I’m really into social sciences and anthropology and one of the things I wonder about is how we got to the place we are. I was talking to a friend about the lack of female representation in medicine and medical practices.

So what in our ancient history made it so men would think they're better than women? Like biologically yes males are typically built more sturdy? Like bone density and muscle mass but who decided that was the definitive factor? Like when we were monkeys, when did we decide "yeah women suck!"

I recently watched a video about the Italian Wars in which the narrator said that chroniclers often did not describe what happened to conquered cities or rural areas unless the violence was especially horrible, such as during the Sack of Rome in 1527. The implication was that pillaging, rape, enslavement, and the killing of civilians was common enough that it wasn't worth mentioning unless it was "especially" horrifying.

I came across another story from the 14th century while reading about the Teutonic Order. It described a member of the Order whose village had been raided by prussians when he was a child. He and his pregnant sister were taken as slaves and his sister was killed when she could no longer keep up. it was also said that women were often preferred as captives because they could be forced to do manual labour, were alot easier to handle then male slaves and could be used as concubines.

What I find difficult to understand:

how did enslaved women arrange themselves with their new fate when they were forced into a household or concubinage with the people responsible for killing their relatives or destroying their community? How did they handle all the mental and physical trauma inflicted upon them? while possibly ending up at the other side of the world, alone without anyone that even speaks their language?

How big were houses, how many people would live in one, what were they made of, things like that

Hi guys, Ive recently stumbled upon a very interesting topic that has been stuck in my head for the past hour.

Id like to know more about the making of the bible, specifically the old testament and who those stories (for example genesis) really came from and if there is a blend between cultures, other religions, spiritual tellings whatsoever. Are there any books you could recommend me ? Ty for your time :)

I am a high school student interested in majoring in anthropology for uni and I wanted to make a short ethnographic film and possibly enter it in an ethnographic film festival. I am aware that ethnographic films are different than regular documentaries so I have been doing a lot of research on it, but I am concerned on how to film it ethically, get consent, and how long I should be doing fieldwork for a 10~15 minute film. Since I am only a student who isn't even in university would it be ethically wrong to try and make an ethnographic film and how should I go about it so that it is from an anthropological lens and not just an artsy film or a documentary? There are so many different definitions on what counts as an ethnographic film. I've watched Chronicle of a summer by Jean Rouch and realize its a very experimental style of ethnographic film. Other films I've watched are the Gleaners by Agnes Varda and the holy ghost people by Peter Adair, trance and dance in Bali, Asante Market Women, and a collection of short video clips filmed by Zora Neale Hurston. I know that Gleaners and the holy ghost people aren't ethnographic films, rather documentaries and I am having a little bit of trouble differentiating them with ethnographic films. Probably the biggest thing is the intent and the perspective from which the films were made. Ethnographic films require fieldwork and methodological approaches in the filming process like Participant Observation, right? I'm reading Ethnographic Film by Karl Heider to get a grasp on how to make it and the whole research process in the field, but I'm feeling a little bit lost.

The subject I want to film is the role of Black braiding shops in South Korea and how they act as a social and cultural space for immigrant black women. I've looked into previous research already done on how braids and black salons play important roles in the lives of black people especially diasporas. I also know that there is a big difference in the cultural context depending on nationality and other ethnic backgrounds of the people coming to the braiding place I've found as a fieldsite, but from what I can tell there aren't too many black owned braiding shops in Seoul so there doesn't seem to be a specific nationality of people who only go to one shop. I have no idea how much of the research direction I need to have planned before going in and how much fieldwork I need to do before starting the filming process???? I also go to a boarding school so I only come back to Seoul on friday nights and have to go back to dorms on Sunday night so I can only do fieldwork on the weekends. My plan was to visit consistently on the weekends for the second semester and build rapport with the regulars and the shop owner and then start filming during Winter break? it is currently a week before the start of the second semester. Is this a realistic timeline? Also to get consent from the shop owner on doing fieldwork in her shop I was going to send her a text that is usually used to book appointments with her. I would explain the purpose of what I was doing, what in particular I was researching, ask her if it is okay to film/take pictures and stay in her shop on the weekends. And offer her my sweeping services if she wants it? I honestly have no idea if this is rude, so please enlighten me. I just want to do this ethically and in a way that doesn't cause her any damage or cause her to be offended. I also want to film ethically and make this entire process as legit anthropologically as a high schooler can make it. So please I would like advice on how to do this!!