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Frazer’s The Golden Bough is available online

Published on March 13, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, books, Open Access Anthropology and Knowledge Sharing, persons and theories

This classic study in early anthropology (all in all 12 volumes, I think) is published online as part of Project Gutenberg. del.icio anthropology pointed to the book published on Bartleby’s website. But the book can also be downloaded from Sacred Texts-website and Project Gutenberg – without any ads.

This classic study in early anthropology (all in all 12 volumes, I think) is published online as part of Project Gutenberg. del.icio anthropology pointed to the book published on Bartleby's website. But the book can also be downloaded from Sacred…

Anthropology and Race – Discussions in the Classroom

Published on March 10, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, persons and theories, Us and Them

Interesting thoughts by Alex Golub incl. links to articles.

“I spend a lot of the class slowly unprying my student’s idea of race. “Why are so many african americans professional athletes?” becomes “Why are so many professional athletes african american?” (because there are millions of african americans and very very few professional athletes).

Then I try a thought experiment: if excellence in athletics is explained by genetic endowment, perhaps Australia’s dominance in Rugby League is due to the Australian Rugby gene? Obviously not, say my students, since Australians are white, and our weirdo American intuitions only like genetic explanations for non-white people.”

>> continue

Interesting thoughts by Alex Golub incl. links to articles.

"I spend a lot of the class slowly unprying my student’s idea of race. “Why are so many african americans professional athletes?” becomes “Why are so many professional athletes african american?” (because…

Disney-Film depicts indigenous people as involved in cannibalism

Published on March 2, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, indigenous people / minorities, Latin- and Central America, media, Native American, persons and theories, Us and Them

IPS

The producers of “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” are eagerly gearing up to film the sequels. But the project, due to be released on Jul. 7, 2006, is already proving to be a problem, as the descendants of the Caribs, historians and others are objecting to scenes depicting these indigenous people as involved in cannibalism.

Brinsley Samaroo, head of the history department of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), dismisses the claim of cannibalism as a “European myth”. He told IPS that it was nothing but “manufactured history” by the Europeans who came across the Caniba, a tribe found in North and South America. “The Caniba tribe was very hostile and resisting the Europeans very stoutly and in order to warn other Europeans about this, the early explorers spread the myth that the Caniba tribe eat people,” he said.

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Historical and Archaeological Society has called on movie-goers to boycott the sequel unless the “grossly offensive” scenes depicting the Caribs as cannibals are removed from the script. >> continue

In the IPS-article, there’s also an link to a Brief history of cannibal controversies

SEE ALSO:
We do not eat people (Trinidad News)

UPDATE: More news on this controversy at warauduati, among others Boycott Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean and Racist Stereotypes in Pirates of the Caribbean

IPS

The producers of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" are eagerly gearing up to film the sequels. But the project, due to be released on Jul. 7, 2006, is already proving to be a problem, as…

After the Tsunami: Maybe we’re not all just walking replicas of Homo Economicus

Published on January 10, 2005 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, persons and theories, Tsunami Dec 2004, Us and Them

Linda McQuaig, The Toronto Star

About the same time the tsunami was hitting the shores of southeast Asia, North Americans were hitting the stores in the usual Boxing Day shopping frenzy. North Americans were behaving in a way we consider “normal.” Indeed, the desire to accumulate ever more material possessions is regarded today as not just normal, but basic to human motivation.

The outpouring of concern and generosity toward helpless people halfway around the globe came as something of a surprise here. Could it be that there’s more to the human personality than our business-dominated culture encourages us to believe? Maybe we’re not all just walking replicas of Homo Economicus — the robot-like character whose motivation revolves around his insatiable appetite for material gain — that lies at the heart of modern economic theory.

Karl Polanyi, the late economic historian and anthropologist argued that the most basic human characteristic — found in every human society across the ages and around the globe — isn’t material acquisitiveness but rather a need to relate to other humans, to feel part of a larger community. >> continue (link updated)

Linda McQuaig, The Toronto Star

Eating Christmas in the Kalahari

Published on December 19, 2004 by lorenz Posted in Africa, anthropology in the news, indigenous people / minorities, journal articles / papers, persons and theories, San-bushmen

Richard B. Lee, Natural History, December 1969

“Eating Christmas in the Kalahari” by Richard Borshay Lee was published in the December 1969 issue of Natural History. It is one of the’s most frequently reprinted stories. In the final paragraph, Lee wondered what the future would hold for the !Kung Bushmen with whom he had shared a memorable Christmas feast. >> continue (pdf, link updated 20.6.2025)

Richard B. Lee, Natural History, December 1969