soon i'm about to go to university, and i am wondering about how it would be to study cultural anthropology or any other course that covers the dynamics of culture and how they are shaped and how they change --- specially the natural changes of cultures. I wonder how it is to study such topics when it is a very european study, dominated by europeans and following european thought.

so..:
How much does studying in western academia change your way to see things? and how do you avoid it changing you too much? (because i want to have personal growth, i dont want to be mentally shaped by the university so that i can fit into the modern western society)

What are alternatives to studying in western academia? and would you do it or have you done it? will you gain from it?

...you can post about anything else you have on your mind, as long as it sticks to the topic.

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one thing i remember in particular about the anthro classes that i took was an epmphasis on perspective. the theory is that if u are the tool that gathers info, and u are a biased tool, u need to be good at recognizing yr biases

which in theory is deep and goes far and is responsible

BUT can it ever really go deep enuf?

my advice is to never forget that u are studying human beings & never forget what it means to be human. *also* don't lose yr common sense. academics try to prove everything, and lose something along the way.

i did the bs education thing. i tried to keep it as applied as i could and worked in my field simultaneously. the degree helped solidify me in the job market. but the academic tilt to things leaves me with a horrible taste in my mouth.

but, depending on where ur interests lie, college may be a necessary evil

nowadays i'm at a different point altogether. my eyes burn from sitting by a computer all day. my ass is anxious, and i don't get enuf breaks to exercise during the day because i'm still nursing. and i'm learning to put my happiness in the now instead of the future. i no longer guage my worth by the level and salary of my job.

meaning?

meaning that sitting here crunching numbers no longer gives me the peace that it used to. i am investigating alternative paths.

now there's a mouthful for u, huh?

I look to informal scholars, people who may not have PhD from a Tier 1 university, but still have a wealth of knowledge. The best example I have is from a maestro from México who taught me a lot about Mexica culture, life and different ways to look at the colonization of my people.

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¡la greñuda!

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guerilla love made a good point about the degree solidifying a place in the job market, but the informal "knowledge bank" is just as good. It depends on what is important to you.

There are some professors, however, that are "rebels" in their own right. They "use" the university and its classes as a medium for their message. Then again, there are others whose primary interest is research, and they only teach because it's mandatory. You gotta get lucky or get a good reference...which still requires some luck.

Good luck.

in some classrooms the objective of the teacher is to have the students take his/her standpoint. students who develop dissenting views, whether justified or not, are often given lower grades, or even, in one case in my own history, given an incomplete for the class.

it's easy to applaud professors that u agree with and moan about professors u don't, but in all honesty it's better to moan about all of that type and forge yr own path

yes, that's what happened to me! the profs just want everyone to think like them.

i'm studying Anthro in London, and the main problem I have with it is choice of focus. We study discrimination and prejudice in India or whatever, because we're too cowardly to look at it in our own backyard.
Still i think it does give you the opportunity to look at yourself as biased, like someone else said, as well as looking at others. but after a while you start to wonder, why should i be looking at them anyway? In a sense the whole idea of studying other people is so imbedded in colonial arrogance, i think the whole idea of it is questionable.

In a sense the whole idea of studying other people is so imbedded in colonial arrogance, i think the whole idea of it is questionable.

how people have chosen to use the discipline. In theory, it's the study of all human beans.

In my classes, we've been encouraged to study what we want. And an anthropological perspective really helps you to understand not only others, but yourself as well.


So I mean...don't throw the baby out w/the bathwater, you know? Anthro has a sordid history, but it has its merits.

college really gets u thinking and gives u the tools to doubt yrself constructively

and the confidence of knowing u persevered/are not stupid, which can be a confidence to help carry u through yr life

Having studied on three different continents (although in places that were based on a typical Western model), I think it is important to recognize what is good and bad about the Western system.

A typical university in Europe or the States tends to give you really strong tools of analysis. The "scientific method", in all it's variegated forms, is a good basis for study. It allows a certain amount of detachment from what you're studying, which can help in the search for truth.

HOWEVER, it is a system subject to prejudice and lack of perspective. Often times this is ignored, as teachers and students hide behind "method" as a guise for their prejudices. What is even more maddening is the feeling that because of this "superior" method, their results couldn't possibly be biased. I personally have met a lot of sanctimonious students and professors in my travels who would pontificate on really narrow positions, then, because of their selective use of scientific methods of research, would become almost fanatical. This is an obstacle you will definitely encounter.

Finally, what Cindylu said above I can confirm from experience. Learning entails getting out of the library and talking to people, especially in the social sciences. That's the only way to get a full picture and it is something that too few people take advantage of (me included during my time in University). I feel that often, this isn't emphasized in the classroom - but it is the root of true academic and personal quests for knowledge.

