ANTHROPOLOGY In Module 4, we are exploring belief systems, values, and the art forms particular to cultures and how these inform cultural anthropology’s investigation of cultures. Learning about relig

ANTHROPOLOGY

In Module 4, we are exploring belief systems, values, and the art forms particular to cultures and how these inform cultural anthropology’s investigation of cultures. Learning about religion and belief systems and why people believe the way they do, gives us a better look into their culture, and encourages tolerance and understanding.

Instructions

For this discussion, your initial post is an “observation report” or mini-ethnography. Please plan ahead; do not wait until this discussion is current to complete the necessary observation!

Choose a religion/spiritual path to explore and visit a place where people worship/practice this belief (i.e., church, temple, mountaintop, etc.). Do try and experience something new so you can get a sense of what an anthropologist doing fieldwork for the first time would encounter.

• Title your post with the name of the location you observed.
• Provide a brief history of the belief system, a description of the people, place, and activities you observed.
• If a ritual took place, do your best to describe it, including its religious significance and peoples’ reactions during the experience.
• Reflect about your experience completing the observation.