Central issues in anthropology : a journal of the Central States Anthropological Society最新文献

Contemporary dialogic theory in anthropology offers a substantial critique of ethnographic method. The notions of “co-authorship” and of “ethnographic authority” are central to this critique. While contributive, however, these notions also polarize debate, obscuring variations in the history of anthropology and reducing the complexity of the ethnographic situation. When faced, such complexity constitutes an impasse to dialogue. The paper suggests that the route out of this impasse lies in recognizing the limits of the co-authorial stance and the inevitability of a degree of “ethnographic authority. ” Doing so, it is argued, opens the possibility of sharing theoretical and methodological authority with (particularly literate) informants, rather than fruitlessly trying to abdicate it. The approach is illustrated through incidents that occurred during the author's fieldwork among the Yurok Indians in northwestern California.

The Saami culture crystallizes around the image of the reindeer and the activities of reindeer herding and husbandry. Crucial to this livelihood, and to the hunting culture which preceded it, is the reindeer-herding dog. This essential partner in herding and domestic chores is not trained but rather, like the child, matures with a unique constellation of traits. Saami women breed, cull, and distribute the dogs, and again shelter them in their retirement, but it is the dog's partner, likely an active male herder, whose reputation is bound up with that of the dog. The dog, with a known matriline, may be referred to a putative sire or even to an extensive canine clan. Actual dog-dog relations shape interpersonal and working relationships, insofar as belligerent dog pairs preclude their partners' cooperation. In sum, Saami actively project their own prized autonomy and individuality onto these partners, and to a lesser extent onto the reindeer as well. In Saami society, these dogs are not pets, though they have become registered show commodities outside Lapland.

The terms “tonal” and “nagual” refer to the supernatural companion animals in which Mesoamerican Indians believe. The meaning of the companion animals for one group of Indians, the Otomi of the Sierra Norte de Puebla. is analyzed. Most of the data for analysis comes from the teachings of a practicing Otomi shaman. The conclusion is that there is only one superhuman animal belief, which is described at different times with the two Nahuatl-Spanish words “tonal” and “nagual.” Both companion animal images symbolize a feeling of concern for the sick patient and are utilized by shamans in curing rituals.

In the 1930s, picture books offered children animal heroes who expressed many of the concerns and contradictions of the adult world. Scrupulously realistic, inhabiting a full range from wild to tame, these animals suffered fragile social ties and many failed adventures. Alternative heroic pathways emerged for animals toward the decade's end, but they met fierce competition from animalized steam machines, Disney's animated creatures, and the Superheroes born on radio. This article explores the adult world of children's book production, the threats posed by new media for children, and the ways in which the decade's confusing social forces crept into texts and illustrations as animal metaphors.

A participant-observation study of a visiting pet therapy program for the residents of three geriatric facilities has revealed several unintended social effects. Though the program is designed to operate in a similar way in all three institutions, its impact varies with the size of the facility, the health status of the residents, and the format that visits follow in each home. These differences yield distinct levels of privacy, interpersonal sharing, and human/animal contact. The presence of pets and the people who accompany them also trigger distinct reminiscing patterns pertaining to childhood and pet loss. In addition, some elderly residents participate mainly to relate to humans rather than animals. Furthermore, certain patients perceive pets as sources of moral value: they use their presence to assess human qualities and their own treatment by others. Program volunteers also develop on-going, intense bonds with residents whose emotional demands they sometimes find it difficult to meet.

This research, conducted in the Twin Cities region of Minneapolis/St. Paul, addresses “Americans” relationships with animals in terms of the tendency to “humanize” animals, and thus turn them into pets. Based upon interviews done among 10 families and questionnaires distributed to 8 pet-related facilities, this study shows that human/animal relations are not that simple. That is, pets are not only viewed as “members of a family,” but the making and keeping of pets involve a process of “petification.” This process of petification (to “confine” or to “domesticate” and “diminish” in the sense of “making small” other humans, animals andlor nature) results in ambiguous figures and central elements in the understanding of many binary oppositions. Pets satisfy singular cultural needs reflecting an array of perceptions and attitudes in human/animal relations: an array which encompasses the difference between “expressive” and “instrumental” utilitarian animals, and the difference between “emotional appendage” and “agreement.” Within this array, reciprocal communication (verbal and non-verbal) between humans and animals is a very important element expressing ideas, such as individuality and power, as well as opposite binary concepts such as culture/nature, human/animal, tame/wild, indoor/outdoor, clean/dirty, close/distant, good/bad and life/death.