The Mongols

Environment:

            The Mongol people of East Asia have had a large influence in Asia and the world at large. At the peak of Mongolian influence, their empire and geographic distribution encompassed northern China, central Asia, Russia, Anatolia, and parts of the Middle East. Modern days Mongolians are located mainly within Mongolia, the inner Mongolian region of China, southwestern Russia, and other Chinese provinces including Manchuria and Gansu. Of all these regions, the largest population of Mongolian people is within the nation of Mongolia. Mongolia has two distinct climatic zones, the Gobi Desert region in the south and the cold and mountainous region in the north and west. There is a wide range of climatic variation, with most of the country being hot in the summer and transitioning to being extremely cold in the winter. Mongolia is also prone to "zuds" which are extremely cold and snowy winters that prevent livestock from grazing and lead to large deaths in Mongolian livestock. From November through March the averages temperatures over most of the country are below freezing. Temperatures in April and October are around freezing. More than half of the country is covered by permafrost. The meteorological conditions within Mongolia are unpredictable and highly variable, especially during the summer months. The country also has high atmospheric pressure. Precipitation in the north averages 20 to 35 centimeters per year, which is the highest. The lowest is in the south which averages 10  to 20 centimeters per year, while portions of the south, mainly in the Gobi Desert receive no precipitation almost every year.

            Approximately 30% of the population of Mongolia are nomadic or semi-nomadic. The rest of the population lives in urban centers, with the capital city of Ulaanbaatar housing about 40% of the population. The Mongolian economy is based upon agriculture, herding, and mining. Some of the fauna encountered in Mongolia includes cattle, wild sheep, goats, camels, horses, snow leopards, and wolves. Comparing the human population of about 2.6 million people to the 34.8 million cattle, sheep, goats, camels and horses it is evident to see the huge local population of animals.

            The major environmental stresses that the Mongolian people have to normally deal with are the extreme temperatures, mainly cold, that can be found within their territory. With the country's average temperatures usually being below freezing, summers are often unpredictable, and having to deal with the occasional zud, the Mongolian people have had a difficult environment to live in and adapt to.

Adaptations:

            Due to the meteorological factors that afflict the Mongolian people, they have notably adapted to their environment in two physical ways. The first is developing short appendages, namely arms and legs, that creates a smaller body area. The second was the development of smaller bodies, which again served to shrink overall body area. Both of these adaptations were primarily for increased tolerance to the cold and higher survivability. With a smaller body area, it is easier to keep body heat inside the body and there is a smaller area for the heat to dissipate. Warm blood travels faster throughout the body, helping to keep core temperatures higher compared to longer limbed or larger humans living in the same conditions.

            Three cultural adaptations to the extreme conditions of Mongolia are a nomadic lifestyle, extensive use of horses, and intensive animal husbandry, or pastoralism. Mongolians developed a nomadic lifestyle as a reaction to their variable environment. When an unexpected turn in weather occurred, it would be possible to relocate to a new area with more favorable conditions. Because of their nomadic lifestyle and the region's climate, these people also developed intensive animal husbandry. Traditionally, they received most of their nourishment from the products of their domesticated animals. Milk was turned into cheese, cream, and butter, while the meat of killed animals was also consumed. The extensive use of horses promoted greater mobility, allowed them to have a larger migratory territory, and allowed the bands of herders to better defend their livelihood. Traditionally, Mongolians were renown for their horsemanship, especially militarily. These three cultural adaptations are complimentary of one another. The independence and mobility of the people promoted pastoralism. The animals would be taken from patchy area of grass to another area. The main consequence of these three adaptations is the susceptibility of pastoral nomads to harsh winters. When a zud occurs and their livestock begins to die, their human herders are put in a situation of grave danger as well.

Language:

            The Mongolian people speak Mongolian, which is the principal member of the Mongolian language group, which is a branch of the Altaic family. The official language of Mongolia is based on the Khalkha dialect. The language is written in vertical columns, from the top down. There are two written forms of the language: the traditional Mongolian script and Mongolian Cyrillic. The first was the original written form of the language developed by the Mongolian people and the second was imposed on them by the Soviet Union in the twentieth century. In education, the traditional script is used and taught in schools, while the Cyrillic script is used for everyday things. The original written language is a testament to the Mongolian people's development. They weren't just horse-riding savages who conquered most of the known world during their peak. They were a people, a culture, and served to link the East and the West during their peak. The Cyrillic script is an example of how a stronger people can come and impose their will on others. The Soviet influence on the Mongolian peoples was strong enough that people still use that script even when Mongolia is an autonomous state.

