Cultural Relativism in the Kalahari and Insights into Ottoman Wealth (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

Cultural Relativism in the Kalahari and Insights into Ottoman Wealth Author Course Instructor Due date Cultural Relativism in the Kalahari and Insights into Ottoman Wealth TASK 02 In "Eating Christmas in the Kalahari", Richard Lee describes cultural relativism based on his interaction with the !Kung people. Cultural relativism means that one should examine and judge practices and beliefs of other cultures about the said culture, not according to one's own culture. This approach suggests that the behaviors and values are viewed in light of the culture in which such behaviors and values are being exhibited instead of being judged by some other culture. Lee best epitomizes this in the scenario he created during a Christmas party he staged for the! Kung. He brought a big ox whose return he had anticipated !Kung is an expression of gratitude and appreciation that can be compared to those of Western countries (Solomon & A., (2021). However, contrary to our expectations, their reaction was not positive as they ridiculed the gift and made less of it. This behavior was a result of the cultural norms of the !Kung is a perfect example of the artistic practice where people "insult the meat" to bring down pride, given that it tends to throw the balance off. This practice might appear strange or even rude from a Western perspective, but it is a very important rite !Kung social dynamics. Lee's case shows what cultural relativism, an essential concept of anthropology, is all about. It also stresses how behaviors can be easily seen as absurd or even aggressive by weaving an alien perspective and can engage meaningful roles within the parameters of the native culture area. With the help of cultural relativism, Lee and his readers can gain a better understanding of the !Kung. Following the customs of Kung and the principles that regulate people's interactions in their community is necessary to obtain a deeper perception of the different cultural behaviors. TASK 03 In Document 1, Busbecq's main purpose was to inform the Hapsburg monarchs and offer European readers an extensive and complex description of the Ottoman Empire. As will be seen, through writing about the customs, the political organization, and even the day-to-day life of the Ottomans, Busbecq endeavored to provide his European readers with information that the latter knew little about. His observations aimed to fill a gap of information between Europe and the Turkish Ottoman Empire by providing a firsthand account that could be useful in diplomatic and academic contexts. This is shown through Busbecq's account and the letters and documents of Mimar Sinan, which show that there is a meritocratic aspect of the Ottoman Empire's military and government system. Thus, the data obtained from Busbecq's observations shows that the Ottoman system encouraged rock-bottom individual achievements and skills. Therefore, people could occupy positions and rank according to their talents, not only their noble origin. This meritocracy is seen in Sinan's actual auto-biographical account, where he explains that he rose from a low-ranking family to being an imperial architect. Sinan rose to such high status, indicating that one could attain such status in the Ottoman bureaucracy and military if one worked hard and had personal talent (Maksudoglu & M. Z. (2023). According to both authors, the Ottoman elite emphasized efficiency, merit, and capacity, making appointments to posts offered accordingly rather than through birthright. Many details about the Oriental luxury of the sultan and his court are depicted in documents 3 and 4. The authors provide details of the rich appearances of the sultan's palaces...