Chapter Web Links
Chapter
1: The Nature of Anthropology
Anthropology and Ethics
This site provides numerous links to anthropology associations, including the Canadian Archaeology Association. In each link the associations present their codes of professional ethics and address issues such as professional responsibility.
Careers in Anthropology
Answers questions on what students can do with a degree in anthropology, and provides links to several related pages. This site is a valuable resource for students who are thinking about majoring in anthropology or who will soon graduate with an anthropology degree.
About Anthropology
This site is an excellent general source for studying anthropology, offering information on a wide range of topics, with links to related sites.
Field School Opportunities
Provides links to field school opportunities throughout the world.
Anthropologists at Work
This site responds to students’ questions about anthropology careers and the type of work anthropologists do, and provides some excellent practical advice for newly graduated students.
Tel Dor
An interesting website featuring Tel Dor, an ancient city in Israel. Visit the site to learn about Dor’s history and the archaeology of the region. See beautiful photographs and maps of the site. Learn how archaeologists conduct a huge, multi-year excavation.
Forensic Anthropology
This website provides links to newsworthy discoveries in forensic anthropology, for example, “More remains uncovered from Confederate submarine.”
Franz Boas 1858–1942
A small site featuring the life of Franz Boas, perhaps the most famous North American anthropologist. Also provides links to other famous anthropologists: Louis Henry Morgan and Edward Tylor.
Dancing, Language, and Racism—The Passions of Franz Boas
An extensive description of Franz Boas’s life and career, including discussion of his influence on Canadian anthropology.
What Is Anthropology?
A fairly comprehensive explanation of anthropology and its subdisciplines.
Ju/’hoansi
An audio example of Ju/’hoansi speech.
Chapter
2: The Nature of Culture
Hutterites
A discussion of contemporary Hutterites in Minnesota.
http://www.hutterites.org/groups.htm
An extensive site with many links to information on Hutterite history, social structure, education, and so on.
The Women’s Rights Movement 1848–1998
A historical examination of the women’s movement. Although this site focuses on American history, it is relevant to the study of the Canadian women’s movement.
The Women’s Movement in Canada
A brief examination of the history of the women’s movement in Canada. This site also includes links to other sites, such as the suffragettes, the new feminism, and women in media.
Canadian Museum of Civilization
This is an extensive site, providing significant information on Canadian history, including diverse topics such as postage stamps, glassmaking, religion and ritual, Inuit and folk art, social movements, and cultural traditions found within and outside Canada. An excellent resource for students from many disciplines.
Body Ritual among the Nacirema
Read the classic article “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” for an enlightening and delightful introduction to the many pitfalls of anthropological research.
What Is Culture?
An education site that explores the nature of culture. It provides links to several special aspects of culture, including women, culture, and power.
Anthropology and You
Geared to first-year anthropology students using this textbook, this site introduces the concepts of anthropology in an effort to make anthropology relevant to Canadians. Contains a selection of food for thought designed to challenge students to think beyond academia and bring anthropology into their everyday lives.
Chapter 3: The Beginnings of Human Culture
The Jane Goodall Institute
This site addresses the current situation in the Congo Basin, where wildlife is being threatened by new incursions into the land. For anyone who is interested in wildlife protection, environment, and cultural practices, this is a good site to visit.
Biographies of Primatologists
This site lists many well-known primatologists and provides a biography of each one, including the “greats” such as Dian Fossey (of Gorillas in the Mist fame), Jane Goodall, Biruté Galdikas, and Mary Leakey, as well as several primate biographies, such as one of Booee the chimpanzee.
Early Human Phylogeny
A good site for students to examine the complexity of deciphering our ancient family tree; presents new fossil evidence that further obscures the links between early humans.
Geological Time Scale
This Enchanted Learning Software site offers students a superior geological time scale and an excellent discussion of plate tectonics and continental drift. Each epoch has further links to describe the nature of the earth and its inhabitants at that time. This is a highly recommended site for anthropology, biology, and geology students and instructors alike.
Homo habilis
In addition to a brief discussion of Homo habilis, this site offers some links to archaeological sites, such as Lake Turkana, and a profile of Louis Leakey.
