Description
A?Comparative?Study?of?Aging.?Choose?three?cultures?and?research?them?to?find?out
about?the?role?of?the?elderly.?In?what?ways?do?people?lose?or?gain?power?and?status?as?they?age?
Do?men?and?women?experience?the?aging?process?in?dramatically?different?ways??How?are?the
problems?of?old?age?coped?with??Who?cares?for?the?elderly?in?each?of?these?societies??To?take
an?alternative?approach?to?this?project,?go?to?an?Internet?search?engine?and?type?in?”Cultural
Context?of?Aging.”
First?discuss?each?culture?than?compare?and?contrast?the?similarities?and?differences.

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ANTHROPOLOGY 100
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
DIRECTIONS
1. There are a list of topics to choose from on the last half of these directions. [ HINT:
follow the TOPIC INSTRUCTIONS to gain points. ]
2. The Assignment should be 4-6 PAGES long.
3. Papers must be typewritten in size 12 font and DOUBLE-SPACED, with one inch
margins. PAPERS MUST BE STAPLED in the upper left corner. Do NOT use
covers or paper clips.
4. CITE who and where information is from (author’s name and year of publication,
and if you use a quote, make sure to cite the page number) when using information from
articles or books throughout the paper. [Note: Cite at the ends of the sentences or
paragraphs.]
5. Make paragraphs! Start a new paragraph with each change of subject. A good rule of
thumb: three or four paragraphs per page.
6. Attach a REFERENCE list. Name of author, year of publication, name of book or
article (and journal), and publisher.
7. PROOF! PROOF! PROOF!. Proof read your paper several times for
spelling and grammatical errors.
8. Write information in a way so that it is understandable to the reader. Papers that are
poorly written and difficult to understand will lose points.
9. This is a scholarly paper so use formal terms. Don’t use slang terms.
10. Please DO NOT EMAIL PAPERS unless approved by the instructor.
YOU MAY CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ASSIGNMENT TOPICS OR
CHOOSE YOUR OWN TOPIC. If CHOOSING your own TOPIC
it MUST be approved by the instructor at least TWO
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WEEKS before the due date. Turn in a short description of your topic
at least two weeks prior to the paper due date.
You must use at least TWO but no more than six resources. Two of the sources should
be academic [anthropologically or sociologically based] articles or books (Note: The
TEXTBOOK and Wikipedia should not be listed as resources! The point of the assignment is to
do research.)
1. Many indigenous groups [like American Indians or Australian Aborigines] have had
changes forced upon them by more dominant groups. Their reactions may vary considerably.
Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between at least two, but no more than
three indigenous cultures who have had to contend with repressive change. What changes were
forced on these peoples and how did they react to these changes. [Make sure you look up
Repressive Change and Reactions to Repressive Change in your Cultural Anthropology textbook
Ch. 15 so you understand the topic.]
2. Art in all its forms has countless functions beyond just providing aesthetic pleasure.
Examine two or three different cultures and examine one type of art form. Make sure to
compare and contrast the differences and similarities between the different cultures. You may
examine art forms like tattoos and other types of body art. Drumming is also an interesting area
to explore cross culturally. You could compare and contrast Tibetan sand painting and the sand
painting of the Hopi Indians. There are many art forms to choose from.
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
3. Examine shamanism in at least three different indigenous cultures. Compare and contrast
the similarities and differences. Examine such things as: what role do shamans play in that
culture? How do they heal people? How do they gain their power? Do they have altered states
of consciousness. If so, how do they reach these altered states?
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
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4. Examine at least three different cultures and discuss their views on either
homosexuality, transgenders, OR intersexuality [do not discuss all three?focus on one
group]. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between cultures. Are these
individuals accepted in that culture? Are they marginalized? Do they face discrimination. Do
they have a role in that society? If so what is it?
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.

5. Dowry in India. A marriage-related practices of Hindu India have received particular
attention recently. The dowry system leads many families into wrenching debt, and also
sometimes results in “dowry deaths.” The brides whose families are unable to pay the dowry
demanded are killed by the grooms family. Often killing these women by dowsing them with
kerosene and setting them on fire. How are women viewed in this society? Look into the
cultural background of this practice, legislation relating to it, and it?s persistence in Hindu
society. What is the position of women in these societies?
6. Sati in India. Sati occurs when a widow is burned to death on her husband’s funeral pyre.
Often young women are forced on their husband?s funeral pyre. (Though illegal, sati still occurs
and its victims are often venerated as especially heroic or saintly). Discuss how widows often
are viewed in many areas of India. Look into the cultural background of this practice, legislation
relating to it and it?s persistence in Hindu society. How are women viewed in this society? What
is their position in these societies?
