Everything in its Path is an award winning novel written by Kai T. Erikson about the destruction of a community after the Buffalo Creek Flood in West Virginia in February 1972. In the early hours of February 26th the largest of a makeshift mining- company dam gave way, allowing one hundred and thirty- two million gallons of muddy waste water to rush through the town of Buffalo Creek. The water rushed through thirteen miles of the town for about three hours, destroying homes, bridges, and roads. This destruction caused one hundred and five deaths, one thousand one hundred and twenty one injuries, and left four thousand people homeless (Sewell 2012). The Buffalo Creek flood was a complete destruction of a community. Erikson begins Everything …show more content…
This part of the book deeply investigates the agriculture, culture, customs, and religion of the area. This helps the reader grasp the importance of culture and how it affects the reaction of a culture during a disastrous time. “ To speak of culture is to speak of elements that help shape human behavior- the inhibitions that govern it from inside, the rules that control it from the outside, the languages and philosophies that serve to edit a people’s experience of life, the customs and rituals that help define how one person should relate to another. To speak of culture is to speak of those forces that promote uniformity of thought and action” (Erikson, 1976, p81). Understanding the culture of the settlers of the area helps to bring about better understanding of the survivors reaction to the …show more content…
He captures the effects of a natural disaster and how culture plays a role in those effects. He uses field research leading to “a study of the loss of community bonds in the aftermath of a flood in a West Virginia mining community"(Barkan, 2013). Erikson divides the book into three parts which helps expose the theme to the reader. One of the challenges that the author faces is that he was hired as a consultant for a law firm that was going to file suit on behalf of six hundred and fifty survivors. After a short visit to Buffalo Creek Erikson pursued the story with more energy than was required by the legal action itself and the study went beyond the commitment with which it began (p9). His investment in the story of the Buffalo Creek survivors detoured his initial objective and led him into researching the natural disaster. Erikson’s commitment to the Buffalo Creek flood story demonstrates his commitment to communicate and support the theme of the natural
“Rifles, Blankets, and Beads” delivers an entertaining perspective on the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross. This book is an outstanding resource for anthropologists, students, and educators. In reviewing this book, the author brings a descriptive writing style when analyzing the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross culture and history with a focus on the potlatch giving us insight details how the potlatch celebrated among the Tanacross people. The author, William E. Simeone, is a great source for the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross because he lived there among the people. In addition to living there he also attended ceremonies in both Tanacross and surrounding villages, and participated in potlatches within the villages.
“Rifles, Blankets, and Beads” delivers an entertaining perspective on the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross. This book is an outstanding resource to anthropologists, students, and educators. In reviewing this book, the author brings a descriptive writing style when analyzing the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross culture and history with a focus on the potlatch giving us insight details how the potlatch is seen and celebrated among the Tanacross people. The author, William E. Simeone, is a great source on the Northern Athapaskan village of Tanacross because he lived there among the people. In addition to living there he also attended ceremonies in both Tanacross and surrounding villages, and participated in potlatches within
Western times and water wars (Walton, 1991) is a book of historiography and sociological interpretation of the story of Owens Valley California. At the heart of the Owens Valley story is a conflict for water, and collective actions against powerful, dominant forces. Walton covers the Owens Valley story in its entirety, from the resettlement period when the Paiutes inhabited the territory, to modern day. By detailing the one hundred plus year history, the changing sources of conflict and resistance could be explored over time.
In life you will always get knocked down, but if you keep going, success is bound to happen. In “The Sacred Acre” by Mark Tabb, Parkersburg, Iowa was struck by a tornado in 2008. The tornado destroyed the small town as well as the prized football field. Ed Thomas, the head football coach, and his family brought the community together to lift spirits and rebuild the football field. The Thomas family gave the community perseverance, but right when things were looking better they were faced with the most unbelievable event that would affect everyone's lives forever.