Earliest Modern Humans
This is the original article reporting the oldest modern human remains so far discovered (in Ethiopia). The authors consider location, timing, and the circumstances of modern humans.
Neanderthal DNA
An article on Neanderthals exploring their physical form, behaviour, and disappearance, raising the question of the role that genes played in their failure to compete culturally.
Neanderthal DNA
The authenticity of ancient DNA from a Neanderthal in the northern Caucasus is corroborated in this study. Problems with ancient DNA analysis are briefly outlined, and the relationship between Neanderthal and modern humans is evaluated. Links are provided to related research.
Early Modern Human Culture
Detailed discussion of early modern human cultures, beginning around 100 000 years ago until approximately 17 000 years ago. Focuses on Cro-Magnons and their artwork.
Chapter 4: Language and Communication
French Language
Addresses the issues related to French-language retention and Quebec dissatisfaction with the status quo.
Canadian Bilingualism
This site provides two good links to discussions of Canadian bilingualism issues.
Aboriginal Language Initiative
This site looks at First Peoples heritage, language, and culture and provides a discussion of attempts to revitalize aboriginal languages. Offers links to other information on First Nations culture.
Origins of Language
A discussion of the origins of human language, including chimpanzee communication.
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/nuggets/021/nugget.htm
A good site addressing the biological nature of language ability.
Primate use of Language
This extensive site discusses recent research on primate ability to acquire language. Several projects are described.
Chimpanzee communication
Discusses chimp communication and insight into the origin of language.
World Languages
Provides links to many world languages and audio clips of native speakers of each language.
Tonal language
A look at tonal languages—the use of pitch to signal different meaning—in Southeast Asia and Africa.
Whorf-Sapir Hypothesis
An examination of the Whorf-Sapir hypothesis, which suggests that language influences culture.
Chapter 5: Making a Living
Horticulture—The Swidden Ecosystem
A small site with pictures displaying the six stages of swidden horticulture described in the site.
Foragers
A short paper on the mobility strategies among foraging groups in the eastern and northeastern Kalahari Desert.
http://www.abdn.ac.uk.chags9/11gardner.htm
A summary of how foragers around the world handle environmental and subsistence knowledge.
Hunter-Gatherers
A comprehensive site that covers many aspects of the now extinct Beothuk people’s culture.
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~coupland/ant310/lectures/HGtheory.htm
This site briefly describes and compares hunter-gatherer ways of life.
Ju/’hoansi
This site summarizes the main aspects of Ju/’hoansi life.
Blackfoot People
A small site that includes pictures, maps, and descriptions of the dress, food, location, housing, language, religion, art, and ceremonies of the Blackfoot people.
Canadian Agriculture
An extensive site with information on many aspects of Canadian agriculture, such as marketing, policies, imports, and exports, as well as the past, present, and future of agriculture in Canada.
Chapter
6: Economic Systems
Gifting and Feasting in the Northwest Coast Potlatch
This site provides several links that explain what a potlatch is, describe the feasting and gifting, and feature contemporary potlatches. Photos and illustrations are included in each link.
New Cultures and Economics
A large site addressing such topics as consumer culture and market society. Produced by Don Slater from the University of London.
Gender Inequality and Economics
An impressive site addressing many issues relevant to students of anthropology. Consists of major topics such as “The cost of economic invisibility,” “The costs of denying health care,” “Maternal mortality and morbidity,” “The economic cost of HIV/AIDS,” “Gender-based violence,” “Psychological costs,” “Education: Costs of the gender gap,” “Micro-credit: Investing in women,” “Demography and gender: Costs and opportunities,” and “Measuring gender inequalities.” Also includes several boxes on development and human rights: “Women’s work is under-rewarded,” and “Gender inequality in education persists.”
Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development
A large site with links that examine the environment, energy, and globalization from a European perspective. Numerous links to sites on topics such as quality of water, climate change, marine ecosystems, the city of tomorrow and cultural heritage, and renewable resources.
Pastoralists in Southern Africa
Extensive information on pastoralist groups in southern Africa.
Chapter
7: Sex and Marriage
BBC News—Female Circumcision Clampdown Call
The BBC appears to deal with the issue of female circumcision fairly frequently, for example, on November 22, 2000, and December 23, 1998. This site addresses moves by the U.K. government to block the practice in the U.K. There are also links to other sites that have information on female genital mutilation.
