Posted: October 6th, 2016

How is it that some healing practices are considered more rational than others? Discuss by considering debates engaged in by anthropologists.

Answer by drawing upon ethnographic material and assessing the use of emic and etic concepts. 6. What is the relationship between prayer and magic spells? Consider how deities and how the power of words and actions are understood by two different communities. 7. How is it that some healing practices are considered more rational than others? Discuss by considering debates engaged in by anthropologists. 8. How useful is it for us to categorise raves (dance parties) or adventure travel as spiritual quests? Discuss the conceptual tools available to anthropologists for describing such experiences. 9. Is there reason to consider the witchcraft of the Songhay and that of the ‘modern girl’ as belonging to the same category of behaviour? Is the contrast between the social environments too great? Discuss by drawing upon case study material and by considering the conceptual tools used by anthropologists. 10. In what ways do bodily adornments (such as dreadlocks, tattoos, henna, beards…) have significance? Discuss by drawing upon a case study of a religious group