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Anthropology Optional by Dr. Sudhir Kumar

  • Category
    Optional
  • Test Date
    10-09-2021 09:00 AM
  • Evaluated
    Yes

To participate in answer writing program, Register yourself for the test. Copies will be evaluated only for the registered students. Registration will be closed before the scheduled date.

6 Days Answer Improvement Cycle

  • Day 1: Questions will be uploaded on the portal on the scheduled date at 11:00 AM.
  • Day 2 and 3: You have to write your answers on an A4 size sheet leaving margins on both sides based on UPSC pattern. After writing the answer, Click a picture of the answer sheet (Use CamScanner and ensure good quality images) and upload (in JPEG format) in the comment section of the same question.
  • Day 4 and 5: After evaluation, copies will be re-uploaded on the same thread on 5th day. Based on these answers and feedback, aspirants can ask their doubts in the comment box and our experts will guide. The model hint will be uploaded on the site on Day 4.
  • Day 6: Discussion of the question and one to one answer improvement session of evaluated copies will be conducted through Google Meet with concerned faculty.

Instruction:

  • Attempt One question out of the given two.
  • The test carries 15 marks.
  • Write Your answer in 150 words.
  • Any page left blank in the answer-book must be crossed out clearly.
  • After Writing the Essay upload your copy in JPEG format in the comment box.
  • Evaluated Copy will be re-uploaded on the same thread after 2 days of uploading the copy.
  • Discussion of the question and one to one answer improvement session of evaluated copies will be conducted through Google Meet with concerned faculty. You will be informed via mail or SMS for the discussion.

Question #1. Write a short note on Animism (150 words)

Question #2. Write a short note on Cultural Ecology (150 words)

(Examiner will pay special attention to the candidate's grasp of his/her material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his/ her ability to think constructively and to present his/her ideas concisely, logically and effectively).

Model Answer

Question #1. Animism

Introduction:

  • Animism is a form of religion found among many primitive and tribal societies.
  • It is derived from the Latin word, anima, meaning spirit, soul, or life force.
  • It means that the soul resides in both animate and inanimate objects.
  • For E.B.Tylor-(work: Primitive Culture) Animism was the earliest and simplest form of religion.

History of Animism:

Early Evidence of Animism: Shanidar caves.

Examples:

  • Primitive and Simple Societies.
  • Gossain- Maler Pahariya
  • The Inuits (the people from the Canadian Arctic), follow a ritual while hunting an animal so as to not offend the ‘soul’ of the hunted animal, as it would bring bad luck to the hunter.
  • Thailand -every object has soul-spirit house

Malevolent and Benevolent Spirits:

  • Animism vis a vis Modern Religion:
  • To this day, animism persists as the only religion in many foraging, farming, and pastoral cultures.
  • Asia: Presence of Animism with Mainstream religion such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.
  • Shintoism and Buddhism in Japan.
  • Thailand -every object has soul-spirit house and Buddhism.
  • Rice-Goddess

Importance of Animism for people:

  • Animism and various aspects of culture- agriculture, exchange etc.

Significance for Anthropology:

  1. Close to Nature- resource preservation, ecological conservation
  2. Sacred Grove
  3. Better understanding of the culture of society of primitive tribes-
  4. Nature-Man- Spirit Complex

Conclusion:

In recent times, due to contact with foreign cultures, the traditional religious setup has undergone a change in favour of the majoritarian monotheistic religious trends

Question #2. Cultural Ecology

Introduction:

  • Term coined by Julian
  • Approach in Anthropology to study the adaptation of a culture to a specific environment and how changes in that environment lead to changes in that specific
  • Leslie White was another proponent of cultural ecology, although he was focused primarily on how cultures harvested energy from the environment and how much energy they used.

Influenced by:

  • Marxian methodology
  • This approach assumes that culture is superorganic, a concept Steward learned from Alfred Kroeber (historical particularism).
  • Environmental Determinism

 It focuses on how the overall environment, natural resources available, technology, and population density affect the rest of the culture and how a traditional system of beliefs and behavior allows people to adapt to their environment.

Approach of Cultural Ecology: “Core- Super Structure Model”

  • Steward proposed that we could begin to understand these adaptations by first examining the cultural core, as this was the critical cultural component that dealt with the ability of the culture to survive.
  • The cultural core was comprised of the technology, knowledge, labor, and family organization used to collect resources from the environment.
  • He then thought that examination of behaviors associated with the cultural core was necessary, which included the organization of labor.
  • Thirdly, Steward advocated for examining how social institutions and belief systems were impacted by subsistence-related behaviors.
  • According to the cultural ecology school of thought, cultural similarities were explained by adaptations to similar environmental conditions, causing the approach to be labeled environmental determinism.
  • Cultural changes were due to changing environmental conditions. Since environmental changes were not predictable, cultures changed in multiple directions. Cultures that may have been similar at one point might become dissimilar if environmental conditions changed.
  • Conversely, cultures that were dissimilar could become similar.
  • This idea of multi-directional change is called multilinear evolution and is one of the major departures from earlier evolutionary explanations of culture.

