Zulu vs Andean Peoples

Environment
The Zulu people of South Africa live in a providence known as KwaZulu-Natal, which is bordered by the Indian Ocean on the east, Mozambique and Swaziland in the north, Drakensberg on the west, and the Umzimkhulu River on the south. This area has fertile land, with a warm and rainy summer between October and April and a dry and cold winter between June and August (Sithole). The average temperature in KwaZulu-Natal is 21 degress Celcius, and there is an average of 320 days of sunshine throughout the year (KwaZulu). As you could imagine, the Zulu people get a lot of sun exposure. The ihabitants of KwaZulu-Natal eat a lot of vegetables, including spinach, pumpkins, beans, and potatoes. They like to eat meat, but many cannot afford it (Sithole).

The Andean Indians are a different story. These indigenous peoples live in Central and South America, which is basically all tropical land. The seasons are not differentiated by temperature, but by rainfall. Rainforests grow where rainfall is plenty, and then there are dry regions which do not support much more than grass (Central). Those who love in the Andes Mountain range are used to colder conditions. The crops grown in these areas include manioc, maize, sweet potato, bean, and tropical fruits (Central).

Physical Adaptations
The Zulu people are constantly exposed to sunlight and UVB rays, which can be very harmful. So, as time progressed, the Zulu people physically adapted so that their skin would produce more baseline melanin, causing their skin to be darker and less susceptible to the harmful UV rays. Their skin is dark enough so that just enough rays are absorbed to produce ample amounts of Vitamin D, and still stay healthy and cancer-free. The population maintains homeostasis through this method of natural selection. Below, you can see that the Zulu people are much darker than people from either Europe, Asia, or America.

The Andean Indians also physically adapted overtime to endure the high altitude they were living in. These people live in above-sea level altitudes, and the air is much thinner in these areas, making oxygen intake much harder than it is at sea level. Accorsding to the graph below, native high-altitude indians can naturally put out more power with less energy than an acclimatized lowlander can.

Cultural Adaptation
Because the temperatures are all around comfortable for the Zulu people, they do not feel the need to wear much clothing. Males wear IsiNene, which is the front apron and is made of circular skin patches, stitched close together. The back is called iBeshu, and is made from calf skin. For women, it depends if they are married or not. If a lady is single, she will usually wear only a short grass skirt, and a girl who is engaged will cover her breasts and let her hair grown. A woman who is married will wear a thick cowhide, treated with charcoal and animal fat, and will cover her breasts with necklaces and beads (Zulu Culture). Below is a picture of how these people dress.

 

The Andean Indians are used to a much colder climate, and as so, they dress appropriately. They usually wear thick wool ponchos and pants, and have many fires going around their many huts. Below is a picture.

Race
For the Zulu people, I chose African/black as their race, mainly because they are from Africa and because of the color of their skin.
For the Andean Indians, I chose either Latin or Indian, because they originate in Latin America, but they are and Indian society.

Summary
The adaptations do have more explanatory power over race because race does not give reasons. Adaptations allows researchers to see why they are what they are. This is definitely the more useful approach for anthropologists.

Works Cited

"Zulu Culture." Zulu Culture, Traditions, Food, Religion and Combat. Durban Website Designers, 2010. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. http://www.zulu-culture.co.za/zulu_clothing.php.

"Central American and northern Andean Indian." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/102247/Central-American-Indian>.     

  Sithole, Mpilo. "Zulu." Encyclopedia of World Cultures Supplement. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 18 Apr. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.                    

 "KwaZulu Natal Weather and Climate." KwaZulu Natal Climate and Weather, South Africa. Net-Focus Interactive, 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. http://www.sa-venues.com/weather/kwazulunatal.htm.

     

Nacerima=American

While reading the essay "Body Ritual of the Nacerima", I became increasingly aware that the "Nacerima" were actually Americans. There were many context clues that led me to believe this, including the location (in between Mexico and Canada) and the many "rituals" that took place daily. Also, the name of the "place where people go to die", latipso, which is a backwards spelling of hospital without the h. If I were to choose five words to describe this essay they would be: magical, insecure, ridiculous, monetary, and American.

Magical: This word comes to mind often throughout the text because there is a theme of magic, ranging from "holy-mouth-men" to the ceremonies that take place at the latipso. Medicine men are often referred to as magical practitioners, performing rituals to "help" the one who is willing to pay.

Insecure: I chose this word because many of the daily "rituals" that take place are based on appearance. The shrine that people spend so much time in front of is a medicine cabinet/mirror, usually placed in the bathroom. In that time, many average families had ony one or two bathrooms, while the richer families had several bathrooms, all with medicine cabinets. These medicine cabinets were stocked with "charmboxes" or perscription pills.

Ridiculous: This word should be abvious because the author makes many of our daily habits seem absolutely ludacris. He states that latipso is not meant to help anyone, but only gives out "harsh" treatments and the latipso is simply a place where people go to die. This is not the case in our society. We go to hospitals to get better.

Monetary: The medicine men do not help anyone, no matter how sick, unless they are willing to pay. Then, after being helped, they are expected to pay again for their services. Enough said.

American: Looking back at the article, I can see how an outsider would judge our society harshly. Many people do not rely heavily on outward appearance or a plethura of perscription medication. Nor do they go to "medicine men" for their ailments, such as tooth aches or pains. They also do not go to "witches" to talk about their earliest memories. This is a Western, culture, and it is very limited to a small number of societies whom are considered to be civilized.

Part B:
As an American, I feel like the words I chose to describe the civilization in the text were completely accurate.  I have no issue stating that Americans are based on money and appearance. We strive to be skinny and rich from early adolescence. We go to school to get a degree so we can have high paying jobs. We spend the rest of our time going to gyms, getting our hair and nails done, making sure our teeth are healthy, and making sure our physical health are all in order.

I feel like some of the judgments I used were a little biased because the things we do daily don't seem ridiculous when we are partaking in them, but when we see them from another perspective, we think its weird and abnormal.

Unfortunately I can't think of any other words that is UNBIASED to replace any of my words.

It's important to avoid ethnocentrism when studying other cultures because what is wrong or abnormal to us is completely normal and justified to other cultures. We may not understand why some cultures do what they do but it doesn't mean our practices are any better than theirs.