The Primitive In Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African
When societies judge other cultures their judgments are often biased and ethnocentric. In Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes, Tarzan, “the perfect specimen of white masculinity and testament to the viability of white civilization,[1]” projected many ideals and views of European society. Olaudah Equiano gave a first hand account of his life from his captive into slavery through his liberation in The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African. In these two novels members of the European and African society classify the other’s culture as “primitive”. These classifications lead the reader of both novels to question: What is primitive?
Raised in the jungle by apes Tarzan never lived in European civilization yet he “inherited” the mannerisms and ethics of that society. Burroughs positioned Tarzan at the top of the hierarchy of civilization while he placed the African Mbongo tribe at the bottom. As Tarzan watched the cannibal rituals of the Mbongo, “[he] began to hold his own kind in low esteem[2]”. Many in Burroughs’ society disregarded the cultural practices of the Africans by writing them off as being primitive and lacking value. Overlooking the social structure and the established customs, Europeans considered the Africans primitive because they were different. Tarzan did not interact with the Mbongo he found them to be savage and uncivilized. This ethnocentric lens that created distinctions and separation transcended the cultural borders.
At age 11, slave traders kidnapped Olaudah Equiano, a child who never knew any culture outside of his own. When he first encountered white people, his initial reaction showed the same culture shock and ethnocentric view displayed by Tarzan.
“I came among people who did not circumcise, and who ate without washing their hands. They cooked their provisions in iron pots, and had European cutlasses and cross bows, which were unknown to us; and fought with their fists among themselves. Their women were not so modest as ours for they ate, drank, and slept with their men. But, above all, I was amazed to see no sacrifices or offerings among them.
Change is inevitable in any institution today due to the ever changing environment in which institutions operate. Schools, firms, and other different institutions have witnessed significant changes in the recent years in order to adapt to the prevailing changing environment. Change is very important, but it has to be done with great care to avoid leading to unwanted consequences. This paper focuses on one of the recent regulation change which has been adopted by the NCAA.
In fact Conrad referees to the Africans as uncivilized people in some points in the novel, but he also proves that they are primitive people. For example, when one of the natives says to Marlow pointing to a man "catch 'im , Give 'im to us" so that he could "eat 'im" and he get surprised when he knows that Europeans kill thousands of people without eating them and asked Marlow "then why do they kill 'im". Marlow distances himself from the Europeans who are pretending to be civilized and kill thousands of innocents for the sake of killing while the natives kill people for their basic
“Different but Equal” is a video in which Basil Davidson, the narrator, attempts to expand and heighten the understanding that Western civilization has about Africa. Often thought of as underdeveloped or uncivilized, Basil focuses mainly on the accomplishments of Africans throughout the years and uses them to contrast the surprisingly popular belief of African inferiority. Just a few of the main issues being brought up are how Europeans routinely discredited African accomplishments, the often disputed race of the Egyptians and their society, and why the thought that Africans are ‘uncivilized’ isn’t accurate. The video uses science, archaeology and history combined with the input of well-known researchers to give a more accurate depiction of
Throughout situations and research conducted by not only Robert Sapolsky or Jane Goodman, but from many other credited sources, we can blatantly see the, if not identical, similarities between the two species of humans and baboons. The most apparent likewise characteristics of this can be read and documented in Professor Sapolsky’s book, A Primate’s Memoirs. Sapolsky, who spent hundreds if not thousands, of hours studying these Savanna Baboons, sheds a vast insight into ideas of social dominance, mating strategies, instinctual prowess, community settings, hygiene, and reform of an entire generation; many of which can be unknowingly seen directly in the common occurrence of a humans daily life.
Over time concepts of ‘Race’, defined as a distinct group with a common linage, and ‘Primitive’ which pertains to the beginning or origin, , have been inextricably linked with the perception of Africa. The confusion of the two in the minds of people at the end of the 19th centaury, and some of the 20th, caused a sense of superiority amongst the ‘White Races’ that affected every aspect of their interaction with ‘the Black’. The ‘Civilisation’ of Africa by conquest and force was justified by these views.
