Anthropology has long held to the principle of cultural relativity. What is cultural relativity, and what are its merits? What are its limitations?
According to the concept of cultural relativism, an individual’s accepted culture or the culture of origin determines what can be perceived to be morally right or wrong. Its main merit is that it assists when evaluating the cultural practices of other groups and whether an individual can be compatible with such cultures or not. However, its main limitation is that it does not enable moral absoluteness bearing in mind that moral belief systems are common among different cultures (Fadiman, 1998).
Evaluate Shostak’s fieldwork in “Nisa.” Did she achieve appropriate objectivity? Did she and other anthropologists negatively influence the culture they studied? Explain
The personal life history of Nisa has been described in the book. In other words, the life history of Nisa has been depicted in the interviews from various anthropological perspectives (Shostak, 2002). Nonetheless, a narrative plotline may not be used to bring out the life history of Nisa since her life takes various twists and turns right from childhood. She graduates into motherhood even as her children grow to maturity.
A Kung woman’s life has been depicted to rotate around motherhood and nothing more. Hence, their lifecycle revolves around pregnancies and raising children till they die. However, there is a lack of proper objectivity in this story because not all Kung women necessarily live their lives around motherhood (Shostak, 2002).
Shostak and other anthropologists must have passed negative influence in this culture by highlighting the theme of permittivity among Kung women who had no broader agenda for their own lives but dwell in motherhood.
The concept of Fish Soup is central to an understanding of the Hmong. What does it mean, and how is it reflected in the structure of the book?
Every concept, discussion, or theme developed in the book seems to be connected in one way or another. This attempts to explain the concept of the Fish Soup and how it has been symbolically used in the book. In terms of the book structure, the Fish Soup is reflected in the various events that take place in the book. Although these events seem to be separate, they are closely linked together. It is similar to the process of preparing fish soup. It begins with ingredients, methods of preparation, and finally serving it. Hence, preparing fish soup is analogous to recounting the emotional story of the Hmong tradition (Fadiman, 1997).
References
Fadiman, A. (1997). Foua and Nao Kao: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Farrar: Straus and Giroux.
Fadiman, A. (1998). Note on Hmong Orthography, Pronunciation, and Quotations: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Farrar: Straus and Giroux.
Shostak, M. (2002). Return to Nisa. New York: Harvard University Press.