Anthropological Pentad

ANTHROPOLOGICAL PENTAD (IPSEA – shorthand) from David Beal – Kempner High School    

a way to access a comparison of different literary periods or competing influences within a period a way to compare cultures (or culture clashes or sub-cultures) within a literary work or a contemporary issue a way to get students thinking on a reading quiz that can’t be duplicated by Pink Monkey, Spark Notes, etc. HA! NOTE: These systems overlap frequently but can still be used as a somewhat separate discussion independently from one another.

IDEOLOGICAL SYSTEM:

(controlling ideas, values, morality, beliefs) This system is made up of beliefs, ideas and values of a civilization, culture, or subculture. These items influence and control the thoughts, feelings, and actions of a people or a group. Included in this system are all the ideas that guide the behavior of a people, determining the type of education, government, and social structure of a people. This system is the “chicken,” and the other systems are the “egg.” This system is the “cause” and the others are the “effect.” Consider such things as the nature of reality, God/gods, humans, life, morality, authority, importance of self/group. This system is dynamic, as are the other systems. In fact, the concept of “change” would be part of this system. Questions to ask about this system: 1. What is the worth of an individual? The group? The relationship between the two? 2. What are the ideas about the unknowable, the mysterious, and/or the universe? 3. What principles/thoughts govern behavior, both solitary and group? 4. How are humans to treat themselves, each other, nature? 5. What is the priority of value: things, people, ideas, friendship, etc? 6. Are their superior beings to whom individuals and/or groups are accountable? God, gods, universal principles? 7. What basic guidelines go through an individual in this culture on a basic, day-to-day basis? 8. How does this culture determine what it means to be sane and insane? Examples of Ideological Statements: (religious statements, core beliefs, what you think, what drives your behavior) 1. Use things and love people, not the other way around. 2. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. 3. All truth is relative, and morality is really what is culturally appropriate. 4. The survival of the tribe is paramount; I am unimportant. 5. Man is created in the image of God; no other creature has this distinction. 6. I must and will follow the code of the Samurai. 7. I am simply a highly evolved primate; my behavior is governed by my needs and drive for survival.

POLITICAL SYSTEM: All cultures develop unique ways to make and enforce rules (laws) that affect all members. This governing structure is the political system. All societies develop methods to select leaders, to arrive at public decisions, to make their laws and enforce them. Thus, all political systems deal with government, laws, courts, politicians, public leaders, and enforcement agents such as the police or military (in some societies). The defense of a society against outside, or inside, enemies who threaten its existence is also part of this system. Usually, those responsible for government are also responsible for public safety. This system may change rather frequently – peacefully or violently (relates to ideology). Questions to ask about this system: 1. What type of government do these people have? Authoritarian, dictatorship, oligarchy, theocracy, republic, democracy, tribal? 2. Who is/are the leader/leaders, and how is/are he/she/they chosen? 3. How are public decisions made and enforced? 4. What sort of punishment(s) is/are permitted/ accepted by the culture? 5. Who has the power? 6. What is the relationship between formal and informal power? 7. Is there a way to change the governing structure? 8. What is the attitude of the people in relation to the power structure? 9. How is legal cohesion maintained? Examples of Political Statements: 1. Silence! The chief has spoken, and his word is law. 2. Since the Civil War, the executive branch has obtained too much power. 3. The available candidates are a clear example of the power and insanity of the media. 4. I am sick of all the time it takes to get legislation passed; we need a good king. 5. If the issues were clearer, I might understand the election better. 6. To get the scepter, you must prove your worth, my eldest son. 7. I am the Duke, and I will decide when, and if, you are to marry!

SOCIAL SYSTEM: When two or more individuals share similar interests or objectives, and interact in the same activities, they form a social system. All societies have a social system. This is often the most complex, richest, and most difficult to navigate of all the systems. In this system we see how people behave in groups and as individuals relating to a group. Social groups include but are not limited to being familial, peer, ethnic, religious, class-stratified, etc. What rules govern how we behave in a social setting, and how important is it to follow these rules? In this system the questions may be more helpful than definitions. Questions to ask about this system: 1. What groups exist in this culture? 2. How are roles assigned by this society? 3. What rules govern interaction among different groups or individuals from different groups? 4. How does one obtain status? Earned? Occupational? Inherited? 5. Does gender govern behavior?

