Structural Inequalities, Wealth and Inequality, and Anthropology in the World
PART 1: STRUCTURAL INEQUALITIES Answer ONE of the two following short answer questions. Responses should be at approximately twothree paragraphs in length (~350-500 words). This question is worth 10 marks. A) In his chapter, Paisley Currah writes, “in examining state decisions on sex classification…I focus not on what sex is but on what it does.” Explain the significance of this statement, using one example from Module 7. OR B) What does the phrase, “race is an illusion, but racism is not,” mean? Explain with reference to either scientific racism or structural racism. Your response must include a discussion of the documentary, “Race: Power of an Illusion, Episode 3,” plus one reading from Module 8.
PART 2: WEALTH AND INEQUALITY Answer ONE of the two following short answer questions. Responses should be at approximately twothree paragraphs in length (~350-500 words). This question is worth 10 marks. A) In “What is Communicable,” Amy Moran-Thomas is shocked to learn about the presence of hyperbaric chambers in Belize. What is important about the chambers and, according to MoranThomas, how are they related to class-based inequalities? Explain with reference to her chapter. OR B) Why is it so difficult for consumers in the Global North to know if the products they buy are produced by forced labour in faraway markets? What are the historical roots of this economic relationship? Explain, using one example from Module 10 to support your answer. - - - - -
PART 3: ANTHROPOLOGIY “IN THE WORLD” Answer ONE of the two following short answer questions. Responses should be at approximately twothree paragraphs in length (~350-500 words). This question is worth 10 marks. A) The rise of socioeconomic inequalities has sparked intense debates on how people respond to social injustices in their lives. Why do people turn to social movements in order to enact social change? Explain with reference one Module 11 reading and/or the SABC broadcast, “Freedom is Not Free.” Your response should address one strength and one limitation of social movements. OR B) According to Dayna Scott, what is an “unimagined community?” Why might Sarnia and Aamjiwnaang First Nation serve as examples of this phenomenon? Explain with reference to the concept, the “Anthropocene,” as discussed in Module 12. GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS • Some articles are rich in ethnographic detail. Do not try to summarize every detail in your response. Instead, concentrate on the author’s most salient examples to illustrate your point. • Be sure to clearly indicate which reading(s) or lecture(s) you are referring to support your answers. This means using in-text citations when either paraphrasing or using direct quotations— e.g., (Grimes 2000, 103) or (Caporusso 2023, Lecture 7). • You may use a style guide of your choosing (Chicago, MLA, or APA) so long as it is applied consistently. Failure to cite materials will result in a lower grade.
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Final Test
Part 1: Structural Inequalities
The physical traits of a group of people are referred to as race. Meanwhile, racism is defined as the mistreatment of different racial or ethnic groups (Robbins et al. 2016, Lecture 8). Race lacks scientific reality, which is why it is regarded as an illusion. However, racism continues, and its consequences are visible, which is why the expression “race is an illusion, but racism is not” emerges. How does race become an illusion? How does racism become a reality?
Racism is a powerful and ubiquitous social construct. The term structural racism refers to societal rules that discriminate against groups of people. Thus, racism is more than just an individual's attitude or perception of a group; it is ingrained in society. For instance, Black Americans are a group that is always disadvantaged, and it is not just a single individual who mistreats them, but instead, most people because the mistreatment of this population has been ingrained in history and society. This group has been subjected to mistreatment their entire lives. They were exposed to the adverse impacts of racism at a young age. Blacks have limited access to healthcare, education, and other services. Some of them suffer segregation from other students in schools, and they are not prioritized in hospitals because of the stereotypes associated with them. Unfortunately, such domestic violence continues until adulthood. Since corporations favor other people over Blacks, it is more challenging for them to get jobs that compensate them well. Other people are thought to be better than them since they attended renowned schools and are better people in nature. Furthermore, Blacks have been the victims of violence. A violent altercation between a