After viewing the episode of Taboo, what are your reactions? In a paragraph, respond to the following questions here by Monday 3/18 at 8am
- Choose 1 deviant behavior depicted in the episode
- Describe the behavior, it's value in that culture, and why it is taboo to us
- Describe the sanctions associated with the behavior (are they positive? negative? How so... How are the sanctions based on culture? In the US how would we sanction this behavior?)
- Overall reaction
- How did your ethnocentrism affect you?
Video Link: Taboo (National Geographic): Signs of Identity
"Signs of Identity | National Geographic Channel: Marks of identity are not always about the art. In Japan, tattoos mark criminal gangs. In Canada, "branding" tests courage."
"Signs of Identity | National Geographic Channel: Marks of identity are not always about the art. In Japan, tattoos mark criminal gangs. In Canada, "branding" tests courage."
A deviant behavior that stood out the most to me was the branding. The behavior of branding is basically burning ones skin to make a permanent marking with 3rd degree burns. It's value to to the culture of those who are body extremists is individuality. Branding is obviously a unique type of way to be different which to some creates a different form of individuality that can not be reached by just a simple tattoo. Branding is so taboo to us because its hard to grasp why someone would want to put themselves through such terrible pain just to make a statement about themselves. A Negative sanction associating with branding would be non-acceptance by society for choosing to do something so harmful willingly one may assume that that person has a mental illness. My overall reaction wasn't really shock because I have heard of people branding themselves, but it was shocking to know that people go to such extremes to do huge areas of their body. My ethnocentrism affected me because the type of society I belong to something like branding is seriously out of the norm.
ReplyDeleteThe second one depicted was branding of the skin in Toronto, Canada. Like a tattoo, people choose a design that they want on their skin permanently. However, it is branded into their skin using heat or lasers that go up to 1000 degrees. It shows a sense of identity for that person, ownership of their own body, and a sense of courage and strength. It is unique. It's taboo to us because it is so painful, yet people still endure it. They can smell their own flesh and are in excruciating pain. Some people even enjoy the pain, which is so taboo to us.
ReplyDeleteThe sanctions are mixed. To themselves and others who have branding, there are positive sanctions associated with this. They are looked at as art and beautiful and a symbol of identity. However, to people who don't believe in body modification or at least to that extreme, they are repulsed by this and wonder how anyone can do that to their body. Especially older people, some might call the person out in front of their face for being stupid or ugly for having the branding. In our culture in the US, it's almost becoming acceptable to have a piercing or tattoo, but branding is so taboo because it isn't widespread yet and because of the way it is executed.
My overall reaction was to cringe. I love body mods, but this was just very extreme and the pain and torture associated with it made me wonder why people do this. It isn't quick like a piercing or with a small needle like a tattoo. It was with a thick, hot piece of metal and went very slowly. It almost made my stomach turn.
My ethnocentrism made me see this as very taboo. Although it didn't happen in a place such as Ethiopia, I was still influenced. I couldn't imagine walking down the street and seeing someone with a branded design on them. It would be so odd. I feel like they belong in a third world country.
The deviant behavior in this episode was the whipping and bull jumping ritual in Ethiopia Africa. A boy in the tribe must go through the ritual of jumping over cattle and the women in his family must get whipped for him. They get whipped to show respect and appreciation for their brother. The women getting whipped think of this whipping as a mark of dedication and respect. They want to be whipped to show their brother that they love and care for him. The sanctions in this episode were being whipped. In the tribe's eyes being whipped is something positive to them. This ritual is very important to them and they want it to be done. In the US this behavior is viewed as something negative. Whipping a women is something that should be never done but in this culture it is a ritual that is very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteMy overall reaction was shocked. It is very scary to me to think about being whipped. In our culture it is something that never happens and is very scary to think about. I was also confused as to how willingly the girls were able to be whipped. I would think that the pain would draw them away but i realized that this ritual is so special to them that they don't even notice the pain. My ethnocentrism made me realize how taboo this act was. It was hard to accept this ritual and i felt like i was judging them when i knew i shouldn't have.
I chose the ritualistic beating of the women in the tribe in Ethiopia. The men (called stick men) beat the women (blood relatives)to symbolize the woman's support of the boy. The women were repeatedly beaten with branches and would be scared for life. The boy has to jump over a line of cows and then when all is over, he is a man. This is taboo for us because it is considered taboo to beat woman.
