Rethinking Psychological Anthropology: Continuity and Change in the Study of Human Action, Second Edition (1999), by Philip Bock, which is available online new for $28.75 (+ s/h, but currently with "free" shipping from Amazon.com on orders over $35.00), or used from $4.04 plus standard-rate s/h).
(28 December 2013)
Height: 5 ft. 2 in.
Eyes: Brown
Weight: 100-110 lbs.
Hometown: Beloit, Wisconsin
The Super Bowl and Culture and Personality
Super Bowl ads change your brains . . .
They ought to, for up to $6,000,000 or so per 30 seconds (2014). We’ll have a closer look at that next week, but this week pay attention to what folks are saying about the Super Bowl ads.
"and worth it"
Watching a woman playing American football with her friends in a Michelob beer ad
triggered the brain's empathy centre (shown by arrow) to fire in women only (Image: Jonas Kaplan) NewScientist
(07 February 2006)
Below are a few results from former years,
if you are interested have a look . . .
Wonder what your brain looks like while watching commercials? Or, more to the point, what the electrical activity in your brain looks like? The folks at Sands Research have helped Neuromarketing readers by making available videos from five of the most engaging (by their metrics) 2009 Super Bowl.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Super Bowl ads, which cost $85,000 per second during this year's game, fumbled overall as they failed to connect with viewers or just scared them, according to researchers who tracked people's brain activity. -- Debra Sherman (05 February 2007)
Students in the past have commented that there is
TOO MUCH INFORMATION
available on the class Moodle and supporting WebSites.
Yes, there is a lot of information, no doubt about it, and it can be confusing at first. It’s helpful when starting out to remember that the required information for the course is contained in the middle panel of your HomePage. The information in the sidebars and many of the links are there should you find those interesting and/or helpful; that material is not required.
(NOTE: This is a long slide set as it covers some very important background information that will be referred to often as we go through the semester. Please bear with it to the end. And it will take a little longer to load, so please bear with that also. There is no video presentation scheduled for this and next week as the base slide sets tend to be a little longer than "normal.")
the four fields of general anthropology
culture as a primary concept
learned
shared
transmitted from generation to generation
based on symbols
integrated
comparative method as major approach to the study of human behavior development and structure
holism or the study of "humankind" as a whole, as a primary theoretical goal
the approach used in this class emphasizes the "holistic" anthropological view which combines observations of "culture" and behavior with considerations of the physical and developmental aspects of humans
fieldwork as a primary research technique in gathering data, involving “participant observation”
[see note on slide formats] (NOTE: This is a long slide set as it covers more than 2000+ years. Please bear with it to the end. Please bear with it to the end. And it will take a little longer to load, so please bear with that also. There is no video presentation scheduled for this and next week as the base slide sets tend to be a little longer than "normal.")
A little before 7:30 a.m. on 2 February 2014 Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so we can comfortably settle in for our six more weeks of winter. “The Groundhog Day celebration is rooted in a German superstition that says if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2, the Christian holiday of Candlemas, winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow is seen, legend says, spring will come early.” Thousands showed up for the event.
(NOTE: This is a long slide set as it covers some very important background information that will be referred to often as we go through the semester. Please bear with it to the end. And it will take a little longer to load, so please bear with that also. There is no video presentation scheduled for this and next week as the base slide sets tend to be a little longer than "normal.")
the four fields of general anthropology
culture as a primary concept
learned
shared
transmitted from generation to generation
based on symbols
integrated
comparative method as major approach to the study of human behavior development and structure
holism or the study of "humankind" as a whole, as a primary theoretical goal
the approach used in this class emphasizes the "holistic" anthropological view which combines observations of "culture" and behavior with considerations of the physical and developmental aspects of humans
fieldwork as a primary research technique in gathering data, involving “participant observation”
[see note on slide formats] (NOTE: This is a long slide set as it covers more than 2000+ years. Please bear with it to the end. Please bear with it to the end. And it will take a little longer to load, so please bear with that also. There is no video presentation scheduled for this and next week as the base slide sets tend to be a little longer than "normal.")
(more on metaphorical analysis Day 20)
~
Week 3 Day 5 nlt 11:45, Tuesday, 4 February 2014 video:
Discussion 12:00-12:10
Feedback 12:10-12:15
Today and next week we're going to do historical background of Culture and Personality studies, and have a look at some basic terms / concepts as presented in three videos. The first is:
Week 3 Day 6 nlt 11:07, Thursday, 6 February 2014 video:
Discussion 12:00-12:10
Feedback 12:10-12:15
Remember to be thinking about how your language affects how you experience reality.