Female Genital Mutilation
This home page offers links to numerous pages dealing with female genital mutilation, particularly in Europe. Some topics include medical aspects, a list of education materials, and female genital mutilation among migrants in Europe.
http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm
An extensive explanation of the different types of FGM procedures and the physical and psychological effects of the practice.
AIDS Pandemic Provisional Report
The entire text of the Durban report. Well worth a read.
The Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists—Female Genital Mutilation
A comprehensive site discussing female genital mutilation. The site provides a definition and description of the procedure, including diagrams, identification of countries that practise female genital mutilation, discussion of the origin of the procedure, beliefs about female genital mutilation, and reasons given for doing the procedure. Follow the links to “women’s health” and “FGM booklet.”
Exogamy and Incest Prohibitions
A good source of information on exogamy, including cultural variations. Includes links to cross-cultural marriage rules, legends of Hebrew patriarchs and matriarchs, endogamy, and kinship.
The Fight for Gay Rights: Canada Timeline
This site provides a brief timeline for pivotal moments in the fight for gay rights in Canada. It also provides a “link the world” timeline.
The Kibbutz
An overview of the kibbutz system, some history, the way the system works, and demographic statistics.
http://i-cias.com/e.o/kibbutz.htm
A brief look at the history and organization of the kibbutz, as well as maps, charts, and a photo.
Chapter
8: Family and Household
Effect of Gender on Parental Favouritism
This research project attempted to determine whether offspring gender has an effect on parental favouritism.
Health Canada: Canada’s Seniors
Statistic snapshots of Canada’s seniors. Also provides a list of related links: older seniors as Canada’s fastest-growing group; criminal victimization and fear of crime among Canadian seniors. One link of particular value is “Living with extended families.”
Men, Reproductive Rights, and Gender Equality
This United Nations site examines gender equality; men’s roles and changing realities; violence; gender inequality and cultural expectations; men’s support for sexual and reproductive health. An excellent resource for students of gender and the family.
Inuit Childrearing
Jean Briggs describes how Inuit childhood interaction moves babies into childhood and beyond.
Not Just Numbers: A Canadian Framework for Future Immigration
This page examines the importance of family in immigration and defines the family. Also discusses the common-law family and efforts by gays and lesbians to have the terms “spouse” and “family” redefined to meet the changing demographics of Canadian families.
Stay-at-Home Fathers
A U.S. census press release on how economic conditions can influence married fathers’ caring for preschoolers.
Profiles of Homelessness
A vast site providing key information on homelessness. Valuable links include “The face of homelessness,” “The scale of contemporary homelessness,” “Homelessness defined,” “Characteristics of the homeless population,” and “Causes of homelessness.” A vital source of information for understanding the nature of homelessness.
Mormon Church History—Polygyny
A look at the history and features of polygamous families among the Mormons, including legislative history.
Canadian Medical Association Journal
A small site that compares international infant mortality rates. Some links to related sites, including Canada’s statistics.
Family, Youth, and Children
This site provides numerous links to sites on family-related issues: adoption, aging, children, family violence, marriage, military families, nurturing fatherhood, welfare, youth.
Aging
A list of sites related to the topic of aging. Each site provides extensive information.
Chapter
9: Kinship and Descent
The Nature of Kinship
An introduction to descent systems and family organization. This site provides several pages with an overview of kinship, descent principles, descent groups, and kin naming systems, as well as related Internet sites.
Systems of Kinship
An excellent site on kinship; explains descent kinship terminology, marriage systems, and residence rules, with many ethnographic examples.
http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/faculty/murphy/436/kinship.htm
Provides brief explanations of a vast number of kinship terms and concepts.
Kinship Chart
http://www.users.on.net/proformat/kinship.html
Have some fun and create your own kinship chart using this site.
Descent Groups
An examination of descent groups, descent principles, marriage rules, bilateral descent patterns, nuclear families, moieties, consanguineal relatives, and affines.
Who’s a Relative? Kinship Terminology in the Middle Ages
This site features kinship terminology in medieval Western Europe.
