Using The Work Of Anthropologist Constance Classen And Horace Miner

On Senses and the World

Using the work of anthropologists Constance Classen and Horace Miner. Three different cultures will be examined in order to answer the question “what is the primary sense through which “we” perceive the world”. To answer this question one first should define “we”, which in this case “we” should be understood as broadly as possible, In terms of concept rather than exclusivity to a group, because the group one person could claim ownership to, and use “we” to describe most likely is very different culturally and in the context of perceiving the world through a sense to one another. Different cultures can place importance and create social constructions based on different senses in order understand the human experience their place in the world (Classen 1). “We” as a part of any society need senses to make since of the abstract and scientific complications present within our world.

Such as the Tzotzil of Mexico, the Ongee of the South Pacific Andaman Islands, and the United States of America. Who perceive their worlds through the senses of heat, smell, and sight, respectively. In the case of the Tzotzil they have made their understanding of the world through the harmony of temperature within the environment, and their bodies. The Ongee understand the world through olfaction or the sense of smell in terms of how potency of odor, or lack thereof. And lastly looking at how America perceives the world culturally Classen finds the predominant sense wavers but most constantly persists of concepts surrounding visualism or