ReplyDeleteThe sanctions in their community were positive sanctions. The woman with scars were considered good family members. They were also able to go to their male family member (who they were beaten for) at any time if they cannot be supported any longer. In America there are negative sanctions for woman beaters. Men that beat woman are labelled and it is a crime punishable by law. They are also usually shunned by their community. Men are not able to punch a girl in the arm without come sort of backlash (a bad look, yelled at).
My overall reaction was unhappy. I understood the tradition and their want for respect but the fact that the women were beaten for the boy to become a man is a bit annoying.
My ethnocentrism affected me when the women were provoking the beating. I understood their tradition is for them to be whipped, but to repeatedly ask for it really got to me.
In Ethiopia, rites of passage are marked by whipping women and jumping over bulls by men. When a young man is ready to go through his rite of passage to become a man, his sisters and female cousins are whipped by other men to the point of permanent scarring. The scars that the women carry around with them show identification with that tribe and respect for the men. We don't have rites of passage like that and certainly we don't beat women to help a man complete his rite to manhood. Their scars show their deference to men. It is symbolic. If a man fails to jump the bulls, shame is brought down on him and his family. The women taking the beating pleases their man relative, because it shows their respect towards him and towards their culture. Being beaten is something that must be done to ensure identification with culture and to not get shunned from the tribe. In America, if we saw something like this going on, the man would be arrested for assault. I thought this whole process was quite bizarre. I think it's quite unnecessary for a woman's pain to be part of a man's rite of passage. I also think that the beating should take place after the man does his part, just in case. If the man should fail, then the women would have been beaten for nothing. It's interesting that the women really didn't seem to make much of it; it's part of their culture and lives. It is totally opposite to our culture, where men harming women is a crime. I am used to that philosophy, so seeing this way of life was definitely disturbing.
ReplyDeleteIn this episode of Taboo, an Ethiopian tribe performs rituals that are extremely different from our culture. In order for a male in this tribe to be proven a man, he must complete a difficult task, which in this episode is to jump across a herd of bulls 4 times without stumbling. If he is successful, he is allowed to marry, have children, and own cattle. In addition to this ritual, right before the man completes his task, the women, who are blood related to this man, must endure whippings to show their respect and devotion. The more whippings they withstand, the more respect and devotion they show. Thus, this tribe views these rituals as a positive public display of their culture. In contrast, the U.S. views whippings as a form of abuse. Our culture has opposing views and sees these whippings as a negative act. Although I usually endure cultural relativism, I found myself slightly disturbed, while watching this whipping segment. My mindset throughout watching their rituals was imaging myself in that situation and the pain that comes from the whipping. I do not think I can ever withstand the pain and constant blows from the sticks. Although this ritual is a form of respect and devotion, it bothers me and makes me cringe to see such abusive acts being performed.
ReplyDeleteOne deviant behavior that was depicted in the episode was a tribe’s ritual for a boy’s passage to manhood. In this culture a boy must jump across a herd of bulls 4 times without falling to become a man. If he fails he brings shame upon his family. Before this takes place the boy’s female relatives will be whipped to show support for their blood relative. The women drink honey water for strength and believe it is an honor to be whipped. The women repeatedly get whipped and suffer a lot of pain, but barely show it. In that culture it is an honor for those women to be whipped and to have those scars. This is considered taboo for us because we don’t have rituals involving the beating of women or jumping over cattle. In our culture the whipping would be seen as completely wrong and unethical. To their culture this act would be a positive sanction, one associated with honor and pride. In the US we would sanction this behavior as negative, because beating and whipping people is wrong in our eyes. Overall this was a major culture shock to me I did not realize that these were the kinds of rituals that went on in tribes. It was something that I am not used to seeing. Immediately I thought that what was going on was wrong because we would never do that here, but then I realized that I was being ethnocentric and that this is someone’s culture and they greatly value it. If it were reversed I would want people to respect my culture.
ReplyDeleteOne deviant behavior depicted in this episode was the whipping of women, which took place in Ethiopia. In their culture, women were whipped on the day that their brother became a man. The women were whipped by men to show respect to their brother. The whippings were also a sign of beauty and womanhood. It is also an honor for the women to be whipped; they allow the men to whip them and they even taunt the man to keep getting whipped. The more whippings a women had, the more beauty and respect to her brother is shown. The men in this culture had to walk across a line of cattle 4 times in order to become a man. While doing this, the man was completely exposed to portray his last moment of childhood. If they didn't succeed, it was a disgrace and the markings on the women would be a reminder of that disgrace. If they succeeded, the markings on the women were the man's devotion to his sisters. This is taboo in the U.S. because it would be seen as violence toward women. Men do things to be manly and women do things to be beautiful, but they don't go to these type of extremes.
