Different cultures usually have other practices that are unique to their origin. Marriage can be very different depending on where one comes from. For example, some tribes in Asia practice fraternal polyandry, which is a rare case for other tribes in the world. Some tribes also practice polygamy, which is not common to other tribes. Being unique and having exceptional norms is what identifies a particular culture. The most important thing is how people from those tribes embrace their culture with utmost significance. Hence, this paper will compare two articles, “When Brothers Share a Wife” by Goldstein and “One Man, Many Wives, Big Problems” by Rauch, as well as their cultural and linguistic anthropological classifications.
The articles “When Brothers Share a Wife” by Goldstein and “One Man, Many Wives, Big Problems” by Rauch belong to the cultural anthropology field because they are about types of marriages common to cultures. Besides, the two articles can be assigned to linguistic anthropology because they use language specific to their culture. For instance, the term “big love” has been used in Rauch’s story to justify polygamy (Rauch, 2006). In Goldstein’s story, the children call the eldest brother “father” and the other brothers “father’s brother” (Goldstein, 1987). The specificity of terms in the articles shows that language is also essential, and each culture has a language that they can identify with as theirs.
Knowledge of different types of anthropology applies to the lectures and course content because it reveals how the various environmental and natural things shape people. It also shows the classification of different cultures and the origin of other people according to their biology, culture, language, and archaeology (Toren, 2020). Anthropology opens the door to discoveries and answers questions about oneself, their past, future, and present. The origin of people connects them from around the world. Some anthropological aspects, like linguistics, have contributed to literature. Combining anthropology and literature gives a new element to the group being studied. Even today, people still practice their cultures despite modernization and the interaction of people in urban areas. The two articles show the specific traits that cultural anthropology entails and how they can be identified. They also portray the roles of language in shaping different cultural practices because the two articles have the specific language they use when referring to things.
Anthropology is essential in personal life because it enables one to comprehend how people interact in social relationships, like with friends and families. One can understand why people dress and communicate in different societies. Anthropology is also crucial to professional life because it prepares learners for excellent jobs and opens doors to different career paths (Bryant & Knight, 2019). Through anthropology, a professional can solve real-world problems using anthropological ideas and methods, like health, education, and environmental matters. Understanding anthropology is vital to help one appreciate different people and their cultures because it shapes them into who they are.
In conclusion, the point I found interesting is that of one girl getting married to four brothers. This is a rare case but is typical to some communities in Asia, like the Jaunsari tribes and the Tibetans. The two articles have brought out pictures of marriage in different cultures. The two types of marriages portrayed are quite different because one is about one wife marrying several husbands, while the other is about one man marrying several wives. The two articles are cultural anthropology because they describe different cultures.
References
Bryant, R., & Knight, D. M. (2019). The anthropology of the future. Cambridge University Press.
Goldstein, M. C. (1987). When Brothers Share a Wife. Natural History Magazine. Web.
Rauch, J. (2006). One Man, Many Wives, Big Problems. The Atlantic, April. Web.
Toren, C. (2020). Anthropology is the whole science of what it is to be human. In Anthropology beyond culture (pp. 105–124). Routledge. Web.