BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

Ashumanstherearesomebasicthingsthattheyallhaveincommon.Whilethereis
muchincommonamongallhumans,therearedifferencesthatcanbeobserved.Notanyone
humangetstheexactsameexperiencewhiletheyareontheearth.Nothinghaseverbeenorever
willbetheexactsameforanyhumanever.Allhumanshaveidiosyncraticviewsthatarent
exactlyinlinewiththeircultureaswellastheneedtofeelhappinessandasenseofbelongingto
theirsocietyandkinandtodevelopnewtechnologies.Everyhumanisalsocapableofgreat
kindnessandgreatevil.Allhumanshavedifferentexperiences,societalexpectationsplacedon
them,thoughtprocessesandtheyallperceivetruthdifferently.
Allindividualsaregoingtohaveidiosyncraticviewsthataredifferentfromtheculture
andsocietythattheyareapartof.AnexamplecanbefoundintheIraqisociety.Therearemany
differentgroups,suchasthegypsies,sayids,andtribalwomenthathelpmakeupthesocietyasa
whole.Eachofthesegroupsisboundbysomekindofideathatsetsthemapartfromtheother
groups.Evenwithinthegroups,thereareevenmorediverseideasonhowthingsareinthe
world(Fernea).Asimilardivisionisfoundineachofworldssocietiesaccordingtotheir
idiosyncraticviews.
AnotherexamplecomesfromtheHimbapeopleofAfrica.Theytoohaveasocialsystem
thatforthemostpartpeoplefollow.Thereistheoccasionalstrayfromtheprescribedpath.
WhenDakatamarriedPengukainsteadofhavingherfollowbehindhimastheytravelledtohis
home,heallowedhertowalkbesidehim.IntheHimbaculture,thebrideafterbeingreleased
fromherancestralprotectionisamagnetforbadluckandaccidents(Crandall116).Ancestors
arerepsectedinHimbasociety,sothisisverymuchoutsidethesocialnorm.Hemorethan
likelydidntadheretothenormbecausehehasneverseensomethingbadcomeoutofit.
Idiosyncraticviewswillalwaysbeapartofeachsocietybecauseeachpersonwillhavesome.

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

Peopleareveryattachedtotheiridiosyncraticviews.Humanbeingsaredeeplyinvested
anddeeplyinlovewiththeirideas.Wewillfighttoothandnailforhem.Ourideasaboutthe
natureoftheworldaresodeeplyheldandlovedthattheyseemabsolutely,unquestionablytrue
(Crandall40).Theiridiosyncraticideasaboutsocietyaresomethingthattheyarenteasilygoing
topartwith.Theirviewscomefromtheirexperiencesandthatisntsomethingtheywillbe
easilyswayedfrom.Everypersonwillhaveidiosyncraticideasthatgoagainstthesocial
normalcy.
Emotionsaresomethingverycommontoallhumanexperiences.Everyonehasthe
abilityfeelhappiness,jealousy,angerandpain.Oneofthethreeemotionsthatallhumanshave
thedesiretofeelishappiness.PeopleinChinacanbefoundlookingforawaytobehappy.
Theyarerestlessanduncomfortablewiththelivestheylivebecausetheyhavenotbeen
successfulinfindingsomethingthatcanmakethemhappy.Theyaretryingtofindtheir
happinessthroughtheircareers,theirpersonallivesandtheirgoalsinlife(
YoungandRestlessin
China
).Theyareactivelysearchingforawaytomakethemfeelhappyandthereforeareat
peacewiththeirlives.
Anotheremotionthatallhumansdesiretofeelistheacceptanceoftheirsociety.They
wanttofeelapartofsomethingbigger.Havingsocietalacceptanceopensdoorsforthemto
interactwithotherswhomhavebeenacceptedbysociety.Toillustrate,inmanycountriesthe
youngwomenofmarriageableagewanttobefat.Thisisasignofwealthaswellasbeing
capableofproducingstrongandhealthychildren(Simmons).Whenthegirlsarefattheyfeel
acceptedintosocietyandwhentheygetmarried,itreinforcesthissocietalacceptanceforthis
practice.