ReplyDeleteThe sanctions associated with this behavior in Ethiopia is positive. They do all of these actions to gain respect and honor from everyone. In the U.S. the sanctions would be negative. People in the U.S. would look at these behaviors and just be disgusted. Sanctions are definitely based on culture because different cultures have different values and beliefs and different ways of gaining respect and honor.
My overall reaction to this behavior was that is was just wrong. I try not to be ethnocentric, but I can't see how people can think that scars and cuts are beautiful and walking across cattle is a sign of manhood. I can understand that all cultures have their own ways on gaining respect and honor, but I just can't see how they can get it from doing these behaviors. I don't even know how the women can be okay with being whipped; I don't think it's right to whip women.
I am going to use the full body tattoos used by the Yakuza. They tattoo their entire bodies, which marks them as feared Yakuza members and shows their ability to endure and withstand pain. It takes years and thousands of dollars to complete these tattoos. Our culture finds this taboo more from the extreme violence and bloody behavior these tattoos represent than the actual tattoos themselves. The sanctions among both the Japanese people and those outside Japan are negative, though the Japanese are also against tattoos in general. The Japanese sanction the tattoos mostly by shrinking away from and displaying their fear of the men with the tattoos. Americans would be much more likely just to give the person a look of disgust. Overall, though I thought the tattoos themselves looked cool, the violence that they symbolized condemned them in my mind. I don't know that my ethnocentrism affected me in this, since gangs and the Mob are bad in almost all societal and cultural settings.
ReplyDeleteOne behavior that i am going to describe is the full body tattoos by the Yakusa in Tokyo. The yakusa is an organized crime group similar to the Italian mafia. If you are a member of the yakusa you are required to get a very elaborate full body tattoo. This tattoo starts at the ankles and goes up to the wrist, leaving a strip of bare skin on the chest. The tattoos take fro 3-10 years to complete according to the tolerance level of the customer. They can cost up to 30,000 dollars to complete. I would think if you pay this much money for something you would want to show it off but that is not what these people do. They hide every inch of there tattoos because people fear the tattoos. These tattoos are negative sanctions because even if you are not involved in the yakusa anymore when people see the tattoos they automatically think you are some sort of criminal. In Tokyo, tattoos used to be the way criminals were identified. I think this is tabboo because in the US tattoos are usually in a place were everyone can see them and there is usually a meaning behind them that people want everyone to know but that is defiantly not the case in this situation.
ReplyDeleteIn Ethiopia, Africa, there is a ritual known as bull jumping and whipping of teenage and young girls. In the United States, we look at this as a deviance. The males and females are asked to participate in these harmful activities to test their skills and abilities, and to test whether or not that person is ready to enter manhood or womanhood. The women are asked to cover their breasts and expose their stomach and their backs. They then sing a song and drink ‘Honey Water’ which is linked to reducing pain and to help calm the nerves and get the adrenaline going. The women are then exposed to the ‘stick men’ and the women run around and bother them until the men whip them. One whip is not enough for the women; the more she is whipped, the more dedicated and strong she is. The women are being whipped as an honor, and they are scarred to show their devotion for their blood male relative who will be participating in the bull jump. Before the bull jump begins, the man is stripped of his clothing, and is watched by many male relatives and close neighbors. The man must run across a line of cattle four times without falling. If the man falls, he will bring distress to himself and his family. The women who participated in the whipping are there to watch him, blowing horns and exposing their fresh scars, which show the endurance, courage, and dedication they have for their relative. Once the male crosses the cattle without stumbling, he is cheered for, horns are being blows excessively, and he is crowded around by his family. Both the males and females have just entered their adulthood.
ReplyDeleteThe sanctions in Ethiopia are positive. The Africans look at this to be a positive sanction because the males and females are entering a very important stage in their lives. They are entering adulthood, and they are now ready to marry, have children, and own their own cattle. Participation in these activities bring honor to the families and culture. In the United States, these actions would be considered negative sanctions. To beat someone is illegal in the United States because it is considered physical abuse which could be reported to the police. The other activities performed in these rituals would be considered inhumane and just wrong and disturbing. I found these deviances to be very disturbing, and to imagine myself in that position of the African American girls is horrible. My ethnocentrism began to affect me when the first woman was whipped. After that first hit, it was a frenzy of women, provoking the whipping. I was very affected and realized how other cultures can differentiate to an extreme.