Gender Roles:

            Within the Mongolian people, there are two notable genders: male and female. Men are generally seen as the heads of the family, household, and chiefs. Women, however, were held in a positive light compared to their contemporaries among other groups of people. Women, especially women older than a man, were given prestige in Mongolian society. It was seen advantageous for a wife to be older than her husband and traditionally, the wisdom of a man's wife was esteemed. To make an analogy, men were the heads, but women were the brains. When it came to herding, men were often in charge of leading and protecting the herds of livestock with women and children being in charge of animal products, such as milking the animals and making butter or cheese. The roles of men and women were relatively solid, but the lines did blur when it came to Mongolian shamans. Both men and women could become shamans, but women were often seen as superior in the shamanistic arts. Generally, men who cross into female gender roles are looked down upon, but there are no significant repercussions for such. Women, because of the freedoms they enjoy in Mongolian society, aren't particularly sealed into a strict gender role. They are supposed to be counselors to their husbands and do household tasks, but other than that, they are relatively free to partake in similar activities as their male counterparts. Women and men are seen as relatively equal because of the Mongolian value placed on fertility over virginity. Women receive roughly the same wages for male counterparts and enjoy a large influence on Mongolian society. Men's roles included external affairs (military, administration, and trade) and herding animals, hunting, slaughtering animals, and maintaining animal shelters.

            Mongolian gender roles were passed down by example. Children aided their mothers as they grew, but when they came of age they'd step into their adult gender role and duties. The protagonist of "The Blessed Curse" would be accepted within Mongolian society because both sexes are relatively equal. The only issues would come to which gender role the protagonist would choose to follow in the larger scheme of the society. As a woman, she would be in charge of child rearing and household duties, but if she were unable to have children, a larger issue would come about. Because Mongolians place a large value on fertility, a woman who is barren could find trouble finding herself a husband. If the protagonist chose to follow a man's gender role, he would not have any issues with larger society. Because of the equality present in Mongolian society, I believe the protagonist would fit in however he or she would choose to.

Subsistence:

            Mongolians traditionally rely on their animals for subsistence. This comes in the form of meat and dairy products. Recently, due to agricultural breakthroughs, the Mongolian diet has come to include some vegetables. Due to the environment of Mongolia, agriculture isn't the most viable option because of permafrost and low temperatures. Vegetables are seasonal and are heavily influenced by the weather during planting, growing, and harvesting seasons. Meat and animal by-products are year round as long as the winter isn't too cold or snowy, because too much snow can prevent herds from grazing. Herding animals goes along with nomadism. Men generally tend to the herds, hunt, and slaughter the animals. Women and children are in charge of the animal by-products, namely milk, cheese, butter, and cream. Mongolians generally have deficiencies in vitamins due to the lack of vegetables in their diet. Some traditional Mongolian dishes and items are: fried meat pastries (huushuur), mutton soup with noodles (guriltai shul), and milk tea (suutei tsai).

Economic systems:

            In regard to food production, Mongolia's domestic production is used for subsistence. The other animal by-products, such as wool, are the items that are exported or turned into manufactured goods and then sold to other countries. The major specialization of labor consists of industrial workers, especially in regard to the growing mining industry within the country. The currency of Mongolia is the tugrik. From the 1920's to the 1980's, the Soviet Union enforced the collectivization of private herds of animals into larger, collective herds. Since the 1980's, private ownership has again begun to flourish. Mongolia trades minerals, manufactured goods, and animal by-products with their main trading partners: China, the United States, and Canada. Their chief export partner is China. Trading relations with other countries has brought new items that are unavailable in their own country, namely varieties of food and technology. The major issue with trade is that it has driven the industrialization of Mongolia that often brings problems to people who prefer to participate in the traditional economy of Mongolia, mainly herding animals. Men often give up their pastoral lifestyles for the chance of more money doing more dangerous work, especially within the mining industry.

