Science Question

Directions: Select ONE essay topic from the three that follow and write a coherent, well-supported (with examples) essay. Your essay should be typed, double spaced, 12-font, in Times New Roman. Your essay must be organized and well-written, and you MUST use material from lectures, films, and readings to support your arguments.

1. In the Native American and Southwest Hispanic medical systems (as introduced by Perrone et al.), what is the role of spirituality, faith, and consciousness in healing? How are spirituality, faith and consciousness integrated into the healing process of BOTH traditions? Use examples from the readings, lectures, class discussions, and films to support your answer.

2. Explain the view of illness causation in the traditions of the Navajo medicine people and among the Southwest Hispanic curanderas. How does the view of illness relate to their cosmology or worldviews? How does the view of illness relate to how healing is conducted? What is the role of ritual and power objects in healing? Use examples from readings, lectures, class discussions, and films to support your answer.

3. From the readings and films, discuss TWO different ways healers from a non- AMA background enter into the tradition of healing. How are they selected and how are they trained? How does this compare and contrast with the way doctors from an AMA background become healers? Importantly, how does each of these ways of entering the field fit into the culture, the cosmology, or the worldview? (How/why are they accepted?)(Hint: borrow from Perrone’s table on pg.22 & 23) Use examples from readings, lectures, class discussions, and/or films to support your answer.

GRADING: Your grade will be based on your ability to:

1. Answer the question FULLY and in an ORGANIZED manner. The length of your individual, unique response will be dependent upon the extent to which you answer the question fully and make your point understood (here examples from the readings help greatly).
2. Answer the question from how YOU understand the material, particularly the teachings of the teachers (i.e. Annie Kahn, Billy Yellow, Dr. Alvord, Gregorita Rodriguez, Trini, etc.). Put yourself in the role as the anthropologist listening to and learning from these teachers and then communicate your understanding.
3. Respond in a way that puts you in the role as teacher (write as if you are teaching this to someone who has never taken ANTH301; Communicate your interpretation of the concepts as you have gathered them from the teachers (i.e. Annie Kahn, etc.) to me, the student)
4. Use ALL pertinent reading and film material (rather than lectures). Allow the lectures to guide you, but please no verbatim quoting of lectures.