendency of judging other cultures from the outside- an etic perspective. Ethnographic method suggests that one should take residence in the community for a long period and seeking to understand how a cultural system works from the inside-you end up getting in emic perspective. It is now clear to us that we should not make the judgment of other societies, basing our argument on exterior factors. It is our responsibility to respect other communities’ norms and values so as to end up with a harmonious society.
The environment is another factor that contributes to cultural conflict, for example, the Maasai were denied access to the river that they depended on previously since the conservationists felt that the Maasai could not be entrusted to practice their livelihood in the park because they have a conflict of interest. It is important to note that the main interest of the Maasai society is to graze as many animals as possible on the land, and this has led to unhealthy competition of land between the park animals and the Maasai livestock. The Park managers have been excluding the Maasai from their traditional territory and resources in order to practice conservation, hence resulting to cultural disagreements.
Religion is considered as one of the greatest divisions among humankind and the dominating source of cultural conflict, hence religion is a key part of the cultural conflict, particularly between the Islamic civilization and the west. For example, through the weekly reading, an example is given comprising the Israelites and the Palestine who have been involved in cultural conflicts for a long time. It is important to note the presence of the Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism is as a result of varying beliefs. Religion contains cultural bias that is known as ethnocentrism by anthropologists. Religion ignores that the many belief systems involve syncretism, which is the blending of two or more religions, thereby, failing to recognize some other religions, hence resulting to cultural disagreements (ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 9)).
In the U.S, we have the term class in use, which is defined as the grouping of individuals with similar positions and similar political and economic interests within stratification systems. From the weekly reading, the term inequality, is defined as stratification based on differences in money, political power, and social prestige. Inequality brings differences within a society, thereby, bringing up cultural disagreements (ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 7)).
It is now clear to us, according to my stand, that the culture in conflicts is as a result of diverse factors that need to be addressed as soon as possible before the situation gets out of control. It is important to note that cultures in conflicts can result into chaos if the matter is not brought into the solution, thereby, leading to death of innocent people. Understanding other cultures ways of behaving could be the fast step in skirmishing this issue- cultures in conflicts.
Works cited
ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 1). Course introduction; Understanding culture; Conflict Theory; Key concepts
ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 5). Indigenous peoples; Cultural and Biological diversity;
ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 6). Protected Areas and People; Balancing Human and Environmental Needs
ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 7). Race and economic inequality in the United States; Inequality in global perspectives
ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 8). Anthropology and the law; Human rights
ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 9). Religion, magic and worldview
ANTH 380: Cultures in conflict, (week 10). Globalization and cultural conflict; the role of
anthropology Op-ed: Cultural relativism of human rights by Ishtiaq Ahmed.