Marriage:

            Mongolians are monogamous and the kinship system is patrilineal. Marriage partners, before the 20th century were largely chosen by parents, but now children are free to choose who they wish to marry with little parent influence. Marriages still are usually determined by proximity and social status of the individual. Herders marry neighboring herders and urbanites marry other urbanites. Marriages generally come with a bridal dowry, which traditionally used to be groups of animals. This shows the worth of Mongolian women as sources of life and labor, rather than a form of male-dominated property. Sons, along with their brides, generally established themselves in the camps of their fathers. Now, wedded couples have more of a say in residential location. Homosexuality was legalized in Mongolia in 2002. However, during the Soviet years, homosexuality was illegal. It is unknown how vigorously the anti-homosexuality law was enforced.

Kinship:

            The kinship system practiced in Mongolia, traditionally, was patrilineal. The children of a widowed or divorced woman, when she remarried, would be accepted by her new husband and be seen as his own. The importance of children was for the labor they could provide for their family, so fertility was the important value in a women, rather than her virginity. Because of the ability of a women to be a source of children and labor, they were highly valued in Mongolian society. The patrilinealism of Mongolia reflects that a man controls the wealth and power of his household, but a woman is by no means merely another possession. She was a source of wisdom and counsel in the marriage, with men being pressured by Mongolian society to listen to their wives and heed their counsel. Men hold the most authority within the family and Mongolian society. Inheritance is carried on through the male line and traditionally the youngest son would inherit the largest part of his father's wealth.

Social Organization:

            Traditional Mongolian society was structured and segmented. The overall society was organized into a hierarchy of families, clans, tribes, and confederations. The social classes were composed of nobles, herders, artisans, and slaves. There was the possibility of social mobility in this system and nobles and commoners had opportunities for both upward and downward social mobility. In modern Mongolian society, social classes are structured by economic status, with social mobility available, but not as common due to an increasing disparity between rich and poor.

Political Structure:

            The Mongolian political system traditionally was composed of various chiefs who governed their own people and subjugated other chiefdoms. The modern Mongolian state has one unicameral legislative parliament: the State Great Hural, which is composed of 76 elected members. Mongolia also has a president, who serves as the head of state, and a prime minister, who serves as the head of government. The president is elected by a popular vote and the prime minister is elected from the parliament, whom is generally the leader of the majority party. Local government officials are elected by the public in the provincial and district levels. Power is transferred by popular consent through elections. The State Great Hural is in charge of creating legislation and the laws are enforced by the National Police Agency of Mongolia. They use fines, imprisonment, deportation from Mongolia, and expulsion from native groups as punishments for breaking the law.

The Role of Violence:

            One noticeable display of violence within the Mongolian people is the domestic violence of men against women. According to studies conducted over the years, domestic violence is becoming more violent. Another issue is the domestic violence of men on children. The Mongolian media has done various attempts to bring these issues to light, but the Mongolian people see it as a family issue or no issue at all. Studies show that this violence has been greatly influenced by alcohol abuse and the economic situation in Mongolia. Because of the rapid industrialization of the country and the new free market economy, many families are becoming impoverished and this is putting more stress on the household unit. Men, influenced by the stress and lack of means to support their families, become violent with their wives and children. Women are often afraid to prosecute men because they would lose their own livelihood and household as their husband sits in a detention center. The society at large sees it as as a neutral or non-issue. The afflicted parties absolutely see it as a plague to Mongolian society, but the society at large doesn't have any qualms with domestic violence, at least at the social level.

Religion:

            The main religion of the Mongolian people is Lamaism, which is a form of Buddhism. The religion is more philosophical than theological. It is neither monotheistic or polytheistic, because it is more concerned with how people live their lives and how that can affect their next life as they get reincarnated (or reach Nirvana and escape the cycle of reincarnation). Buddhism is characterized by meditation and their treatment of other. Good deeds done solely for the betterment of others serve to better their karma, which in turn brings them closer to Nirvana or a better state of existence when they become reincarnated. Families also promoted Buddhism by sending one of their sons to a temple to become a lama, which served to expand and strengthen Buddhism within Mongolia. Buddhism is deeply influential to the culture, shown by its strong resurgence after Soviet influence. Under socialism, Buddhism was strongly persecuted and a large amount of Buddhist temples were destroyed.

