Anthropology is the study of the present and past of humans. It builds and draws knowledge from biological and social sciences along with physical sciences and humanities. The biggest concern of the anthropologists is applying the knowledge of anthropology to solve human problems. We shall look at how anthropology affects the society as a whole and the influences it has on people. It views the social patterns of human beings. It does so by comparing the past social patterns with the present ones. In so doing one, anthropology can bring solutions to the problems that affect human beings. It also determines the differences and similarities among societies across the world. We shall also discuss the relationship between gender and power. This paper also presents enculturation and how it shapes human identities.
Question 1
Anthropology of the society is concerned with the culture and organization of different societies of humankind and the experience they get from living individually. Through concentrating on the differences and similarities among societies, anthropology purposes to explain and interpret the many varieties of institutions and customs that mold human behavior. The unique skills of anthropologists depend on the social relations’ study at the local community level. By face-to-face involvement and prolonged residence, anthropologists have come to an understanding of the social life from the local person’s perspective. In the western society, individuals participate and co-exist in communities in villages and neighborhoods, schools, factories, and universities. They have also been of interest in the current social studies of anthropology.
In the current years, social anthropologists have shown interest in the western society. Although, traditionally, they focused on the societies of the other parts of the globe. They included the Bushmen of the desert Kalahari and Eskimos in the Artic. By studying other cultures in detail, anthropologists can identify the human life as it is lived. It gives them a broad perception when it comes to intellectual debates on what it is to be human. It means that the anthropologist will have established a clear comprehension of the language, cultural behavior and lifestyle of other people. They will also focus on their personal habits and customs too. The relative knowledge of the social life that anthropologist have has an enormous significance in the modern international intermixed worlds. Anthropologist can illustrate that the actual exotic and strange customs of cultures distinct from ours are entirely coherent in a given environment. The expertise of anthropologists is also required in the social-economic development field.
Question 2
In the relationship between gender and power, the society has always typecast the roles of gender depending on what one is required to do in accordance to one’s sex. Moreover, power and gender typically determines the breaks one receives and the success that one has. I the past, men have dominated in power in reference to the society, politics and culture. Nevertheless, women have become more respected and acknowledged in arrears that were previously male dominated. The power of women and men is equal since women can make use of their femininity to carry a distinct power aspect. Today, women are more determined to exceed the expectation of the society of what they perceive women to be work and life. They can use their femininity to bring about a distinct aspect that allows them to be more advanced than their men counterparts.
Women have used their feminine aspect severally to attain opportunities that may not be offered to them. For example, Oprah Winfrey is the richest woman in the world and is an inspiration when networking is involved. Her chances were however small when she started in the networking industry. Hosts of African-American decent were not known. Moreover, she brought a femininity aspect since it was an industry know for men only. Now it is popular to both genders. Ended up been successful showing that even women can succeed in a man dominated industry. Although men have dominated in most parts of life, women have emerged and established that they can also have equal opportunities as men and succeed. Females use their femininity principle to attain their goals that may not be handed to them. Power and gender have become equivalent because ‘there is always a great woman behind every great man’.
Question 4
Enculturation is the way in which individual learn the necessities of their culture and acquire behaviors and values appropriate to that culture. The significances that shape or limit a person includes peers, parents or other adults. If goes well, enculturation leads to competence in the values, rituals of the culture and language. It is related to socialization. It is an unconscious and conscious conditioning process in which man as a child and adult gains competence in his culture, internalizes it and becomes comprehensively enculturated. One adopts the expectations and dreams the requirements and rules for a particular demand in the entire society. The society does what is essential to help its members in attaining good behavior for a given social setting and reaching the requirements of a particular challenge.
Enculturation starts before one is born at the time of death. The process of enculturation has two main aspects; the formal, which is typically known as education and the informal, which is known as child training. The formal is done in learning institutions that can either be sacred or secular while the informal in done in the family and friends context. Biology is the study of the anatomy, physiology, morphology and behavior of living organisms. In today’s society, individuals turn to science to determine the origin of a particular human behavior. They do this to find the roots of the actions in the environment or genes. Regrettably the human behavior findings get inaccurate in universal literature due to perceived political and social consequences.
In conclusion, we have learned that in anthropology the influences on human behavior is determined by their past and their present. The way Individuals used to live in the past also has a significance for how the current human behavior is. The cultures, habits and behaviors of different societies in different areas have given anthropologists the ability to determine the similarities and distinctions of individuals. Power has made the female gender have a significant place in the society. They can rule and have the same abilities and skills that the male gender possess. Enculturation helps individuals develop proper behaviors throughout their lives. It molds the people from when they are small children to their adult age up to the time of death.
