ISS 210 1st Edition Lecture 17 Outline of Last Lecture I. A Zande YouthII. Zande Granary III. Chinese Funeral RitualIV. Chinese Funerals: Xi BoV. Chinese funeral: 3rd yearVI. Clothing and ConformityVII. Nature/ Culture Contrast VIII. Research OrientationIX. Cross- Culture Studies of AlcoholX. A “natural experiment” XI. Drunken ComportmentXII. Cross-Culture VariationXIII. Horgarth’s Gin LaneXIV. Normative BehaviorsXV. Gender DifferencesOutline of Current Lecture I. Ritual Functions II. Situation DefinitionsIII. Social control IV. Key terms V. Cultural Remission (“Time Out”)VI. Ethanol EquivalentsVII. Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) VIII. Calculating BACIX. Stages of Intoxication X. Harris and the sacred cowsXI. Materialist interpretation XII. Why sacredXIII. Criticism of HarrisXIV. Cows gifXV. Stuarts theory of cultural changeXVI. The concept of integrationXVII. Limitations of prior structure Current LectureI. Ritual Functions– In societies with an ambivalent, morally charged relationship with alcohol (US/UK) where alcohol marks the transition from work to play (UK/US) – Drinking is associated with recreation and irresponsibility and a higher incidence of alcohol abuse– In cultures with a tradition of casual everyday drinking where alcohol is part of the normal working day (France, Spain, Peru)– Drinking may mark the transition to work II. Situation Definitions– In Austria, the drink defines the social relationship of between drinkers– Sekt is drunk on formal occasions; while schnapps is drunk for more intimate, convivial gatherings– Switching to schnapps triggers shif from the polite sie to the highly intimate (tu) – In France, liquid punctuation – aperitif, white wine, red wine, and digestifsIII. Social control – Bolivian Camba drink excessively yet anti-social or violent behavior are completely unknown– Irish fishermen demonstrate their ability to hold their liquor in the company of their peers – In integrative drinking cultures, drinking is a morally neutral element of normal life and requires no justification, there is no need to find excuses for drinking – Djibwa at Grassy narrows engaged in binge drinking characterized by anti-social violent behaviorIV. Key terms – Alcoholism- a physiological or psychological dependency on ethanol which may or may not be socially disruptive, an individual affliction– Drunkenness= a temporary loss of control over ones reaction and behavior while drinking alcohol– Anyone who drinks immoderately can become drunk– Alcohol Abuse- socially disruptive behaviors associated with the consumption of beverage alcohol, a society afflictionV. Cultural Remission (“Time Out”)– A conventional relaxation of social controls over behavior– Carnival traditions involve role reversals, men dress in women’s clothes and prance about in an exaggerated caricature of famine behavior– Football weekends VI. Ethanol Equivalents– Proof is the twice the percentage of alcohol in a beverage – Alcohol is absorbed via the stomach and small intestine– Continue to absorb alcohol 60 to 90 minutes afer your last drink – The faster alcohol is ingested, the higher the peak concentration– When you realize you’ve had too much, the worse is yet to comeVII. Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) – Stages of intoxication determined my volume of alcohol to body muscle mass and liver function– Liver oxidizes alcohol at ¾ once per hour – The remaining alcohol continues to effect behavior– Coffee and cold showers may stimulate but will not sober you upVIII. Calculating BAC– The 0.008law in MI: a person has an alcohol content of 0.08 per 100 milliliters of blood per 210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine. IX. Stages of Intoxication – Alcohol as it affects our sensory-motor capabilities “pharmacological” dimensions impairs the performance of sundry motor skills and our social conduct. The performancedecrements are due to alcohol toxic assault upon the operation of one or more functionally relevant internal bodily mechanisms– Ethye alcohol is a depressant that puts the central nervous system to sleep. There are five discernible levels. X. Harris and the sacred cows– Harris reflects the Western preoccupation with cow love in Indians– Competing symbolic and functional explanations – Harris is a material determinist and provides an interesting functional analysis– He claims a positive functioned interpretation that demonstrates the rationality interpretations that demonstrates the rationality of the practice but not of the system itselfXI. Materialist interpretation – Bulls and oxen pull plows and carts– Most farm households have a cow to provide milk, panceer and ghee for food, dung for fuel, and urine for multiple purpose – India experiences cyclical droughts, during which people ofen go hungry– Most farm households own a cow and if they slaughtered the cow for food during times of economic stress, there would be no more animals born to pull plows when the rains return– With no way to play their fields, people would truly starve– Ergo, you must prevent people from slaughtering cows for short term gain against long term needsXII. Why sacred– Cows figure prominently in the Hindu world view– From Nepeuli friends perspective XIII. Criticism of Harris– His positive-functioned argument is quite convincing as he shows how cows fit into a long term weather cycle– As with most functional analysis, he identifies the rationality of the element while ignoring the rationality of the system– Would a system of production based small tractors be just as rational and better alternative? XIV. Cows gif– Cow dung and urine are ofen consumed in rituals to purify the lower castes thus makingtheir use authentically Hindu– Peasants are constrained by poverty and by concepts of rituals purity and cast they cannot change without penalty; makeshif expediency makes the system work – Functional analysis– Western researchers found it makes a useful disinfectant XV. Stuarts theory of cultural change– Applies a natural selection model to society– Social institutions arise out of a practical adjustment of individuals and groups to external circumstances– Goal is to optimize material and economical conditions– Environment negatively determines choices allowing a range of responses but maladaptive traits either disappear or negatively affect the viability of the population– What prevents