Art:

            The artwork of the Mongolian people was heavily influenced by their nomadic heritage. Sculptures and paintings were mainly localized to temples while utensils, saddles, horse blankets, and storage chests were highly decorative. The artwork in the temples were of a religious theme and served to supplement the religious activities going on in the temples. The functional items, such as saddles, were decorated to show the value placed on them. Music was broken up into folk music and professional music. Both served as methods of entertainment. Of the folk instruments, the most important was the horse-head fiddle, which men were expected to be able to play. Other folk instruments included transverse and vertical flutes and the tovshuur and shudraga (two banjo-like instruments). Both amateur and professional theater and music groups are supported within Mongolia. The Mongolian government subsidizes such groups to perform throughout the country. Performances include operas, ballets, plays, folk music and dancing, and circuses. The religious artwork of the Mongolian people are generally the sculptures and paintings within religious temples. These include depictions of the Buddha in sculpted form and paintings on wool or silk.

Conclusion:

            Mongolia has been highly affected by China and Russia. They obtained many technological advances from both countries, economic support, and a new governmental system (from Russia). However, the socialist state created in Mongolia with Russia's influence also proved to be harmful to the culture. Buddhism was highly persecuted, government corruption was rampant, and the traditional livelihood of Mongolians was  transformed into a public state-controlled system (the collecting of private herds into larger public ones). With the onset of modernization, globalization, and industrialization, many traditional Mongolian practices are in danger. In an industrial economy, there is hardly any room for pastoral nomadism. The stresses of impoverishment due to the new economic system are also putting a toll on family relationships, notably through the rising amount of male domestic violence on women and children. The cultural identity is not in necessary danger of being lost, but aspects are indeed threatened. Traditionally, the Mongol horde was a devastating Medieval juggernaut. Genghis Khan was able to truly unite the Asian East and European West, which could be seen as the beginning of the modern world. Sadly, Mongolia in the twenty-first century only has a small fraction of the influence and power it wielded at its peak. The growing Mongolian influence on the world economy is their exportation of minerals. The Mongolian mineral trade will be a driving factor to economies all around the world and allow for Mongolia to reap the economic benefits of supplying the rest of the world with the metals and coal they need for their pre-industrial, industrial, or post-industrial societies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolia

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/389284/Mongol#toc284621

http://www.selenatravel.com/about-mongolia.html

http://countrystudies.us/mongolia/34.htm

http://www.mapsofworld.com/country-profile/mongolia-information-geography-and-history.html

http://www.e-mongol.com/mongolia-environnement.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoloid

http://countrystudies.us/mongolia/39.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongols

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/389327/Mongol-language

http://www.alsintl.com/resources/languages/Mongolian/

http://www.coldsiberia.org/monwomen.htm

http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mongolia.html#b

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Mongolia

http://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/Asia-South-Pacific/Mongolia

http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/rwinslow/asia_pacific/mongolia.html

