Anthropology homework

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Humanities

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Post 3 Hominin’s- Worth up to 20 points total

This post requires that you read one article and listen to a Ted Talk. This post will continue with the theme of the primate post “What is Human Nature?” The article Hard Times Among Neandertals by Eric Trinkus is in a file in this week's learning module. The link to Agustin Fuentes Ted Talk on human nature is listed below.

For the post you will discuss “what is human nature” in three paragraphs. You will write one paragraph for each source (the talk and the article), and in the third paragraph you will analyze the information and use critical thinking skills to consider what these sources of data tell us about our nature. The data in chapters 10 and 11 should be used to discuss your post as well as the article and talk.

Some data to consider before you complete your post:

Human Nature= human nature ideally looks at our nature as a species, without the influence of culture. Human nature is comprised of our ways of thinking, feeling, and acting, independent of culture. We can look at human nature from a psychological perspective, looking at us as individuals, or we can look at human nature from a social perspective (primates are social animals). It is virtually impossible to rule out culture, because culture is how we survive, but we can use data from non-human primates to get some ideas.

Context of studies of the Hominin fossil record. Fossils can reveal a great deal about a species and the way that it lived. Chapter's 9, 10, and 11 look at what can be learned from fossil remains. In chapters 7 & 8 (and the material with these chapters) we looked at what the information from other species in the primate order can reveal about our species. Specifically we looked at the great apes, because they are most closely related to us. Now, we are looking at the insights we can get from the fossil record. What does ongoing analysis of the fossil record reveal about our nature? How much of our analysis is a reflection of our modern day paradigms and assumptions about our nature (not facts)? Re-read the information on Thomas Kuhn and how science is influenced by paradigms.

Consequences of our beliefs about Human Nature: The question of human nature is not just an academic one, there are significant real world consequences arising from our beliefs about human nature. If we think we are a naturally competitive, aggressive species then we aren’t surprised by rates of violent crime or endemic warfare. We take it for granted and assume we will never be able to overcome our nature. However, if we think we’re a naturally altruistic, cooperative species then we see violent crime as not normal, as something that arises from some problematic aspect of culture. So, we will then work to change our culture (minimize inequality, etc.), because it is our culture that is leading us to be violent.

Post 3 Hominin's – What you need to do

1. Information needed to complete the post

a. Watch the assigned video, and read the assigned article.

b. Review the questions below. Select one question to answer for each video/article.

Make sure to state the question you are answering and at the start put the video/article

you're writing about.

c. Read Park Ch 10 and 11- and view the powerpoints prior to completing this post

2. Post Instructions: Go to -Post 3 Hominin's

a. Create a Thread with your last name in the subject line.

b. Write three short paragraphs. Put the video/article title at the top of the first two paragraphs and what question you're answering. The last paragraph should work to analyze the three sources of data and reflect on what they ask and answer about human nature. The post must be all your own words (no quotes). Work to be clear as to what data is objective (testable, facts) and what data is subjective (beliefs, ideas, untested hypotheses).

Article - Hard Times Among Neanderthals by Erik Trinkus (this article is in a file in this week's learning module).

1. What are the key physical differences between Neandertals and Homo sapiens. What is the speculation as to how the environment affected their physical features? What is the speculation as to how and why their specific physical traits developed (in relationship to the environment)? What processes of evolution would be involved in the evolution of Neandertals (be specific as to the process and the role it would play)?

2. There are ongoing debates over Neandertal behaviors. How similar or different were Neandertals behaviorally to early modern Homo sapiens (with whom they co-existed for thousands of years)? Should Neandertals be considered the first humans? What behavioral traits would we expect them to have if we included them as human? Consider the following as aspects of human nature: violence, compassion, intelligence, language, and religious or supernatural beliefs

3. What can we know about a day in the life of a neandertal? What activities would they engage in? What food would they have eaten? How would they get that food? What tools would they make and use? Would they use those tools to get food? Would they share that food with anyone in their group? What predators would they have to avoid?

Video- Ted Talk- Agustin Fuentes

http://youtu.be/66IeDfeGbzA

1. What does Fuentes state regarding the role of aggression and sex and human nature? What is the difference between aspects of our heritage, or our capacities and human nature?

2. What does Fuentes state our assumptions are about the role of aggression, sex and competition in our evolution? Are these dominant paradigms in the United States? Where do you think these assumptions come from?

3. What are the three key facts Fuentes states about human nature?

4. What is Fuentes main point about capacities versus nature? About aggression, sex, competition and cooperation?

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