The Andean people come from the Andes mountains, a harsh high altitude life. In this environment, the average temperature is about 41 degrees Fahrenheit, with thin air, and scarce rainfall. Because of these factors, they have adapted both physically and culturally to their environment as all other humans have had to do on their own. Andeans have evolved to have a more efficient respiratory system as a whole because of their environment. To name a few adaptations, bigger lungs, narrower alveolar to arterial O2 gradients, and increased cardiac O2 utilization. These allow Andeans to breathe more easily in their high-altitude homes. A cultural adaptation is the use of coca leaves. These leaves were used to aid Andeans in walking long distances in their oxygen-deficient homes. Categorizing the Andeans by race or skin color without having any cultural background I would label them as Indian.
The Zulu people from South Africa live in a subtropical climate that can have intense but short rains and lots of sun. It is a lot of coastal plains in their area. They too have adapted to their environments in different ways. Their environment is drastically different from that of the Andeans. They deal with an average of 81-degree summers and mild 61-degree winters in South Africa. The average height of a Zulu male is around 5'6 compared to that of the average Andean which is 5'4. This may not seem like a big change but it is a physical adaptation to their hotter environment. As I have learned in my American Anthropology course those in hotter environments tend to grow taller and leaner in order to dissipate heat in their bodies whereas those in cooler environments are smaller and stockier to contain more heat. Another byproduct of the heat they face is the type of clothing they choose to wear. Their clothing which is a cultural trait is very loose fitting clothing which allows for air circulation to better cool them. To describe them without any cultural background I would label them as African.
While using race and culture to describe a person it is easy to see that culture provides a real basis and explanation for categorizing people. This is important to Anthropologists because to say someone is African because of their dark skin could mean anyone with dark skin would be black when that is in fact not the case. There are also people who share similar features because they geographically come from the same areas but they are not the same people. This is why descriptions based on cultural background are better than outward appearance or skin color. Knowledge of culture could help pinpoint where someone is from or where their family is from and not just a general continent.
WORK CITED
Anitei, S. (2008, February 28). Zulu, the most fearful black warriors. softpedia. https://news.softpedia.com/news/Zulu-the-Most-Fearsome-Black-Warriors-79804.shtml#:~:text=The%20Zulus%20are%20relatively%20tall,living%20in%20the%20Common%20House.
Brown, O., Goliath, V., van Rooyen, D. R. M., Aldous, C., & Marais, L. C. (2018, June 28). Cultural factors that influence the treatment of osteosarcoma in zulu patients: Healthcare Professionals’ perspectives and Strategies. Health SA = SA Gesondheid. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6917416/
Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). The people of the Andes Mountains. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Andes-Mountains/The-people
Julian, C. G., & Moore, L. G. (2019, February 15). Human genetic adaptation to high altitude: Evidence from the Andes. Genes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410003/
Khan Academy. (n.d.). Introduction to Andean cultures (article). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-americas/south-america-early/a-beginn/a/introduction-to-andean-cultures-edit
Grassland Biome | PlantZAfrica. (n.d.). https://pza.sanbi.org/vegetation/grassland-biome#:~:text=The%20Grassland%20Biome%20is%20found,850%20m%20above%20sea%20level.
Saey, T. H. (2020, May 13). A gene variant partly explains why Peruvians are among the world’s shortest people. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/gene-variant-height-peruvians-short#:~:text=Men%20average%20165.3%20centimeters%20(about,(about%205%20feet)%20tall.
Zulu. Zulu - Introduction, Location, Language, Folklore, Religion, Major holidays, Rites of passage. (n.d.). https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Zulu.html#:~:text=The%20subtropical%20climate%20brings%20lots,and%20rural%20residents%20remain%20strong.
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ReplyDeleteZulu:
1. Good description of the environment here, particularly connecting many factors to heat stress.
2. Physical: Okay, though it isn't just the height that is the issue. It is the body *shape* that matters. Andeans and Zulu could be the same height but if the Zulu are leaner/thinner than the Andeans (which they are) then the factors that are described by Bergmann and Allen's rules (in the module) still apply. Longer, leaner body shapes create relatively more surface area to allow the release of excess heat from the skin.
3. Cultural: Good description here.
4. Keep in mind that Africa is a big place and not all look like the Zulu. Some have lighter skin tones, particularly those along the Mediterranean coast to the north. A more accurate racial category could just be "black". It's hard to figure this out, isn't it?
Andean:
1. While you mention "high altitude", you never go further in explaining the problems with this stress. It would have helped connect this section together, guiding your reader to understand why the adaptations were important.
2. Physical: Good explanation here.
3. Cultural: Good.
4. I generally agree with your race choice here, but you need to be more specific since there are actual "indians" in India. Better to specifically identify them as native American Indians.
Summary: I'm concerned about this statement here:
"This is why descriptions based on cultural background are better than outward appearance or skin color. "
But we aren't just looking at "cultural backgrounds" here. We are looking at both physical and cultural adaptations to environmental stresses. That is distinctly different from just their "cultural backgrounds".
Let's dig a little deeper here:
The question about "explanatory power" is important here and you don't address it. Which approach *explains* each population better? Can you "explain" a population via their race? Or does this only *describe* them? Why is this important to anthropologists?
Race is not based in biology but is a social construct, based in beliefs and preconceptions, and used only to categorize humans into groups based upon external physical features, much like organizing a box of crayons by color. Race does not *cause* adaptations like environmental stress do, and without that causal relationship, you can't use race to explain adaptations. Race has no explanatory value over human variation.