Mitten, Matthew J., James L. Musselman, and Bruce W. Burton. "Targeted Reform of Commercialized Intercollegiate Athletics." San Diego Law Review 47.3 (2010): 779-844. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
Nigel Barley’s The Innocent Anthropologist explores the lives and culture of the Cameroonian Dowayo tribe. The book follows Barley’s fieldwork gathered during his stay amongst the tribe, affording insight into their ceremonies, language, social norms, and beliefs. Barley’s book stands out in the highly personal tone with which he recounts his time spent with the Dowayo, acknowledging bureaucratic troubles and, oftentimes humorous, misunderstandings. With a translator, Barley embarks on his attempt to immerse himself into the culture of the Dowayo, not hesitating to participate in their festivals (to a certain degree) and incorporate himself in their daily lives. Barley regals the audience with the entire experience of his fieldwork in West Africa, making sure to include how more modern technological and political inventions, such as voting and refrigerators, are regarded by the Dowayo. Barley writes with emphasis on the difficulties of the language, which is tonal and consists of multiple dialects, the Dowayo’s fondness for
In the first segment of his film series, Different but Equal, Basil Davidson sets out to disprove the fictitious and degrading assumptions about African civilization made by various Western scholars and explorers. Whether it is the notion that Africans are “savage and crude in nature” or the presumed inability of Africans to advance technologically, these stereotypes are damaging to the image and history of Africa. Although European Renaissance art depicts the races of white and black in equal dignity, there was a drastic shift of European attitudes toward Africa that placed Africans in a much lower standing than people of any other culture. The continent of Africa quickly became ravished by the inhuman slave trade and any traditional civilization
Professional athletes get paid millions of dollars a year, many may wonder whether or not to put a cap on their pay. Salary caps and their benefits and downfalls are a growing discussion in modern day culture. When comparing the arguments of professional athletes and salary caps, two views emerge: while some believe that there should be caps, others hold that there should not be a cap. A closer study of these two ideas can be seen through the areas of job equality, work ethic influence, and competition.
In this event, the matter that is unusual can be the fact that I have experienced and witnessed the process for interprofessional collaboration between the community nurse and other professionals that I have never knew about before. This event made me realize that there are many aspects of community nursing that I have knew about before where in this situation it is the importance and accountability of interprofessional collaboration. From my nursing theory course I have learned that interprofessional collaboration is when the nurse forms relationships with other professionals that enable them to achieve a common goal to deliver care and strengthen the health system and clients involved in it. (Betker & Bewich, 2012, p.30) In this event, our mutual goal is to provide the appropriate care for the patients/residents so they can restore their health after their hip or knee surgery. In the nursing leadership and management textbook it stated “interprofessional practice removes the gatekeeper and allows client access to all caregivers based on expertise needed.” (Kelly & Crawford, 2013, p.35) In this event, my preceptor and I gained knowledge about Revera and will pass on this information to patients who are interested in staying at a retirement home after they discharge from the hospital. One literature talked about how according to the Institute of Medicine, it is critical to have the capacity to work together as part of the interdisciplinary team to assist in delivering high quality, patient-centered care. In addition, effective collaboration among health care professionals results in improved patient care and outcomes. (Wellmon, Gilin, Knauss & Linn, 2012) This indicates the importance of interprofessional collaboration to provide...
Salaries of professional athletes outline a fine line and produce a formal dispute on both sides of this topic. There is single handedly no uncertainty that professional athletes are one of the highest paid young professionals in the United States but like any other profession there is a distinction between the mediocre player and the so called ‘superstar’ which is frequently significant. As a whole, professional athletes still do very well over other professions. Both the advocate and the rival have their dispute to support their position and the discussion continues to pique without any signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Almost everyone in the world has a favorite children story or cartoon thar he or she used to read or watch. When i was child I used to watch Tarzan cartoon every night before i go to sleep. Sometimes my parents would read me Tarzan's story when they had free time. There are many social science themes in Tarzan's story which are friendship, love, enemy, and braveness.
In a country where around 21.5 million kids play sports, it is no wonder that collegiate athletics are so popular. There are three divisions of the NCAA, they are separated by size of schools and division I is the biggest then division II then the third. According to statistics gathered by the NCAA, there are more than 460,000 Student-athletes across the divisions (NCAA). A little over half of those students receive a certain amount of aid on an athletic scholarship. Another wonderful thing that sports provide kids is an education; about 81 percent of those student-athletes
The younger generation is more susceptible to the many negative effects of playing violent video games compared to adults. Video games are easily assessable to many younger children; they are not properly rated so that parents are aware of the effects that they may have on their children. There are very few regulations and barriers to keep children safe from violent, potentially damaging games. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry agrees that video game content can not only lead to dangerous behavior, but it can also decrease healthy social interactions with family and friends as well as involvement in hobbies, sports, and extracurricular activities inside and outside of school. There is a close relationship between playing video games and increased aggression. However, according to Daphne Bavelier’s TedTalk, “Your Brain on Video Games”, she argues that playing video games are actually beneficial to children, in moderation. “In reasonable doses and at the right age, video games help stimulate the brain, aid in problem-solving skills, and increase brain activity” (Bavelier). While I agree with Bavelier’s assessment of the benefits that come out of
Did you know that tea was firstly discovered in China before it is served virtually in every corner of the world? For hundred years ever since 2737 B.C. , tea is exclusively being steeped for the Chinese emperors, rich and nobles only before the commoners could have enjoy a cup.