    Case Study:

    • Julian Steward- Shoshone Indians- live in arid Basin Plateau, hunter-gatherer, bare subsistence- all cultural activities are carried by family.
    • Roy Rappaport-
    • Roy Rappaport’s 1967 monograph “Ritual Regulation of Environmental Relations Among A New Guinea People” is a prime example of ethnographic research in cultural ecology.
    • The text describes the cultural practices, especially the religious rituals, of the Tsembaga, a small community of, as of subsistence agriculturalists who live in a mountainous, forested region in Papua New Guinea.
    • Rappaport’s main argument is that the cognized environment (religious ritual cycle) of the Tsembaga, which includes the ritual expansion in number and slaughter of domesticated pigs, is an adaptation to the operational environment they live in that helps their culture remain in homeostasis.
    • Ways in which Rappaport argues that the ritual cycle leads to the stability of the Tsembaga community include: allowing for a long period of time in which pigs grow and selectively weed swidden plots that are productive in forest agriculture, and mandating that pigs should be killed when they reach carrying capacity and become nuisances that invade gardens and cause conflict between people.
    • Rappaport makes a convincing argument that the ritual cycle of the Tsembaga is shaped by their environment and contributes to their culture.

    Significance:

    • Understanding how ecology influences unique historical cultural
    • Cultural Similarities and differences can be better
    • Area based study-Holistic understanding of culture of a particular area. Problems as well as
    • Understanding of adaptation and
    • Optimum resource
    • Management of- deforestation, resource degradation and global
    • Change in the material conditions can result in subsequent change in the culture.
    • Understanding of internal division of labor, regional specialization, environmental tension, and economic surplus create the cultural conditions in which technological innovation becomes attractive, leading to other cultural changes.
    • Effects upon the kinship, politics, and social relations of a
    • Inspired the Cultural Materialism of M. Harris, and thereby enriched the anthropological
    • Core-Super structure model was applied by Dr. L.P. Vidyarthi in his Maller Studies.

    Criticism:

    • It treats “isolated” societies as largely self-contained, when in reality these societies are increasingly interacting with outside “modernizing” forces.
    • This approach provides little capacity for understanding power, the appropriation of surplus and valuation in the context of a global political economy”, that’s why, the field of political ecology
    • Anna Tsing describes political ecology as a field that “reminds us that human interactions with the environment respond to social conventions and political coercions—not just the pressure of ” Political ecological research is increasingly important in a globalizing world.
    • Tsing, unlike Rappaport, thoroughly describes the interactions of the Meratus Dayak with global systems of power and capital, making her work mainly one of political ecology.
    • Tsing highlights that Meratus Dayak trade and collection of forest products has ancient history, and that this trade’s commercialization has had disastrous effects on forests.
    • She describes the long history, stretching back to colonialism, of resource exploitation and disregard of indigenous property rights in Borneo.
    • She then explains that many outside conservation groups have treated Borneo’s indigenous people similarly to colonialists and extractive industries, through promoting a strict natural/social division and therefore believing that they do not belong in the forest.
    • However, she also describes productive collaboration between Meratus Dayak villagers, nature lovers, and activists, showing that outside sociopolitical influences need not be negative.
    • Another limit of cultural ecology is, because of its focus on homeostatic systems, it does not sufficiently value the knowledge and agency, both individual and collective, of the people it studies.

    Conclusion: Cultural ecology is a valuable tool in understanding how largely self-contained societies interact with and are affected by their environment.

    Procedure of Answer Writing:

    To participate in the answer writing program, Register yourself for the test. Copies will be evaluated only for the registered students. Registration will be closed after the scheduled date.

    Answer Writing, Copy Evaluation, and Marks Improvement Cycle:

    Step 1 (Theme, Details & Its Topics):

    1. Every round of Answer writing initiative will be around a theme related to the Subject/Topic.
    2. Please read the theme and its description, and try to cover the topics given within the theme before writing the answer along with the sources.

    Step 2 (Answer Writing):

    1. Questions will be uploaded on the portal on the scheduled date at 7:00 AM.
    2. You have to write your answers on an A4 size sheet leaving margins on both sides based on the UPSC pattern.
    3. Mention your name, email id, location, and phone number on the 1st page in the top right corner and the page number on each page.
    4. After writing the answers, Click pictures of each page of your answer sheet, merge them all in a single PDF and upload them in the upload section of the same question.
    5. Kindly submit your written answers before 7:00 PM. Only the first 100 copies will be considered for evaluation. No request for late submission or evaluation will be entertained once the 100 mark is reached.

    Note: Answer sheets without the proper guidelines given above will not be accepted for evaluation.

    Step 3 (Copy Evaluation): Copies will be evaluated in the next 72 hours of the test date. After evaluation, copies will be uploaded into your account. During the copy evaluation period, doubt clearing and discussion about the theme or topic of the test with respective mentors of the test will be done in the telegram group

    Step 4 (Mentorship): Evaluated copies will be sent to you via mail and also uploaded into your account on the website. After that a mentorship session for the marks improvement with respective faculty will be conducted on the Google Meet, so that students can get a wider perspective of the topics. Here you can discuss your evaluated copies also with the faculty. Top 5 copies of every test will be shared in the telegram group for reference.

    Note: Aspirants who have not written the test can also participate in the mentorship session.

    For Updates and Mentorship of the session, you will be notified through SMS or Telegram Group.

    For Notification And Update About the Program Join Telegram Group at: https://t.me/gsscoreopendailyanswerwriting

    Note: You have to write your answers on an A4 size sheet leaving margins on both sides based on UPSC pattern. Mention Your Name on 1st page and Page Number on each page. After writing the answer, Click pictures of each page of your answer sheet, merge them all in a single PDF and upload in the Your Answer Copy section of the same question.

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