This week we're going to continue looking at the historical background of Culture and Personality studies, focusing on Margaret Mead and the controversy surrounding her early work in Samoa. We will also continue to have a look at some basic terms / concepts as presented the videos.
Week 4 Day 7 nlt 11:07, Tuesday,11 February 2014 video:
Discussion 12:00-12:10
Feedback 12:10-12:15
"Coming of Age: Margaret Mead" (52 min., 1990, VC 1755)
[From the Strangers Abroad series]
In order to understand personality one must understand cognition
In order to understand cognition one must understandper-ception and con-ception. . .
cognition = perception + conception
cognition
perception
sensory
vision
"per - cepts"
hearing
touch
taste
smell
conception
"con - cepts"
Cf., "Foundations of Cultural Knowledge," in Culture and Cognition: Rules, Maps, and Plans
(San Francisco, CA: Chandler, 1972), pp. 3-38.
How many senses do we have anyway ? . . .
Parade Column - February 24, 2008
We’re taught in school that we have five senses: vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Yet we also feel pain—and hunger, for that matter. Aren’t they senses too? —Brian Dozier, Cincinnati, Ohio
In addition to the usual five that we’re taught, humans have receptors for pressure, temperature, pain, balance and motion. So we have a total of 10 senses. But hunger is not one of them. Rather, it’s a motivation or desire, like sex. Well, not quite like sex.
cognition
perception
sensory
vision
"per - cepts"
hearing
touch
taste
smell
pressure
temperature
pain
balance
motion
conception
"con - cepts"
A more conventional view . . .
cognition
perception
sensory
vision
"per - cepts"
hearing
touch
taste
smell
extra - sensory
(ESP)
6th ?
"?"
conception
"con - cepts"
Cf., "Foundations of Cultural Knowledge," in Culture and Cognition: Rules, Maps, and Plans
(San Francisco, CA: Chandler, 1972), pp. 3-38.
Let's look at just one . . .
cognition
perception
sensory
(eyes)
vision
"per - cepts"
Week 5 Day 11 nlt 11:00, Thursday, 20 February 2014 video:
Discussion 12:00-12:10
Feedback 12:10-12:15
As mentioned earlier in the semester,
people live in multiple worlds . . . .
The analysis focusing on the New Orleans Black Indians
reviews some of those multiple worlds . . .
Cf., "Foundations of Cultural Knowledge," in Culture and Cognition: Rules, Maps, and Plans
(San Francisco, CA: Chandler, 1972), pp. 3-38.
Parade Column - February 24, 2008
We’re taught in school that we have five senses: vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Yet we also feel pain—and hunger, for that matter. Aren’t they senses too? —Brian Dozier, Cincinnati, Ohio
In addition to the usual five that we’re taught, humans have receptors for pressure, temperature, pain, balance and motion. So we have a total of 10 senses. But hunger is not one of them. Rather, it’s a motivation or desire, like sex. Well, not quite like sex.
cognition
perception
sensory
vision
"per - cepts"
hearing
touch
taste
smell
pressure
temperature
pain
balance
motion
conception
"con - cepts"
~
For Week 6 Activities see
The CP Midterm Exam Live Chat will be the night before the exam from 07:00-08:00 CST, on Monday, 8 October 2018. Sign in on .
The Culture and Personality Midterm Exam will be in class Week 7 Day 13 Tuesday, 9 October 2018
REM: Bring your Laptop
~
Week 7 Day 14 nlt 11:05, Thursday, 6 March 2014 video:
Discussion 11:45-12:05
Feedback 12:10-12:15
Making Sense of Sensory Information with Dale Purves, M.D.
(Neuroscience Series)
(37 min, 2008, UM Duluth LibraryMultimedia QP376 .M35 2007 DVD)
"What we see is not what the world really is and that is counterintuitive."
"Latin: 'I am thinking, therefore I exist', or traditionally 'I think, therefore I am') is a philosophical statement by René Descartes, which became a foundational element of Western philosophy. 'Cogito ergo sum' is a translation of Descartes' original French statement: 'Je pense, donc je suis', which occurs in his Discourse on Method (1637)."
