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Final version

Culture and Society relationship

Socio-cultural Anthropology 3; plus Engineering and Technology
Anth2430 - Winter 2013 Instructor: Dr. Derek Johnson Wednesday, January 30

Culture and society are: complementary ways of looking at the same reality, each illuminating a different side. (Keesing and Strathern: 23) Orchestra and score

Culture and Society relationship

Culture and Society relationship

Culture and society are: complementary ways of looking at the same reality, each illuminating a different side. (Keesing and Strathern: 23) Separate but relational analytical value
o

Culture and society are: complementary ways of looking at the same reality, each illuminating a different side. (Keesing and Strathern: 23) Separate but relational analytical value
o

E.g. identity

E.g. identity

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/tr avel/countries/canadaphotos/#/outdoor-rinkhockey_9149_600x450.jpg

Culture and Society

Culture, society, and adaptation

Relationship in classic definitions of culture

That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. (Tylor 1871) [the] historically created designs for living, explicit and implicitwhich exist aspotential guides for the behaviour of man. (Kluckholm and Kelly 1945)
(Keesing and Strathern: 15)

Culture and society are key to human adaptive success (and failure)
o o o

Capacity to mobilize resources and information creatively and rapidly But alienation from ecological context Return to this in Human Ecology classes after Feb. 6

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Conclusion: relationality and socio-cultural anthropology

System society/culture Diversity basis for relationality Complexity culture and society as emergent properties Dynamics agency-structure Scale individual-society-globe Interaction Adaptation Agency

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Engineering observations

Summary of in-class brainstorming session Full notes under files/documents on JUMP

Engineering discussion summary

Identity Biosystems Difficult to define due to diversity Link between humans and environment Sometimes seen as easy sub-discipline An individual who designs and implement computer technologies Problem solvers; need to stay current Quality of work object = subject difficulty Modeling Hardest math gives status Highest median income Practical orientation leads to conservatism

Engineering discussion summary

Human ecological considerations Biosystems Computer Greatest concern with environmental ethics Through progression in computer technology (ie. improved communications) computer engineers influence the human ecological environment High power = high ecological impacts but human benefits Electricity is low impact energy Practical orientation = why pay more when already have working technology? Energy efficiency secondary consideration after finding model that works Low focus; when demand is there will work on it
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Computer

Electrical

Electrical

Mechanical

Problem solvers using technology Diverse and broad spectrum Overarching understanding of other Eng. discs. We are everywhere 9 *Communications skills notes as important for first three

Mechanical

To be discussed Feb. 4

Engineering discussion summary

Technology Biosystems Computer Electrical Just a tool A complicated way of making things simpler Focused on making digital devices smaller and faster Innovation useful to humans or to solve human problems Trade-offs between human wellbeing and technological impact Developed to satisfy curiosity Technology begets technology Technology advancement = complexity; greater efficiency Tech. combines skill, knowledge, application A tool to implement and synthesize solutions more efficiently Improves over time
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Technology in anthropology
Definition: The material expression of human social and cultural ingenuity in adapting (to) the environment

Mechanical

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Technology in anthropology
Definition: The material expression of human social and cultural ingenuity in adapting (to) the environment

Technology in anthropology
Definition: The material expression of human social and cultural ingenuity in adapting (to) the environment

Language? Institutions? Ideas?

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Technology created in social and cultural contexts, thus:

o o

Technology is relational A technologys meaning may vary

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To be discussed Feb. 4

To be discussed Feb. 4

Technology in anthropology
Definition: The material expression of human social and cultural ingenuity in adapting (to) the environment

Technology in anthropology
Definition: The material expression of human social and cultural ingenuity in adapting (to) the environment

Technology changes the environment

o

Technology changes the environment

o

Naturalization

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Naturalization

Nature of environment to which we adapt

Nature of environment to which we adapt

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To be discussed Feb. 4

To be discussed Feb. 4

Technology in anthropology
Definition: The material expression of human social and cultural ingenuity in adapting (to) the environment

The social life of technology

Humans as cyborgs
(Haraway 1992)

WORLD OF WARCRAFT

http://dairyantiques.com/Colored_Milk_Bottles.html
Haraway, Donna. (1994). Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. New York: Routledge.
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http://media.blizzard.com/wow/media/artwork/trading-card-game/series3/tcg-series3-119-full.jpg

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Technology in human adaptation

Applications

The contextual view

o

Friday and Monday See also Moore on impact of tube wells in Yemen (2011); my work on Gujarat fisheries

Technological pessimism

Unintended consequences Path dependencies

The applied view

o

Technological optimism

Our ingenuity holds promise of technological escape routes

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