Anthropology involves the study of the human condition as well as species, variations, and its evolution over a period of time and space (Berk 2018, Lecture 1). Based on Fernea, the primary interest of anthropologists is on how and why human species vary based on the appearance and lifestyle, regardless of being similar. Fernea’s book uses commonalities to identify the important variations between human groups, which incorporate similarities and differences. For instance, based on culture, Fernea uses the concept of enculturation as well as socialization.[1] The study of culture includes aspects such as beliefs that shape the physical appearance based on desirability ideas. The culture is used to define Archaeology restricts that provides interpretation of human behavior, as well as cultural patterns obtained through the material, remains also known as artifacts. Fernea presents how the analysis of the material remains can be used to draw conclusions about a culture shift, social organization, and human diet.[2] The paper examines hoe Fernea analyzes culture in rural Iraqi village as well as the “ethnographer as a lens. The evaluation also incorporates elements of Fernea’s background and how it informs her experiences and interpretation.
Culture in Rural Iraqi Village
Culture is presented in terms of features, levels, scales, dimensions, change and eating habits. In Chapter 2, Kottack compares chimp and human cultural capabilities based on primatology (Berk 2018 Lecture 3). Human cultures are considered to depend on learning symbolic communication and ability to live in groups. Based on Fernea cultural dimensions in rural Iraqi are rooted in human biology, but it requires other concepts to identify its function, interaction and change over time. Human adapts culture through learning, integration, sharing, adaptation, and symbolism. Cultural systems may be categorized into national, international and subcultural. Fernea uses the cultural misunderstanding to understand the culture of rural Iraqi. For instance, Lee and Bohannan present cultural misunderstanding, whereby Lee gives an ox for the Christmas festival, while Bohannan presents the concept of naïve realism from Hamlet’s story.
Cultural relativism is linked to the concept of ethnocentrism, which considers specific culture as superior as well as the application of cultural values in evaluating behavior as well as the beliefs of individuals from other cultures. Contrary, cultural relativism argues that behavior in a particular culture is not judged by the standards set in other cultures. Instead, its understanding should be based on its system and meaning. The concept acts as an analytical tool critical in enabling one to engage and assess different cultures.[3] In Lecture 3, culture is linked to dimensions such as universality, particularity, and generality.[4] However, the culture change may be examined based on the independent invention, diffusion, and acculturation. Culture is also defined by language and communication using distinctive features, primate language, nonverbal communication and linguistic aspects such as semantics and syntax.
The interest of anthropologists in language is because it is the means of exchanging knowledge and an important aspect to use when evaluating the culture of a specific group. Language enables human to transcend biology by creating cultures and passing them on to the next generation. [5]
For instance, non-human primates use language that involves manipulation of symbols that are correlated to human language that involves sounds, morphology, syntax, and semantics (Berk 2018, Lecture 4). Based on Fernea, race and ethnicity can be used to describe culture. Ethnicity involves similarities and differences within the society as well as a nation (Berk 2018, Lecture 5). Individuals from different ethnic groups may share values, habits, beliefs, values, customs, and norms. On the other hand, race involves individuals with a common biological basis and defines human’s life diversity.[6] Human culture is correlated with the primate tendencies that are demonstrated by anthropoids such as apes and monkeys (Berk 2018, Lecture 7). Fernea interprets culture of rural Iraqi based on human evolution and behavior.
How Fernea’s Background informs her experiences and Interpretation
Fernea father was a mining engineer and lived in a town with ordinary residents, whereby after demonstrating her interest in anthropology, she was marginalized by other Canadian students. She experienced depression due to discrimination from other children on the streets and at school. However, she learned from her mother the norm of women following their husbands, which lead them to live in Iraqi. After she got married, she accompanied her husband back to Iraq to pursue a doctorate in anthropology, where they stayed at El Nahra village in the southern part of Iraq. Her stay in Iraq enabled her to learn various aspects of women culture and beliefs such as dressing. She eventually decided to adopt the culture and live like an insider rather than a marginalized outcast.[7] Her transformation brings the meaning of acculturation that involves cultural changes due to the adoption of various traits from another society. The process was witnessed when the primates diffused gradually to human.
The adoption of Iraq culture enables her to understand how culture contributes to achieving individual status in the community. For instance, adopting the dressing code of Iraqi women enabled her to act as an insider and earned a status of a woman.[8] Reflecting her depression when she was a child bring the element of actual cultural behavior whereby human rely what they do rather than their thought on the actions. Adaptive mechanism is also demonstrated by the way she eventually starts dressing on the veil or abayah like other Iraqi women.[9] The actions lead to her interpretation that successful adaptive strategies provide a selective advantage in survival competition with other groups froth different culture. The change of her lifestyle to adopt new culture is a sign of affirmative action the aims at correcting previous discrimination she experience when she lived in Iraq with her parents. She could not make such decisions at a tender age, which brings an aspect of age sets within the culture that are recognized in age grades.
Conclusion
Based on Fernea’s interpretation of culture and its relationship with anthropology, the text indicates that there is a relationship between culture and individuals’ background. Fernea’s interpretation was attracted by her life experience in Iraq, which made her understand cultural diversity as well interaction between individuals from a different culture. The text reveals that anthropology is strongly related to human classification and behavior. The interpretation of culture may be influenced by the previous experience of the anthropologist that ensures that the theories developed reflect real-life situations. However, the current interaction and relationship between individuals from different ethnic groups and race are determined by the trends in the development of human, which gives the the ability to fit in other cultures. The theories presented by Kottak indicate that the culture has a heavy reliance on human evolution and it becomes more critical when human achieve their status or develop to the chosen primate.
Bibliography
Fernea, Elizabeth Warnock. "Guests of the Sheik: Ethnography of an Iraqi Village." (1969).
Kottak, C. P. "Ecology, behavior, and the spirit of fishermen." Brazil: Anthropological Perspectives. Maxine L. Margolis and William E. Carter, eds (1979): 180-209.
Tarnowski, Wafa Stephan. "Elizabeth Fernea in Beirut." Al-Raida Journal (2016): 28-29.
[1] Elizabeth, Fernea, Warnock, “Guests ofthe Sheik: An Ethnography ofan Iraqi Village," (1969).
[2] Fernea, 26.
[3] C. Kottak,. P "Ecology, behavior, and the spirit of fishermen." Brazil: Anthropological Perspectives. Maxine L. Margolis and William E. Carter, eds (1979): 180.
[4] Fernea, 46.
[5] Fernea, 58.
[6] Kottak, 184.
[7] Kottak , 195.
[8] Wafa, Tarnowski, Stephan, "Elizabeth Fernea in Beirut\," Al-Raida Journal (2016): 28.
[9] Kottak, 201.
