Lecture 1 The ethnographic project

Lecture 2 Mead's research agenda
Each ethnographer has his own agenda when writing an ethnographic account. In Mead's case, she went to the south pacific island of Samoa with her own theories before ever setting foot on the beach. She wasn't interested in studying Samoa culture in general. She was looking to describe the specific area of adolescence and its presence or absence in young Samoan girls.

Lecture 3 Daily Life in Samoa
Samoa is located in the South Pacific. Extended families often congregate under one roof. It is a culture of subsistence production where each household is its own economic unit. Social rank is determined by age and one must "never presume above one's age". Children work, young girls look after the children, women participate in horticulture, and men cook.

Lecture 4 Social order in Samoa
Economics aren't tied to property therefore investment is in labor. Kin relations and allegiances are advantageous. There's a social obligation toward your kinsmen. Kinship organization isn't necessarily blood relations. It includes marriages and adoptions outside of the household. Cultural not biological kinship ties are important.

Lecture 5 Biology & culture in Samoa
All societies must replace its members when they die. Children become the focus when there's a high mortality rate.What is needed by the population is culturally defined. Culture creates the requirements for the people which aren't necessarily biological needs. Humans are formed by culture not biology. Becoming human requires culture. 

Lecture 6 Critiques and rebuttals 1
Mead's main critic is Freeman.He used journal and travel accounts to rebut Mead's theory that Samoan life is easy, mellow and without war. Freeman argues there's competition between chiefs , violent rituals and family disruption. Mead says that Samoans are happy, non violent and without conflict or punishment. Freeman states that the children develop anger and hatred toward their parents.

Lecture 7 Critiques and rebuttals 2
Freeman claims Mead got her facts wrong and had her own agenda for finding the results that she did. His methodological criticism is that Mead didn't stay long on the island very long and she didn't use historical records. The concept of sex in Samoa was different from Mead's and she didn't pay attention to this.

Lecture 8 Lee's research agenda
Lee took an environmental approach to his study of the Dobe. He was looking at how culture draws on the environment; the cultural engagement of the environment. Lee broke stereotypes of the Dobe by looking at the hunting, gender roles and production aspects of the culture. Film shown.

Lecture 9 Hunting and gathering
Hunting and gathering is an adaptation to the environment. The skills used in the environment are learned. The term bushmen is derogatory. Anthropology has a bias against "the hunters". Gathering is as important as hunting.

Lecture 10 Organizing for Dobe life
Mobility is needed so you can exploit the resources effectively and resolve conflicts. Networks are created so as not to be completely isolated since the number of your friends is proportional to your wealth. Sharing creates a sense of ownership. Other hunters and gathers live in different circumstances and different consequences.

Lecture 11 Contacts with the wider world

Lecture 12 Change & transformation
Explication- description of unique events. Explanation- generalizations (theoretical). Lee counted the time the Dobe spent eating, resting and working. Records can't show bias. He found the energy that went into work was within the healthy range. People thought all hunters and gathers were like the Dobe. He showed they were well fed which was contrary to popular belief.

Lecture 13 Critique & rebuttal
Lee was criticized for dwelling on the isolation of the Dobe people. In fact they weren't really that isolated from others. Lee said if the people are isolated they aren't necessarily autonomous. He was criticized for generalizing the people and labeling as one collective. His critics cite that there was little evidence of herding and encapsulation.

Lecture 14 Research agenda; desert life
The Persian language is farci. The Baluch are pastoralists who migrate between the mountains and valleys. They are part of the broader Islamic culture. They move from one altitude to another in order to deal with the seasonal changes of the climate. They move in order to stabilize their environment for their livestock. Sheep are their capital since they provide goods they can sell in the marketplace.

Lecture 15 Highland Sardinia
Film presented which looked at the shepherds in the highlands. It also examines various relationships among the people.

Lecture 16 Comparisons

Lecture 17 Critique and rebuttal
The major criticisms of Real Life would come from the post modernists. They want the anthropologist to give voice to the people he/she is studying. Salzman loaded his book full of description and is heavy on the analysis. He lacks direct quotations from the people he is examining. 



Lecture 18 Edelsward's research agenda
Edelsward take the symbolic anthropological approach to studying the sauna as a part of the Finnish culture. She attempt to examine the use of the sauna bath to understand the Finnish world view.

Lecture 19 The Finnish world view

Lecture 20 Ritual & the psyche
The symbol an arbitrary relationship/representation. Decisions are made upon what we understand to be good or bad. Key scenarios are used to divide socially and limit behavior. Root metaphors are used to structure social life. Symbols underlie what you're doing not reality.

Lecture 21 Sociality & organization
The Finns live as individuals but are not isolated or untouched by others. They live in an extreme climate and highly value self sufficiency. They've shifted toward industrial organization and close working environments. Nature is very important as well as the summer cottage. Traditions are closely guarded and hold great meaning for they're national identity.

Lecture 22 Tradition & transformation critique & rebuttal
Three main criticisms of Edelsward's work  are 1) Essentialism: looking for one essence without looking at the variation between people. It oversimplifies one institution as representative of the whole culture. 2) Reductionism: reduces life to systems of meaning. 3) Static: looks at relationships but there's no dynamics. The sauna changed over time in many ways. 

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