ANTH 1003 Chapter : 12-Feb
2/12/15
Today: Film wrap up; Religion and Magic
Film
• Looked at group of Kung people
• Film from 1950s and 1970s
o Filmed over a long period of time
• Focuses on Nai
o You are able to see changes that take place in this woman’s life
• Originally a foraging group
o In 1970s – they were living on a reservation
o Living off of mealie meal
• Cash economy – tourism
o Nai – paid for the film and the film “The Gods Must Be Crazy”
• Started off as egalitatian community – sharing of everything with the whole community
o Once they could no longer hunt and cash economy was introduced, the sharing
stopped
o Nai held on to some things for herself – struggle to survive and she felt that she
needed things for her family
• Things changed after the film
o Late 1990s – Nai’s family moves off of reservation
o Intermarriage to pastoralists in the area (cattle)
o In Namibia – a Joansi man was just appointed to a minister position
▪ Much controversy
• Joansi got global attention for diet supplement
o Root that suppresses appetite
o Oprah, Dr. Oz
o Another company got the patent for the product
o Joansi not getting much of the proceeds – controversial
Characteristics of Religion
• Composed of sacred stories that members believe are important
o Struggle to decide what is actually considered a religion
• Makes extensive use of symbols and symbolism
• Proposed the existence of beings, powers, states, places, and qualities that cannot be
measured scientifically
• Includes rituals and specific means of addressing the supernatural
• Reliant on faith – cannot be scientifically measured
Sacred Stories & Symbols
• Examples of sacred stories
o The Great Flood
o Creation story – many religions have a version of this
Document Summary
In namibia a joansi man was just appointed to a minister position: much controversy. Joansi got global attention for diet supplement: root that suppresses appetite, oprah, dr. oz, another company got the patent for the product, joansi not getting much of the proceeds controversial. Includes rituals and specific means of addressing the supernatural: reliant on faith cannot be scientifically measured. God(s: term used for a named spirit believed to have created or to control some aspect of the world, monotheism one god/deity. Judaism: polytheism multiple gods, buddhism, sometimes there are several deities but one is above the others. Supernatural states: many religions believe not only in supernatural beings, but also supernatural states, buddhist enlightenment, hindu nirvana, christian statehood, joansi healers in trances. Ritual: patterned, repeated behavior, often filled with symbolic meaning, ex: rites of passage, wedding, baptism, graduation, religious rituals: patterned acts involving the manipulation of religious symbols, examples, mass, baptism, sign of the cross.
