Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id VAA15683 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 12 Feb 2002 21:05:16 GMT X-Originating-IP: [194.117.133.84] From: "Steve Drew" <srdrew_1@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 20:59:35 +0000 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F108FrYILoygXLsxpTl00011196@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 12 Feb 2002 20:59:35.0953 (UTC) FILETIME=[2D854010:01C1B408] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 19:04:51 -0800
From: "Ronan Dodds" <ronan_meme@lycos.com>
Subject: Re: Lionel Tiger
Hi there
Apparently, in a lot of native American tribal societies homosexuals
were regarded as very special and treated almost as priests or
priestesses. Also, people who would be considered 'crazy' in modern
industrial societies were also considered to have a special insight and
perspective on the world. Here are a couple of relevant articles:
http://www.oneworld.org/ni/issue201/dreams.htm
This one describes this respect for sexual diversity in tribal societies
(or so I'm told; I've not had a chance to read it yet, so can't comment
on it).
[can't get to the url for this, server must be down, but its on the
online journal of memetics]
This outlines why smaller societies with less resources might be more
likely to 'host' memes which encourage respect for differences.
I'd be interested in hearing any comments from listmembers regarding
these articles.
Ronan<
If i can get hrough this mountain of stuff i’ve already got i’ll get back to
you. I was aware, once you had reminded me, of the American beliefs. Still
could do with an answer to the question of keeping young males quiescent in
a polygamous African society. thanks for trying though. I'm not too sure
about smaller societies having more respect for differences. Irving Goffman
did work in this area on the people of the Hebridiean Islands (?), and found
that they made the best crews on long distance container ships / voyages due
to their isolationist tendenceis, as well as a high boredom threshhold. In
marginal societies change from prescribed norms would be a dangerous path to
follow for the society, which tends to be enacted when there is nothing left
to try that is familiar. I think John has put something up with regard to
diversity being a function of the increasing size of societies.
My feelings would be that as a society increases in in size. aberational
behaviour becomes more acceptable due to the fact that unless the society is
rigidly organised, memetic drift will be high, and the idea of normalacy
will be diffuse.
Regards
Steve
e
_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Feb 12 2002 - 21:26:18 GMT