Review For Final Exam
Week 4-5: Intensification and Complex Societies:
● Townsend
● Film: The Goddess and the Computer
● Wittfogel's Theory
Multispecies Ethnography:
● framework for a more-than-human approach to ethnographic research and
writing rapidly gaining discursive traction in anthropology and cognate
fields.
● Cronon:
- Nature as a Cultural Construct:
○ The concept of wilderness, often seen as the epitome of untouched
nature, is actually a product of specific human cultures and historical
contexts.
○ The way we perceive and value wilderness is deeply influenced by cultural
narratives and historical developments.
- Changing Cultural Perceptions:
○ Historically, wilderness was associated with negative attributes such as
desolation and danger. It was a place to be feared and avoided.
○ Over time, cultural movements like romanticism and the American frontier
experience reshaped this perception, transforming wilderness into a place
of beauty, spiritual renewal, and moral value.
- Wilderness and Civilization:
○ The traditional view positions wilderness as separate from and opposed to
civilization, a sanctuary from the negative impacts of urban-industrial life.
○ This dichotomy is a cultural creation, reflecting our longing for an
idealized, pristine nature that stands apart from human influence.
- Impact of Cultural Values:
○ The way we interact with and conserve wilderness is guided by the
cultural values we ascribe to it. For example, the establishment of national
parks and the environmental movement were driven by the romanticized
ideal of wilderness.
○ These values can shape policies and practices, sometimes leading to
conflicts over land use and conservation.
- Critique of the Wilderness Ideal:
○ The passage challenges the notion that wilderness is a simple solution to
environmental problems. It argues that this ideal can obscure the reality of
human influence on all environments.
○ By treating wilderness as separate from human culture, we may ignore the
need for sustainable and integrated approaches to managing all
landscapes, not just those deemed "wild."
Week 4-5: Intensification and Complex Societies:
● Townsend
● Film: The Goddess and the Computer
● Wittfogel's Theory
Multispecies Ethnography:
● framework for a more-than-human approach to ethnographic research and
writing rapidly gaining discursive traction in anthropology and cognate
fields.
● Cronon:
- Nature as a Cultural Construct:
○ The concept of wilderness, often seen as the epitome of untouched
nature, is actually a product of specific human cultures and historical
contexts.
○ The way we perceive and value wilderness is deeply influenced by cultural
narratives and historical developments.
- Changing Cultural Perceptions:
○ Historically, wilderness was associated with negative attributes such as
desolation and danger. It was a place to be feared and avoided.
○ Over time, cultural movements like romanticism and the American frontier
experience reshaped this perception, transforming wilderness into a place
of beauty, spiritual renewal, and moral value.
- Wilderness and Civilization:
○ The traditional view positions wilderness as separate from and opposed to
civilization, a sanctuary from the negative impacts of urban-industrial life.
○ This dichotomy is a cultural creation, reflecting our longing for an
idealized, pristine nature that stands apart from human influence.
- Impact of Cultural Values:
○ The way we interact with and conserve wilderness is guided by the
cultural values we ascribe to it. For example, the establishment of national
parks and the environmental movement were driven by the romanticized
ideal of wilderness.
○ These values can shape policies and practices, sometimes leading to
conflicts over land use and conservation.
- Critique of the Wilderness Ideal:
○ The passage challenges the notion that wilderness is a simple solution to
environmental problems. It argues that this ideal can obscure the reality of
human influence on all environments.
○ By treating wilderness as separate from human culture, we may ignore the
need for sustainable and integrated approaches to managing all
landscapes, not just those deemed "wild."
