Brittani's Anthropology Research

Didgeridoo

2008-05-08T17:08:00.005-06:00

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Teacher Resource Center

Didgeridoo

Country/Culture: Australia

Materials: Wood

Accession no: ED 2003.4.2

Written by: Brittani McLeod

The Didgeridoo is a musical instrument that originated in the Northern part of Australia, and has been around for more than 400,000 years. The name originated from the sound that the instrument makes. This has created variations within the spelling of the word such as didjeridu, didjeridoo, and didgeridu (IDIDJ Australia).This instrument has been, and is, a very important part of the Northern Australian aborigine’s life. It not only provides entertainment, but also teaches the history of the tribes, and is used within religious ceremonies (IDIDJ Australia).

Didgeridoos can be made from many different materials such as “… bamboo, plastic, metal, cardboard, and clay”. The didgeridoo in the teacher’s resource center is made of wood. The process of making the didgeridoo from this material is a very meticulous process (Cheal, 2007).

The artisan first searches from a selection of trees such as the native Eucalyptus. When a tree is found they remove a portion of the bark, and tap it to see if there is a hollowing within it. The hollowing is created by terminates who feed on the wood. If they believe this has occurred, and it has been confirmed by the tapping of the fingers, they extract a portion of the tree to revel the size of the hole. If the hole is either too big or small then the artisan will discard it. If the hole is acceptable then they will cut it down, and carve a rough shape of the instrument. After testing the sound of the didgeridoo they start the final process of carving and decoration (IDIDJ Australia). Just like the instrument takes some time and patience to make, so does the learning of how to play the instrument.

It is known as one of the hardest instruments to play. The musician manipulates the music by the vibrations of their lips (Romer, 2008). While playing the instrument he uses a technique called circular breathing. While blowing into the instrument with his mouth, he breathes in air through his nose and then releases it out of his mouth. This cycle of breathing helps prolong the sound when playing the instrument (Didgeridoo, 2008).The playing of the didgeridoo is also an important part of spiritual ceremonies within the community.

These ceremonies are carried out by men of the village. Before the ceremony they create a special didgeridoo that is played by an important religious figure. This specially made instrument is highly guarded from the public eye (IDIDJ Australia). Those that are seen by the public are used in ritual ceremonies that the whole community participates in (Didgeridoo, 2008)

Cheal, J. (2007). The Didjeridu: A Guide. Retrieved 2008, from http://www.gwiztraining.com/Didj%20Book.pdf

Didgeridoo. (2008). Retrieved 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didgeridoo

IDIDJ Australia. (n.d.). the Didgeridoo. Retrieved 2008, from IDIDJ Australia: Australian didjeridu cultural hub: http://www.ididj.com.au/theDidjeridu/index.html

Romer, M. (2008). Didgeridoo. Retrieved 2008, from About.com:World Music: http://worldmusic.about.com/od/instruments/g/didgeridoo.htm

Buddha

2008-05-08T16:46:00.014-06:00

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Teacher Resource Center

BUDDHA

Country/Culture: India

Materials: Wood

Accession no: ED 1997.10.3

Written by: Brittani McLeod

The religious leader called Buddha, whose given name was Siddhartha Gautama, was born a prince. At his birth it was prophesied, by astrologers, that during his lifetime he would choose to become either a monk or a monarch (Robinson, 2007). This news greatly distressed his father who did not want to lose his son to a monastery. To avoid this fate the king asked the astrologer what occurrences would happen that would persuade his son to choose this path. He explained that it would come in the form of four signs: “…A decrepit old man, a diseased man, a dead man, and a monk” (Sivananda, 2005). Knowing these were common occurrences within the city, the king made sure to keep these sights out of view; he enclosed the palace with tall walls that were covered with beautiful greenery, and surrounded Siddhartha with friends and entertainers that would distract him from the outside world (Sivananda, 2005).

At the age of twenty-seven Siddhartha—who was now married, and a father—began to travel outside the palace walls. Little did he or his family know that these trips would change their lives forever. With each journey Siddhartha saw each of the prophesied signs. These signs, which greatly distressed the prince, persuaded him to leave his family, and to search for a better way. He did this through many means—starving himself, indulging himself—but soon found neither were the answer. He finally settled on the middle path, which was a cross between the two (Sivananda, 2005). During the rest of his life he taught many how to overcome pain, and find everlasting joy. One of these was that of the four noble truths, which teaches:”… there is suffering, that suffering has a cause, that suffering has an end and that there is a path that leads to the end of suffering” (Vellino, 2007). Another teaching is that of Nirvana the final step that transcends suffering (Nirvana, 2008). The magnifigance of Buddha’s life, and his teachings, influenced many artists.

