I've been told on numerous occasions that I overanalyze people's actions and the reasons behind them. I get curious when I see Korean Americans who grew up in the U.S. but watch Korean dramas obsessively and dress themselves according to trends in South Korean fashion. I'm fascinated by the characters on Jersey Shore and how they both identify with and are united by their "Italianness". And then I have my strangely stubborn theories on how 1) people often being attracted to those that either look like themselves or their siblings 2)people's behaviors as being largely molded by their family structure and upbringing.
Call me sensitive, but sometimes I get frustrated at how my observations from an anthropological or sociological point of view are seen as "over-thinking everything" or not taken as seriously as those that are coming from maybe an economics, history, or physical science perspective. Is it because I don't have quantitative data to back up my opinions? Can't I say that my training as an Anthropology major has influenced my ways of thinking about and seeing the world, just as a major in biology is more likely to comment on something as random as why you crave more carbs when you're tired?
I realized that I am really really fascinated by human behavior and culture. I think that's why I can't see myself actively engaging in fields like politics or finance, to me they seem more like cultural constructs that give off the impression of being detached and separate from human behavior. Why is human behavior (and those who study it) seen as somehow less "legitimate" or "reliable"? (These aren't just rhetorical questions... I'm curious to see what other people think...)
1 comment:
eraine...
I think you should read brave new world by aldous huxley. I just finished reading it and one of the main foci of the novel is human behavior and the act of social conditioning to set up our interactions. Its one of those weird autocratic futuristic societies a la 1984, so it wasn't like, super culturally or anthropologically interesting... but there is this one section of the book where there is a long discussion/explanation for the reasonings behind human behavior. i dunno. I thought it was super interesting because there was the question of WHY do we sometimes feel 'forced' into doing things or acting a certain way.
Also, I don’t think human behavior is seen as a less "legitimate" field of study... it may be because behavior is seen as something that is naturally inherent to being a member of human society, and as such, requires less attention since it is something we all participate in and share common mores in. I guess some people find it less necessary to question the social conditioning that we are exposed to because its how our entire society is structured.
Hmmm
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