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Who or what group has privileges? Are there different social classes? Fixed? Mobile? Inherited? Protocol? What happens if I break protocol? What importance does this culture place on the idea of group? How are members identified as being part of the “in” crowd or out of it? Who is “winging” in this culture? What rules govern your popularity or success as an individual?

Examples of Social Statements: 1. Young man, take off your hat. You are inside my house. 2. Hey, don’t listen to him. He is, well, not “old money” like we are. 3. You are just a peasant, so don’t forget that when you first see the King, you must drop to your knees and touch your forehead to the floor. Do not rise until he speaks to you. 4. Oh, I want to see Tom Cruise come out of that café. I want his autograph soooooo bad. He might even speak to me, but I doubt it because I am just an English teacher. 5. I am a member of the Inner Sanctum. We have always only answered to the King. 6. I am father, husband, teacher, friend, and sometimes I just don’t know how to act when I have to be all at once. 7. You idiot, you will never be a Knight. You were born a peasant, are a peasant, and will die a peasant. If you are lucky, some rich Knight might allow you to shine his armor. 8. Oh, no, I have never been to a military ball; I have no idea what to do or how to act. 9. Ok, don’t forget, we are the Windmills, and even though we are better than the Ditch Diggers, be nice, smile, and don’t say anything that will offend them. We are better than that.

ECONOMIC SYSTEM: In every society the members depend on each other for physical survival. Members develop the use of their natural environment to produce necessities required for survival as well as for things desired to mike life more comfortable and pleasant. The sum total of the attempts to satisfy these needs and wants is the economic system. Consider natural resources, goods and services, tools and equipment, labor, production methods, distribution wealth, scarcity, and various decisions relating to the aforementioned. The primary question is how do I get what I need/want? Questions to ask about this system: 1. How do I get what I need/want? Money? Government distribution? Chief decides? 2. Who controls production and distribution? Free market? Government? Dictator? 3. Is there a black or gray market? 4. Barter? Currency? Is a currency backed by anything? 5. What things have worth? Why? 6. How does the culture obtain things it cannot produce? 7. Does money relate to class, ability, inheritance, etc.? Who has “buying power”? 8. What is the relationship between this culture’s resources and power? Examples of Economic Questions: 1. Teachers don’t make nearly enough money, especially when you consider what they do. 2. I get some great deals on books at garage sales. 3. I had to stand in line for three hours for a loaf of bread and a half pound of cheese. You won’t see the party leaders doing that. 4. We all know that oil in the Middle East has influenced foreign policy. 5. A dollar an hour is a great wage compared to the salary my workers in the factory in Peru were making prior to this job. 6. When there is a crisis, will you be able to eat your stored diamonds? 7. The tax on foreign fruit is unfair to the South American farmer.

AESTHETIC SYSTEM: This system involves the search for beauty, fun, and artistic expression. Consider elements such as dance, drama, folklore, graphic arts, literature, sculpture, etc. Some cultures even see tools as part of this system. The Japanese have seen sword crafting as both a martial art and an aspect of beauty. If a culture goes into survival mode, this system is the quickest to suffer. Some see the richness of this system as a way of gauging the “health” of a civilization. Questions to ask for this system: 1. What do they do for fun? 2. How do they define beauty? Physical? Cognitive? Both? Neither? 3. What types of art do they have? 4. What value do they place on art? 5. How does beauty/art reflect the values of the culture? Examples of Aesthetic Statements: 1. I can’t get enough of theatre-going. I wish more people supported live theatre. 2. I really enjoy playing the guitar in my spare time. 3. I have never seen a painting in a museum that equals a West Texas sunset. 4. I wish Fort Bend spent as much on fine arts as they do on ____________ (you fill in the blank).