BLOOMSBURG STATE COLLEGE
Bloomsburg
Pennsylvania
Anthropology Newsletter
Vol. 3, No. 4
December 1978
Department of Philosophy/Anthropology
Book Review Given Kath Walker's visit on campus, it's time the Newsletter reviewed
a book on Australian aborigines from the anthropological perspective. A highly
readable choice is John Greenway's Down Among the Wild Men (Little, Brown, 1972).
Greenway, formerly professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado, is an
outrageous man given to outrageous opinions; his book is like his personality. The
book chronicles his various field excursions into the interior desert of Australia
in search of aboriginal life. While outlining both modern Australian history
and traditional aboriginal culture, Greenway alternately lambasts both the missionary and government efforts to "civ::. 1_ize" the aborigines and the liberal viewpoint
of the aborigines as the noble savage; in fact, he ravages the latter point. Along
the way he favors us with his opinions of anthropology, American popular and political
movements, and people in general. He disagrees with virtually everything written
or said by what he calls "consensus anthropology" and then challenges the reader to
"look it up": "I do not mean look up some other quarternery product of consensus
anthropology; go to the earliest sources and use some common sense." One passage
should give you the general flavor of the book: "If I say Dr. Richard A. Gould
of the American Museum of Natural History is full of prunes (a euphemism in deference
to my editor's delicacy), you can be certain that an autopsy upon him (which should
take place immediately after I next see him) will scientifically disclose an extraordinary medical phenomenon--that he was composed largely of prunes. Do not argue
me in my margins about these things. Anyone as controversial as myself cannot
afford to deal in falsehoods or inaccuracies." (p. 13). But don't make the mistake of assuming that Greenway is a buffoon, either. There is a great deal of
accurate, useful material in this book; it is worthwhile reading. The library
has a copy.
Ethnographic Facts Warfare in the 20th century is a horrible institution, heaping
death and mutilation indiscriminately on combatants and non-combatants alike.
Movies about past wars suggest to us that it was always thus, and yet, the idea
of 'total warfare" is a recent phenomenon. As recently as the 1870' s~ spectators
watched battles in Europe from hillside "grandstands", and Tolstoy's picture of
a nobleman wandering through a battle in War and Peace is not fanciful. NonWestern cultures in particular practiced a form of warfare, called ironically
enough, "primitive warfare," in which relatively little blood was shed. In
primitive warfare the acquisition of territory is not the object, nor is the fight
to change men's minds, e.g., to make the world safe for democracy. Rather, the
primary goal of primitive warfare was the personal display of the warrior. In
battle the warrior exercised a skill--spear-throwing, archery, or fencing-that he had practiced since childhood, and, often under the eyes of his womenfolk,
he boasted of his ancestry and bravery while impugning that of the enemy and
demonstrating the ineffectiveness of their soldiers by the agility with which he
dodged their blows and missiles. Warfare was unorganized and highly individual;
if danger threatened, the warrior was free to run away. A perfect example of
this type of warfare was the Plains Indian practice of counting coup: more honor
came to the warrior who merely touched his enemy in battle rather than hacking
him to pieces. Ambush and surprise were more important than organized field
maneuvers, and leaders fought side by side with their men. John Keegan, author
of The Face of Battle (Viking, 1976), argues that the shift to organized
warfare came when leaders removed themselves from the field of battle, commanding
from the rear. Lacking the leader's personal example, troops were apt to
waver; the counter to this was training and drill, i.e., conditioning to take

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orders. When a warrior became part of a team, fighting for that team (and
accountable to it) rather than for his own personal glory, the nature of
warfare changed. But the "primitive" nature of warfare is still with us: we
call it "sport" and display it most obviously in archery, javelin throwing,
fencing and dressage.
In Memorium: Margaret Mead 1901-1978 We all mourn the passing of Margaret
Mead, who died of cancer on November 15, 1978. The one anthropologist whose
world-wide popularity outstripped her professional standing in the field,
she was well known to many audiences. She was the great popularizer of anthropological information; most knowledge, both popular and scientific outside anthropology, which can be traced to anthropological research, comes from her. Her
first book, Coming of Age in Samoa, was published in 1928; it was an immediate
best seller. Her subsequent books, such as Growing up in New Guinea, were almost
as popular. She taught us that sex roles are learned, that socialization was
crucial in the development of personality, that adolescence need not be traumatic,
and many other important ideas. She will be missed.
