Week 5 Final Research Paper Religion and Culture

docx

School

Miami Dade College, Miami *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

1743

Subject

Anthropology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by JudgeBraveryTapir20

Final Research Paper: Religion and Culture Miluska Lopez University of Arizona Global Campus ANT 101: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Instructor: Amanda Williams Due Date: December 17, 2022

Religion and Culture Religion and culture are found everywhere in the world; it has a wide range of distinctive variations and beliefs as they teach us different concepts and ideas. We should learn to appreciate the feeling that motivates the belief's action from an etic perspective to understand another culture, even if we do not share the same views. We apply their culture to the emic approach to gain wisdom and knowledge to understand. We have accepted who we are in our culture and have taught our children to believe the same way we do, whether right or wrong. According to Crapo, "Socially, religion teaches people that they have a place in the universe and a relationship to it" (Crapo, 2013). Learning about other cultures and religions allows us to choose and not just go with what is comfortable and familiar; we need to know the values of different cultures and their faith. When asked to write about this topic, it is simple to unwittingly start developing a personal bias towards other religions. According to cultural anthropology, the Emic and Etic approaches are two ways to approach religion to reduce bias. This paper will examine the Santeria (Yoruba) religion, how their faith helps them to overcome their challenges, and how religion affects their daily lives from an etic perspective regardless of the religion we practice. This essay will also discuss Muslim culture and religion from an emic perspective, which will help readers comprehend the challenges Muslim women face in the United Kingdom due to stigmatization in the present political atmosphere. Despite what society would have you believe, all cultures have certain similarities if you look closely at their acts and behaviors. Similarly, all religions have a strong sense of honor and integrity with Muslim and Yoruba (Santeria) cultures, bringing forth a sense of harmony and common goals in life. Religion is a philosophy that calls for belief in something or someone, whether it is right or wrong. It is a way of life in society; different cultures have distinct viewpoints and modes of

expression, and what we think or do not believe is manifested in our actions, morals, and values. All cultures have a right to religious freedom, which should be upheld. Examining the articles selected on the interplay between religion and culture or the impact of religions on cultures exposes a wealth of complex distinctions or sweeping generalizations. Culturally specific beliefs and practices, influenced by religious views, exist within religions, as shown by Ryan's studies on Muslim women negotiating collective stigmatization: "We're just normal people" (2011) and Debates on Women and Femininity in Cuban Santera: Postcolonial Interpretations (2019). Religions do promote a sense of exclusivity and community via diversity. Part I In this section of my paper, I will discuss the Santeria (Yoruba) religion and culture in relation to spirituality from an etic standpoint. Crapo (2013) defines the etic perspective as "etic models invariably describe each culture in ways that seem alien to its participants, but that facilitate comparisons between cultures and the discovery of universal principles in the structure and functioning of cultures" (p.27). Growing up in Miami, I became very familiar with the Santeria (Yoruba) Religion, I was introduced to individuals who practice it, and a couple of years ago joined the religion myself. Santeria is a distinct, authentic style of religion that draws criticism and controversy due to its brutal customs and usage of animal sacrifice, so explaining the religion and culture from an etic perspective will give the reader a better understanding and insight into their beliefs and faith. Miner's article, Body Ritual among the Naciremahe, utilizes an etic perspective to demonstrate how a writer's use of language causes a reader to completely understand a culture diversely, even when it's their own culture.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Santeria is a trans-Atlantic adaptation of the Yoruba religion for the African diaspora. In America's Hispanic communities, Santeria is a frequently encountered religion. Depending on the source, there are varying numbers of Santeria practitioners in the United States. Santeria is also known as Regia de Ocba, Oricba, or Lucumi in Cuba. One of the Yoruba-based faiths with ties to Santeria that are practiced in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. "In colonial Cuba, the slaves speaking Yoruba were called Lucumí, and it was their religious world, merged with Iberian folk Catholicism and elements of other African belief systems which formed the origin of Santeria" (Lisocka-Jaegermann, 2019, p.170). Santeria's influence extends well beyond Cuban boundaries and the major diaspora clusters due to Cubans' emigration and the influence of mass media and internet social media. Santeros or Santeras firmly hold onto their faith in religion and spirituality as a way of life as well as a safety for when something goes wrong. According to the Santeria religion, each person has a divine destiny that can be attained with the help and power of the orishas. The foundation of Santeria's faith is the development of a close relationship with the orishas, and one of the main ways to show devotion is through animal sacrifice. People who practice this religion believe that the Santeria religion places a lot of emphasis on harmony and stability, both on the personal and communal levels. A person who maintains a healthy inner balance lives in peace with the environment and other people, and as a result, they are more likely to receive blessings. A person is considered to have negative energy when they are out of balance internally or are in conflict with the environment around them. This negative energy can take the form of difficulties, poor health, hostile relationships, failure, financial ruin, or other issues. Followers of this religion can seek the advice of a Lucum priest or priestess to help him or her restore their balance. The priest or priestess uses an oracular method