One behavior that I saw that was deviant in the episode was the whipping in the Ethiopian tribe. When a boy is transitioning from boyhood into adult hood, there is a ceremony that occurs that involves him jumping and running across the backs of the bulls 4 times and the female relatives of the male are whipped. When the women are whipped it shows devotion to the male family member who is passing through boyhood and it shows respect. This is very taboo to us because whipping is viewed as a harsh punishment not as a sign of respect. In the Ethiopian culture, this behavior is positive but to us it is very negative. My ethnocentrism affected me a lot when I was watching this video because it is something that is so out of the norm for Americans that it does not even seem real. I can not imagine what that ceremony is really like.
ReplyDeleteIn Ethiopia, Africa the deviant behavior depicted in the episode was whipping the Ethiopian tribe. Usually during a special ceremony the women get whipped to show their respect for the boy that is making their transition into adulthood. The Hamora tribe takes great pride in their appearance. Their beauty signifys their status. Their culture shows that it is an honor to be whipped to show your support for the boy that is trying for adulthood. Each cut is a mark of pride that shows their support for the boy. This is taboo to us because getting whipped is a sign of pain and punishment. Most people would never subject their body to get whipped numerous times until it bleeds and scares for life. In Ethiopia whipping was positive sanction and when they were not whipped they felt ashamed and not a part of their tribe. Sanctions are based on culture because each culture has different traditions and celebrations that they take. For instance when the Hamora tribe whips the women this would be a negative sanction to us in America. This ceremony was very bizarre and painful to watch. I felt bad for these women because these cuts stung and would prevent them from eating for days due to the pain. My ethnocentrism affected me when I was watching this episode of taboo because it was something that I could not even imagine people doing. The pain that these women endure to show their respect is over the top. Although this is their ritual and the way their culture is I do not think it is necessary for these women to be in so much pain just to show respect.
ReplyDeleteIn Ethiopia, men whip the women in their family to symbolize their own manhood. The women willingly accept the whipping in order to show their devotion to their family member. It shows that the women support the man in his journey to manhood. The more scars the girls have the more devoted they are to their family. This also means that the more scars they have, the more proud they are of them. Because the man provided the women with food and materials, the women are supposed to provide support and encouragement for the man by allowing the man to whip them. This is definitely taboo for us because in our culture, whipping is seen as abuse or harsh punishment. However, the Ethiopians view the whipping as honorable and essentially the right thing to do for their relatives and they would respond to these actions with positive sanctions. In the US we would respond to this behavior with negative sanctions and view this behavior as abusive and illegal.
ReplyDeleteOverall I was very disturbed by their behavior. Clearly in our society we don’t view these actions as normal. Seeing the women with scars and wounds looked painful and agonizing. The fact that this behavior is considered positive is shocking to me. I think my ethnocentrism affected me very much while watching this because I was so disturbed. While I understand the importance and value of this ritual, I was bothered when I saw the severity of the wounds.
In a tribe in Ethiopia, women get whipped by a "Stick man" to show their devotion to their blood relative who is attempting to run over the backs of bulls to signify their passage from boyhood into manhood. Receiving the beating is the unmarried women's responsibility and is a sign of respect toward the male relative. None of the people in the tribe feel sympathy for the girl because it is a sign of respect, devotion, and support for their relative. The girls take pride in the whipping and attempt to get hit as many times as they can by teasing and taunting the stick men. The whipping signifies the girls' devotion, respect and support for their relative. The man then is constantly reminded by the scars that he must always care for his female relative. This is very taboo to us in the United States because we no longer agree with beating other people. In their culture, the girls are looked highly upon if they have many scars. It is very respected. If the boy fails to run over the backs of cows successfully, then they will be laughed at and will have to wait until the following year to try again. Not only will they be laughed at but all of the pain the women suffered would be for not. In the United States, if anyone beat someone like they do in this tribe, they would go to prison. Overall, I found their behavior very hard to watch. My ethnocentrism made it very difficult to understand their culture and behavior. I still have trouble seeing this as just or fair. I cannot understand how these girls can be happy to receive the whippings. The injuries looked very painful and I don't see how they could endure this without even complaining. I do not agree with their behavior but I understand its importance to their culture.
