Please use comments on this post to discuss your readings from the special issue of Annals of Applied Anthropology.
29 Comments
Jessica Muzzo
3/22/2016 12:36:58 pm
I was assigned to read "Sensical Translations: Three Case Studies in Applied Cognitive Communications," which I found to be quite interesting as it entailed an applied anthropological approach to something I have read in previous classes, namely the metaphorical understanding of complex issues adopted by the population at large.
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Edward Quinn
3/23/2016 07:04:44 am
I also really enjoyed seeing academic work being applied for the enhancement of human well-being! What is admirable about Frameworks is that they are doing applied work in such a methodologically robust way. They first do ethnographic work and literature reviews to understand their target populations (lay public and experts), and then move to a prescriptive, iterative stage of research to propose and refine solutions to communication problems between the public and experts. They rely on cognitive anthropology and cultural models theory, but also incorporate quantitative testing of their ideas. This is a great example of applied mixed-methods anthropology. I'm curious whether Frameworks ever does follow up work on the success of their communication recommendations. One thing they could have talked about a little bit more is culture change. It seems to me that Frameworks takes a static view of culture. Once they've described the problem and provided alternative ways to communicate knowledge, they seem to stop. How can we think about how their recommendations actually end up changing culture?
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Edward Quinn (2nd Response)
4/28/2016 07:17:28 pm
What struck me about this class discussion, and the readings in general for this class was the breadth of topics covered. It makes me wonder if neuroanthropology as a discipline has a field of study. Is neuroanthropology simply a perspective that can be applied to a myriad of basic science and societal problems? Does neuroanthropology have core questions? Perhaps it is a lack of a particular field of study that allows neuroanthropology to be applied to a wide variety of issues, as evidenced by this special issue.
Mirjam Holleman
3/22/2016 03:33:06 pm
"Life history and real life: an example of neuroanthropology in Aboriginal Australia" (Burbank, Victoria, K. 2012):
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Myra
3/22/2016 06:41:25 pm
Cultural Variation in Rugby Skills: A Preliminary Neuroanthropological Report
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Myra
5/4/2016 02:49:31 pm
This article is yet another example of the plasticity of the brain in response to enculturation. I really like the idea of using eye-tracking to measure attention. Even though it would be hard to track the attention of rugby players in a lab setting, it might be useful to measure attention in different contexts. Perhaps if neuroanthropologists tracked the eyes in similar situations, such as driving or playing a video game, it could give more insight into the process of enculturation.
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Amanda Oldani
3/22/2016 09:55:17 pm
Empathy and the Robot: A Neuroanthropological Analysis by Katie Glaskin
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Amanda Oldani
3/22/2016 10:02:24 pm
I really enjoyed reading this article. I am fairly unaware of the technological advancements within the robotics field, and I think that the development of emotions in these creations is really amazing. I thought that the author did a nice job of summarizing the important aspects of this endeavor, and I have a better understanding of some of the details within emotion. I also agreed with her point that culture influences more than just the social experience of emotions, and I'm interested to see where/how fast this process of advancement goes. I also really enjoyed understanding why robots are so accepted within Japan, as opposed to some other countries, such as Australia. For example, their history, religious view of Animism, and language and the use of "to be" all play a role in robot popularity.
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Edward Quinn
3/23/2016 07:21:19 am
There were two different things that I found particularly compelling in this article. One is something that Glaskin brings up right at the end of her article: when we're talking about building robots with emotions, we're talking about imbuing them with a particular understanding of emotions. Many researchers use Antonio Damasio's model of emotions (the primary and secondary emotions mentioned above) when attempting to code emotions into robots. Little to no consideration is given to the idea that Damasio's model of emotions might not capture emotions in a cultural context outside of the halls of academia and the West in general. Another point Glaskin highlights is that humans can be empathetic because of our shared physiology, and that this may be an insurmountable difficulty in inserting emotion into robots. An interesting extension of this idea is that robots that have shared "physiology" might then be able to relate to the "feelings" of another robot, enabling something analogous to "empathy." It's mind boggling to imagine a world in which robots experience something like empathy because of their shared embodiment of the environment and "physiological state."