7. A Comparative Study of Aging. Choose three cultures and research them to find out
about the role of the elderly. In what ways do people lose or gain power and status as they age?
Do men and women experience the aging process in dramatically different ways? How are the
problems of old age coped with? Who cares for the elderly in each of these societies? To take
an alternative approach to this project, go to an Internet search engine and type in “Cultural
Context of Aging.”
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
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8. Do Matriarchies Exist? It is common in North American feminist circles to hear talk of
matriarchies, ancient and modern, in which women hold the reins of power. Do some research
on matriarchy to see how anthropologists regard this claim. What are the circumstances that
seem to encourage some degree of power for women? Can the ethnographic cases that
exemplify this properly be called matriarchies?
9. Sikh Militancy. A movement has sprung up among followers of the Sikh faith of
northwestern India in which many have taken up arms to try to create their own separate state
called Khalistan. Thousands have been killed in this conflict, which involves various political
and economic factors but is primarily seen by the participants as centering on religion. Find out
more abut the Sikh struggle for an independent homeland. In what ways is this movement
similar to or different from other separatist movements taking place in the world today?
10. Caste in the United States. Some anthropologists and sociologists contend that the term
“caste” can be fruitfully applied to other areas of the world besides India where there are socially
entrenched inequalities present. Do some research into the concept of caste and the debate on its
applicability outside of India. What features of North American society are caste-like? [Like the
slavery and plantation period or the Jim Crow era] What aspects of Indian caste are
appropriately viewed as unique? What aspects are similar? [Make sure you look up Social Class
and Caste in your Cultural Anthropology textbook Ch. 11.]
11. The Iroquois Confederacy and American Democracy. It is commonly claimed that
indigenous American political systems, particularly that of the Iroquois Six Nations, influenced
the structure of the electoral system of the United States. Research the question, investigating
the Iroquois system and the philosophical underpinning of the government established by the
U.S. “Founding Fathers.” Make sure to examine the similarities and differences between the two
systems.
12. Linguistic Nationalism. Many ethnic groups in the world today are particularly
concerned about the preservation of and support for their native languages (for example,
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American Indian groups like the Utes, the Quebecois of Canada, or the Frisians of the
Netherlands). Choose two or three cultures who are trying to revive their traditional language.
Investigate the role language plays in ethnic/nationalist sentiment. How does language use
become politicized? How did their languages almost become lost? How are these different
groups trying to retain or regain their indigenous languages? What do they gain by preserving
their native languages?
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
13. A Comparative Study of Beauty Standards. Choose three different cultures and do some
ACADEMIC research on them to find out about the role of beauty [for women or for men]. In
some societies women with lots of facial hair maybe highly valued. In others plump women
with amble backsides maybe seen as beautiful. In our society women who are thin are
considered to be beautiful. Do these beauty standards make an individual more desirable for
marriage? Do the beauty standards give the individual more social status or imply class
position?
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
Make sure to examine and discuss ACADEMIC research. Make sure to point out the
similarities?especially concerning why women practice the beauty standards!
14. Examine two or three different Revitalization movements like the Sun Dance of the Ute
American Indians, the Qullasuyu revitalization movement in Bolivia or the Peyote religion of the
Navaho American Indians. Is this a transformative movement or a redemptive movement.
Explain. Why did the movement arise? What are the goals of this revitalization movement. Is
there a return and a preservation of indigenous cultural practices. Do they practice any rituals
[like taking peyote during a particular ritual or doing the Sun Dance]? What occurs during these
rituals? Is spiritual power gained [if it is a redemptive movement this may be likely]?
First discuss each movement than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
15. Beliefs in ancestral spirits is can be found in many cultures from around the world. First
examine and discuss 3 different societies and their beliefs in ancestral spirits, then compare and
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contrast the similarities and differences. Do people make offerings to their dead ancestors? Do
they believe their deceased ancestors watch over them and help them? Do they believe their
deceased ancestors may get angry with them and perhaps harm them. Also discuss their kinship
relations (example: are they patrilineal or matrilineal).
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.
16. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the two syncretic religions
Voodoo or Vodou and Santeria. Make sure to discuss the history of these two syncretic
religions. Both were created by black slaves and are based on a mixture of African and Catholic
religions.
First discuss each culture than compare and contrast the similarities and differences.