ReplyDeleteThe deviant behavior that i found most interesting in the episode of Taboo, was the whipping of girls in a tribe in Ethiopia. In order for a boy to go through the rite of passage to become a man, he must run over the back of bulls four times successfully. The girl relatives of this boy going through the right of passage, show their devotion and loyalty to their brother or cousin by being whipped by the "stick man". No one in the village feels any pain for the girls, the girls do this willingly and encourage the 'stick man" to whip them. They do this to show support and devotion to their family member. This is taboo to our society because in the United States we don' t beat each other especially whip each other. If a boy hits or beats a girl they can be in serious trouble, and if a mom or dad hits their child they can have the child taken away from them. The sanctions associated with this behavior are the scars the women have from being whipped. It is considered positive because it shows their devotion and it marks a statement of identity to the girls. In their culture the scar represents beauty and bravery one had to face. In the United States this would be considered a negative sanction. The scares would represent that someone mistreated you because whipping is looked down upon. Overall I found it hard to watch the girls get whipped it look painful and I felt bad for them because we don't see that today in our society. I tried to put myself if their position of being whipped and I don;t think i could have done it. My ethnocentrism made it hard to understand their culture. I tired to understand that they are doing it to support their family member, but I kept on thinking their are so many other ways to support a family member besides being whipped. I felt like I was judging their culture for letting them whip the girls, and I was grateful that, it is not allowed in our society.
ReplyDeleteDeviant Behavior: The women asking/teasing for more whips
ReplyDeleteThe women wanted to show pride for Rameo ( the man who had to run across the cattle). Tutti, the sister, said she wanted more and she was not afraid. Some of the men did not want to give multiple whips to the women but the women would beg and tease them until they got the whippings. After the whips the women bowed the man, smiled and bounced off with joy. The women wanted to be whipped for success of the brother Rameo . This is so rare because if a women was whipped in America, the male whipping them would go to jail. Also women would never willingly be whipped on the bare skin until the point of blood. In most societies whipping is seen as a negative sanction. Whipping is a form of violence that is usually acted on after someone does something bad. For example, slaves used to be whipped when they were not listening or not acting up to the slave owners expectation. However, in this tribe whipping is a positive sanction that they receive because there close male relative is having a passage to life. While they are being whipped the women ask for more so that they can have more pride. The more whips, the more pride. I couldn't believe that the women were "enjoying" the whips. I have no idea how they were able to do that with a smile on. The fact that grown women were jumping around with no bra on seemed painful enough. The women were drinking the honey wine to try to ease the pain, but there is no way that the women ACTUALLY enjoyed the bleeding sores all over their back. I felt terribly for these poor women. The close ups of the women's sores with infections seemed to be the only part that made me really squirm. Besides that the cutting of the skin in other parts of videos made me extremely uncomfortable.
The deviant behavior I chose to discuss was the branding going on in Toronto, Canada. Branding is similar to tattoos in which it is burning of the flesh that creates a scar on a person, permanently there for the rest of their lives. Branding is considered to be a type of ownership or it also used to be considered a type of punishment for people. Branding defies the norm and makes a person's body react and look different. A person getting branded is willingly allowing extreme pain upon themselves. Normally people try to stay away from pain and suffering, where as people who brand their bodies get a feeling of liveliness and control of the situation. Branding becomes pleasurable from the pain that is generating a new experience into the body. Branding is also unique to one person; it can symbolize a personal philosophy. Branding can cause serious injury to a person in which nerves can be damaged and the body can go into a state of shock from the extreme heat. In the show Taboo a topic discussed was " the art of scarification is a guestimication" which stated that the process is unique depending on how that person's body will scar, how the branding heals, and the skill of the artist. I believe that branding is taboo to the majority of society. I understand that people especially in today's society express themselves through body art and piercings but I think branded causes the most pain and is more dangerous to people. The fact that people find enjoyment from the pain and the smell of flesh being burnt is also something I would consider taboo and was honestly shocked. My ethnocentrism made me see branding as something very taboo to society. It is hard to imagine a person wanting to feel that extreme pain where as I had a hard time even watching the branded happen to someone else.