Engagement Activity 2: Cultural Relativism- A Glimpse into some different Cultural Pra

In this discussion board, you are going to see different customs from around the World. Some are controversial and some are disturbing when we see them through our own cultural values. Some of these practices are against humans rights. Comment on some of the videos and engage with your classmates. Respond to at least one person, but the more you participate the better. You will be getting 10 points for engagement. Engagement points go toward your participation grade.

Do this after finishing the material from chapter 1 and the first power point of chapter 2. To increase your understanding about how anthropologists approach these activities, study the material related to ethnocentrism and cultural relativism in the chapter about culture (Chapter 2, presentation 2A). Also review the different stances in the application of cultural relativism. After this activity, you will be ready to participate in discussion #2 and will have the foundation to work in your short essay #2.

Some videos are mandatory (10 Weird Christmas around the World, The Crown Jewel of Catalonia’s Nativity Scene, Extreme Rituals-Baby dropping, Human-tropology: What is Cultural Relativism) the others are optional. Please, some videos are disturbing, so viewer discretion is advised.

Please, observe the rules of netiquette in your participation!

Watch this video first if you have not wash it before!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmEuPHiqhZY&feature=emb_err_woyt

What is Cultural Relativism?: The Case of Female Mutilation and the Sale of Organs in the Black Market (Mandatory video for Discussion 2, opening soon)

After watching the video about cultural relativism watch the videos below.

Statement: I am not endorsing or suggesting that you should completely be a cultural relativist regarding at the cultural practices before. Please comment without attacking the societies. Avoid adjectives like “crazy”, “ignorant” etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbOsEmHzq1c&feature=emb_logo

Please rely to this comment in few sentences : I find these videos all very fascinating even though some of them do have very different traditions and notes that I have never heard about before. Even though some of these traditions seem taboo for western culture I do find similarities throughout some of these norms. For example, in Bali the shaving of the teeth is practiced among adolescents as enter a “new” maturity and experience changes. I think it’s so interesting how other cultures like the Hispanic community shares a similar tradition which is the quinceanera. This celebration is for girls who are becoming adolescencents and begin the transformation into a woman. This is also seeing a amongst other communities like the Jewish community since they have bar mitzvahs for the children as well. It is so interesting seeing how cultures despite how distinct and different they are how similar ideas and traditions that relate back to the same intentions.