Buddhist art was first created in India during the 6^th and 5^th century BCE. During this time frame Buddhist art was not created in the physical image of Buddha, but through non- representational means. It was not until the 1^st century CE that artists started to represent Buddha in the human form (Buddhist art, 2008). The image of Buddha is made to represent the ideal human figure. The crafting of him is created through a canon—a pattern used by artists—to make sure that his bodily figure is perfect. This helps to remind followers of their goal to reach nirvana, and a pain free existence (BDEA INC., 2008).

BDEA INC. (2008). The Buddha Image. Retrieved May 7, 2008, from Buddha Net: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/buddhist-art/image.htm

Buddhist art. (2008, May 7). Retrieved May 7, 2008, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_art

Nirvana. (2008). Retrieved 8 2008, May, from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Nirvana

Robinson, B. A. (2007, August 27). A Brief Overview of the Life of Buddha. Retrieved May 2nd, 2008, from Religous Tolerance: http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism5.htm

Sivananda, S. S. (2005, May 1st). Lord Buddha. Retrieved May 2nd, 2008, from The Divine Life Society: http://www.sivanandadlshq.org/saints/buddha.htm

Vellino, A. (2007, October). About Buddhism. Retrieved May 2nd, 2008, from Buddhism in the National Capital of Canada: http://dharma.ncf.ca/introduction/About-Buddhism.html

Mud Cloths

2008-05-08T16:46:00.013-06:00

Utah Museum of Fine Arts

Teacher Resource Center

MUD CLOTH

Country/Culture: Africa

Materials:

Accession no: ED 2005.2.3

Written By: Brittani McLeod

The Mud cloth, also known as Bogolanfini (“Bo-ho-lahn-FEE-nee"), has been an important part of African tribes for many centuries; it is used as part of their oral traditions, religion, and aesthetic preferences.

The Bogolanfini is unique in both the patterns applied, and the meanings that they entail. The cloths—which are made for events such as birth, marriage, death, war, and hunting— have symbols on them that tell stories, portray proverbs, and protect the wearer (Jones).

Although women make up the majority that wear the Bogolanifini, in certain situations men also wear them. Bogolanfini’s that are painted red, instead of black, are created for hunters and warriors. The symbols painted onto the cloth are used as charms to protect the men from danger. The men are also responsible for the beginning process of the mud cloth (Jones).

To start the process a man harvests and spins cotton. This is then woven into long strips called finimugu, which are sewn together for the desired length and width of the cloth. The women then boil the cloth in hot water, shrinking it to its permanent size. After this is done they move the cloth into another solution of water and leaves, gathered from the Bogolon tree, which will allow the cloth the ability to absorb the mud paint. They then remove the Bogolanifini from the solution, and dry it in the sun. Once dry they are now able to apply the intricate patterns (Jones).

Although the women usually create these mud cloths during the summer months—when they have more time to do non-agricultural activities—the designs for the cloth can be imagined throughout the year (Smithsonian Institution, 2002). Once the dye is prepared they are ready to paint. To do this they use many objects including palm fibers, feathers, and sticks (Jones). Once applied, they wash the cloth in yet another solution of leaves, grasses, and herbs. They then dry the cloth again; repeating the process until they have the desired shade in which they are looking for. The final step is to bleach the white parts so that they are no longer yellow—a result from washing them in the solutions (Smithsonian Institution, 2002).

Jones, K. M. (n.d.). Joh Henrik Clarke Africana Library: History, Origin and Signifigance of Mud Cloth. Retrieved May 1st, 2008, from Cornell Library: http://www.library.cornell.edu/africana/about/mudcloth.html

Natural Dye Mud Cloth. (n.d.). Retrieved may 7, 2008, from African Nomad: http://www.africanomad.com/textile.html

Smithsonian Institution. (2002). Discovering Mudcloth: An African Voices Exhibit. Retrieved May 1, 2008, from Smithsonian: National Museum of Natural History: http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/mudcloth/index_flash.html

Church Online?

2008-05-02T15:33:00.006-06:00

So this is a must see for people that like to learn about other, well, people. Even if they are electronic? Yes, electronic people, who believe that they have a second life. This is a community group online where you can create an Avatar. An electronic person that looks like you, or not, and belongs to a virtual community. Some have wings, some have horns, and some look like their actual real person. This place is so famous that it was mentioned on a popular TV show called " The Office". Where if you are familiar with it, Dwight was depressive one dayand created a Second Life for his Second Life. Anyways, back to the topic. So ,I found out through advertising on face book about this church. Interested in the concept I clicked on the link ,and was surprised in what I found.