"Although the idea expressed in 'cogito ergo sum' is widely attributed to Descartes, many predecessors offer similar arguments—particularly St. Augustine of Hippo in De Civitate Dei (books XI, 26), who also anticipates modern refutations of the concept. (See Principles of Philosophy, §7: 'Ac proinde haec cognitio, ego cogito, ergo sum, est omnium prima et certissima etc.')." -- Wikipedia
Still More Questions . . .
(to think about)
How do you think (about thinking, or anything else) ?
How does your pet experience its environment Understanding some differences between ... facts how animals perceive reallity See World Your Pets ... isn necessarily same what our pets do Here latest ... we may observe our pets shouldn dismissed simply ... animal human senses can offer insight world Sarah Wilson Brian read story (From October 15, 2006 Parade Magazine)
Temple Grandin, professor at Colorado State University and autistic savant, used her unusual abilities to improve the tools of livestock farming.
-- Exploring Temple Grandin's Brain -- Discover (13 March 2013)
"This fascinating program introduces Temple Grandin, who is autistic. She is also a leading professor in her field—animal science. Temple has shattered expectations of what autistic people can achieve, and her latest theory is just as groundbreaking. She believes the autistic mind is closer to the animal mind than the typical human mind. Temple describes herself as someone who thinks in pictures, in the same way animals do. Just as animals can find it hard to learn general principles, autistic people can have difficulty understanding abstract concepts that cannot be visualized. But they can also exhibit specialist skills beyond the capability of people with normal brains." A BBC Production.
"If brain tissue is damaged or does not develop fully, the ventricles—vessels filled with cerebrospinal fluid, shown in blue in this image based on neuroimaging work—expand to fill the space. Temple Grandin’s enlarged left ventricle is a sign of abnormalities in her left hemisphere, which typically handles language, and may account for the difficulties she has with processing words."
-- Exploring Temple Grandin's Brain -- Discover (13 March 2013)
" . . . an inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced post-modern societies. Hyperreality is a way of characterizing what our consciousness defines as "real" in a world where a multitude of media can radically shape and filter an original event or experience."
How do I know that I am not a butterfly now dreaming I'm a man ?"
"Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things." -- (2, tr. Burton Watson 1968:49)
Garrison Keillor notes of Gabriel García Márquez . . . "He learned to write short stories first from Kafka, and later from the American Lost Generation. He said that the first line of Kafka's Metamorphosis 'almost knocked [him] off the bed,' he was so surprised. In one interview, he quoted the first line ('As Gregor Samsa awoke that morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into a gigantic insect') and told the interviewer, 'When I read the line, I thought to myself that I didn't know anyone was allowed to write things like that.'" (06 March 2014)
In groups of 3-5
with at least one laptop per group
when you are finished copy your results to the class project file, Week 9
with the names of your group members included in the report
Your Mission . . .
Design a research project
on birth order
and its effects on adult personality
of males and females . . .
and intersex* individuals,
a universally occurring group of individuals who live in special cultural worlds
(*formerly sometimes incorrectly known as hermaphrodites)
intersexuality = 0.018% = 18/100,000, but this can include genotypical-only individuals
individuals with phenotypical M/F traits have been estimated at ca. 1/200,000-1/250,000 in the U.S.A.
Kim Smyth Roufs, Jani Farrell-Roberts, Marjorie Blagburn
Bristol Harbour, England
How do you deal with something that has a
frequency occurrence rate of 0.018% = 18 / 100,000,
including genotpic traits,
and about 1 / 200,000 — 1 / 250,000 for phenotypic traits ?
REM:
structure
function
meaning
emic
etic
synchronic
diachronic
Also consider:
"normal"
"abnormal"
"deviant"
1. freelist the variables
you need to consider in your research
2. formulate a hypothesis
(expected relationship) for your research
3.outline the research methods
you would use in your study
budget:
$150,000
for this project your budget does not have to be itemized
Your project just needs to be "do-able" within the general budget
"N!ai was born in April of 1942, the only child of Di!ai and
Gumza. Di!ai, her mother, had been married once before to a man
named ≠Toma. They had had two children, both of whom died,
and ≠Toma was murdered in a fight in 1938. In 1940, Di!ai married
Gumza, N!ai’s father, a man from a group across the border in Botswana
(then Bechuanaland). Soon after N!ai was born, her parents
were divorced, in part because Gumza did not get along with Di!ai’s
older sister, a sharp-tongued woman named !U. Di!ai also said she
felt lonely for her own people, and so she went home to Gautscha
when Gumza returned to Botswana. In 1944, Di!ai remarried, to
a man named Kxao. Kxao already had a wife, but because he was
considered a steady man, Di!ai was willing to accept the role of
co-wife." -- N!ai Study Guide, p. 3
~
Week 9 Day 18, Thursday, 28 March 2013
review of
In-Class Small Groups Projects
Design a research project . . .