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this episode of Taboo, I believe the one deviant behavior that stood out the most was the documentary of the man being branded in Canada. This behavior is when a person willingly brands their own skin with a hot metal instrument. The value of this behavior is quite taboo in our western culture, only being used mainly to brand animals. To us, we see this behavior as bizarre and nothing an "ordinary" or "normal" person would do. The sanctions of this behavior are negative, due to the fact that questions such as "why would you want to do this to your own skin?!" or "isn't a tattoo enough?!" would surface. We do not see this act as being something in our everyday society. Our sanctions are based on our culture because it is what we are used to and in our everyday life. Thus when someone with a branded arm or leg walks by, we would at first stare wondering why they ever wanted to do that. In the US, I believe we would be at first shocked, and then probably disgusted. We would not understand why anyone would want to burn away their flesh just for a mark. My reaction to this account was that the people who ARE branded are pretty brave to endure such pain as this. I am skeptical as to why someone would willingly burn themselves for a design, however it is their body and if it is what they would like to have, they are entitled to it. It is a form of self expression, however we are not used to seeing this act. My ethnocentrism affected me because I at first did not think that this act would be really around us, I thought maybe across the world it would be in different areas, but not really so close to us. In today's society, we are semi-used to seeing tattoo's and piercings. Branding is something that is still taboo to us.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Taboo, I think the one deviant behavior that stood out to me was the whipping of the women. The women would get whipped on the day of their male blood's relative test into manhood. The value in this culture is very sacred to the tribe because it is associated with a ritual and is symbolic of your love to a kin. This behavior is taboo to us because from a Western cultural view, whipping women is considered disgusting and a crime. If I saw someone being whipped, I would call the police and report a case of domestic violence or something along those line. But in Eastern cultures, such as in Ethiopia where this takes place, it may seem normal or not something out of the ordinary. Many people outside of the tribe might not even think much about it. The sanctions are positive because the ritual of whipping the women is shown out of respect to the men of one's family. Outside of this tribal culture, people in the US would negatively sanction this behavior because it would be viewed as a form of cruel and unusual punishment and just wrong based on many of our Westernized morals. My overall reaction while watching the women get whipped almost made me sick to my stomach because it is something very taboo in this society that I live in. It is something almost beyond my comprehension as to why it is acceptable in the minds of the trip to whip their fellow female family members. It is a sign of bravery and deference to the tribe but to me it is viewed as something that I would never see or experience and if I did see it around me I would call the cops. That is where my ethnocentric mindset came into play. Especially since this happened in the Eastern hemisphere where it is known that not many countries are developed, I viewed the US and how we dont normally whip women as superior and "more right".
ReplyDeleteThe first deviant behavior shown is in the Ethopian tribe where beauty shows courage and bravery. So why do the men whip the women? The whipping is a ceremonial rite of passage for the men in which the women suffer. In the culture it is a sign of respect and something that they are expected to do before the man continues his rite of passage. In western cultures, women have progressively earned rites and liberties that they deserve, but in cultures like this, they are expected to be subdued and show the the man is strong enough in order to whip the women, which contrasts completely with modern ideas which is why it is taboo to us. For the women, it is seen as a positive sanction as they are helping one of their relatives pass into manhood which will bring honor upon the family. In the U.S. it would be a negative sanction because pain is typically associated with punishment and therefore bad. Overall, I think these girls show courage and bravery, as I would probably run away due to my ethnocentrism.
ReplyDeleteThe deviant behavior is that the women in Ethiopia are willingly getting whipped by the men, as a coming of age ceremony, men proving themselves to be men. Each mark is a mark of pride and beauty, and means more devotion to the men. within the ceremony the single girls of the family provoke the men to hit them. It is about identification with the group, this is a public display of celebration of the culture, and to survive they need to be a part of the group. It defines who they are, proving themselves as part of the group. This is taboo to us, and has negative sanctions because here in America, beating, whipping and physically assaulting another person is a crime. This would not be acceptable in our culture, but it is in theirs. The sanctions are positive within the culture in the Ethiopian tribe. He said that “I am happy about my sisters being whipped” and He can now marry, have children, and own cattle, because he has successfully completed the ritual of becoming a man. Because his sister did this for him, she can now go to him and he will take care of her because she helped him become a man. Because of ethnocentrism the ritual performed in the tribe seems more like abuse, it is completely wrong and immoral to go and whip family membere. However within the tribe it is clearly a celebration and a happy, encouraged event.