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

Headhuntinginmanysocietiesisthoughttobeanuncivilizedthing,butitisactuallya
manhoodritual.Itallowsthemanytotranscendabovethewomenandtaketheirplaceinsociety
(Jacobson).Theboysthatparticipateinthisritualcantaketheirrightfulplaceinsocietyand
theyfeelliketheybelongandthattheyareintherightplace.
Thesenseofbelongingcanevengopasttheimmediateculturethatispresent.This
happenedinRussiawhentheBeatlesbecamepopular.Thoughthegovernmenttrieditshardest
tokeepouttheBeatlesmusic,itjustwasntpossible(
HowtheBeatlesRockedtheKremlin
).The
youththatheardtheBeatlesmusicwereabletofeelapartofsomethingbigger.Itunitedthem
withtheworldandtheyfeltliketheybelonged.Theirgovernmentwasntsomethingthatthey
wantedtobeassociatedwithatthetime,sotheyfoundanotherwaytofeellikebelongedto
something.Thefeelingofbelongingisaverystrongandmovingemotion.
Thethirdhumanemotionthatisvitaltoexistenceisthatofkinship.Thefeelingofbeing
apartofafamilyisalsoverypowerful.Humansthatlookbackattheirancestorsfeelapartof
somethingthathasbeeninthemakingforalongtime.Theycanseealloftheactionsthatledup
totheirexistenceandtotheworldthattheyareapartofatthattime.Thosewhohavekeptthe
ManorHousesinEuropefeelthis.Theyhavekeptthehousesinthefamilyeventhoughthe
upkeepisexpensive.Theyhavekeptthembecausetheyareapartofhistoryaswellasapartof
theirfamilyhistory(
TheManorHouse
).Thoughthehousesarenteconomicalatall,butthey
believethattheyareworthitbecauseithelpsthemfeelclosetotheirancestors.
Kinshipcanbedescribedasfeelingsofbelonging,ofattachment,ofthatmurky,
nebulous,virtuallyimpossibletodescribesensationofbeingpartofafamily,offeelingthatone
isbondedtothispersonortothesepersonsinamannerthatbestrongerthananyotherkindof
humanbond(Crandall42).Thisfeelingofbelongingtoafamilyissomethingthathaskept

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

familiestogetherforages.Ithasalsokeptpeoplelookingbackattheirrootstoseewhohas
comebefore.Thisfeelingofkinshipissomethingthatwillkeepfamiliesconnectedinsocieties.
Technologicaldevelopmentsaresomethingthatiscommontoallculturesandsocieties.
Thepeoplewhocomeupwiththesetechnologiesarechangingpeople(Crandall25).Because
theychangeandtheneedsoftheirsocietychangestherearegoingtobenewideasandtheywill
beabletocomeupwithnewtechnologiestohelpthepeoplethatareapartoftheirsociety.They
willcontinuetodevelopnewthingsastimemoveson.Necessityofcourseisanotherdriverof
technologicaldevelopments,butitisthepeoplewhobringittopass.
Peoplesneedforfoodhascauseddifferentiationsinoldfarmingtechniques.Demandhas
causedfarmerstodolargescalemonoculture(
AmericaRevealed:FoodMachine
).This
techniquewasdevelopedinhopesofbeingabletogrowcropsthatareneededforamultipleof
foodstobegrowninbulk.Developmentsoffertilizersandpesticidesbyscientistshavehelped
makethisareality.
Foodissomethingthateveryhumanneedsandsotherawmaterialsthatareneededfor
processedfoodsaregrown.Thoughtheagriculturalproceduresthathavebeeninplaceformany
yearsarenotservingthefarmerswell.Atechnologicaldevelopmentwastonottilltheground
beforeplanting.Thisallowsthenutrientsfromthepreviousyearscropwastetohelpfertilizethe
groundandtokeepthenutrientsfromerodingawaywiththetopsoil(Reganold).Technological
developmentswillcontinuetobemadebyallpeopleastheirworldchanges.
Withinineachpersonistheabilitytodogreatgoodfortheworldaswellasgreatevil.
Societygivespeopleexposuretobothtypesofactions.Boysareoftentaughttobeaggressive
andcompetitive,whichinfluencestheirtendenciestoactsuch,possiblyleadingtomore