Often times this is ignored, as teachers and students hide behind "method" as a guise for their prejudices.

any of the books that i've read in the world of social science will do. these people cling to their conclusions when their conclusions are necessarily derived from a fuzzy science.

and u'll see that he is DEAD ON RIGHT

a truly wise person understands their limitations and shortcomings and never forgets their influences

I guess one example off the top of my head was in grad. school, whe I was doing a masters in economic history. A great deal of time is spent on debating how and why the industrial revolution happened. Most of my research was in economies outside the US and Europe, so while the topic was of importance to me, the term "industrial revolution" and it's implications were ill suited for the types of growth and economic activity I was looking to describe.

In any case, I was in a seminar, where I was presenting on the Indian textile industry pre-colonization. Without getting into too much boring detail, I was describing how Indian textile production was more labor-intensive because of the relative abundance of inputs in the economy at that time. I also posited that this wasn't necessarily to the detriment of productivity, as workshop owners found different ways to increase productivity rather than simply supplying mechanical inputs to improve the process. This caused an uproar in the seminar, as many people disputed my findings. Whether I was right or wrong wasn't the issue; they were attacking me on the basis that I said labor inputs could have improved productivity in a proto-industrial setting, which went against a good deal of neo-classical economic orthodoxy. The assumption that mechanization was the only way to achieve productivity was based in the codification of economic theory - even when I presented evidence to the contrary, it was dismissed as irrelevant because it went against prevailing theoretical standards. While most of the people in the room could not contradict me with facts, they still left the room thinking that their theoretical formulations were unassailable simply b/c they were theortetical formulations (although this could also be due in part to my failed attempts at persuasion). Because my method differed, I was automatically wrong - without regard to my verifiable findings.

What university do you plan to attend? That plays a larger factor in pursuing higher education in the West, the U.S. especially.
Sadly, western education has digressed to simply specialized job training and not truly "education." There was a time when a person pursued higher education to better themselves and finding employment was not a major concern because the opportunities for a college graduate were vast.
In today's ultra-competitive job market, people are more concerned with getting a leg up on the competition, and not necessarily broadening their horizons. There is little forum for discussion.
This is more evident in "state" institutions than in a private university. You will find more opportunity to explore different schools of thought on the private level as well as smaller class size and individual instruction.
There are other factors to consider such as diversity in both students and faculty.

sometimes I'd prefer a more realworld approach to school.

Yeah, writing 20-30 pages papers makes you think, but who is going to read them besides your professor or academics? If you want to make an impact...u need to find other, less legnthy, creative ways to disseminate your information.

And you don't need to be using words like disseminate, if you're trying to reach a lot of people. Make it plain:). It doesn't mean you or your audience is dumb, but if you make simple concepts difficult to understand...then you're basically practicing elitism...weeding out people who may not know Webster's and whatever theories you use backwards and forwards who could have a genuine interest in what you're talking about. You can also make harder concepts easier to understand--s'how I learned calculus (at one point, forgot it)--step by step.

>Sadly, western education has digressed to simply specialized
>job training and not truly "education." There was a time
>when a person pursued higher education to better themselves
>and finding employment was not a major concern because the
>opportunities for a college graduate were vast.
>In today's ultra-competitive job market, people are more
>concerned with getting a leg up on the competition, and not
>necessarily broadening their horizons. There is little forum
>for discussion.

thank you for giving me words for this.

i think this is why college bored me so much (with the exception of a few classes/profs). it didn't live up to my expectations of seeking actual knowledge & truth (something i'd been told to expect).

but at least it did make me hungry for it & gave me the tools to pursue it.


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DC in 2003...come on. u know u want to...

~Remember we all carry with us the spiritual energy which we were born with. Be careful not to crush yours under the weight of expectation.~ (c) a 1000 paths to tranquility

On my college Rugby team wanted to get better prosective as well. Out team is/was a hodge podge mix of colours and ethnicities, and it fostered alot of learning about different angles and schools of thought. Some of the Euro-Americans voluteered to teach English (they will often pay a stipend and provide room and board) in China, Indoneisa, Africa, and some of the people of colour went to Europe. Either way, personal growth on everyone's part was accomplished, and classes were offered for free in various disciplines. That's the oly thing I can think of to erase subjectvity.

you have to find good professors who have been willing to step out of the mold.

also: use the tools they give you as stepping stones to more controversial or less biased material. college is basically a foundation to give you the tools you need to find the *real* information later on.
_____________________________
DC in 2003...come on. u know u want to...

~Remember we all carry with us the spiritual energy which we were born with. Be careful not to crush yours under the weight of expectation.~ (c) a 1000 paths to tranquility