Art as a Culture

1)
A: The cave artists were trying to show what I feel is a physical-spiritual encyclopedia of the animals they encountered in their habitat. The way certain animals are depicted, and the recurring themes, imply some kind of spiritual or physical importance. Also, the depiction of carnivores as hidden or elusive is another theme of these artists. Carnivores and drawn into pre-existing drawings, or in hidden places, to show their own hunting prowess and deadly stealth.
B: I believe the proportion of animals to humans in these drawings is reflective of their environment and culture. Nature was the overwhelming force in their day-to-days lives, with only small groups of humans living together in bands. It was more likely to encounter a plethora of animals on a daily basis than a human from another group. Animals, generally speaking, are more than humans in the sense of their own physical abilities. It makes sense, from an early human standpoint, when nature still ruled and minimal adaptation of the environment was occurring, that humans would be in awe of their animal contemporaries and wish to take or control their abilities somehow through art.
C: The paintings show that the people in this region, and Paleolithic people at large, came into contact with a wide variety of animals and had a working knowledge of their animal neighbors. The depiction of carnivores as especially predatory also shows the peoples' fear and reverence of these beasts. These animals were seen as real threats to their livelihood and these images could also have served as educational tools, teaching the new generation to be wary and watch out for these carnivorous predators.
D: The most obvious physical boundary these people had to overcome was the geography of the area. The general area where these caves are located is surrounded by steep cliffs, which makes reaching the caves both tricky and a challenge. Next, it took the people time and effort to discover how to actually create these paintings. After devising materials and methods to create these paintings, the people had to engineer ways to paint above their heads, especially when it came to the ceiling paintings. Painting in the dark would prove to be especially difficult, so the people also had to safely manage fire in these closed areas, which provided another challenge to these early human artists.
E: I believe that three possible functions of this early art could have been: serving as an encyclopedia of animal knowledge (education), attempting to control these animals and nature through the paintings and some sort of mysticism (religion), and the passing down of oral histories or knowledge with the paintings serving as visual aids (tradition).
2) I believe the general use of art is as an expression of a people's culture and values. For the Paleolithic Lascaux, their culture could have been highly influenced by nature and their values may have been reinforced by their local animals. The bull could have been a symbol for bravery or strength. The problem with art, however, is that it is an exclusive form of expression. If you aren't part of the in-group, the art is merely aesthetic, the underlying meanings aren't easily comprehended. In modern art, there is a similar disconnect. Da Vinci's The Last Supper, as illustrated in the text book, has meanings that only an insider can readily grasp, while the overall aesthetic can be appreciated by almost anyone. Art is expressive, but only within your group. The values, beliefs, and culture is out in the open for all to see, but only the people who are a part of the group can actually understand what is in front of them.
3) My favorite art form is music, specifically alternative rock. Within this genre of music, my favorite group is Brand New, hailing from Long Island, New York. One song by them that I feel depicts their overall "sound" is Jesus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_iNdbPvrYk&feature=relmfu) from their album "The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me."
A: In the large scheme of music, those people who create alternative rock are seeking a method of personal expression outside of the classical rock and roll mold. Listeners to this kind of music are often attracted by the harmonies, vocal intonations, and lyrics. In this genre of music, you can find a wide variety of groups and artists, each catering to different tastes and needs. Generally, alternative rock musicians are trying to externalize internal feelings through their music, as do all musicians. These musicians also attempt to voice feelings their fans may possibly have as well, but haven't found the words to describe their feelings. In particular, Brand New, through their song "Jesus," communicate doubts, apprehension, and pressure that arise from daily life. They are trying to make it okay to verbalize these feelings and try to make the listener understand that they are a natural part of being human.
B: Because of the "alternative" label associated to this genre of the art form that is music, it is hard to define things. The label is broad as are the musicians and the audience who listen to them. There is no simple method of dress for musicians or fans, or language, or behaviors. The alternativen-ness of the music, groups, and people allow for different people to become synthesized into one group for the sake of the music, yet they still retain their own individual identities.
C: The inclusiveness of this art form brings people together, rather than drives them apart. The major issue with society at large is the musicians' irreverence in regard to challenging social issues of the status quo. They dare to bring controversial issues to light because they aren't afraid of causing conflict over their music.

