The Zulu culture resides in South Africa, more specifically in the Natal Province (aka Zululand) with a population of over 9 million. The cultural identity of the Zulu has evolved as it is more commonly associated with a specific territory with many clans, rather than simply those closely linked to its ancestor. The Zulu’s habitat is one that has a warm tropical climate with fair temperatures. The average summer temperature in January is 81 degrees (F) with roughly 77 degrees (F) in winter. As you can see there is not a drastic change in temperatures between seasons however there is still a climatic change. This change is seen between the summer and winter seasons and has the summer season lasting from October to April, with warm temperatures and generous precipitation. The winter season then lasts from June to August and generally sees cold and dry weather. The environmental change from warm to cold and dry to wet may not be incredibly drastic however it is enough to cause stress on the Zulu. Although the summer season brings hot, humid and rainy weather to the Zulu region, the farmland benefits from ample sun and water making the grounds quite fertile.
Since the typical climate in the Zulu region is generally sunny and warm, the Zulu’s need to adapt in order to weather the warm sun. To do this, their bodies produce a higher level of the pigment melanin which is essential to the Zulu culture in order to exist and thrive amongst the tropical climate. By physically adapting to the heat of the sun, the Zulu’s are able to coexist with the sun, and are therefore able to avoid solar radiation stress, illness and death. Without such pigment, the tribe would be more susceptible to damage caused by the sun which can result in gene mutations (which can lead to serious medical conditions) and essentially cancer. These issues can therefore be detrimental to the survival of the tribe and their ability to reproduce, which is essential to their tribe's existence.
Now that the Zulu’s have physically adapted to their environment, they must then culturally adapt to maintain homeostasis; we can see this adaptation through their living conditions. The Zulu’s environment can play host to the generally year round hot sun and humid temperatures. In order to avoid stresses caused by the hot and wet conditions, the Zulu’s village consists of huts that they can use to take shelter. These huts are built from wooden rods, rushes, reeds, and thick branches, and are shaped in the form of an igloo. The way these huts are built and the material that they use help to keep cool from the harsh sun. Since the region does also experience a winter season, the huts are built to contain fireplaces which help keep the Zulu’s warm on occasional cold winter nights. Without manipulating their environment and building such substantial living conditions, the tribe would not be able to take shelter from the hot, wet or cold conditions, leading them to suffer from environmental stresses.
The race that I would most easily assign to the Zulu’s in order to describe them would be the African race. I am inclined to describe them this way due to their obvious physical appearance. Their dark skin and facial features are most relatable to those of African descent, and are what we have come to associate when viewing those through their race. In describing the Zulu population, I find it to be more of service to them as a tribe to use their physical and cultural adaptations to describe them. By simply using a racial ethnicity to describe them limits the knowledge that we can obtain about the actual culture at hand. Yes, some may fall under a racial umbrella however we loose the richness of their culture and therefore explanatory power by applying such a broad racial label to them. I believe that it would do more justice to the work of an anthropologist to use the environmental adaptations to describe the Zulu population as it truly gives great insight into the daily lives and struggles of this fascinating clan.
The Andean Indians live in the Andes Mountains, which is deemed to be the world’s longest mountain range. The Andes Mountains are home to a very difficult and demanding terrain with little roads and steep slopes. They are also more importantly home to high altitudes with many peaks reaching over 20,000 feet above sea level. The high altitude alone is a very significant source of stress for the Andean Indians, which without adaptation, could not result in homeostasis for this clan. The climate itself ranges from warm to cold, depending on the altitude. In the high altitude region which is home to the Andean Indians, the climate is cold, often with snow. Their home also experiences a change in two seasons, unlike our four, which are the dry and rainy season. During the dry season, the mountains have sunny days with and colder night temperatures, which starts in April and goes to October. During the rainy season, the high altitude mountainous region is home to arduous cold weather with snow precipitation. This rainy season takes place beginning in November and continuing until March. The average temperature ranges from a daily high of 59 degrees Fahrenheit to a nightly low of 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
The most stressful environmental factor for the Andean Indians is the high altitude in which they must live. Such high altitude as experienced in the Andes Mountains requires great adaptation in order to survive. Without adaptation, homeostasis would not exist. The physical effects of high altitude on the human body can include shortness of breath and a higher rate of evaporation leaving our body to require more hydration. In order to survive long term under these circumstances, the Andean Indians need to physically adapt, and this physical adaptation can be seen through their inflated chests and enlarged lungs. These two physical adaptations helped them adjust to the lack of oxygen in the air, and without such acclimatization, they would not be able to hike up the steep hills in order to perform farm work or to carry food back to their village.
In order to make it through those cold nights in the Andes Mountains, the Andean Indians need to culturally adapt as well. This acclimatization can be seen through their use of the heavy and durable wool that is provided within their environment, which is through their llamas and alpaca’s. The wool is heavy and durable and is what is needed to keep them warm on those frigid and cold nights. Without such manipulation of their environment, the tribe would find it difficult to last long term in the harsh conditions of the Andes Mountains, and therefore homeostasis would be lost.
The race that I find that I can closely compare to the Andean Indians is the Mexican race. This is based off the physical characteristics of the Andean Indians, such as their brown skin color, dark hair, eye shape and facial features. I myself am Mexican American and in looking at pictures of the Andean Indian culture, I found that we shared many physical characteristics. In looking at the environmental adaptations of the Andean Indians, and the racial comparison, I believe that it is more telling of the culture at hand to use their physical and cultural adaptations to describe them rather than a racial description. In looking solely at describing them by race, you lose the true identity of this rather unique and complex group. Instead, you are only left to assign characteristics of the group to those that you are already familiar with when looking at race. Therefore as an anthropologist, I would find more explanatory power in learning about their environmental acclimatization’s when evaluating and learning about this wonderful culture.
Great post! I agree with you about the Andean Indians being similar to Mexicans in their appearance. I always think every Mexican has some trace of Indian in their families history.
ReplyDeleteI AM AFRICAN AMERICAN AND VERY LIGHT SKIN AND BLUISH/GREEN EYES, EVEN THOUGH ONLY DARK SKIN WOULD CATEGORIZE MOST OF US. I WONDER WHAT RACE PEOPLE THINK I AM THAT ARE NOT OF AFRICAN DESCENT? GREAT POST, I ALSO THINK ANDEAN FAVOR MEXICANS APPEARANCE TOO!
ReplyDeleteGoing with Karma's comment, how would you define the "African" race? How is race usually defined? Is it based upon the continent where you live or upon physical appearances? Something to consider...
ReplyDeleteOther than that point, the rest of your post was very well done. I liked this comment in your summary:
"In looking solely at describing them by race, you lose the true identity of this rather unique and complex group."
Exactly. Anthropologists want more information, not less. Race is pretty useless in anthropology because it only tells you the racial biases of the person who assigned the race, and nothing about the population itself.