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Re: mutilation and ritual
Nedra Sue Davis (ndavis@VARUNA.ENG.LSU.EDU)
Thu, 11 Jul 1996 08:30:16 -0500
On Jul 10, 10:02pm, mike shupp wrote:
> Subject: Re: mutilation and ritual
> On Sun, 7 Jul 1996, Beth E. Kaminow wrote:
>
> > I guess I've ranted a tad but I just love thinking about this subject...
> > _Beth
>
>
> And I don't.
>
> Not meaning it as an attack, but as an observation. As a subject
> of pressing personal interest, I find tattooing and piercing as
> thrilling and absorbing as say fingernail clipping. Whereas you
> and a large number of others "love thinking about it." Which
> seems to boil down to love talking about it.
>
> Whatever the hell is going on here, "thinking" isn't it, I
> conclude. The American culture is changing, and tattoing is
> part of our future, for better or for worse, because enough
> people want it to be. Well, okay, I suppose it's no worse
> than bell bottom trousers, Elvis imitators, and those gold
> chains everyone had to have on their necks in the 70's.
>
> But, sheesh! Isn't there a world out there full of Serious
> Stuff to think about?
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ms44278@huey.csun.edu
> Mike Shupp
> California State University, Northridge
>-- End of excerpt from mike shupp
Mike - Not meaning it as an attack but as an observation: I'm not sure if you
have looked at your department's homepage, so here it is:
Welcome to the CSUN Anthropology Department Homepage.
What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of humankind everywhere, throughout time.
Anthropology involves the study of people, their origins, biological variations
and characteristics, their languages and *cultural patterns*, their social
structures and institutions, and their adaptation to their environment.
Anthropologists strive to create useful generalizations about people and their
behavior in hopes of bringing about the fullest possible understanding of human
diversity.
Anthropology is unique among the social sciences because of its comprehensive
scope, unique methods, and particular focus on people from non-Western
societies. Due to its wide range of subject matter, anthropologists specialize
in one of four major subfields:
Sociocultural Anthropology
Sociocultural anthropology is the study of the cultures of living people or the
ways of life in contemporary societies.
Mike - Researching Body Modification is an important part of Sociocultural
Anth. How we represent ourselves to public perception is an important part of
socialization. You might want to check out Irving Goffman's book on stigma, or
Robert Plant Armstrong's book on affecting presence. Anthropology should be
open to any cultural happening. It seems that "thinking about things" is what
academics is about. BTW - What is Serious Stuff?
nedra
Louisiana State University
ndavis@varuna.eng.lsu.edu
--
Nedra Sue Davis PHONE: 504-388-6027
3414 CEBA
BATON ROUGE,LA 70803
ndavis@varuna.eng.lsu.edu
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