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

aggressiveorevenbrutalactions(Crandall59).Parentscanbethereinforcementsofgoodand
kindbehavior.Itisjustuptotheindividualofhowtheywanttoact.
Anexampleofbrutalactionscanbefoundwhenamanwantedtomarryagirlandtried
toforceherintocomingwithher.Hefiguredthatbybeingaggressivehecouldgethertomarry
himeventhoughshewasengagedtosomeoneelse(Rosellini).Hecouldhaveleftheralone
whensheturnedhimdown,butinsteadhewentforheranyways.Hewascapableofreacting
eitherway,itwashischoicethoughonhowhehandledhisemotions.
AnexampleofaltruisticbehavioriswhentwomenwerekindenoughtohelpgetCheryl
andBettystraileroffofthetraintracksbeforethetrainhitit.Notonlydidtheysavetheir
trailer,butalsothelivesofthepeoplewhowereintheirvehiclesinthebackeduptraffic(Free).
Theydidnthavetostop,butseeingthattheywerestuckintrafficuntilthetrailerwasmoved,
theywenttohelp.Theycouldhavewaitedandotherpeoplecouldhavegottenhurt.Theywere
capableofbeingselfishorhelping,butchosetohelp.
Whenitreallycomesdowntoit,humanshavealotofthesameexperiences,theyareall
justindifferentcontexts.Personalityplaysintohowtheyreacttotheirsituationsandthatis
whatcausesthedifferencesintheirperspectivesonlife.Eachperson,thoughtheymaybeapart
ofadifferentsocietyisstillrestrictedinsomewaybyabeliefsystem,eitherreligionorculture.
Humansarebiologicallythesameandsotheyallhavesomebasicneeds.Feelinglikethey
belongandareapartofsomethinghelpintheirdevelopment.
Circumstancesarealwaysgoingtobesomethingthatisveryindividual.Noonehasever
hadtheexactsameexperienceassomeoneelse.InLima,Peruthepeoplethatmovetherefora
chanceofabetterlifeandabetterjoballfacedifferentcircumstances.Theyallhadtofacethe
choiceofgoingbehindthegovernmenttobeabletomakealivingfortheirfamily(
Powerofthe

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

Poor
).Thoughmanyofthemchosetogobehindthegovernment,thedifficultiesthattheyall
wentthroughweredifferentastheytriedtogetupontheirfeet.
Differentcircumstancesarecausedbytheavailabilityofresources.Resourcescome
fromtheland,thepeopleandtheanimalsthatarearound.Theseallcontributetoapersons
circumstances.Withthedifferenceofresourcespeoplewillhavedifferentexperienceswithfood
sources,technologiesthatareneededandrecreationalresources(
Guns,Germs,andSteel
).
Thesedifferencesinoverallenvironmentallcausedifferingexperiencesamongman.The
developmentofagriculturewasahugestepinresourcesavailabilitythatallowedpeopletohave
moreexperiencesandmoretimetothink(Diamond).Thepeoplebeforeandafteragriculture
hadverydifferentexperiences.
Culturesplayapartingivingpeopledifferentexperiencesandcircumstances.The
interpretationandtranslationofanideaorcustomcanbeespeciallydifficult,andtheprocesses
involvedinbringingforeignideasandpracticesintoonesownframeofreferenceorcontext
inevitably,andprobablyunavoidably,distortandchangethemeaningofthoseideasorcustoms
tosomedegree(Crandall4).Culturepresentsabiasineveryperson.Whattheyaretaughtto
besociallycorrectwillmorethanlikelybetherulertheyusetojudgeeverythingthathappensto
themaswellasthepeopletheymeet.Eachculturepresentsadifferentbias.
Eachpersonalsofollowsdifferentculturalexpectations.Itcomeswithgrowingupina
cultureandbeingtaughtbythatstandard.Culturalexpectationsaredeterminedbysex,ageand
socialclass.Therearesomanyfactorsthatplayintotheexpectationsthatfewsharesimilar
expectations.TheIraqicultureexpectstribalwomentostayhomeandhaveservantsgooutto
getfoodandothersupplies.Dependingontheagealsodictatesthejobsthataredonearoundthe
house(Fernea19).Whatisexpectedwillbedifferentfromculturetocultureandagetoage.