Politics & Violence

1) The Yanomamo view killings as transgressions that must be reciprocated with a revenge killing. When a member of a village is killed, it is the duty of male family members and the men of the tribe to lead a raid against the tribe that killed one of their members, with the goal of killing rival tribe members. In Western cultures, killings are met with legal repercussions, usually prison time or capital punishment. In certain cases, killing can be permissible in self-defense or during war, but all other times have consequences for the act of killing another person.
2) Revenge killings occur when a fight, usually over a woman, escalates and leads to the death of a tribe member. The killed person's tribe then retaliates and leads a raid on the killer's tribe, hoping to kill the killer, but generally killing the first person they run into.
3) A man who has the title of unokais is seen as more masculine, has the privilege of being part of the political elite (headmen), and takes part in the decision process of which killings will be avenged. Men who are not unokais tend to live longer and have more offspring compared to their unokai tribesmen. There is a very high mortality rate for those trying to become an unokai, and the risk, according to Chagnon's article, doesn't outweigh the benefits on average. A man could choose to try and become an unokai because he wants the power, privilege, respect, and doesn't want to be deemed as a coward for not taking part in revenge raids.
4) A) In Yanomamo political structure, the elite political body is composed of unokais and they decide which killings within the tribe will be avenged. The people who risk their lives for the status get to decide which deaths are worth the risk.
B) Unokais are given a higher social status than non-unokais and they generally take more wives, sometimes by force. Their unokai status also makes them more appealing mates to women in their tribe, elevating them as a wanted commodity.
C) In tribes where kinship bonds are stronger, revenge killings are more likely because more individuals are willing to risk their own lives in order to avenge the death of one of their tribesmen. The stronger the ties of kinship, the stronger the group identity of the tribe is and the more willing they are to go on a revenge killing.
D) Unokais, due to the Yanomamo viewing them as masculine and attractive figures to women, along with their non-reluctance to use force to take wives from other villages, tend to have more wives over the course of their lives than non-unokais. However, non-unokais, not partaking in the dangerous revenge killings, tend to live longer and have more offspring over time.
5) Things that no one should want to do aren't necessarily the same as things people don't do. Sometimes blood obligation or status, such as is the case with the Yanomamo tribe, killings are needed to restore community balance. Through laws against murder, a society takes vengeance out of the hands of the people and replaces it with justice at the hands of the government. For example, the Yanomamo who have encountered missionaries and government agents have near-zero levels of revenge killings. The incorporation of legal or moral systems that dictate what is appropriate and punish negative acts allows for revenge killings to be replaced. With these systems, people should not want to partake in killings and can readily see the personal consequences of their actions if they do so.

Kinship

1) My interviewee was my mother, Gabriela Rubi de Salceda. She was born in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. My mother, while she lived in Mexico for twenty-five years was part of the upper-middleclass, now living in Los Angeles, she is part of the middle-class. Culturally, Gabriela identifies as Mexican and ethnically recognizes that she is a mix of Native Mexican and European.
2) While trying to interview my mother, I found myself stressed over trying to explain exactly what I was trying to ask her and what information I was looking for. The main method I used was a sit-down discussion at the kitchen table, trying to keep distractions to a minimum. As an anthropologist, I see the issues of communication and privacy that come up during a kinship interview. With us, the main issue was communication, with privacy not being a barrier because I was inquiring over my own family. The interview and the subject matter wasn't awkward because it was my own family and I approached this assignment from an anthropological perspective. By that, I mean I approached it with an open-mind, subjectivity, and without judgement. The thoroughness of the interview was satisfactory, but I feel that was only because of our own familial bonds that exist and bring down the barriers of privacy and miscommunication. Interviewing someone who had no relation to me, I believe the interview would go in a completely different direction. To protect their own family from embarrassment or a stranger's judgement, I believe the person is more likely to lie or leave information out during an interview.
3) The major trend in regard to closeness was the amount of distance between our family unit -- my mother, my father, and me -- and the rest of my mother's family -- my mother's brother and her parents. As you can tell, our family, on my mother's side, is quite small. The trend is for a small family unit, with no particular emphasis on either maternal or paternal family lines only looking at these three generations stemming from my maternal grandparents. The main difference within the family is our unit and that of my uncle and my grandparents, mainly being a cultural difference with us living in the United States. The family relationship, before my grandparents made the decision to move in with us here in the United States, was strained due to distance, with us seeing them about once a year at best. The second cultural difference between myself and the rest of my maternal family, excluding my parents, was a language barrier. Everyone spoke Spanish as their first language while it was my second, creating a constant strain on communication between myself and my grandparents and uncle.
4) Due to the distance between myself and both of my parents families, us being the only ones who live in the United States, closeness is very hard to achieve or maintain. I believe that I know both families, but I wouldn't go so far as to say I know them well, due to the lack of socialization between myself and them. I socialize more with my grandparents and my dad's brother's family (uncle, aunt, and cousin). From what I remember of my interaction with both families over the years, I believe that I've spent a roughly equal amount of time with both, but the closeness is still limited mostly to those two groups of family. The decisions within the family aren't really something I'm familiar with. Within our own nuclear family, my parents make the decisions with me bringing a different perspective to the decision-making table. Overall, I have no real idea who makes the decisions for the overall family, due to a lack of participation within the overall family structure. Within the family, members who marry in are scrutinized at first until they are accepted into the familial system. For example, when my dad married my mother, he was under a metaphorical microscope for the beginning of the marriage and every action or word was liable for judgement by my mother's parents. From the interview, as you go farther back in time, the gender roles within my maternal family were more stark than they are today. Between my grandmother's day and my mother's, women's education and the traditional gender role for women have both evolved to a more progressive state. My mother is a full-time worker, while my grandmother was a housewife and never imagined being anything else at the time. I think the main insight I've gained from this exercise is an understanding of the dynamic and evolution of my maternal family from my grandparents to my own generation. The ethics, beliefs, morals, and mode of thinking has changed drastically over the years. However, along with evolution, I saw what stayed the same. For example, my grandparents decided to migrate from Mazatlan, Mexico to Mexico City in search of a better life as my parents emigrated from Mexico City to Los Angeles for the same reason. If history repeats itself, I find it highly probable that behaviors and decisions made within the family unit are more often than not repeated, at least the ones that end up benefiting my family positively, such as gaining more opportunities through relocating.