Your Mission . . .
Design a research project
on birth order
and its effects on adult personality
of males and females . . .
and intersex* individuals,
a universally occurring group of individuals who live in special cultural worlds
(*formerly sometimes incorrectly known as hermaphrodites)
REM:
structure
function
meaning
emic
etic
synchronic
diachronic
Also consider:
"normal"
"abnormal"
"deviant"
1. freelist the variables
you need to consider in your research
2. formulate a hypothesis
(expected relationship) for your research
3.outline the research methods
you would use in your study
budget:
$150,000
for this project your budget does not have to be itemized
Your project just needs to be "do-able" within the general budget
Paul Buffalo (4 July 1900 - 28 June 1977)
Mediating Medicine
~
Week 11 Day 22 nlt 11:20, Thursday, 10 April 2014 audio lecture:
Feedback 12:10-12:15
The Work of the Brazilian Healer Zé Arigó Audiotape
(45 min., PC 287)
Aviso: The selections below contain graphic material
Arigó by Puharich Part 1.mp4-- Silent 8 movie shot by Dr Andrija Puharich on expedition in Brazil while investigating Arigo the famous Brazilian healer. Part 1
Arigó by Puharich Part 2.mp4-- Silent 8 movie shot by Dr Andrija Puharich on expedition in Brazil while investigating Arigo the famous Brazilian healer
Aviso: Some selections below contain graphic material
Arigó by Puharich Part 1.mp4-- Silent 8 movie shot by Dr Andrija Puharich on expedition in Brazil while investigating Arigo the famous Brazilian healer. Part 1
Arigó by Puharich Part 2.mp4-- Silent 8 movie shot by Dr Andrija Puharich on expedition in Brazil while investigating Arigo the famous Brazilian healer
Freelist the things that the Amish control in order to control the rate of change and thus the forces and conditions that might result in a change in personality and/or world view.
You do not have to turn this list in, but keep it handy.
f2018 Your Extra Credit paper is due by the end of Week 13, Saturday, 24 November 2018
AVISO: Late Extra Credit Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date. Why?
~
Week 13
Real People . . . Real Places . . .
Yanomamó Change /Anishinabe Curing (continued, time permitting)
Will this likely change the modal personality of the Yanomamö?
Can adult personality change?
If so, what kinds of experiences will result in an adult change of personality?
Compare the things the Amish control to control change with those same items in the Ocamo Yanomamö culture
What didn't the Ocamo Yanomamö control?
What are the apparent consequences of that?
Remember how the Amish consciously select the items they want to change, rather than let technological change or any other kind of change overcome and overwhelm them. And in doing that they control lots of things in order to control the rate of change and thus the forces and conditions that might result in a change in personality and/or world view. How is the situation different among the Ocamo Yanomamö?
Your CP Term Paper is due at the end of Week 14, Saturday, 1 December 2018
AVISO: Late Term Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date.
Wiki questions for the Final Exam are due by the end of Week 14, Saturday, 1 December 2018
Your CP Term Paper is due at the end of Week 14, Saturday, 1 December 2018
AVISO: Late Term Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date.
Wiki questions for the Final Exam are due by the end of Week 14, Saturday, 1 December 2018
Use of AI-content generators for assignments in this class
When I taught Advanced Writing for the Social Sciences here at UMD, for over twenty-five years, my rule of thumb advice to students was to plan to spend 60% or more of their time and effort revising drafts (for academic type writing).
In 2001 Wikipedia appeared on the scene and very quickly became a useful tool asa starting point for many academic projects even though as an open-source resource the Wikipedia entries are not checked and verified in the same manner as other traditional reference materials.
Spelling and grammar checkers arrived on the general scene and helped with spelling and grammar checking, but, as you no doubt have discovered, they continue to require human editing.
And, of course, before that we had a selection of excellent Encyclopedia offering good starting points for many projects, the most popular being The Encyclopedia Brittanica.
And long before that there were libraries--since at least the days of Alexandria in Egypt, in the third century B.C.
The bottom line . . .