ReplyDeleteThe deviant behavior in this episode that stood out to me most was the whipping of a man’s sisters. The women let their brother beat them. by his sisters letting him whip them showed that they appreciated their brother and they respected him. The more scars on their bodies from this whipping the more respected they were by the people surrounding them. The whipping was a part of a tradition that takes place in Ethipoia, Africa in a process for a boy to become a man. The whipping of sisters done by a brother is taboo to us because in our society we do not physically abuse or hurt women openly and/or publicly, and it is definitely not taken lightly if it does happen. The sanctions associated with this behavior of whipping these women are positive. By whipping these women it makes a positive difference to the whipper and to the people being whipped. It makes it positive for the brother because he is earning his sisters’ approval of him becoming a man and it is one step closer to his manhood. Also, the sisters enjoy being whipped because it means that their brother will always have to provide for them, it means that they will be respected by all the people around them, and it also means that they are seen as brave. The more scars the women have, the more they are respected and seen as brave beings. This increases their confidence and provides good reputations. In the U.S. we would not tolerate this behavior. Any man, brother or not, whipping another women would easily suffer some major type of consequence whether it is being arrested or the woman pressing charges against him. The U.S. would not tolerate, support, or advertise a man whipping a woman in a physical and abusive way. My reaction to this whipping was that I thought it was really disturbing. By watching this video and seeing the whips on the women’s backs and stomachs it was terrifying. I got chills and I could almost feel the burns when I saw them being whipped. I think it is really sad that they have to go through that, but they enjoy it and it is their norm to have to go through that in order to be respected by the people who surround them. It is a bit ironic because women in Ethiopia, Africa are getting whipped to help their brother and to get respect meanwhile women in the U.S. who stay with a man who abuses her usually loses respect and is considered not to have self respect. My ethnocentrism affected me while watching this whipping take place because it is not “normal” in the United States to see a woman being whipped by her brother for good reasons. I thought it was really disturbing and degrading to women. I also thought that they don’t deserve better. I felt bad for them because I feel like they don’t even know better that the whipping should not be taking place at all, but it is their tradition. I wouldn’t want someone telling me a tradition I have been participating in all my life is stupid, pointless, negative, and harmful. However, a man abusing a woman in any physical harm is seen as negative and harmful; whereas a brother whipping a sister in Ethiopia, Africa exemplifies bravery, respect, and manhood. Our lives are just totally different.
ReplyDeleteThe deviant behavior that I chose required women to undergo whippings by male members of their tribe in honor of a male relative. The whippings are seen as honorable and encouraged, because it shows support to the young male relative who is going through a rite of passage ceremony. It is taboo in our culture, because having all the women in your family whipped for the sake of loyalty is unfathomable. The sanctions associated with this behavior are mainly positive, because the women show strength for their family and the scars left by the beating are a sort of insurance for that girl’s future. In American society this type of behavior would not be condoned, because it inflicts pain on a person and is not necessary in our eyes. I am shocked that this is a tradition supported by the tribe, especially since it hurts so much. They are inflicting pain on each other and then they have to suffer the pain after wards. One of the girls said she had not eaten in two days because the pain has taken away her hunger. My ethnocentrism did affect me, because I was in pain for those girls and they did not even flinch as they were being whipped, they even asked more men to whip them. I do not understand why getting whipped to the point of breaking skin is seen as a positive thing.
ReplyDeleteA deviant behavior depicted in the show was the women being whipped in Ethiopia. The behavior includes that the sisters and female cousins be whipped repeatedly by the males in the town. The value of doing this is to show respect and honor for the male in the family becoming a man. The women endure this as a right of passage for the male. This behavior is taboo to us because we find it wrong for any person to be whipped. The sanctions for this behavior in Ethiopia is considered positive because it shows that the women suffer for their male family as he jumps the bulls for his right of passage to a man. The women wear the scars of the whipping with pride. In America, we would consider the sanctions to be negative because we do not believe the scars of being whipped should be worn proudly. My overall reaction to this behavior is disturbed. The fact that women willingly be whipped till they bleed to show respect and honor for their family is unbelievable. Though it shows loyalty and pride, I could not fathom the suffering they had to endure. My ethnocentrism made me think it was strange that they willingly got whipped for a man.
ReplyDeleteIn Ethiopia women are whipped on the back by the men in their family to show that they support their family member as they enter into manhood.The women want to be whipped because in Ethiopia, it is considered an honor. They welts are proof that they women are respectful and they represent how the man is now responsible for the women he whipped for the rest of their lives. This tradition is taboo to us because being whipped is painful and whipped the people that you love would be more painful. Also, the fact that these welts are beautiful to people in Ethiopia is taboo to us because watching it makes us cringe. And putting someone in pain is not a right of passage, it's something you'd be put in jail for. The sanctions are positive because in that culture it shows pride for your family and honor. This would be different in every culture. In the United States, this would be negative, we don't believe that hurting people is good and we don't find pain to be something we desire. Overall, I thought this behavior was kind of sad. It looked very painful and it was the only one that really made me cringe. I am truly glad that I am not from Ethiopia.
