Honors Essay TwoZoey RentzDecember 10, 2013Honors Cultural Anthropology: Anthropology 102-INHThe human body performs millions of physiological actions in order to maintain homeostasis. These actions begin at conception and continue as the human develops inside of the mother. Once born the human body prompts certain reactions in order to maintain this homeostasis. An example would be when a baby is hungry they may react to this hunger by crying, therefore obtaining their mothers attention and resulting in being fed. These basic biological needs ultimately drive a humans behavior. Human behaviors are a result of trying to meet these basic biological needs. In order to discuss the different changes in culture we must first understand what culture is. Haviland defines culture as, “a society's shared and socially transmitted ideas, values, emotions, and perceptions, which are used to make sense of experience and generate behavior and are reflected in that behavior” (Haviland 2014:28). Older humans in a society teach the younger humans the appropriate ways to obtain their biological needs. The key difference is that culture is taught socially while the biological needs behind culture are not taught. Since culture is taught it is subject to variation between different groups of humans.Differences in cultures are as a result of variations between human societies. Culture is dependent on a variety of different factors: economic, social, ideological, environment, and climate (Haviland 2014:35). Culture is learned and passed down from generation to generation allowing little variation through time. The culture of a people is considered sacred, and if successful it meets the needs of its society. Since only successful cultures are passed down through generations these cultures usually don'tchange. When an abrupt change occurs it may be beneficial to a society or devastating. There are three reasons that a culture may abruptly change: innovation, diffusion, and cultural loss. These three mechanisms of change are usually voluntarily embraced by the society and outside forces have not imposed the change (Haviland 2014:350).Innovation is a voluntary mechanism of change that is embraced by a society, “Innovation is any new idea, method, or device that gains widespread acceptance in a society” (Haviland 2014:350). When anything is widely accepted the innovation typicallylends itself to making life easier, or more pleasant. There are two types of innovation: primary innovation and secondary innovation. “Primary innovation is the creation, invention, or chance discovery of a completely new idea, method, or device” (Haviland 2014:350). Primary innovations are the initial discovery or invention of something. This idea or invention can be improved upon, or applied in a way not originally intended. This is called secondary innovation, defined as, “the deliberate application or modification of an existing idea, method, or device” (Haviland 2014:350). Primary and secondary innovations are prevalent throughout human evolution.The controlled use of fire was and still is an innovation used by humans today. An accidental discovery of fire by the Homo erectus has led to primary and secondary innovations by later species in the Homo genus. “Homo erectus discovered that pieces of burning wood or hot coal remained after fires ignited by lightning burned down trees”(Haviland 2014:350). Around one million years ago this wood and coal was carriedaround and used by the Homo erectus to start fires in other areas (Haviland 2014:350). Though the Homo erectus used fire they had not discovered how to start it, they only controlled fire once nature provided it to them. The primary innovation of fire is credited to the Homo sapiens a few hundred thousand years later (Haviland 2014:350). The Homo sapiens “discovered how to create fire by friction-rotating a wooden stick on afireboard to produce the ember that could spark a fire in a pile of dry grass, leaves, or bark” (Haviland 2014:350). This primary innovation of fire forever changed our species. As our species started to depend more and more upon fire, new methods developed in order to make fire starting easier. An improvement on the wooden stick starting methodwas the bow drill, “a secondary innovation invented in Eurasia during the Upper Paleolithic...enabling the fire maker to more effectively maintain the speed and pressure needed to create enough friction to ignite the tinder” (Haviland 2014:350). Different ways to start fires emerged throughout time, becoming more portable and more efficient. After the bow drill more new methods emerged, “striking a flint against pyrite-led to further breakthroughs: In the early Iron Age, about 3,000 years ago, some individuals discovered that a small piece of portable high carbon iron was a more effective striking surface than pyrite stone” (Haviland 2014:350). The multiple secondary innovations for fire starting continue to show how integral the use of fire is to humans. Fire starting tools evolve as me move towards modern times. Tools become more portable and more reliable starters. “In the early Iron Age, about 3,000 years ago, some individuals discovered that a small piece of portable high-carbon iron was a more effective surface than pyrite stone” (Haviland 2014:350). The high-carbon iron methodfor starting fire was used by humans until the 1800’s when matches were invented, “…invented in France at the beginning of the 19th century-the match, a small wooden stick, tipped with gelatin-coated phosphate or sulfur” (Haviland 2014:350). Matches are still widely used today along with butane lighters both of which contribute to the ease of firestarting. Fire starting is just one example of innovation, both primary and secondary, that has been embraced by our species throughout different cultures.Another reason a culture may change is diffusion. Haviland defines diffusion as “the spread of certain ideas, customs, or practices from one culture to another” (Haviland 2014:352). When multiple cultures combine and enhance one another this is not an imposed or forced change, it is passive and accepted. The concept of cultural diffusion is observing other cultures and adopting various techniques that may enhance or make life easier. These cultural ideas are easily adopted when they fit nicely into a current culture. Cross culture diffusion is the