Magazine Review Every anthropologist ought to subscribe to Human Nature. (12
issues-$15). This highly readable magazine is loaded each month with extremely
useful and contemporary articles, often about topics which will not reach the
professional journals for months or even years. While the maga.zine is interdisciplinary in scope (and is useful for that reason alone), up to half of every
issue is written by anthropologists. Articles in the December issue of immediate
interest to anthropology students include an essay on the origins of human intelligence, on Western fashion as a cultural invention, and on· the Japanese dolphin
kill as a cultural phenomenon. Other articles look at parapsychology, at the link
between low-fiber diets and disease, and the process by which children postpone
pleasure. To top it all off, Morton Fried reconsiders Wittfogel's Oriental
Despotism against the criticism it has engendered for decades. A subscription to
this magazine as a Christmas present would more than pay off in the months to
come.
BSC Primates Visit Bucknell Primates by John McVeigh. An ensemble of BSC anthropology students recently traveled to Bucknell University for the purpose of viewing four different species of non-human primates. Mr. Reeder and Steve James
coordinated the program in conjunction with Dr. Douglas Candland of the Psychology
Department at Bucknell. After a pleasant trip down route 642 we were graciously
welcomed by Dr. Candland, who explained the characteristics of the primates and
the objectives of his research. Specifically, we observed the famed Hamadryas
baboons, Japanese snow monkeys (Macaca fuscata), gelada baboons, and the relatively
miniscule arboreal squirrel monkeys. Dr. Candland has performed such unique research as measuring the relationship of heart rate and adrenal activity with the
achievement and maintenance of social status. Currently, he is studying the ability
of the snow monkey to manufacture tools. Also he is investigating the method of
olfactory communication between squirrel monkeys; he also discussed the adaptive
value of such communication in the wild. The trip to Bucknell was interesting, informative and allowed for first hand observation of many of the principles of primate
behavior that are covered in many classes. This experience has served to enhance
our present interest in the field of anthropology, i.e., the first-hand observation
of those animals that we have heard so much about generated an understanding of the
relevance of the anthropological study. We thank Dr. Candland and those who organized
such an interesting outing.

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Multi-Cultural Education at BSC by Steve James. The topic of Multi-Cultural education has become an important issue within the American educational system. The
treatment which individuals of different racial and ethnic backgrounds receive in
regard to quality in education is observable. Urbanism and cultural biases are
largely responsible for these inequities. Anyone believing in the framework of
the constitution surely regards these inequities as contrary to the doctrine of
democracy. Recently administrators and educators have begun to act on these
social disjunctions. A Multi-Cultural Educational Center has been established
at BSC to meet the demands of this new thrust in education.
Several anthropological ideas are important to the precepts on which multi-cultural
education is founded. First the power of culture is crucial in forming one's attitudes and behaviors. Second the process of enculturaltion through which one comes
to know appropriate behaviors of a culture becomes important. A child growing up
in an ethnically or racially different community acquires different perceptions of
the world, often learning behaviors which are inappropriate in main stream American
life. The first exposure to these new ways is often in early grade school; a
period which is sometimes traumatic in itself. Since most teachers are not from
these minority groups they are often unaware and biased against these children's
prior cultural training. A good example of this can be found in the interaction
between a standard English speaking white teacher and Black English speaking child.
The teacher will insist the child cannot speak properly when in fact he is speaking
a language native to his speech community. The teacher is unaware of the differences
in structure between the two languages. The goal of multi-cultural educational
programs is to sensitize future teachers to varying cultu~al backgrounds.
At BSC Dr. David Washburn has been largely responsible for the establishment of the
Multi-Cultural Center. A proposed concentration in multi-cultural education is in
the wings, waiting for approval. Although the department has been mainly used by
education majors, many of its interests are parallel to the interests of anthropologists. Washburn received his B.A.in anthropology from the University of Arizona.