Acts of God: Chapters 1-2 In Acts of God, Ted Steinberg uncovers, among other things, how natural disasters have come to be perceived as beyond human control. Steinberg contends that the book focuses on the environmental, cultural, and social history of natural disasters. The text also expands on the relationship between humans and natural disasters. Indeed, chapter one elaborates on the Mount Pelee attraction on Coney Island and the history of calamity in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Role of Women in Seneca (Iroquois) Society Full Circle Anthropologic studies of culture are about observation through a lens that is defined by the observer. In order for it to be free of bias, the observer needs to remove any and all preconceived notions and their own ’world’ references while functioning ‘emically’(Kottak 2013). Part of the observer’s job is to look into the past and present, reconciling roles within that culture (Kottak 2013). Gender roles are an important area of study (Kottak 2013).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cultural beliefs and practices vary depending on region. They live a hunter/gather lifestyle. The land and environment they live in is fundamental to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The land is not just simply soil, rocks and minerals, but rather an entire area that manages and is maintained by individuals and culture.
The “Johnstown Flood” was a chaotic result for a small middle class family, natural disasters happen so much in one’s lifetime and can be emotionally crippling. This natural disaster caused many families and homes to come crashing down, all the townspeople shed tears that day as they watched their homes and loved ones float away with the water. The parents, wives, and husbands all looked in horror as they watched their family die in front of them. David McCullough’s story “Johnstown Flood” deals with a disaster that has major impact on the characters in the story. As we begin this story we look into the lives of the Quinn family, A small middle class family in the late 19th century.
The way in which a society responds to natural disasters is varied. This is not only true for dissimilar disasters among different civilization, even identical natural disasters can be viewed in broadly different lights. In fact, the natural disaster occurring appears to be completely irrelevant. The attitude surrounding the natural disaster is reliant on the society being afflicted.
Merrell’s article proves the point that the lives of the Native Americans drastically changed just as the Europeans had. In order to survive, the Native Americans and Europeans had to work for the greater good. Throughout the article, these ideas are explained in more detail and uncover that the Indians were put into a new world just as the Europeans were, whether they wanted change or
Johnstown flood is a non-fiction book written by David McCullough. It details the events of the May 1881 flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The flood devastated Johnstown and resulted in 2,209 deaths. The cause of the flood was the rupture of the nearby Three Mile Dam. The dam was known to the people of Johnstown as the “South Fork dam,” which is the term that will be used in this paper.
of schedule Spanish conquistadors, numerous evangelists considered themselves to be siding empathetically and defensively with the indigenous people groups. In 1537, Pope Paul III pronounced that Indians were not mammoths to be slaughtered or oppressed, but rather people with souls fit for salvation. At the time, this was comprehended to be an edified perspective of indigenous individuals, and one that good natured teachers tried to empower. Letters from ministers who lived among the Indians give us a feeling of the worries numerous held for the welfare of tribal people groups. A letter by Franciscan monk Juan de Escalona reprimands the "shocks against the Indians" conferred by a Spanish legislative head of what is presently New Mexico.
A person’s culture is their way of life. From a young age, we learn to act within the norms of our culture and to be truly ethnocentric. What if one day someone came into your life and told you everything you were doing your entire life was wrong and stupid? Brian Moore’s Black Robe, tells the story of Laforgue, a Jesuit priest from 17th Century Québec who travels to an unfamiliar land called New France. Laforgue’s goal is to convert Algonquin Native Americans into God fearing Christians. Laforgue faces many cultural misunderstandings with the Natives along his journey; he finds the most difficulties understanding the native’s concept of death, why they value dreams, and overcoming ethnocentrism.
Eating Christmas in the Kalahari In Richard Lee’s Article, “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari,” describes his experience living with the ! Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in south central Africa, but it does more than just recount a three year stint with a native African tribe. Lee’s work with the Kalahari Bushmen also showed the distinct differences of how different societies of people conducted themselves and what customs were considered social norms. When two different groups of people live among themselves misunderstanding is often a common ground.
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development Many researchers have tried to revise after Freud 's psychoanalysis, to show the value associated with the process and I have to follow their development (Kail, Cavanaugh, 2004). The most prominent of the so-called ego psychology was Erik Erikson. As with other postfreydistov for Erickson the greatest importance was the self and its adaptive capacity in connection with the problem of the individual. However, this does not mean that he neglected his theory of biological or social factors (Kail, Cavanaugh, 2004).