Anthropology 1010
(Cultural Anthropology)
Cultural Anthropology was a very exciting class. I learned how to be culturally relative, and how and what a holistic approach is; furthermore, I now will carry these valuable lessons into engineering and design. I have learned to remove ego from the perspective. However, ego must also be considered in a holistic perspective. Thus, the “double edge sword” I have started to call life.
Culture is what we have learned from our elders; culture is taught, past down from those who are older and from those around us. This definition of culture is now firmly imbedded deep in my thoughts. I feel, that I am able to consider peoples opinion and their understanding of the world around them based on cultural relativism. As Americans, we indulge our pride by possibly thinking that our idea of survival is the most ideal. And, other subsistence strategies are living in the past. This class taught me how to break that ethnocentric point of view. In my career path, all of these tools will be very valuable.
In cultural anthropology, in fact anthropologists in general, they strive to take a holistic approach. Holism is the idea that the “big picture” is more important than the individual brushstrokes. I see that I am a brushstroke, which is just a miniscule part of the painting. I might represent a color in a region on the painting or hopefully an idea; however I am not the painting.
As I said this class is valuable to my future success in civil engineering. An engineer must consider multiple perspectives when creating ideas. I must consider the impact on the environment, the end user, how they are going to use it, and if it is beneficial or detrimental. The holistic approach has been kicked around in my engineering classes, but not to this volume. I think that I have an edge now. I will never design or engineer anything that goes against my ethical code. And the first rule in my code is to be holistic, to take a look at the “big picture.”
