One of the most ubiquitous features of human culture, myth relies on storytelling as its primary vehicles. As a type of storytelling, myth depends on symbolism, which is why the substantive nature of a myth remains the same even when the details of the story may change or assume new meaning when it is applied to another society or historical epoch. The cross-cultural study of myths may explore similarities and differences between the overarching narratives told in different societies. Or, focusing on one society, an anthropologist might demonstrate how myth functions as a means of perpetuating the norms and values that bind together members of the community. Moreover, anthropologists study the way myth embeds itself into dimensions of culture such as art, music, language, or politics. Myth embodies meaning, adding tremendous weight to the differentiation between the sacred and profane aspects of life. Ultimately, myth is integral to the construction of identity, ethos, and ontology.
Myth becomes central to the construction of identity. In his analysis of Melanesian culture, for example, Malinowski shows how myth informs all the other dimensions of life that give purpose and structure to the society: aspects like morality and how to navigate ethical complexities. Myth is the basis for externalized activities that also define identity or membership in the community. Ritual is the best example, including the rituals that comprise initiation rites or rites of passage. Anthropologists work within a theoretical orientation similar to that of sociology, too, showing how the content of a culture’s sacred stories and myths have a strong bearing on the construction of gender roles and norms in a society. Myth also contributes to the construction of identity in that it forms the building blocks of semantics within any given society. Ellis points out that myth functions as a symbolic language and that language is then used to imbue other elements like dance with meaning. Tribes or large societies differentiate themselves from one another...…in societies that rely more on science than religion may also continue to enact rituals and rites as a means of reinforcing identity and preserving the unique features of the culture to which they belong. Even when they no longer count as sacred stories, myths still provide keys to understanding the nature of heroism, or the importance of endurance in the face of suffering.
One of the ways anthropologists study myth in different cultures is examining symbols not just in the narrative content but also in performance, ritual, and other manifestations including rites of passage. Even when the substantive content of myth is similar among disparate cultures, the myth may function totally differently in other ways. For example, in one culture the myth may not have any bearing at all on ritual practices whereas in another it would. Myth also parallels the creative arts in the societies that sustain them, informing dance, art, and other forms of literary expression that carry symbolic value.…
She provides a thorough account concerning how Buddhism is one of the religions that came to have a strong influence on people's understanding of their culture. Thailand is a location where Buddhism is an active part of people's lives and this means that religion can actually be considered an important tool for ethnographers wanting to find out more about the country's culture. 2. Victor Turner provides a complex account regarding
Initiation ceremonies could last for weeks, involving singing and dancing, story telling, body decorations and ceremonial objects. Some of the stories are open to all the people of the tribe, while others are secret and meant only for the initiates. During funeral ceremonies, the people of the tribe would often paint themselves white and mourn by cutting themselves. Rituals may involve songs and dances focused upon helping the deceased leave
Anthropology The Songs of Salanda and Other Stories of Sulu by H. Arlo Nimmo is loosely based on the experiences he had conducting field work as an anthropologist. Nimmo injects into the narrative insight based on the two years in the mid-1960's he spent living with the nomadic boat-dwelling Bajau in the Sulu Islands of the southern Philippines. The book contains a total of 16 stories, many of which describe the
Anthropology -- Salvation on Sand Mountain: snake handling and redemption in southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake handling and redemption in southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington tells the story of religious snake handling and strychnine-drinking in Appalachia. Though the author was a journalist covering the 1992 attempted murder trial of a snake handling preacher, the author's Southern background and religious search drew him to these dangerous religious
... further, that it would be only a question of time until the entire Pacific coast region would be controlled by the Japanese.' Yet Japan's ultimate aim was not limited to California or the Pacific Coast but was global domination achieved through a race war. 'It is the determined purpose of Japan,' the report stated, 'to amalgamate the entire colored races of the world against the Nordic or white race,
As Tapper (1995) points out, the three major approaches of Western social theory are each "flawed by their commitment to positivism, objectivity, and scientific detachment," (p. 186). Some may wonder how it could be possible to study religion with scientific detachment, since scientific detachment is partly defined by the absence of religious sentiment. If a historian is too detached, he or she cannot come to terms with the language
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now