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

Thebasisoftheirculturealsohasgravityonwhatculturalexpectationsthereare.Ifthe
cultureisbuiltonaforagingsociety,agricultural,oranindustrialtherewillbedifferences
(Crandall78).Jobexpectationswillbedifferent,educationexpectationswillalsochangefrom
culturetoculture.Differentthingswillbeexpectedfromeveryonedependingonthefoundation
thattheirsocietyisbuilt.
Thehomeisasmallerunitoftheculture.Itisthebasicstructureofsociety.Inhomes
theparentsaretoteachthechildrentheexpectationsofthemaswellasforassociety.Eachchild
isgoingtogetsomethingdifferentfromtheirparentsbecauseallparentshavedifferentpriorities
duetohowsocietyissetup.Theirsthestandardagainstwhichwemeasureourselveswhenwe
wonderwhetherwehavemeasuredup(Tannen).Eachpersonisgoingtoreactdifferentlyand
takedifferentlessonsthattheirparentsteachthemmoretoheart.Sowhenthechildrengrowup,
differentthingswillbetheirprioritiesinsociety.
Societalstandardsoflovearedifferentaroundtheworld.Marriageissometimesdone
outofloveandattractionbetweentwopeople.Inothers,itismoreofaduty.Marriageis
approacheddifferentlydependingonhowsocietyviewstheimportanceoroverallgoalof
marriage.InJapan,amarriageismoreofadutytotheirfamilyandtotheirsociety.Thereisno
lovebetweentheirmarriages.Theirmarriageisjusttwopeopleworkingtohelpsocietyalong
(Kristof).Themeaningofmarriageisverymuchdecidedbysocietalexpectations.
Thoughtprocessesarealsodifferentfromsocietytosociety.Howpeopleapproach
problemsandthethingsthattheydotosolvethemarealsodifferent.Keepingorderinsocietyis
oneofthethingsthattherehavebeenmanydifferentsolutions.Insomesocietiesadivinercan
actintheroleofadivineryetbringaboutreconciliationamonghostilefactions(Crandall64).
Othershavecomeupwithmanydifferentgovernmentsystemsthatdomanysocietaltasks.

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

Healthcareisanotherexampleofpeoplecomingupwithdifferentthoughtprocessesto
accomplishthesamething.TheJapanesehaveagovernmentrunhealthcaresystemandthereare
setpricesforeachprocedure.TheGermanshaveagovernmentrunsystemthathasacopayfor
treatments(
SicknessAroundtheWorld
).Whileitcannotbesaidthatthereisabestway,they
haveallcomeupwithdifferentwaystotakecareofthehealthneedsofthepeopleinthesociety.
Thecomputerindustryhasfollowedthesamepattern.BillGatesandSteveJobscameup
withdifferentsoftwarestoaccomplishthesamegoals.Theywentaboutthingsdifferently,not
onlybecausetheywereinacompetition,butbecausetheyhaddifferentideasaboutdoingthe
samething(
TriumphoftheNerds
).Theywerebothabletoproduceworkingcomputersthat
peoplecouldownandworkwithalotmoreeasily.Bothhadthesameendgoal,butwentabout
itdifferently.
Perceivingoftruthisanotherthingthatvariesgreatlyamongsocietiesandindividuals.
Everypersonisgoingtofeeldeepdowninsidethattheytrulyknowtheunknowabletobe
true(Crandall95).Eachpersonisgoingtohavesomekindoftruththattheywillclingto,
whetheriscompletelyplausibleornot.Theywillhavedifferingtruthsduetotheirdiffering
experiencesanddifferentsocietalexpectations.
DuringtheHolocaust,oneofthecommandantsofAuschwitzfoundthepeoplethat
turnednamesandhidingplacesinofotherJewsjealous(Hoess).Hefoundthisverypettyandit
justaddedtothemindsetthatHitlerhadinstalledinGermansthattheywereasuperiorhuman
race.Otherswouldhaveseenthisasajealousact,butiftheyweretobeputintheirshoes,they
mighthavedonethesamething.Thatdoesntsetanyoneaboveanother.Thissituationcould
bringtwodifferenttypesoftruthtotheobserver.Theydontknowthetruereasonofwhythe
nameswereturnedin.

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

TheHimbabelievethattheprotectionthattheyreceiveinthephysicalworldcomesfrom
theirancestors.Thoughthereisntcompleteevidencethattheirancestorstrulyaretheone
watchingoverthem,theybelievethistobeatruth(Crandall312).Otherculturestheirancestors
dontplayalargerole,andtheycertainlydontbelievethattheirancestorsarewatchingover
them.TheHimbabelievethisbecauseitwasawaytoexplainmiraclesorgreatfortunesthat
mighthavehappenedinthepastandthebestwaytoseeitwasthattheirancestorswerewatching
overthem.Himbabelievethattheycamefromtwobeings,MusisiandKamungarunga,thatused
tobecasedinatreebutwereabletogetoutandtheystartedthetraditionsofkeepingcattleand
theyalsostartedtheHimbapopulation(Crandall95).Thisistheirtruththattheyclingtoto
explaintheirexistenceontheearth.Christianitybelievesinthecreationofmanbyaheavenly
God.Allpeoplefindtruthsindifferentthings.
Therearesomelargedifferencesandsimilaritiesbetweenallpeople,ever.Neithertheir
differencesorsimilaritiesaremoreimportant.Thesimilaritiesbringnationstogethertoform
alliancesandtohaveeachothersbackswhenanothergetsintotrouble.Thesamecanbesaidfor
thedifferences.Thosedifferencesarewhatusuallystartwars.Thesimilaritieskeeppeople
comingtogetherandtravelling.Thedifferencesstillbringpeoplewhowanttolearnabouta
peoplethattheyknowlittleabouttheircultureandhowtheirsocietyisrun.Thedifferences,if
overexploitedwilldrivepeopleaway.Thesimilaritiesanddifferenceskeeptheworldan
interestingplacetobethatisalwaysfullofsurprises.Peoplecanalsofindasecondhomeina
completelydifferentnationonacompletelydifferentcontinent.Thesimilaritiesanddifferences
keepahealthyamountofrespectgoingbetweensocietiesandpeople.
Theworldisawondrousandcomplexplacetolive.Itsdifferencesbringcuriosityand
adventureforthoselookingoutsidetheirsocietyandnation.Itisalsonicetoknowthatno