of divination to speak with the Orichas, or spirits, to determine the source of the issue and the best course of action. Contrary to what some outsiders might think, this procedure, commonly known as a consulta (consultation), is not fortune telling. Part II In this section of my essay, I will examine and understand the difficulties Muslim women face in the United Kingdom because of stigmatization in the current political climate from an emic perspective. A study was conducted to examine the stigmatization of Muslim women in the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, in the US, and July 7, 2005, London bombings. In this study, which was carried out in London, 31 Muslim women with ages ranging from 20 to 60 were interviewed; nevertheless, the average age of the participants was in their 30s. The "issues of identities, belonging, aspiration and experiences of anti-Muslim stereotypes" were the focus of this study (Ryan, 2011). Muslims are stigmatized as aberrant, a stigma that affects the entire group or community and the individual. In an effort to combat stigmatization, the women interviewed for this story all presented their lives as normal. Being "normal" is unclear and difficult to define; some women's "normal" was very secular, while others were quite religiously strict. Some people defined "normal" as just "being a good Muslim and acting like a good Muslim," which perpetuates the stigma of cultural differences due to religion. The fact that women still have different perspectives on behaviors and how they show themselves is intriguing; there are still distinctions and stigmas within Muslim groups. Ryan gave an example of Laila, a British-born legal professional who states, "The media focus on those who make headlines; they make sensationalist comments. That doesn't help because people get very negative images of Islam, what it is, who we are, and what we believe in, and they think that we're all crazy" (Ryan, 2011). The media doesn't cover the regular activities of any subject until

they are out of the ordinary, this is true for practically any religion and on the political scene. Many attitudes regarding Islam were developed during the 9/11 assaults on American territory and the attacks in London on July 7, 2015. The women interviewed were aware of the discrimination based on their religious beliefs. Even if they had not experienced it first-hand, they nevertheless felt sympathy for those in their communities who were going through conflict. This article also notes a spectrum of beliefs and actions among the "Muslim Community," even when used broadly that this study does not represent the entire Muslim population. Every religious group has differences, but the stigma, generalizing, and simplifying diversity offer Muslims in Britain a sense of isolation and community. It's like the self-actualization prophesies of stigmatization when you strive to break it, it either reinforces versatility or produces a new stigma based on your efforts to oppose the previous thought. Women’s attempts to represent themselves as 'normal' members of society were viewed within specific discourses. Hijab-wearing women described encounters with hostility and distrust from non-Muslims, who labeled them as outsiders and foreigners, contradicting their aspirations to be "simply normal" members of society. But it was also clear that Muslims had different views on what constitutes appropriate attire and self-presentation. “The diverse ways of being a ‘normal’ Muslim are clearly illustrated by the range of views around clothing” (Ryan, 2011). Based on Americans' etic vision in the article Body Ritual Among the Nacirema (Miner, 1956), I realized how distinctive our cultures might appear to outsiders. Therefore, even if their clothes and devotion to prayer are two of the most obvious differences, I could only suppose that a British Muslim woman must lead an unusual life.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Conclusion We can more fully comprehend the various points of view held by other religions by comparing other religious cultures through the etic and emic views. The etic perspective helped us to understand what other people perceive our religion to be about and let us look at what other religions deem to be bizarre or peculiar activities. We perceive daily life as being typical and every day because of our cultural and religious beliefs. We can better comprehend the principles and practices of other religious cultures thanks to the emic perspective. By using the etic and emic ideas presented in this study, it is much simpler to see that Muslims and Santeria share numerous similarities, regardless of one's particular religious beliefs. As with any religion, both have endured adversity over time but firmly believe in a greater power at their foundation.

References: Crapo, R. H. (2013). Cultural anthropology [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ Lisocka-Jaegermann, B. (2019). Debates on Women and Femininity in Cuban Santería: Postcolonial Interpretations. Studia Religiologica, 52(3), 177–190. https://doi.org/10.4467/20844077SR.19.013.11372 Miner, H. (1956). Body ritual among the Nacirema. American Anthropologist , 58 (3), 503–507. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1956.58.3.02a00080 Ryan, L. (2011). Muslim women negotiating collective stigmatization: ‘we’re just normal people.’ Sociology , 45 (6), 1045–1060. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038511416170

Week 5 Final Research Paper Religion and Culture

Related Documents