Work Ethic or Magic?

By showing the difference between the Trobriand Islanders' ideas and understanding of work and ritual, Malinowski backs up his point that not only magical or mystical ideas, but also rational knowledge exists among savages.  He uses the example of gardening, which the Islanders' take very seriously, to illustrate their position on work and magic . Malinowski explains that although the Islanders view magic as an important part of gardening and some instances occur where their explanation is geared toward magic, they have an exceptional work ethic and in most situations accept that it was their own laziness or diligence that caused the outcome of the garden.  

The Trobriand Islanders understand that it takes hard work and meticulous physical and mental effort to maintain a garden and that natural forces have a lot to do with the turnout of a garden.  However, when "unaccountable and adverse influences" or exceptionally fortunate coincidences occur without the effort, this is attributed to magic.  

Work and ritual are kept separate among the Islanders.  Every ritual has a specific name, time, and place and while the gardens are often the holding place for these events, work is not to be done or mentioned during these ceremonies.  The Islanders do what they can to live with a perfect, equal combination of work and real work ethic and magic and ritual.  "What has been said about gardens can be paralleled from any one of the many other activities in which work and magic run side by side without ever mixing."

Faith and Rationalization

"Does a rational outlook to one’s surroundings imply the absence of faith in magical rites?"

Malinowski describes primitive man as utilizing both rationalization and faith in daily life. When discussing the growing of crops, he states that primitive man understands that magic alone cannot bring in the crop, but hard work and knowledge of the land and agricultural techniques. However, he also states that primitive man would never leave the success of the crop in the hands of man alone, but that magic is all that can control the inevitable variables.

This outlook does not imply the absence of faith, but that primitive man has realized that he is not self sufficent, and needs magic to protect what man cannot.

The domain of the "Sacred" and "Profane"

Malinowski contrasts the two subjects of the "sacred" and the "profane."Malinowski reveals that the domain of the "sacred" relies on religion, magical creeds, and rites.  As your human life begins, we are surrounded my a mixture of rites and beliefs.  Every aspect of life such as, pregnancy, birth, marriage, and death in one way or another are conceived with the notion's of rites and beliefs.  The two are distinguishable but we can't deny that they are completely necessary when events arise in nature.  

The domain of the "profane" is based on a type of behavior that involves arts, crafts, and economic pursuits.  Empirical knowledge and reasoning based on logic and observation gives us a sense of rationality.  We use the "profane" sense to acquire behavior that is useful and can be handled and forced by humans for adaptation.

In the end, the differences rest on human reasonings and functions, but the two can also coincide with one another.  For example, the Melanesians understand the implements for raising crops with their choice of soil, seeds, and their knowledge of correct timing.  But, they also understand that their success in agriculture depends highly on natural conditions that can't be helped.  Therefore, the savages have to rely on their own personal knowledge along with the mystical realism that aids in the final process.  Once the knowledge of controllable human force is used up, the next step is employed spiritually by unknown mysticism of magic.  

the science of magic religion

How does Malinowski distinguish between magic and science and between magic and religion?


Throughout the reading, Malinowski provided several key differences in how to distinguish between magic and science. Malinowski argues that sciences is “guided by reason and based on the conception of natural forces” where as magic is “made by tradition and springs from the idea of a certain mystic, impersonal power.” Malinowski believes that “savage” communities have the basic beginnings of sciences, but it is very underdeveloped. Many of the magic ceremonies preformed seem to mainly take place due to tradition instead of superstitions. For example the natives regard magic as an absolutely indispensable part of the welfare of their gardens, no one knew exactly what would happen to the gardens without the magic ritual, but they did know that their magic ritual could not protect the gardens from mother nature; but they continued to do the magic ritual anyways. Now the difference between magic and religion are simple; where magic is based on “man’s confidence that he can dominate nature directly”and is more of a social grouping of beliefs and practices, religion does not cling to anyone object or class of objects, and is not identical with Society.