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

matterwhereanyonetravels,theywillbeabletofindsomeonejustenoughlikethemsothey
donthavetobecompletelyaloneinanewplace.Itisalsonicetoknowthatthepeopleothers
thoughttheyhadnothingincommonwith,isnotthecase,butcanberelatableinmanydifferent
ways.Itscomfortingtoknowthatnomatterwhereyouarefromoryourbackground,youwill
stillbeabletorelateanyoneintheworldinsomewayoranother.
WorksCited
AmericaRevealed:FoodMachine.
Perf.YulKwon.PBS,2012.
Crandall,David.
AShortIntroductiontoAnthropology
.Provo:BYUAcademic,2011.Print.
Crandall,DavidP."KnowingHumanMoralKnowledgetoBeTrue:AnEssayonIntellectual
Conviction."
RoyalAnthropologicalInstitute
(2004):30726.Print.
Crandall,DavidP.
ThePlaceofStuntedIronwoodTrees:AYearintheLivesofthe
Cattleherding
HimbaofNamibia
.NewYork:Continuum,2000.Print.
Diamond,Jared."TheWorstMistakeintheHistoryoftheHumanRace."
DiscoverMagazine
May1987:n.pag.Web.
Fernea,ElizabethWarnock.
GuestsoftheSheik:AnEthnographyofanIraqiVillage
.NewYork:
Doubleday,1989.Print.
Free,Cathy."EverydayHeroes:TrappedontheTracks."
ReadersDigest
n.d.:n.pag.Web.30
Aug.2008.
Guns,GermsandSteel
.Perf.JaredDiamond.2005.
Germs,GunsandSteel
.PBS,2005.Web.
Hss,Rudolf.CommandantofAuschwitz:TheAutobiographyofRudolfHss.London:Pan,
1961.Print.
HowtheBeatlesRockedtheKremlin
.Dir.LeslieWoodhead.Perf.LeslieWoodhead,Artemiy

BrennaCragun,TA:DannyCardoza,22April2014,FinalSimpleQuiz

Troitskiy,VladimirPozner.2009.TVMovie.
Jacobson,HelgaE.
PacificAffairs
54.3(1981):57274.Print.
Kristof,NicholasD."WhoNeedsLove?InJapan,ManyCouplesDon't."
NewYorkTimes
11
Feb.1996:11416.Print.
ManorHouse
.Dir.NickMurphey.Perf.SirJohn,LadyOlliff,MisterJohnathan,MasterGuy.
PBS,2003.PBSDocumentary.
PowerofthePoor
.Dir.JimTaylor.Perf.HernandoDeSotoandAllisonMatthews.2009.
Documentary.
Reganold,JohnP.,andDavidR.Huggins."NoTill:HowFarmersAreSavingtheSoilby
ParkingTheirPlows."
ScientificAmerican
30July2008:n.pag.Web.
Rosellini,Lynn."AWomanIsAttackedbyaSlasher."
ReadersDigest
n.d.:n.pag.Web.30
Aug.2008.
SicknessAroundtheWorld
.Perf.T.R.Reid.Frontline,2008.Documentary.
Simmons,AnnM."WhereFatIsaMarkofBeauty."
LosAngelesTimes
.LosAngelesTimes,30
Sept.1998.Web.21Apr.2014.0
Tannen,Deborah."ICan'tEvenOpenMyMouth."
WashingtonPost
.TheWashingtonPost,4
June2001.Web.21Apr.2014.
TriumphoftheNerds
.Perf.SteveJobs,BillGates,SteveWozniak.PBS,1996.
Young&RestlessinChina
.Dir.SueWilliams.Perf.MirandaHong,LuDong,BenWu,Wei
Zhanyan,WangXiaolei.Frontline,2008.PBS.