Kinship

I am so very sorry.  I forgot to post the assignment for this week.  

This week's topic is kinship.  If you haven't already, read Chapter 8 

and the article, The Struggle for Iraq

Discussion Assignment

What does the phrase “blood is thicker than water” imply?Use the example of the Iraq article to discuss this idea. Can you identify two or three instances in which the distinction between affines and consanguines was of crucial importance in your life and/or family (or for someone you know or from another source, e.g. a news story, a work of fiction or a work of non-fiction) in your culture?

Respond to at least two of your classmates.

 

Because it was my fault that this did not get posted sooner, this assignment will not be due until next week, October 15.  We have a short week next week anyway, so I guess this works out well for all of us.  I recommend that you use this 'extra' time to work on you papers.

Again, I am sorry for any confusion.

Chapter 7 - Marriage

After reading Chapter 7, my personal views on marriage have not changed. I have just learned many new outlooks on the topic. People around the world get married for many different reasons. I have learned through the readings that people get married for the sake of a child. Others could get married for the sake of being married and establishing their own family, whether they are homosexual or heterosexual. One of the questions in the readings was, Can marriage be defined? I believe that marriage can be defined as a man and a woman, but there are also many different kinds of marriage that go along with the subject, such as a man and a man or a woman and a woman. This type of marriage normally happens for a reason or it is just a part of the culture. In the passage of Gay Marriage and Anthropology, I read that a woman in the Nuer tribe would divorce her husband and marry a woman. After doing this she would arrange for a surrogate to impregnate this woman. Also in this same passage I read that same-sex couples are not trying to redefine marriage, but are trying to find recognition in the US by constructing a marriage for themselves. The topic of marriage and how it should be can go many different ways. Depending on the situation at hand it was what makes up whether it is right or wrong I believe.

Cultural Analysis Paper

I have decided to read The Help

Cultural Analysis Paper

The book I have chosen to read for my paper is called Their Eyes Are Watching God. African American literature has always tended to throughly grasp my attention, and this book already has me hooked. The style is very true to how southerners spoke in earlier parts of history mainly during the Civil War. I am excited to see what it has in store.

Becca Libby - Cultural Analysis Paper Topic

I have chosen the book Love Medicine. I picked it mainly because I love Native American Culture, I think they were fascinating and innovative in a different way than any other culture.

Book topics

I have chosen "The Help" because it is a wonderful book full of progressive ideas for its time period.

Marriage

My understanding of marriage has not changed, I just accept more forms of it. Everyone has their own reasons for marriage even here in the US. I find it interesting that the divorce rate in India is so low, but learning that the relationship is not only between man and wife, but family to family it makes sense. They have a bigger support system riding on the success of the relationship. As far as looking at marriage from a historical perspective, I believe that we learn from our mistakes in history. Making marriage so low on the hierarchial totum pole wasn't good for anyone, and so our ideals have changed and will change as time goes on. I am just fine with gay marriage and would welcome the idea that anyone (within legal age) should get married that wants to get married. People need to understand that with marriage comes many issues that non-married couples don't neccesarily have to deal with. Income, taxes, medical emergencies, divorce...all these things are going to be part of the issues. Honestly two gay people marrying isn't hurting me or devaluing my marriage at all, so let them go for it. I think that as a culture we can learn from other cultures, especially Indian, how to value one another and really make a support system for marriage so the our divorce rate isn't so high.