His interests and course material are reflective of this and would be of interest
to anthropology majors. Several of the proposed courses deal with ethnic groups
one would frequently encounter if doing field work in urban areas. Courses discussing Hispanic culture in America, Afro-American themes, black politics and AfroAmerican history will be offered. A course dealing with racial and minority groups
has also been proposed. Since a lot of contemporary anthropology is being carried
out in urban areas studying the interaction between minority and majority, or studying the effect of urbanism on behavior, therefore courses of this nature would be
of assistance to anthropologists. If anyone is interested in finding out more about
these courses or talking to Dr. Washburn about studying at Arizona, you can contact
him at 26 Hartline .
.Point-Counter~int With this section we are initiating in the Newsletter what is
hoped to be a series of debates over ethical issues of significance to anthropologists. This initial effort focuses on the ethics of animal research. The position
favoring the use of animals in research is taken in this issue by John McVeigh.
The position against using animals will be raised in the next issue by Steve James.
Ethical Opposition to Animal Research: The Height of Immorality by John McVeigh.
The ethics of animal research deserve our attention. There are those who would
have us believe (based on seemingly logical but mostly emotional premises) that
it is inhuman to subject any animals to conditions of deprivation, shock or any
aversive situation. Their emotional premise, that animals have rights equivalent

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to those of humans, has led to this denunciation of such research. It is my belief that these Sophists have tripped on their premise and sprawled on their conclusion. It is my purpose to remove the barrier that has resulted in this blundering dissociation from the truth.
Peter Singer, in his treatise on animal liberation, attacked the scientific community with a vengeance, and yet he admits that a human life is more important
than an animal life. In other words, even the most ardent anti-vivisectionists
are aware of the primacy of human survival. Further, evolutionary theory demands
that we accept the relationship between man and animals. Precisely, an understanding of the basic processes of other species, behavorial and physiological,
is not only relevant but essential to the understanding of complex processes in
man. Moreover, human survival requires a complete knowledge of the most intricate
and unique animal-man. Research with animals can provide this knowledge and thus
enhance the possibility of human survival.
I find another argument for the use of animals in research even more compelling.
The technology of the industrial age is also the harbinger of the age of human
suffering. Cancer, the rampant presence of neuroses, and human depression are
anathema to the progressive successes of the 20th century. Simply put, human
misery has not only become prevalent, but common. Since animal models can provide us with the knowledge that may provide clues to the etiology and development
of disease and psychological misery, it is imperative that we perform this research. Not to do it is to consign many of our fellow humans to lives of misery
and suffering. It would be unethical not to perform this research.
This is not to say that animals have no rights. Rather these rights must never
supercede the rights of humans. Thus an experimenter must ask himself the
question: Is the pain and suffering that this animal is about to endure greatly
outweighad by the resulting alleviation (even indirect) of human pain and suffering? If the answer is yes, then the research is justified. Not to justify
this research is to ignore the misery of other human beings.
By inducing diseases and mental retardation in monkeys, researchers have gained
insights into the causes of these abnormalities. Subsequently, five types of
mental retardation have been rendered preventable; a form of hepatitis has been
eradicated. Dr. Martin Seligman has provided an experimental analogue to human
depression which has allowed for the efficacious treatment of this enigmatic
human condition. Examples of the useful extrapolation from the animal laboratory
are abundant. Can it not be seen that the research which enhances the quality
of human life and ultimately governs our destiny must continue?
From this perspective, the apparent ethical logic of the opposition can now be
seen as truly irrational. Moreover, to defer to this misinformed school of
thought would itself be unethical. Research is mora~ity.
These cold blistering days and nights of December have arrived. Soon Christmas songs
and cheer will fill the air. It's time for us to sit down and relax after a long
semester. But poor old Santa is going to be working hard to get everything ready for
the Holidays. If on a cold night during the vacation you hear Santa landing on your
rooftop, invite him in to have some hot egg-nogg and watch TV. This month WVIA-TV
44 is airing two good national geographic specials. The first one is on December
17th at 6:00 p.m.-"The Hidden World of Insects" and "Miss Goodall and the Chimps"
is aired on December 31 at 6:00 p.m.
Have a nice vacation.

Merry X-mas.