Chapter
10: Social Stratification and Groupings
Muslim Women
Small, but with many resources and links to related pages, this site examines the status of Muslim women from their perspective. Using the site search function will yield many interesting results: links to such topics as female genital mutilation (FGM), polygynous marriages, and the “ideal” Muslim woman. As with any site, be sure to read with a critical perspective.
Women’s Issues in the Third World
A large site, with many useful links on fgm, as well as links to topics such as child marriages, honour killings, and human rights.
Gender and Health
A United Nations site addressing issues of gender inequality and discrimination harming women’s health. Examines reproductive health services helping to empower women, components of reproductive health care, abortion and post-abortion care, sexually transmitted disease, female genital mutilation, reproductive health program issues, culture restrictions. Boxes include “Discrimination against girls a matter of life and death,” “Honduras reduces maternal mortality,” “AIDS is now the number one killer in Africa,” and “Gender norms can prevent safe sex.”
You Don’t Have to Wear That in Canada
Female Muslim immigrants to Canada speak out about restrictions and discrimination they face in Canada because they choose to wear the hijab.
Ukrainian Museum of Canada
This site offers a wealth of links to Ukrainian culture and history in Canada.
Ukrainians Want Acknowledgement of Injustice
This article appeared in the University of Western Ontario’s Gazette. It addresses the internment in Canada of Ukrainians during World War II and suggests that Canada should make redress.
Women: Still Something to Shout About
This site presents the view that widening gaps between the rich and poor are a ruthless killer, especially of women and children. An interesting summary of the rampant poverty and inequality in the world today.
The “F” Word
A brief site dedicated to various types of feminism in addition to links to other sites of interest.
The Hindu Caste System
This site provides a comprehensive, historical look at the caste system in India. Also provides links to other sites on Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.
Chapter
11: Political Organization and the Maintenance of Order
Aboriginal Self-Government
This comprehensive site highlights the concept of self-government, policy framework, negotiations, mechanisms for implementation, existing treaties and land claim agreements, and the various approaches to self-government.
Aboriginal Self-Government
A comprehensive site discussing many aspects of aboriginal self-government, including approaches, evolution, arrangements, and chronology.
Canada and Peacekeeping
This site examines Canada’s peacekeeping roles and commitments, as well as recent changes in its roles.
Assembly of First Nations
A huge site with extensive links to related pages. Includes links to programs, press releases, and current events.
Ethnic Cleansing in Armenia
A comprehensive site that examines the historical, political, religious, and social issues linked to the present-day genocide taking place in Armenia.
Ending Violence against Women and Girls
A United Nations site addressing the issues of gender-based violence in cultures around the world. Several boxes include “Women’s attackers seldom punished in Pakistan” and “Killings in Sweden spark debate about domestic violence.” Other topics include “Trafficking in women and girls,” “Honour killings,” and “Impact on reproductive health.”
Nation, State, and Economy
An extensive site reviewing the essence of nationalism, with links to Prussia and Austria.
Political Anthropology
A political anthropology of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in the Canadian subarctic. Topics include Cree land tenure and resources management practices, and the politics of TEK.
Chapter 12: Religion and the Supernatural
Warriors of the Amazon
This site provides links to other pages that tell the story of Yanomami shamans.
Religions of the World
This site contains a description of many religions, past and present, such as Mormonism, Confucianism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as worldviews such as agnosticism and atheism.
The Ute Sun Dance
A description of the sun dance in Colorado.
An Introduction to the World Religions
Links to Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Animism, Christianity, and Hinduism.
Religions of the World
Some less-studied religions, including African traditional religion, Baha’i faith, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, and Taoism.
Religion
An outline by anthropologist Clifford Geertz defining religion, belief systems, religious specialists, ritual, magic and witchcraft, and sorcery.
Salem Witch Trials
A riveting account of the trial of Sarah Good for witchcraft. Also provides a link to the Witch Trials Memorial, which reminds us that these women were real people.
Wicca
An information site that introduces the ancient religion of Wicca. Should dispel some misconceptions about the religion.
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/wicca.html
An extensive site with historical, religious, and social information on Wicca and neo-paganism.
Chapter
13: Artistic Expression
Paul Kane’s Great Nor-West
A comprehensive examination of Paul Kane’s life and work, displaying some of his paintings.