Kinship Chart:

Subsistence and Economy

Part 1:
1) The benefits to using the hunter gatherer subsistence pattern is that foodstuffs, in the form of wild game and wild plants are plentiful. Following game throughout seasons allows the people to maintain a comfortable amount of food readily available. The benefits to using the agricultural subsistence pattern is that you can settle in one area and grow your own food and raise your own animals. This allows people to store food as well for times in which agriculture isn't possible or to ensure your family's survival in the case of drought or famine.
2) The disadvantages of the hunter gatherer subsistence pattern is that the group of people are constantly migrating along with the animals they are hunting. If over hunting occurs, the people risk starving to death because they cannot replenish their own foodstuffs and must migrate to a new area or find a new group of animals to hunt. The disadvantages to the agricultural subsistence pattern are: over farming the land, making it unsuitable for agriculture, dependence on season, climate, and weather, and the necessity of claiming land for agricultural use.
3) The hunter gatherer subsistence pattern provides a healthier lifestyle, in my opinion, because the people consume a wider variety of foodstuffs. Animal protein is supplemented by various plants, fruits, and nuts which give the people a more well-balanced diet.
4) Because of the disadvantages to being a hunter gatherer, mainly living a semi-nomadic lifestyle as well as being utterly dependent on the animals and plants you have no control over, people made the change to agriculture. Agriculture allows for a people to live in the same area, control their diet through the choice of what plants they grow and animals they domesticate, and surplus goods can be stored for times of need.
Part 2:
1) The direct relationship between the availability of surplus and the ability to trade is that the surplus is traded to other people for items the surplus creating people want from their neighbors. Without an available surplus, trade is not an intelligent option. It doesn't make sense to trade things you need for things you want. Rather, you should trade the extra you have that you don't necessarily need for other things you need that you can't produce or things you want.
2) One social benefit of trade is the creation of non-subsistence producers within a local population. People can become merchants and accumulate wealth through trading as an occupation, rather than being a serf merely producing enough food to survive. Another social benefit of trade is the cultural interaction between two people through trade. Religious beliefs, political structures, and cultural traditions migrate along with trade goods from one people to the other.
3) One negative social result of the development of trade is the accumulation of wealth and power in the hands of a few merchants. Trade creates conflict between the people who manage the surplus and those who create it. Another negative social result of trade is the exposure of material goods of one people to their neighbors. If someone likes your goods and decides they want to control the supply or get tired of paying you for them, they can easily wage war for economic reasons against you, coveting your material wealth.
4) The development of agriculture allowed people to go beyond subsistence. Agriculture created the ability to grow a surplus of foodstuffs that could be stored for later use or traded away for other goods or services. Therefore, as agriculture developed and created surpluses, the ability to trade with other people became a possibility. Having more than you need gave people things to trade with other people who had more than they needed.