Today the evolution of research resources and aids continues with the relatively rapid appearance of ChatGPT and other automated content generators.
As many folks have already found out, they can be very useful as starting points, much like their predecessors. But, from the academic point of view, they are still only starting points.
Professors nationwide are for the most part advised, and even encouraged, to experiment with the potentials of ChatGPT and similar apps.
In this class it is fine to experiment, with the caveat that all of your written academic work demonstrates that your personal efforts—including content development and revision—reflect your personal originality, exploration, analysis, explanation, integrating and synthesizing of ideas, organizational skills, evaluation, and overall learning and critical thinking efforts.
That is to say you may experiment with the AI tool to do tasks such as e.g, brainstorming, narrowing topics, writing first drafts, editing text, and the like. AI-generated works should in no case be more than that.
In the end you need to become familiar enough with the various subjects, peoples, and places discussed in this class to research a topic and problem-solve on your own, and carry on an intelligent conversation about them in modern-day society . . . a conversation that goes byond your voicing an unsupported opinion.
For the record, what follows is the official UMD Academic Integrity Policy. Note that "unless otherwise noted by the faculty
member" this is the default policy.
"UMD’s Academic Integrity policy covers any work done by automated content generators such as ChatGPT or other generative artificial intelligence tools unless otherwise noted by the faculty
member. These tools present new challenges and opportunities."
"Within the confines of this
class The use of AI-content generators is strictly prohibited for any stage of homework/assignment
(e.g., draft or final product). The primary purposes of college are developing your thinking skills,
being creative with ideas, and expanding your understanding on a wide variety of topics. Using
these content generating AI tools thwarts the goal of homework/assignments to provide
students opportunities to achieve these purposes. Please make the most of this time that you
have committed to a college education and learn these skills now, so that you can employ them
throughout your life." -- Jennifer Mencl, UMD Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, 10 May 2023
. "Academic dishonesty
tarnishes UMD's reputation and discredits the accomplishments of
students. UMD is committed to providing students every possible
opportunity to grow in mind and spirit. This pledge can only be
redeemed in an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. As a
result, academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all
members of the academic community. In keeping with this ideal, this
course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which
can be found at [http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/Academic_Integrity_Policy.htm].
This policy sanctions students engaging in academic dishonesty with
penalties up to and including expulsion from the university for repeat
offenders."
— UMD Educational Policy Committee, Jill Jensen, Chair
(08/16/2007)
The instructor will enforce and students are expected to follow the University's Student Conduct Code [http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.html].
Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic
achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that
substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability
to teach, or student learning, is prohibited. Disruptive behavior
includes inappropriate use of technology in the classroom. Examples
include ringing cell phones, text-messaging, watching videos, playing
computer games, doing email, or surfing the Internet on your computer
instead of note-taking or other instructor-sanctioned activities."
— UMD Educational Policy Committee, Jill Jensen, Chair
(08/16/2007)
Failure to comply with the above
codes and standards when submitting an Extra Credit paper will result in
a penalty commensurate with the lapse, up to and including an F final grade for the course, and, at a minimum, a reduction in total
points no fewer than the points available for the Extra Credit project.
The penalty will not simply be a zero for the project, and the
incident will be reported to the UMD Academic Integrity Officer in the
Office of Student and Community Standards.
A Note on "Cutting and Pasting" without the Use of Quotation Marks (EVEN IF you have a citation to the source somewhere in your paper)
If you use others' words and/or works you MUST so indicate that with the use of quotation marks. Failure to use quotation marks to indicate that the materials are not of your authorship constitutes plagiarism—even if you have a citation to the source elsewhere in your paper/work.
Patterned failure to so indicate that the materials are not of your own authorship will result in an F grade for the course.
Other instances of improper attribution will result in a 0 (zero) for the assignment (or a reduction in points equal to the value of an Extra Credit paper), and a reduction of one grade in the final grade of the course.
All incidents will be reported to the UMD Academic Integrity Officer in the
Office of Student and Community Standards as is required by University Policy.
Students with Disabilities
It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. Please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR website at www.d.umn.edu/access for more information.
Your CP Term Paper is due at the end of Week 14, Saturday, 1 December 2018
AVISO: Late Term Papers will not be accepted unless (1) arrangements for an alternate date have been arranged in advance, or (2) medical emergencies or similar extraordinary unexpected circumstances make it unfeasible to turn in the assignment by the announced due date.