Cultural Anthropology Essay

Love Medicine

Cultural Anthropology focuses on how various customs, traditions and background of the individual will influence their lives. These insights offer specific ideas to provide a better understanding of what is happening and the long-term impacts of specific individuals and groups. The book Love Medicine is taking this approach by looking at the changes that are occurring with Chippewa Indians. They are located on a South Dakota reservation from the early 1930s onward. This offers a better understanding of how specific factors influenced their beliefs, attitudes and actions taken. The combination of these elements illustrate how this impacts the study of Cultural Anthropology and its effects on this segment. (Erdich, 2005)

Summary and Cultural Anthropology

Love Medicine is concentrating on how the way social attitudes will influence how someone will sees themselves and the world around them. For the Chippewa, these beliefs impact the person's behavior and how they interact with others. This occurs through a total of 18 chapters. Each one focuses on how certain variables / norms effect their lifestyle choices and the challenges they are facing. The story begins in 1981 by looking at the life of June Morrissey. She lives in Williston, South Dakota. She dies in a snow storm and her Albertine returns for the funeral. This is when the book looks back at the family, their problems and what events occurred. In chapters 2 through 4 it focuses on the lives of Marie, Nector, and Lulu. This take place in 1934 and they are struggling to live in the modern world.Yet, they are torn between the past and their relationship with each other. This creates tensions among all three about how they will achieve these objectives. Chapter 5 through 8 is examining the ways their lives have changed for them and their families. This takes place from 1948 to 1957. Chapters 9 to 18 are looking at the way Marie, Nector, and Lulu's lives unfold. This provides a better understanding of specific factors and the influence it will have on them. For example, all three characters deal with these challenges. As they see their relatives becoming addicted to alcohol and facing the lack of opportunities available to them. This is a part of the negative stereotypes associated with the reservation and how society is looks at the Indians. These shifts make them and their family members feel a sense of inadequacy. This loss of culture is showing how these individuals are trapped in time. At the end of the book, is when this comes full circle with the three moving into a nursing home. This is different, as their culture often portrayed the importance of family and the tribe over everything else. As time went by, these changes resulted in them not becoming a part of t American culture. It also illustrating….....