ReplyDeleteThe first deviant behavior shown is in the Ethopian tribe where beauty shows courage and bravery. The men whipping the women is a ceremonial rite of passage for the men This is a sign of respect and it is expected for the women to endure pain in order for the men in their lives to become a man. It is supposed to be shown that men are entirely more superior then women, also with the scares from the beatings shows that whenever the women in the mans life need him, he will have to help them out and be reminded what they went through for him. It is also seen as a positive thing for the women because they are bringing honor to her family.In the U.S. it would be a negative sanction because we believe in equality and we are also against torture, this would be considered punishment and would not be tolerated. I think these girls show courage, bravery, and a little stupidity even though they for the most part don't know any better. But if I were in their position I really don't know if I would be able to endure that.
ReplyDeleteThe deviant behavior that especially stood out for me was the whippings of women in a tribe in Ethiopia as a right of passage for men. The women willingly volunteer to assist their male siblings and family members on their rocky road to manhood. this behavior is considered taboo to us because no one in this country would ever violently choose to whip the bare backs of women as a right of passage to signify strength in a male. In Ethiopia the sanctions of this action are very positive because the action represents strength in the men and respect and love of the women to do this for the men. however, in this country the sanctions are very negative because no one would choose to inflict terrible pain onto someone for sport to show a sign of strength. In the US someone would most definitely be arrested for participating in actions such as this. I was extremely uncomfortable watching this to the point where i had to turn my head. My ethnocentrism made it very hard for me to even think about grasping this concept or trying to put myself in that place.
ReplyDeleteThe deviant behavior that stood out to me was the women being whipped in Ethiopia. While whipping and hurting women is considered a punishable offense in our society, in this small tribe in Ethiopia, the more scars you have the more beautiful you are considered. Women are whipped to show respect and honor for their male relatives. It is part of the male's coming of age ceremony. The women are whipped and taunt the men whipping them, so that they whip them more. The men then run over the backs of cows. If he falls, his female relatives were whipped for nothing. At first, I was shocked by this custom. I didn't understand why these women would subject themselves to this whipping. I understand that it was to show respect for their male relatives. I was still shocked that this is considered beautiful to these people because it is such a taboo topic to us.
ReplyDeleteIn the episode of taboo we viewed, the women getting whiped stuck out most to me.The value and purpose for the women to get wiped was their demonstration of loyalty to the men in their family. When the men would go through their movement towards manhood, the women would perform the ritual of the whiping as a sign they would sacrifice for their brothers and family. This is taboo to us in america because we dont use torture and pain to demonstrate a type of loyalty. This is somewhat positive for the women in this country because this gives them the guarantee that their brothers will take care of them forever, but it is also negative because they should not have to go through physical pain to demonstrate love and loyalty.I was affected when watching the women get whipped and then provoke the whipping. I hated seeing them in pain and bleed.
ReplyDeleteA deviant behavior that stood out to me was how the men whipped the women for a ceremony moving boys into manhood. This ceremony includes, first, the "stick men" whipping the female relatives of the male. They do this to show devotion and support to their family member that is taking part in the ceremony. Then, the men have to walk on the back of cattle four times without falling or stumbling to be admitted into manhood. The women in this Ethiopian tribe see the whipping marks as marks of honor and pride and support for there family member. Also, the male who took part in the ceremony is obligated to take care of all the women who got whipped for him for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteIf this happened in the U.S. we would see it and abuse and degrading to women. My ethnocentrism played a role in how I perceived this video. I tried to keep in mind the reasons behind the women doing this, to support family members, but i couldn't help but think about how wrong it is.
I chose the deviant behavior of the women in the tribe being whipped by the men. It is done for the boy in the family to become a man and prove his worth. it is taboo to us because a man is never supposed to hit a women let alone continually beat her. The whipping is a sign of respect for her family. This is scary to me because i could never take that type of beating and in our country we would not allow this to happen because it isnt okay or acceptable.
ReplyDeletein Ethiopia the unmarried women in the families are whipped by the men to show their support for the boys in their family that are about to become men. this act is taboo to us because in our society a man beating a women is one of the ultimate crimes and is against the law. the sanctions in their society are positive because there is cheering and there is support for in where as in the United States we would have negative sanctions for this such as putting them in jail and showing disapproval for the behavior. there would be positive sanctions for the them in Ethiopia because the culture shows that the whipping is a sign of support for the men in the family and in turn if they support them then the men will always be there to take care of them should their husbands not be able to. overall this disturbed me because i, like the rest of my culture look down upon beating a women. my ethnocentrism came into play because honestly i feel that my culture is better when it comes to how you treat, not only women, but people in general, i do not believe that inflicting pain is the way to show support even if it is how your culture does things.
ReplyDelete