The Group of Seven and Their Contemporaries
A good presentation of the Group of Seven’s lives and work. Includes links to sites on each artist, which display some of their work in vivid colour.
Important Moments in the History of Canadian Visual Culture
This site provides a timeline of visual art in Canada.
Modern and Contemporary Art at the McMichael
This site provides a brief examination of modern and contemporary art in Canada.
Inuit Art Background
This site present a brief sketch of Inuit art and its history. The site also includes photos of Inuit sculpture.
Manitoba Aboriginal Artist Archive
This site features several Manitoba artists and provides descriptions and photos of their work.
Music and Anthropology
The Journal of Musical Anthropology of the Mediterranean presents several journal articles reflecting on music. Two recent additions: “Relating the present to the past: Thoughts on the study of musical change and culture change in ethnomusicology” and “Music, ceremony and self-identity in Renaissance Venice.”
Professional Weeping
A study of professional weeping: music, affect, and hierarchy in a south Indian folk performance by Paul D. Greene. Some of the topics include funerals, oppari, and performance analysis.
Urban Expression
A comprehensive examination by Pamela Dennant of the roots of New York graffiti. Provides a good historical overview set within the social and political context of inner-city New York.
Chapter 14: Medical Anthropology
Environmental Activism
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) in Falls Church, Vermont, was founded in 1981 by Lois Gibbs, chairperson of the Love Canal Homeowners Association. The CHEJ advises local groups of activists across North America who are fighting dumpsites or other forms of pollution threatening their communities.
Women’s Health
Based in a women’s clinic in Winnipeg, Manitoba, this newsletter is a forum for health activists focused on issues around women and menopause, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Breastfeeding Issues
The website for the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action is based in Penang, Malaysia, and links a wide network of breastfeeding and child and infant health and nutrition activists.
Alcohol and Substance Abuse
This U.S. government site provides free information on alcohol and drug abuse.
Doctors Without Borders
Doctors Without Borders is well known and respected for its medical work in trouble spots such as Bosnia, Rwanda, and Cambodia. This independent relief organization provides medical aid along with work on human rights.
Canadian Aboriginal Health
The National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) was founded and is run by aboriginal people for the benefit of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit in Canada. The organization maintains 40 links to other websites of interest to medical anthropology.
Biocultural Medical Anthropology
Based at the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto, and sponsored by the Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology, this website offers a broad range of links to a spectrum of medical anthropology websites, cultural and social as well as biological.
Medical Anthropology
The journal Medical Anthropology is based at Simon Fraser University. An excellent source of current theory and method in medical anthropology in Canada and internationally.
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
A report on Dara Culhane’s participatory action research with women and poverty in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
The Walkerton Water Tragedy
An excellent source for information on the Walkerton water tragedy of 2000 and its aftermath. The CBC news index also provides information on other health and medical news.
Chapter
15: Cultural Change and the Future of Humanity
Yanomami Genocide
Gives good background information and highlights events that are devastating the Yanomami culture.
Environmental Devastation
This article explores the cultural identity, alienation, and dispossession of the Laikipia Maasai in Kenya from their ancestral lands. It addresses the impact of prolonged drought on the community.
Cultural Survival
This article discusses a prophecy that caused the Anishnabe people to bring new balance to their lives in order to survive.
Countdown to Nunavut
Introduces students to the new territory of Nunavut, and presents some background information on the political, economic, and social factors that went into creating this new land.
Living the Legacy: The Women’s Rights Movement 1848–1998
A comprehensive historical, political, and social account of the women’s movement from 1848 to 1998. Highly recommended for students wishing to update their knowledge of what the women’s movement really stands for.
Quebec Sovereignty and Canadian National Unity
The 1998 Supreme Court of Canada decision on Canadian secession.
Women’s Rights Are Human Rights
A United Nations site that examines international human rights treaties and conference agreements to provide women’s rights. Topics include “Human rights treaties” and “International conference consensus agreements.” Boxes of note include “The right to reproductive health care” and “Action and gender equality.”
Careers in Anthropology
Outlines what students can do with a degree in anthropology, and provides links to several related pages. This site is a valuable resource for students who are thinking about majoring in anthropology or who are about to graduate with an anthropology degree.
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