Theories Of The Yanoomami Tribe

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Question 1 The Yanomami, a tribe that lives in the thick jungle of the Amazon, has been subjected to many studies and used to determine the question Why? Why does warfare happen amongst their own. There are four theories on why the Yanomami engage in warfare with one another, Chagnon theory is biological, Peters believes the reason is cultural and so does Kopenawa, and finally Ferguson, who believes that warfare is materialist. To begin, Chagnon’s theory, he believes that the reason why warfare happens amongst the Yanomami is biological, and what is passed on through generations. His argument, reproductive success and women. He provides data that states that Unokais, Yanomami men who are held high Honor since they have killed and will kill …show more content…

When it comes to warfare, both theories have a explanation for it. John Peters and Brian Ferguson applied the theories to the Yanomami, a tribe located in the Amazon, and its reasons for warfare. Peters favored the idealistic theory, his argument for the warfare among the Yanomami is the belief of protecting the honor of the tribe and the honor of each other. The people who have been killed must be avenged, and according to Peters this has shaped their society and their culture. By having the idealistic viewpoint, the Yanomami are motivated to take revenge on those who have wrong them, their culture is impacted by the use of sorcery. The belief that sorcery will potentially aid them by applying sickness or death to the other Yanomami is an idealistic belief since it motivates the actions of the Yanomami to move towards warfare by thinking that the enemy is potentially sick thus easier to attack. Ferguson’s approach is the materialist theory, he sates that the Yanomami warfare is caused by steel goods. One group having more steel good than the other groups caused a shift in the power of one group over the other. This shapes the society by having one group dominate over the other or potentially making the other group join theirs simply because they have more tools that they can use to dominate. This causes warfare due to each group wanting to take the tools and making them their own, causing raids which then lead to killings, in the end leading to warfare. This materialist approach shapes culture by putting importance to who dominates over who, who has the most power and finally creates a gap between the societies social