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Amanda Oldani
4/27/2016 07:37:17 am
I am also curious about other models of emotion, as Edward mentions. What if there is a different, easier way to understand the emotions that humans feel? Is there a better way to give robots emotions? I think giving robots empathy would be incredibly complex, as not all humans are even capable of it. This sort of thing also is interesting as well as slightly scary. I think this new frontier is a great place for neuroanthropology to make strides in the understanding of our own minds as well as the technological side.
Michelle Bird
3/23/2016 10:14:00 am
I thought this article was interesting, but I found myself getting caught up in some serious ethical dilemmas revolving around providing a non-human lifeform human characteristics ranging from judgment to emotional response. If we are creating machinery which is able to empathize with its owner, utilize logical pathways, and learn from varying response and form personal connections that vary in depth and meaning, then employing them in the service industry seems entirely too much like slavery to me; however, I'm not entirely certain if this is a negative thing or not, because we could use robotics to end one of the world's most ancient and cruel (but sadly nearly always necessary for any kind of significant economic or social progress) practices.
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Michelle Bird 2nd post
5/5/2016 08:41:23 pm
Upon rereading the robotics article, I found myself asking different questions. Rather than being caught up in the “weirdness” of interacting regularly with this kind of machine, I tried to think about what the benefits could be. I thought about how useful it could be in the long-term in certain contexts, such as providing companionship to those who struggle with interpersonal relationships as a form of therapy. Given that we don’t know everything about our own emotions and decision-making processes, it’s something of a frightening thought that a machine may be able to reason the way a human can without feeling – a lack of empathy in such a machine could prove seriously detrimental to us, but if their brains aren’t as complex as ours are, perhaps that won’t be a problem.
Nick Roy
3/23/2016 06:05:48 am
I found the articles I was assigned from the Annals of Anthropological Practice shared a common theme. Both discussed how culture and mental illness interplay together. The first article (Kohrt et al, 2012) gave an account of an ethnography of Bhutanese Nepali refugees in America with a focus on how mental healthcare providers can use Nepali understandings of the self to better serve the refugee population. The authors argue that since the Nepali studied view a distinction between the "heart-mind" and the "brain-mind and the heart-mind is associated with emotion while the brain-mind is associated with reason, mental healthcare providers should take this distinction into account as they use psychotherapy to treat Bhutanese refugees.
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Paige Ridley
3/23/2016 09:40:55 am
In the articles that I was assigned there was a bit of an overlap in the theme of feelings and how there are portrayed. I really enjoyed the article by Glaskin titles “Empathy And the Robot”. Robots are often thought of as inanimate objects that can conduct specific duties. The word robot means a act of labor that is forced or in the form of being a slave. Glaskin dives into the heart of robots and how they are slowly by surely making their appearance into society as well as being acknowledged in the sense of being people. Japan is noted as being the robot kingdom throughout the world. While many robots are making their debuts there is one distinguished robot named Nao. Nao not only has the ability to “show emotions but he can also develop emotions” as well (Glaskin 69). Emotion is much deeper than just one’s facial expressions but how they in fact feel inside and out. Glaskin mentions that in order for man to create a robot who interacts with humans if it important that the individuals view the robot as one of their own.
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Paige Ridley
5/1/2016 07:27:22 pm
This article was one of the most interesting articles that I was able to read this semester. I think one of the main reason that I have enjoyed it was because I have been fascinated with Robots since I was a very little girl. Trying to wrap my mind around the fact they could perform duties of an adult. Even twenty years later I am still curious and trying to wrap my mind around the idea that the individuals in japan is noted as having feelings. If they can make robots express emotions at the drop of a hat it really makes you wonder what kinds of other inventions I will see in my life time. From an anthropology aspect it really sends the idea of having a holistic viewpoint and meeting individuals on their terms. This is the exact idea that the Japanese are trying to convey through there robots which they have build and in a sense trained.
