Author: sdalex
Peaceful Societies Introduces a New Video Resource
The goal of this website, Peaceful Societies, is to promote peacefulness through the study of societies that are already nonviolent. They provide examples from which we might learn to be more peaceful by dealing more effectively and nonviolently with conflict. This website also strives to reflect the goals of its host, the UAB Department of […]
Hunting Weapons of the Ju/’hoan San: What Can We Learn from Them? [journal article review]
The Ju/’hoan San, one the last true hunter-gathering cultures, have often been looked to as a window into the past. While this is only partially true since cultures are far from static, the study of the San’s painstaking arrow making technology may shed light on the processes and products that might have been used by […]
Monkeys, Nets, and Birhor Identity [journal article review]
The Birhor move freely between their identities as foragers, hunters, and active business people, allowing them to survive in a world where they are frequently marginalized by government officials and a Hindu majority. Having studied the Birhor extensively, author Deborah Nadal was intrigued by their ability to fluidly navigate these identities. She explores this aspect […]
San Poison Arrows [journal article review]
The bow and arrow have been crucial tools for hunting throughout the latter part of human history. After the advent of these instruments, early hunters would have quickly realized that adding poisons to their tool kit would vastly improve hunting success. For many people, the use of poisons in hunting quickly conjures images of poison […]
Inuit Culture and Climate Change [journal article review]
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) held by indigenous peoples is slowly gaining recognition by scientists as an alternative way of looking at environmental processes over time. In a recent study, researchers used TEK as a means of increasing our understanding of climate change in the Arctic. In order to carry out the study, lead investigator, Alain […]
Changing Knowledge and Wisdom in Thailand [journal article review]
Can the Theravadan Buddhist approach to wisdom co-exist alongside the modern, imported knowledge of the Kingdom of Thailand? That is the question asked by author Zane Ma Rhea as she takes a closer look at traditional concepts of knowledge and wisdom in the face of an increasingly globalized Thailand. To start, Ma Rhea explains some […]
Peace and Nonviolence: Anthropological Aspects [a review]
In “Peace and Nonviolence: Anthropological Aspects,” Leslie Sponsel presents a concise and convincing argument for the persistence of nonviolent behavior throughout prehistory and history by providing numerous empirical examples from an anthropological perspective. Because of the inherent multidisciplinary approach anthropology provides, it creates the ideal framework from which to view peace and nonviolence in contrast […]
