In a society where we interact with other people on a daily basis, the concepts of cultural anthropology are vital. For instance, I have a better understanding of the political systems and their influence on the society (Turnbull 384). This knowledge is important seeing that we live in a world where politics is an integral part of the social fabric. Through the concepts learnt in class, I am more attune with the very important cultural element that is religion. This concept is very important and relevant to life because it offers answers to existential questions (Spradley & McCurdy 258). Religion has an influence in many things. For instance, through the concepts learnt in the course, I now understand rites of passage, such as marriage as they occur and what role religion has to play (Nanda 106). This is very important in life since these are some of the relationships that form an integral part of our lives.
The concepts of cultural anthropology lead to an understanding of people and why they behave why they do. This information is very important in many fields. For instance, ethnography which is a domain in cultural anthropology is used in marketing research in order to understand the needs of the consumers and inform the development of superior products (Goffin, Fred & Ursula 76). With the knowledge I have gained in this class, I can perform adequately in different fields. The multidisciplinary nature of cultural anthropology is also seen in the field of economics (Pink 32). With the knowledge gained throughout the course, I can provide commentary about the class dynamics in the United States of America, and the attitudes of people as it relates to these dynamics (Mantsios 131). For instance, the economic status of people determines the lifestyle that they lead, which in turn has implications on the social class system (Kornblum 263).
As highlighted earlier, cultural anthropology helps understand people from a cultural perspective. Human beauty is an element of culture that is appreciated in different ways. Beauty means different things to different people. For instance, through the readings in this class, I have understood other perspectives of beauty that are contrary to the conventional ones here in America. For instance, Nigerian girls spend weeks gaining weight as it a mark of beauty (Simmons 141). In this understand, the course helped me understand the dynamics of beauty as influenced by culture and customs. For objective and subjective minds, this can element that stops the prejudice with which some fat people are viewed in some cultures.
Through the readings in the course, I have gotten a better understanding the differences in thought between the sexes through the eyes of other communities. These differences shape the roles of men and women in the society as seen in the Communities of Hopi where the importance of women is predicated on their status as a mother and men as heralds ton the gods (Schlegel 170). Through this understanding, I am better placed to understand myself and my place in the society. It also enabled me to reflect on my own culture, where ideally men and women should have an equal status, although this is undermined by male chauvinism and the infantilization of women. With regards to my personal life, cultural anthropology has been influential in building an understanding of my body and mind. The concepts by Miner (503) helped me understand my body. Overall, the course has been influential in my present life, and I reckon that the concepts learned in the course will also be influential in my professional life.
Works cited
Goffin, Keith, Fred Lemke, and Ursula Koners. Identifying Hidden Needs: Creating Breakthrough Products. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print.
Kornblum, William, and Carolyn D. Smith. Sociology in a Changing World. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. Print.
Mantsios, Gregory. Class in America: Myths and realities. In Rothenberg, Paula. Race Class and gender in the U.S. Ant integrated study. New York. St. Martins Press.1995. Print.
Miner, Horace. Body ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist. 58.3 (1956): 503- 507
Nanda, Serena. Arranging a marriage in India. John Jay College of Criminal justice. Retrieved 01.Dec. 2014 from http://www3.gettysburg.edu/~dperry/Class%20Readings %20Scanned%20Documents/Intro/Nanda.pdf
Pink, Sarah. Applications of Anthropology: Professional Anthropology in the Twenty-First Century. New York: Berghahn Books, 2005. Print.
Schlegel, Alice. Male and female in Hopi thought and action. In sexual stratification: A cultural view eds. Schlegel , Alice, Pp. 245-299. New York. Columbia University Press.
Simmons, Ann. Where fat is a mark of beauty. Los Angeles Times. 30 Sep. 1998. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
Spradley, James & McCurdy, David. Conformity and Conflict: Readings in Cultural Anthropology. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson, 2012. Print.
Turnbull, Colin.Rites of desecration: Tourists as Bali’s new gods. Peace college library. In Spradley, James and McCurdy, eds. Conformity and conflict. Boston. Little Brown & Co. 1984. Print
