Anthropology Paper

Due Saturday August 10th at Midnight

  

See attachment for instructions

 

I will copy some pages of the book later this week(Monday or Tuesday)

 

Original work only.

 

Thanks

 

Assignment:

Since this is a class about “State Societies” your written assignment will be about the concept of State Societies, and Nation States.

Typically the field of political science would define a “state” as an entity or society that has a permanently settled population that resides in a defined territory with recognized geographic boundaries. Internally, a state has a recognized political body and the inhabitants are subject to abide by the laws enacted by this body, either as subjects (in the case of feudal agrarian societies) or as citizens (in democratic, industrial and post industrial societies). Outwardly, a state is politically recognized by other “states” as states, and enters into political, cultural, and economic relations (and disputes) with these states.

A nation on the other hand, is union of people who share cultural characteristics, including norms (behavior deemed socially acceptable), values (socially defined standards of good, bad, right, wrong, beauty, ugliness, deliciousness, and repulsiveness) and beliefs (socially definitions of what is “true” of this world). These people usually speak the same language, and understand the symbolism of the national culture.

The term Nation State, therefore, is a society that combines these two and was recognized as a useful concept to define and understand modern (European) societies and the modern world. Using this definition, countries like Spain, France and Great Britain, etc. were some of the first recognized (European) Nation States. Later, with unification Germany, and Italy were also recognized Nation States.

However, our text book reminds us that societies have a long history; at least 10,000 years as we learn on page one. The term Nation State has only been used for roughly 500 years and is usually only applied to Western European Societies. Although, Japan and China some other “nonwestern” societies fit this description of Nation State and have been recognized by western Nation States as well as in the evolution of the concept.

In the final chapters of the book, the authors address the pace of cultural, economic and political changes in a post-industrial globalized world. They consider the effects of these changes both positive and negative and the prospects for the future.

The Question(s) I would like you to address for your paper is (are) this (these):

Q1: Is the concept of the Nation State still a relevant or useful concept in an era of fast paced globalization? Why or Why not?

Q2: Has the concept of the Nation State ever been useful, or does a historical analysis reveal that it has been merely an ideological construct used in by western states to colonize societies or sectors of the world in a global system of power and exploitation? Provide some examples.

Paper Requirements:

· The default setting for “Microsoft Word” is usually, 12 point Times new roman font, double spaced, with 1.25” margins on the left and right, and 1” on the top and bottom of the page. This is fine with me. Use this format!

·

Using the previously mentioned format, your paper should be longer than four pages, but no more than five pages.

· Your paper should answer one of the two questions I asked above, and that answer should be stated upfront in a thesis statement that appears in the context of your first paragraph.

· The body of your paper should show support for your answer with references from the textbook. When you use a quote, put the quoted passage in quotes (“these are words from the textbook.”) and at the end of the sentence put the page # in parenthesis. Example (67).

· You do not need a works cited page, or a title page, or the authors name in the page citations, (I assigned the book, I know the title and the names of the authors.

· You are not required to use any sources other than the assigned textbook. However, if you do use an outside source, then I would want, a proper works cited page. (MLA or any citation method you are comfortable with will do).