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Two more days
Jun. 8th, 2003 02:10 pmThat's right, only two days left for me to go to Eastern this quarter. My Anthropology final is tomorrow, for which I am finally studying, and on Tuesday I go to listen to a couple of presentations in my Lit class. Of course, I still have to work on the take home final for that class, but I'll get to it either today or tomorrow. It matters not, really. Not as long as I get it done, that is. I will, of course. I just need to get down to it. I'm so anxious for the quarter to be over, that's for sure. I'm awfully burned out right now, for a couple reasons. First, it's Spring quarter. That's the absolute hardest quarter, what with the break being so close. Second has to do with the personal reasons people have probably heard way too much about already.
Right now I'm trying to focus on one of the case studies I need to read for the final tomorrow. Note that I'm typing on here at the moment. I do glance on occasion at the book, and maybe even read a paragraph. It's not that the book isn't interesting at all. I find these things rather fascinating, in fact. If I'd gone to college when I was younger and without a family, I would seriously consider Anthropology as a profession. It's totally interesting to me to read about all of these different cultures. That's why I've taken so many Anthro classes when I really didn't have to. At the moment, I'm reading about them Imbonggu in New Guinea. The first I read was on the Mbuti pygmies, who reside in the Ituri forest in Africa. I really liked that book. It's amazing to see all of the different sorts of things that go on in these cultures, from kinship systems to residency rules to religion, ad infinitum.
That brings me to something that I've toyed with for awhile. I've wondered just how an anthropologist would go about studying the Garou. It would be an interesting way of looking at them if an anthropologist was thrown in somehow to make a study. It would have to be surreptitious, of course. And it would have to be someone immune to the delirium, so either Kinfolk or Hunter would be the best choices. It's something I might play around with, just to see what I could come up with. I know a lot about anthropological terms and ideas, so that should prove to be easy enough. The hitch is in deciding just how the one studying them would go about it, not to mention why. Especially considering that if the Garou found out about it, they'd likely not be very happy at all. It's something to ponder, anyway.
It also leads me (I'm thinking a lot about cultural things these days, sue me) to wondering if anyone has ever done an anthropological study of gang society. I know that many would consider that some sort of sociological study, but I think it would make a very rich study for an anthropologist. I mean, how many people make snap judgements about these people and colour it all with the news they hear on television and other media? There are so many stereotypes that are bought into, and very few people care to look closer. Most people don't care to look at why kids join gangs beyond the obvious. People lump them all together and refuse to look past deeper than the surface. The general consensus seems to be to lock them up and forget about them. I find that sad. I know so many gang members who have great value to many people, including myself. But to society in general, they're considered worthless. I know so differently. I've tried to make others at least think about it, though. When I took my required Communication class at Eastern, I did an informational speech on it as well as a persuasive speech on doing more about gangs than breaking them apart and sending them to jail. Believe me, in so many cases, breaking them apart is the absolute wrong thing to do. So many of them look at each other as family, and tearing them away from each other can only lead to more pain. I guess I just wish more people cared, I really do. Especially right now.
I guess that's enough of that tangent. I'm good at those, especially regarding this subject. I should go back to reading my case study and find out about these Imbonggu. After all, there will probably be a question or two about them on the final. Two more days. That's my mantra right now. Two more days and then maybe I can be helpful in some way with things. Maybe. I'm not sure how, but I can try. We'll see. Two more days.
Right now I'm trying to focus on one of the case studies I need to read for the final tomorrow. Note that I'm typing on here at the moment. I do glance on occasion at the book, and maybe even read a paragraph. It's not that the book isn't interesting at all. I find these things rather fascinating, in fact. If I'd gone to college when I was younger and without a family, I would seriously consider Anthropology as a profession. It's totally interesting to me to read about all of these different cultures. That's why I've taken so many Anthro classes when I really didn't have to. At the moment, I'm reading about them Imbonggu in New Guinea. The first I read was on the Mbuti pygmies, who reside in the Ituri forest in Africa. I really liked that book. It's amazing to see all of the different sorts of things that go on in these cultures, from kinship systems to residency rules to religion, ad infinitum.
That brings me to something that I've toyed with for awhile. I've wondered just how an anthropologist would go about studying the Garou. It would be an interesting way of looking at them if an anthropologist was thrown in somehow to make a study. It would have to be surreptitious, of course. And it would have to be someone immune to the delirium, so either Kinfolk or Hunter would be the best choices. It's something I might play around with, just to see what I could come up with. I know a lot about anthropological terms and ideas, so that should prove to be easy enough. The hitch is in deciding just how the one studying them would go about it, not to mention why. Especially considering that if the Garou found out about it, they'd likely not be very happy at all. It's something to ponder, anyway.
It also leads me (I'm thinking a lot about cultural things these days, sue me) to wondering if anyone has ever done an anthropological study of gang society. I know that many would consider that some sort of sociological study, but I think it would make a very rich study for an anthropologist. I mean, how many people make snap judgements about these people and colour it all with the news they hear on television and other media? There are so many stereotypes that are bought into, and very few people care to look closer. Most people don't care to look at why kids join gangs beyond the obvious. People lump them all together and refuse to look past deeper than the surface. The general consensus seems to be to lock them up and forget about them. I find that sad. I know so many gang members who have great value to many people, including myself. But to society in general, they're considered worthless. I know so differently. I've tried to make others at least think about it, though. When I took my required Communication class at Eastern, I did an informational speech on it as well as a persuasive speech on doing more about gangs than breaking them apart and sending them to jail. Believe me, in so many cases, breaking them apart is the absolute wrong thing to do. So many of them look at each other as family, and tearing them away from each other can only lead to more pain. I guess I just wish more people cared, I really do. Especially right now.
I guess that's enough of that tangent. I'm good at those, especially regarding this subject. I should go back to reading my case study and find out about these Imbonggu. After all, there will probably be a question or two about them on the final. Two more days. That's my mantra right now. Two more days and then maybe I can be helpful in some way with things. Maybe. I'm not sure how, but I can try. We'll see. Two more days.