Nick Roy
5/4/2016 10:44:58 am
Looking back, given what is now known about Flint, Michigan and other places facing environmental discrimination in this country, I think it is important that neuroanthropology studies the effects lead poisoning in order to both counteract theories that feature a reductionist perspective that ignores context and to develop services that can better help those affected. I think that incorporating an applied anthropology focus into the broader neuroanthropology will help develop the new field.
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Kelly Likos
3/23/2016 06:58:09 am
One of the two documents I read this week was by Helena Hansen and Mary E. Skinner. The article was titled: “From White Bullets to Black Markets and Greened Medicine: The Neuroeconomics and Neuroracial Politics of Opioid Pharmaceuticals”. Hansen and Skinner provide perspective on the social stratification of opioid treatment and addiction in United States populations. Specifically, the Black and Latino urban poor and white middle class populations. The focused issue by the authors concerns the reinforced stigma that provides structure to the biological, political, and economic dependence of the various classes of opioid markets (167).
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Jake Aronoff
3/23/2016 08:39:14 am
The article by Collura & Lende provides an applied neuroanthropological approach to PTSD and its rising prevalence. This article provides a complementary perspective to the biomedical and psychiatric perspective on PTSD, highlighting the relevance of interpretation and meaning-making of trauma both before, during, and after it is experienced. Collura & Lende also highlight the relevance of identity to the experience of combat and trauma (in terms of their identity as a soldier and their identity back home). Possible avenues for preventing PTSD are provided, including identity cards that help maintain a balance of overall cultural identity along with the soldiers’ more narrow institutional identity as well as taking measures to improve communication and therefore the effectiveness of the “battle-buddy system”.
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Jake Aronoff (2nd Post)
4/29/2016 03:52:00 pm
The article by Collura & Lende is particularly interesting following the discussion of identity construction and narrative a few weeks ago. Understanding that identity is fluid and always being constructed is highlighted through this article. Based on our class discussion, it would be interesting to see the role of narrative construction incorporated into the identity aspect of this article.
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Catherine Lindsay Manson
3/23/2016 08:52:06 am
Greg Downey's article, Culture Variation in Rugby Skills: A Preliminary Neuroanthropological Report, discusses the difference in how rugby skills are acquired throughout the pacific island nations. Downey focuses on the great differences and variations on how these skills are taught to the players in different cultures in the pacific. Some of the major differences are between the Australian teams - teaching in a more rigorous process of drilling and concepts of the game - and islands like Tonga and Fiji - which strictly teach in a form of scrimmages between local groups or teams. On page 29 Downey describes the difference between two practices in anthropology to explain skill acquisition. The first is enculturation, “entails an internalisation of collective representations" or creating an understanding of something through its practice. The second is enskilment, "learning is inseparable from doing, and in which both are embedded in the context of a practical engagement in the world—that is, in dwelling".
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Catherine Manson
4/27/2016 09:35:06 am
Downey's article was meant to show the similarities in what rugby coaches and anthropologists look for when putting together a team or group of participants for a study. He concludes that both are looking for a wide variety of diversity among the groups in order to receive the best results.
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Larry Monocello
3/23/2016 09:26:39 am
Downey, G. "Cultural Variation in Rugby Skills" and Lende, D. H. "Poverty Poisons the Brain."