yes we can

It was a chilly fall night, the leaves had changed to orange, red, and yellow and lay blanketed on the ground, but that didn’t stop over two million people from gathering in grant park to cheer on the Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama. By gathering outside together on Tuesday night, November 4th, these people were showing that they supported Barack Obama and they wanted him to be elected the next president of the United States. Everyone in the crowd could have been tucked safely in their homes, watching the poll results on their own televisions instead of gathering around various strategically placed, big screen TV’s in Grant Park. These screens controlled the crowd like a marionette. The poll results filtered in and at the moment right before a state’s poll was closed and the final vote count was flashed across the screen people would jump to their feet. Depending on the color that popped up on the screen you could hear an uproar of hoots, hollers, boos, and fuck yous. People predicted there would be riots on the streets if McCain was elected the next president; The crowd could have swallowed me whole, I was in the middle of a cultural revolution and my life depended on those big, glowing, florescent, high definition screens. Everyone in the crowd was excited, laughing and joking around, Obama seemed like a shoe-in. Although the time seemed to pass slowly, the crowd waited patiently in anticipation. People were smoking cigarettes, listening to music, taking pictures, talking, anything that would help take their minds off the dwindling seconds until the final poll was closed. The moment finally came, the crowd grew jittery and anxious, but Obama Wins and is elected the next President! Everyone’s shouting, hugging, kissing, singing, crying, clapping, screaming, dancing, chanting “O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!” The group of students that surrounded me started rolling and pulling out victory cigarettes that they stuck behind their ears and waited to light until Obama gave his speech. It was around eleven at night, the temperature had dropped even lower by now but no one left, everyone wanted to hear Obama speak. Afterwards, as people left, they whispered under their breath, tonight history changed.

Extra Credit

For those of you who want some extra credit. I've decided that if you went to the rally, but didn't know about the extra credit assignment then you can post about what you observed at the rally on the blog and I'll give you 15 points towards your grade if you do a good job. For this, I'm not interested in hearing about your political stance, but about what you observed.

I believe that it was Edmund Leech, an important anthropologist who wrote "Political Systems of Highland Burma", who once dropped his notes in the river so he had to recall of them by memory. So I'm giving you the opportunity to recall the notes that you took in your mind.

So on the blog, you can post about your participant observation if you went to the rally in the South Loop.

If you want additional extra credit, then you can conduct a participant observation at the 55th Annual Powwow at the UIC Pavilion. I'll give you 25 points for this assignment too if you do a good job. Just give me your notes, and a typed up version of your notes for full credit. In the typed of version, try to make sense of your notes. Tell me if you noticed any patterns or uncovered any symbols, etc.

It's an inclusive event. It's probably about $10 to get in. There will be a lot of great food there....like Indian tacos, and fry bread, soups....mmmmmmm.

Here's the info:

http://www.aic-chicago.org/powwow.html

American Indian Center’s
55th Annual Powwow
November 14-16, 2008

AIC Powwow

UIC Pavilion ( University of Illinois, Chicago campus)
1150 W. Harrison Street
Chicago, IL

Relive the excitement of the 54th Annual AIC Powwow

Contact us: rhodge@uic.edu

Vendors: contact joep@aic-chicago.org

Host hotel: 99.00 per night, free parking (10 minutes from powwow)

Will accommodate large vehicles for vendors.

For more information: aic50@aic-chicago.org

Magic, Science and Religion Blog

For this blog, please either answer one or more of these questions or pose your own questions about the reading for this week (Malinowski's "Magic, Science, and Relgion").

How does Malinowski categorize the sacred and profane?

What do you think about his arguments? His definitions?

Narrate Malinowski’s examples of magical and scientific behaviors.

How does Malinowski distinguish between magic and science and between magic and religion?

What is signified by setting apart the sphere of work from the sphere of ritual among the ‘Trobriand Islanders?

Does a rational outlook to one’s surroundings imply the absence of
faith in magical rites?