Chapter 3 and 8

   Reading Chapters 3 and 8 brought many topics to my attention. Simple things such as: private property, agriculture, the world within women work in, punishment, and the term nation. These few topics will be touched on to give a full idea of what chapters 3 and 8 consisted of. 

 First off, private property is a concept that is still prevalent today. From the mountains to the beach, private property signs are stuck in every bush or pile of sand. The words represent the privilege of owning somethings that can be sold to another. This concept does not exist in foraging societies. The term is “used rights”. This term is more appropriate and it means that socially it is accepted in access to particular resources, like gathering places, and fishing areas. 

    Moving on to agriculture, growing up, I took several tests that would predict what field, I would be in when I got older. Every time it turned out to be, agriculture. I thought it meant to be a farmer but it is a little more than that. Agriculture is a way of living that deals with growing crops on permanent plots by plowing, irrigation, and fertilizer. Farming is another term that can be used to describe this way of life. 

     Farming is an intense way of life that involves the same plot of land to be used repeatedly without losing it ability to grow things. Animals that are tamed such as: cows, horses, ox, and donkeys are used for plowing, transportation, and organic fertilizer in the form of manure or materials that are composed. Water sources that are artificial are very depended on by farmers. Irrigation channels or terracing the land are examples of this method. To be involved in agriculture it involves to be very knowledgeable about plants and the environment. 
    
      Soil types, precipitation patterns, plant varieties, and pest management are all other fields that a participant in agriculture has to be familiar with. Family farming is another branch off of agriculture that is a way to support a family and to produce goods for sales. More than one billion people choose this as a way of life. Developing countries are more apt for this concept more than industrialized countries. A cross-cultural variety is exhibited in family farming. Their days consist of harvesting crops, weeding, plowing, and terracing. 

 


Thinking about the families that are involved in farming, 
I just assume the men are the ring leaders in that field. So 
what do the women face or experience? In my personal experience I have observed that males make more than females. In the outside job world males make a significant amount more compared to women who work just as hard but discriminated because of their gender. Women are expected to work outside the home if required and also perform the duties of the home such as: cleaning, laundry, and taking care of the kids. 

     Single moms have it the hardest. They are discriminated against in the work force and then come home to work even harder. My mom for example works outside of the home to help provide for our family then comes home and takes care of our home and family. She cleans, cooks, takes care of my brother and I and keeps the house running. 

   Speaking about the different sexes in Papua New Guinea, specific foods are labeled as “men” and “women”.  The disease was named kuru. Men were allowed to eat the better food such as the meat from pigs while women were left with a scarce population of pigs. It was acceptable for women to cook and eat deceased people.Shirley Lindenbaum finally pinpointed the disease that women were the victims of poison by cannibalism. Researchers  discovered that kuru was a disease categorized as neurological.

      Subject change once again. If you were just wondering, the term "pure gift" means to give a gift with not one thing in return. I feel as if I should give any gift as a “pure gift”. I never try to expect anything in return from anyone. A pure gift is a generalized reciprocity. Donating money, giving blood, or giving to a food drive are all examples of a pure gift. Many debate this idea because they say the giver always gets something in return, even a good feeling. 


   For two of my friends birthdays, I gave them both a gift. I expect nothing from them in return. For my birthday only one out of the two friends gave me a present back and that is totally okay. I did not set my emotions on receiving anything in return. For Christmas I will do the same. I will give my friends a gift and not expect anything from them. I enjoy blessing them and letting them know they are loved. 

Chapter 8

    Moving to the next chapter, I found interesting the two systems that are in a political organization that is between tribal and cheifdom. This would be the big-man system or the big-woman system. Individuals can build a political base and gain prestige, influence, and authority through a system of redistribution based off of ties and grand feasts.  

    A law is a binding rule that is created through custom or official enactment that defines correct behavior and the punishment for misbehavior. The system of las are more likely to be known and are more elaborate in state-level societies. 

     When children are little they are punished when they do wrong. Punishment is administering something unpleasant to someone who has broken a law or rule. The most extreme form for punishment is the death penalty. For those in the Islamic culture, if them rob a family,they must pay compensation
back to them. 

     Prison is another form of punishment. It is a place for those who disobeyed to spend time, think about their mistakes, and restricted from doing certain things.  Castles and dungeons are examples of the power some individuals had and the pain the could inflict on a wrongdoer. The first prison was built in Philadelphia in the late 1700s. The United States holds the record for have the most people attained. The prison population, of 1.6 million has doubled since the year of 1985. In England the most race that is incarcerated are Muslims and Louisiana has the highest rate for incarceration.  

     Talking about the punishment that happens, what about the place this takes place in? The United States is one nation under God. The term nation specifically means a group of people who share a language, culture, or territorial base, political organization, and history. A nation is homogeneous, and which really means that the United States is not a nation but more of a political unit  that is made up of many nations. Nation-state is another term that refers to a state that compromises only one nation. Others think it compromises other nations. 

      I enjoyed learning and thinking about the variety of topics covered. So many thoughts were entertained that brought even more insight. The particular topics I went over, gave the proper induction to the two chapters, touching on what stuck out to me personally. I learned more than I was expecting to and the topic of new guinea came up in a conversation I had this week. I new exactly what my friend was referring to!