Koinonia Second life is a Christian Church located on one of the islands within the community. They hold meetings most days of the week, and two on Sunday. They explain that "...Opening its doors and its heart to people of various theologies, sexual orientations, and faith experiences, Koinonia practices God's extravagant welcome for all. Koinonia Christians celebrate the abundance of life and welcome the diversity of God's people. ( koinonia-church.org)" Yet I can't help but also add dragons, witches, warloads, and other fanciful creatures to the list of those welcomed. Koinonia has been open for one year, and has as diverse "leadership" made up of real life pastors, priests, religious leaders, and theology students.

I find it a very interesting community, and makes me raise some questions that I would like answered. Namely:

1) what type of population "electronically" go there to worship?

2) Is it the second that is worshiping or the real person?

3) What prompted them to create this site? Who was the first member?

4) What problems have they had within the site?

5) Why do they believe that people decide to worship electronically rather than in real life?

Over all I find that this project is worth noting in the anthropology world. I hope you can look at it yourself, and gather other questions and insights that I may have missed. The website to the place is listed below. I hope that you enjoy.

http://www.koinonia-church.org/home.html

50 Written Pages, Summer School, and a New Book

2008-04-28T21:37:00.004-06:00

Wow, I have been away from quite some time from writing. A few things I will like to update you on. I have successfully finished most of my classes, and have figured out that I have written over 50 pages this semester in tests, and papers. Yes, 50 pages, and yes, I believe that my skill in writing has forcefully become better as a result. Once I noticed that writing is an important part of Anthropology, I have grown to actually appreciate it a little more. This I hope will increase as I do my summer research. This topic of summer research actually brings me to a new book that I am reading .

Ok, so while at the library I wanted to learn about ethnographic research, which would help to assist me in my my anthropological projects this summer. After going through the isles I stumbled across one called "Doing Cultural Anthropology" by Michael B. Angrosino. I was pleasantly surprised that the book was up to date (not by some 19th century European writer), and that it was an easy read. While reading I found it pleasing that there were actual projects that the reader could do. Within the table of contents I found many interesting topics such as: Becoming a participant observer, Conducting a Life History Interview, and Developing an Electronic Ethnography. Within each chapter the contributing writer starts out explaining a topic that coincides with the specific project, and then how to apply that same concept to yours. I am excited to work through each chapter this summer, and then post them online. Speaking of summer, I am going to summer school

After trying to figure out what I wanted to do this Summer I dwindled it down to a few important factors. I knew I didn't want to go back to summer camp again. I have been there for four years, and I knew it was time to move on. Second, I wanted some free time in the summer without my whole life being towards work. Yet, I also wanted to keep my work study job. So a great solution came. I would be able to keep my work study Job if I went to school at least part time. This would still allow me to have some time to myself during the day. This semester I will be taking Women Cross culturally ( Which I found the assigned books to be AWESOME!), and Money/ Banking ( My last QI class). After this I will have only a year and 1/2 till I have my bachelors degree. Let me tell you I am excited! :)

Whirling Dervishes

2008-04-18T14:54:00.001-06:00

Hello all. So for work, and school I am doing research on the whirling Dervishes of Turkey. I felt that the image at left ( which you can click on) would be much more interesting to you then my academic paper. This First Section is about Rumi who was a mystic Muslim, and instituted the wonderful rituals that the dervishes participate in. This is just basic information, but very interesting none the less. I will be posting the rituals of the dance in my next post once I finish it for work. Enjoy

Field Notes From West High

2008-04-03T18:44:00.005-06:00

For my inter cultural communications class I am in the process of writing a paper on the cultural dynamics between immigrant youth and how they communicate to their peers in high school. I have been observing and interviewing four female Somalians. Because of privacy I have changed their names, and will not be disclosing their ages.

April 2nd 2008

The main person that I am following around is Jezebel. She is an immigrant from Somalia who moved here when she was around four or five. Sense then she has become a US citizen, and has lived in Utah. She has many cousins and friends that have also come here from Somalia, and which she converses with daily.

This description also applies to the majority of her Somalian friends. Although there are other immigrants from Somalia who have moved here recently which she has limited.

Location one: Lunch Room
Demographics: There are three Muslim girls sitting at the table, and they are all from Somalia. There are also four Caucasian girls. Two Caucasian boys came to talk t to them during the lunch break, but did not sit down.

Location two: Foyer of the school during lunch
Demographics: A high percentage of minority races, but also a few Caucasians.
Topics of interest: Relationship with boys, and food preferences.

