Introduction
Human societies display a wide diversity of sociopolitical complexity. From the smallest scales of social organization, hunter-gather families, to the largest and most complex states, our forms of interaction typically involve community and belonging. Culture is formed on the basis of shared thoughts, values, traditions, and norms which shape the society and ways of thinking. Within our varying and unique lifestyles, we recognize kinship, marriage and residence patterns, membership in networks, and structured forms of organization and behavior (be it formal or informal).
As we will learn in the video about Papua New Guinea, the community maintains a fishing subsistence lifestyle that is isolated without electricity or indoor plumbing based on the geographic location. Their rituals are rich with color, dance, design, and traditions that extend through the generations. In this discussion, you will share a family or community activity, cultural tradition, or ritual and identify sociopolitical dynamics, changes across generations or over time, and match your community/family group as a band, tribe, chiefdom, or state.
Watch Video
REVIEW: Dive deep into the unexplored, mystic Papua New Guinea. Witness tribal rituals all the way from notorious highlands to isolated atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Learn about the thoughts and lives of Papua New Guineans, and find yourself admiring beautiful landscapes the nation holds within. Is there still cannibalism in Papua New Guinea? How do Papua New Guineans live? What is it like in this mysterious nation? “Expect the unexpected”, as the locals say, and find out!
-Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBnCujiom5k
Post: (15 points = 15 sentences minimum)
Questions to answer for Discussion 4:
-Explain a family or community activity, cultural tradition or ritual that builds a sense of connection within or outside of your immediate family. Share dress, styles, and other forms of expression.
-Describe any social stratification within the activity based on age, gender, or family (single/married), kinship, etc.
-Identify how the tradition, ritual, or activity has changed over time or generations, if known. Maybe it changed during the Covid pandemic.
-If you were to label your group a tribe, band, chiefdom or state, describe which form of sociopolitical organization best describes your group and name three key characteristics.
