«Anthropology in the Modern Society» - Free Essay Paper

Introduction

Modern societies have developed in the way they carry out their daily activities. Anthropology in the modern society exists; however, it has significantly changed with time. The issue of globalization has led to the decline of culture in various societies. Culture has been changing with time as societies move from their traditional cultural activities towards modern cultural activities. Culture is the way of life of an individual or the society, and it remains present despite the fact that people are changing what they do and how they do it. The existence of anthropology depends highly on the leadership of those at the helm. Political stability and effective transition to positive globalization favor the development of culture. Traditional practices are preserved if the present leadership embraces an all round development strategy regarding cultural heritage.

Modern Anthropology

In Turner’s view, the decline of culture in anthropology is associated with the eradication of aesthetic values caused by globalization. He draws his case from the concept of urban destruction as an example of cultural developments with time. During the early times, culture was mostly associated with racism as it covered activities of different societies from different places. The activities of different races were classified according to races, and some races were considered superior to others. Modern anthropology brings out the issue of protecting all races in order to eliminate all negative aspects of racism and discrimination. Modern anthropology has tried to transform the ideas of culture as an important leeway to the development of human needs and protection by law.

Modern anthropology explains culture as a continuous process of signification. Culture gives meaning to people’s beliefs, their progressive practices and the institutions to which they are attached. The cultural process, according to Turner, is continuous, and culture is always being developed over time. Modern day cultures are not restricted to cohesive traditional practices but are subject to change as globalization takes shape. Cultural survival is associated with the abandonment of specific communal cultures so as to engage in helpful ideologies associated with cultural activities.

With respect to modern anthropology, cultures keep on developing. This is due to globalization as the world’s different cultures become absorbed in the different communities. However, some cultures stay resistant to change as they may be too traditional to concur with today’s globalization pace. The modern society has a common cultural aspect through the various political, social and economic activities. Societies tend to rely on each other through trading activities, social and political relations. These values bring about the combination of different cultures, which in turn decline the aspects of retrogressive vices that may mislead the society as a whole.

The possession of strong aesthetic values reminds societies of their traditional organic culture in which they may borrow information in regard to current trends. Societies around the world tend to associate themselves with their traditional activities in terms of collective memories. Most modern societies especially those in the East do not take for granted their traditional cultural practices. Turner writes that, as much as society resists the impacts of negative globalization, a few negative elements are instilled in that society due to lack of social capital. The processes of globalization of markets and standardization of products have led to the emergence of a common culture of consumer power. Products from various parts of the world dictate the consumer power and ability to access these products.

Turner does not state clearly on his stand on modern anthropology. He relates his issues to the developments seen and experienced by the various societies covered in his work. Turner differentiates himself from the views of Sandall and says that culture is prone to changes over time. He suggests that culture is not a valid scientific concept and that it relies on consistency with time.

Conclusion

Anthropology in the modern world has taken a new form. Globalization has enabled societies to adopt various cultural practices such as common religious activities. Today, most communities are interconnected through adoption of their cultures into one that combines them all. Culture is a progressive and continuous process that takes shape with time.