Lunch Room Eating Habits

When I first got there Jezebel did not show up. So I found her friends and sat down while they ate. After a while though I decided to go and look for her. I found her in the lunch line with another one of her Muslim friends named Annie. I noticed that they were both wearing their hijabs ( A Muslim head scarf) more elaborately and controlled today. They had a piece of fabric that extended from the hijab to cover their usually exposed hair, while the rest of the scarf was pulled taut. This in contrast to the other days when I see Jezebels hair constantly exposed, and her Hijab slipping down the side of her head. After they got their lunch we headed to the table. There were not enough chairs to seat me so I took a seat at another table.

Once they sat down I noticed that Annie immediately opened her sandwich, and took out the majority of meat from it except for a few pieces. I also found her constantly picking at the lettuce. I wasn’t able to figure out if this was to avoid eating something, or just because she didn’t like that much meat on in it. Another Muslim girl, Mary, ate all that was on her lunch tray except for the meat. Jezebel had a cheese pizza, and ate it all.

From my short observation I found that the Muslim girls at the table ate proportionally less then their Caucasian friends. I asked the girls if they felt the cafeteria gave them an adequate selection of food to meet the requirements of their religion. They misinterpreted me though, and thought that I was referring to the quality of the food (which they hurriedly told me was disgusting). I re explained myself, and they didn’t give a clear answer, but told me that they do try to avoid a lot of the food and meat products given to them, because they don’t know if pork will be in it. After they were done eating we went upstairs toward the foyer.

Jezebel and Boys

It is a stereotype that Muslim women dare not even breathe around boys. Well if that is the case then Jezebel is a bad girl! :) I found the day I went to observe her a very intriguing day. This was because of the interactions between jezebel and her male friends. At the begging of the lunch period there were two Caucasian males that came to the table to converse with the girls. The two other Muslim girls were shy around them, but not extremely shy. They behaved how you would expect a girl that is shy around boys to behave. Jezebel though seemed extremely comfortable talking to boys, and would often times joke around with them. After lunch we both went up stairs to the main foyer.

Here jezebel ran into her other male friends. She gave each of them hugs, and joked around with them. During this time she was giving stamps that said "vote for...", to help out a friend who was running for student government. One of the boys stole the stamp from her, and she chased him around laughing trying to get it back. This lasted for about 15 minutes, and resulted in close contact with him.

I found it interesting though that the majority of the males she conversed with were white, and not of her religion. I wonder if she would feel more comfortable talking to them as opposed to someone of her own nationality and faith. I also wondered if she was at ease talking to them because of her personality, or because she knows she would never have a relationship with them due to her religious obligations to marry someone of her own faith.

2008-04-02T14:31:00.001-06:00

Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Teacher Resource Center

HEAD OF HYGEIA REPLICA
Country/Culture: Greece and Rome
Materials: Resin with marble base
Accession no: Ed 2005.6.1

Myths were an important part of Greek and Roman cultures. Myths taught ideologies about how the world ran and where humans came from (often times called origin myths). They also addressed religious beliefs, and how to carry out rituals to please their Gods (Greek Mythology, 2008).
There are many Gods and Goddesses within Greek mythology. Each has their own significance and control over various aspects of human life. Hygeia, the Goddess depicted in this sculpture is the daughter of Asklepios, the God of health. Her main role was not to heal the sick, like her father, but in the prevention of illnesses through practices such as sanitation (Hygeia, 2008).
Hygeia had a major impact on Greek worship during the time of plagues, which were frequent during the Peloponnesian War (Plague of Athens, 2008). During these epidemics statues of her were visited by women who would drape their hair on her statue, along with Babylonian clothing (Trckova-Flamee, 1997). Many of these statues of Hygeia came out of 4th century BCE through the end of the Roman Period. Sculptors such as Skopas, Timotheasm, and Bryaxis lent their talent in creating her image out of mediums such as marble.
Although considered a lesser Goddess, Hygeia has left her mark in many places within our society. For example, in the English language we use the word Hygiene to refer to the cleanliness of a person (Trckova-Flamee, 1997). Her name is also used to refer to the 4th largest asteroid belt in the galaxy called 10 Hygeia (10 Hygeia, 2008). Also many objects incorporated into her image, such as a large serpent around her body, or the carrying of a bowl are now used as a symbols of medicine (Trackova-Flamee, 1997).

Trckova-Flamee, Alena. (1997).Hygieia, (Electronic Version)
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hygieia.html

Various Authors. (2008). Greek Mythology (Electronic Version)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Mythology

Various Authors. (2008). Hygeia, (Electronic Version)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygieia

Various Authors. (2008). 10 Hygeia (Electronic Version)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_Hygiea

2008-04-02T13:56:00.004-06:00

I do abstract on peices at the museum for my work. On here I will post them. They are pretty interesting, and fun to write about. I am defintley learning how to write papers!

Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Teacher Resource Center

St. George and the Legend of the Dragon
Country/Culture: Eastern Europe
Materials:
Accession no:

St. George is a well-loved saint among various Christian groups. The history of his life is relatively unknown due to many variations within the legends told about him. Historians, though, have been able to unravel some facts about his life.
The exact year of his birth is debated but we do know that St. George lived during the 3rd century C.E. His father, who was enlisted in the Roman army, was from Cappadocia while his mother was from modern day Lod, Israel (SGUBH, 2006). After the death of his father he and his mother moved back to Lod. During his teenage years he enlisted in the Roman army. This was a bold move during a time which was relatively hostile towards Christians. (St. George, 2008)
Because of the rising popularity of Christianity across Roam, the emperor at the time, Diocletian, became nervous. He threatened to kill Christians who refused to denounce their religion. He then reinstituted paganism as the religion all citizens must then practice (St. George, 2008). St. George did not agree with these tactics, and was known for protecting and standing up for the local Christians. Unfortunately after an event where he tore down the notice for all Christians to denounce their religion, he was tortured and eventually killed by the command of Diocletian (Collins, 2007). His bravery may have inspired the legend of St. George. The legend differs from one story teller to another. One version of the legend is:

Within a village located in Libya lived a dragon that lived near their water source. This water was very important to the community, and so they tried to appease the creature in order to keep using it. Unfortunately the only idea they could come up with to combat his aggressiveness was to sacrifice one of their young maidens each day for his devouring. The sacrificial maiden was selected by the drawing of lots. One day this grave outcome fell upon the princess of the village. Distraught, the king tried to influence the others to give her a pardon. Unfortunately rules were rules, and the maiden was about to be given up. Luckily St. George noticed their distress, and came to ask if they needed his assistance. The villagers told him of their dilemma, and St. George promised to help them on one condition. If he killed the dragon then they must all convert to Christianity. They readily agreed. St. George approached the dragon and successfully killed him. After the defeat the village rejoiced, and kept their promise of converting to Christianity.

Today St. George is recognized around the world. He is considered the patron saint of various nations including many parts of the Mediterranean, Europe, Eastern Europe, and Africa. He is also the patron saint of “…soldiers, Calvary and Chivalry; farmers and field workers, boy scouts and butchers; of horses, riders, and saddlers.” Within the Christian Orthodox church he is called upon to heal certain ailments such as leprosy, and the plague (Collins, 2007). He is also a popular subject among artists and can be seen in various mediums. The teacher resource center includes an icon, and glass painting of St. George.

Various authors. (2008) St. George (Electronic Version)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George
Collins, Michael. (2007). St. George (Electronic Version)
< http://www.britannia.com/history/stgeorge.html>

Orans, Lewis P. (1997). St. George, Patron Saint of Scouting (Electronic Version)
< http://www.pinetreeweb.com/stgeorge.htm>
Bentley, James. (2005). A Calendar of Saints: The Lives of the Principal Saints of the Christian Year. Great Britain. Time Warner Books.

St. George Unofficial Bank Holiday (SGUBH). (2006). St. George and the Dragon (Electronic Version)
< http://www.stgeorgesholiday.com/st_george.asp>

Anthropolgy

2008-04-01T18:15:00.007-06:00

Heeeeeeeeeeeey there. So a little bit about my major. I am an anthropology student, with an emphasis in cultural anthropolgy. I love the discipline, and find it so intriguing to be able to study various cultures around the world. Yet I started to notice that anthropologists always choose thier subject field in some far off, and often indigenous culture. Although these places are exotic and fascinating, I wonder why nobody really examines their own culture.

I am from Utah, and I must admit that the unique cultural characteristics of my life here have been hidden from me until I started taking my university classes. After the Anthro bug bit me I could help but notice how interesting we are! Yes, You and me, Utahns! So,over the next few weeks, months, years, or just as a summer hobby, I will explore Utah's main culture (whatever that is), and sub cultures one at a time.

These sub-cultures ( which I will explain shortly) may change or expand as my knowledge of them becomes more concrete. My target area will be taken from urban Salt Lake City. The borders will be:

West Side: Rose Park
East Side: University of Utah
South Side: To be determined
North Side: Capitol Building

This will eventually shorten while I make my subjects more narrow. I may even put up a poll for each section for you to vote on which groups you think would be most interesting for me to study.

At the end I am going to analyze it ( I know I am suuuuch a dork), and present my findings. I hope you guys look forward to this, and maybe (luckily) one day I will have a class where I can just turn this info in!