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Michelle Bird
3/23/2016 10:05:58 am
“Sensical Translations: Three Case Studies in Applied Cognitive Communications”
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Molly Jaworski
3/23/2016 10:21:45 am
The article “Towards an Applied Neuroanthropology of Psychosis: Interplay of Culture, Brains, and Experience” by Myers, provided an ethnographic case study of a man diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and the events of his life that led to his diagnosis. In the interview, Leroy (the subject of study), discussed his upbringing. From birth he was label by his grandmother to have ‘the veil over his eyes’ which culturally for her meant that he could see what others could not. In his childhood he saw things, and had dreams and so his aunt performed exorcisms to rid him of the spirits, which worked for him. But growing up poor with no way out of his situation led him to make poor decisions, that he knew were bad but did out of care for his friends. Eventually this led him to prison. In prison he was a model prisoner which ultimately led to his downfall, in which he was alienated. Eventually this stress triggered him to offend an officer who put him in solitary for 80 days. A man who had was prone to visions and delusions as a child was subjected to being isolated alone with nothing but his thoughts that eventually overcame him and led to his psychiatric disorder. This cultural stressor of solitary triggered his schizoaffective disorder, a disorder he was susceptible to because of his development. This article emphasizes how culture experience or life experience can ‘get under the skin’ and have a biological and psychological effect on persons. It is discussed that in western culture it is harder to overcome these psychiatric disorder labels because of the cultural stressors, whereas in other cultures it can be improved or the title can be removed in entirety. Myers goes into length about the chemical changes that can occur due to stressors and that when those stressors cease, the chemical levels or “allostatic overload” can diminish (Myers 122). I found this article to be very intriguing and I would like to understand more of how diagnosis of disorders vary culturally and can be treated or even eliminated based on cultural experiences and views on them and how proactive approaches can be studied in order to prevent such disorders from hindering one’s life experience.
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Molly Jaworski
5/5/2016 09:40:40 am
After class discussion, I still feel that both of these articles provide important insight in how psychological diseases need to be viewed neuroanthropologically. Psychological disorders cannot just be viewed by one interdisciplinary area of study. A multitude of factors such as culture, psychology, biology, and life experiences can all influence an individual and can trigger certain conditions.
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McCallie L. Smith III
3/23/2016 10:38:36 am
Both of the articles I read had a similarity between them. Both of the articles deal with how culture and the mind are entangled and have affects on one another. In the first article i read by Collura and Lende examines PTSD through a nuroanthropological lens. The authors highlight the facts that there had been little efforts by the military or any other entity for that matter to focus on a predeployment approach to dealing with and understanding PTSD Nuroanthropologically the authors want to emphasize the importance of understanding how trauma, stress, and adversity are experienced and interpenetrated before during and after combat experiences. The stress the importance of culture, and cultural identity of the individual, and how trauma can alter the understanding of how the individual understands them self. Another important element of the article is the idea of dislocation and how a soldier in many ways and forms is constantly being dislocated from their own personal cultural identity and that can greatly affect their potential to have PTSD. Later in the article they give various suggestions as to how soldiers can prepare for these things on a personal level.
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McCallie L. Smith III (trip) 2nd
5/4/2016 08:43:33 am
The two articles that I covered in this section were, to me, studies that are truly nuroanthropological in nature. The articles do a good job at showing the interplay and exchange that the mind has with culture and that culture has on the mind.
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Olivia Davis
3/23/2016 10:49:28 am
While reading Katie Glaskin's article, "Empathy and the Robot," I found my ideas of artificial intelligence from the fictional movies and novels that I've known coming to life. Despite an initial sense of discomfort with the concept of robots being able to adapt to human emotion so easily, the article did a good job of redirecting that concern into support for the robotic 'cause' as it were. By addressing the distinction between feeling and emotion, feeling being the more private and in this sense 'human' event and emotion being the publicly expressed behavior for communicative purposes, the author does a brilliant job of dismantling the thought that robots could one day take over the world and leave us humans in the dust (or worse...). In fact, there are many practical and effective uses for robots that have the capability to express emotional states and interpret the emotional states of humans. One example of this practicality is mentioned with regard to the medical field in hospitals and with the care of elderly. Robots with emotional capabilities, even in a very basic fashion, can and do provide all of the consistency of a computer program with an added sense of attachment and care that we are used to thinking can only come from another human. Although human error can never be eradicated from life, the use of robots to minimize certain issues with processes in the medical, industrial, educational (etc.) fields could have impressive implications for our own and future generations.
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Olivia Davis
5/5/2016 09:34:16 am
Although I still fear the robotic apocalypse, I believe that having certain robotic assistants could have positive implications for people in the medical field, industrial field, and in education which could produce wonders for the general population and it's quality of life.
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AuthorThis blog is group authored by Dr. DeCaro and the students in his ANT 474/574: Neuroanthropology. Archives
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