Cultural Syncretism - 1599 Words

Cultural Syncretism Abstract The concept of cultural syncretism exists when two different cultures combine their ancient beliefs of the past to create new traditions and/or beliefs. There are several cultural factors that influenced both Africa and the Americas such as weaponry, technological advancements, medical and religious. China and India’s values were quite different when it came to cultural beliefs. They would isolate themselves from outside traditions, which made them more resistant to syncretism. Cultural Syncretism Syncretism is the process by which cultures are merged, generally between traditional culture and traits of an introduced culture. This process was especially pronounced in the Americas with the introduction of†¦show more content†¦The Mayan civilization derived from a massive empire that covered Mesoamerica from modern-day Mexico in the north into El Salvador. While the Mayan culture has remained prominent in isolated pockets in some areas of Mexico and Guatemala, in general the culture was extremely integrated into the colonial culture of the Spaniards, rather than being lost through a process of acculturation. Spanish legislative policies towards the indigenous Mayans were lenient and allowed them to keep their language and customs for the most part. The encomienda estate system in the Americas relocated the natives to allow them to work on the Spanish estates, where they were taught English as their primary language, as well as conversion to Christianity (Shuman, 1999). Religion was one of the few areas where the Spanish actually forbade native practices, forcing Christianity on the Mayans. Rather than replacing the native beliefs, the gods were merged together into the personhood of the Catholic Saints. This overt religious practice appeared to the Spanish as colonial, while still retaining the traditional meaning for the Mayan peoples (O’Neil, 2009). The impact of colonization within Native American tribes of North America was much more pronounced than the syncretism in South America, with many British colonial policies essentially obliterating some aspects of NativeShow MoreRelatedCultural Syncretism2190 Words   |  9 PagesCultural Syncretism Cultural Syncretism Christina Doty Alexis Garrett American InterContinental University Online HUMA215-1205B-07 Topics in Cultural Studies Erin Pappas January 27, 2013 Abstract The legacies of cultural syncretism in Africa, and the Americas have been compared and contrasted with the resistance to cultural change Westerners encounter in China and India. The cultural factors that caused these different outcomes are discussed. This discussion is followed by the legaciesRead MoreStuart Halls Cultural Identity and Diaspora1599 Words   |  7 PagesOuahani Nasr-edine A Paper about Stuart Hall’s article: Cultural Identity and Diaspora Stuart hall talks about the crucial role of the â€Å"Third Cinemas† in promoting the Afro-Caribbean cultural identities, the Diaspora hybridity and difference. Hall argues that the role of the â€Å"Third Cinemas† is not simply to reflect what is already there; rather, their crucial role is to produce representations which constantly constitute the third world’s peoples as new subjects against their representationsRead MoreMarni Finkelstein in With No Direction Home1607 Words   |  7 Pagesthere were 26 males and 24 females. She then also records the age these youths left home, in order to decide if there are any correlations between the age the youth left home and the number of youths that left home (2005, 15). The author applies cultural and moral relativism throughout her entire case study. She states that she did not prepare a fixed set of questions; rather she allowed the youths to generate the questions based on their interaction with her (2005,11). Fink elstein demonstrates herRead MoreSocial Structure Essay example1164 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Structure HUMA 215 – Topics in Cultural Studies 9/8/12 Abstract Cultural syncretism has transformed and shaped our world today; because of encounters years and centuries before our time we have religion and even art. Our modern culture was contributed to by the happenings of yesterday. Social Structure Introduction The legacies of cultural syncretism in the Americas and Africa can be compared and contrasted with the resistance to cultural change that westerners experienced in ChinaRead MoreCause of the Disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization1675 Words   |  7 Pagesintermarriage with the Aryans, floods, drought, and/or decline in trade with other societies. Topic 1: On several occasions in class, we discussed the processes of accretion and syncretism. Describe and analyze the cross-cultural influences in a Mediterranean and Indus Valley context. Your essay should provide examples of cultural (remember the components of culture we discussed early in the semester) interchange between different societies and civilizations. Introduction Culture is the complexRead MoreMeztisos: People of Idigenous and European Blood Essay1647 Words   |  7 Pagesthese drives in the ultimate search for power. Unfortunately, these motives caused a European-Indigenous syncretism that virtually changed the native peoples way of life. Ultimately, syncretism meant survival for Native Americans in a world where their way of life did not suit the life styles of expanding Europeans. These indigenous peoples were forced to conform to a new life style of syncretism or face the possibility of extinction. The forefronts of exploration, illustrated by the desire forRead MoreReligious Syncretism - Paper1196 Words   |  5 PagesYaqui Religious syncretism Submitted by Jeffrey D Brown Submitted to Robin E. Rickli MA. Instructor People of the Southwest (ANT 306) Northern Arizona University In the first five days after the Jesuit Missionaries came to the Yaqui country, they had converted five thousand Yaqui natives. The Yaqui’s have taken this convergence and now have what is considered to be a complex syncretism of their native and Catholic beliefs. One does not have a superiority over the other, there is noRead MoreSyncretism And Anti Syncretism : The Politics Of Religious Synthesis Essay2024 Words   |  9 PagesSA2602 Book review Syncretism/anti-syncretism: the politics of religious synthesis Charles Stewart, Rosalind Shaw,1994 Syncretism, a controversial topic in anthropology yet occur to me a rather new and unfamiliar subject. Reading Stewart and Shaw’s work would be my first encounter to the idea and discussion of syncretism, and aided as an introduction to syncretism. Thus the aim of this book review is to show my understanding, merely as a novice reader trying to get a glimpse of the seemingly obscureRead MoreEssay On Salsa1201 Words   |  5 Pagesassert their contributions to the society for many centuries. Synergetic process Racial Syncretism and the Problem of Racial Categories The Spanish conquerors, unlike their counterparts, the English colonialists, were not allowed to carry their families with them to the new land. This led to a free mixing of the Europeans, Africans, and the Americans races. The mixture leads to a widespread racial syncretism that in turn leads to a racial discrimination among people. Several terms were used for discriminatoryRead MorePossibilities And Challenges Of Interreligious And Secular Dialogue809 Words   |  4 Pagesand opportunities for Christians to understand their own being, their mission, and relationship with other religions. Some tensions that may exist in duality are: fundamentalism/relativism, proclamation/dialogue, identity/openness, inculturation/syncretism, local autonomy/human rights, and freedom/reciprocity. Fundamentalism/relativism. These tensions could be beneficial or a problem especially when fundamentalism becomes radical. For instance, the situation that is happening in Syria, where there