Module code : HM5001

Module title : Humanities 2

Name of Lecturer : Mr. Jayathilaka
Date of submission : 24.11.2018

ASSIGNMENT-03

Name : J.A.P.M Perera

Index No. : 2014123CL1
Graduate Diploma Level
(Q1)
(i)
Reductionism can be identified as an approach to understand the nature of complex
mechanisms by reducing them to the interactions of their parts, or to simpler or more
fundamental mechanisms. Reductionism provides the assumptions and criteria which guide
modern science. Those basic assumptions are:
1) A system is reducible to its parts
2) All systems are made up to the same basic constituents which are discrete and atomistic
3) All systems have the same basic processes which are mechanical
4) Sum of the knowledge of all the parts of a system gives the knowledge of the whole
system
5) ‘experts’ and ‘specialists’ are the only legitimate knowledge seekers and knowledge
justifiers
(ii)
Controlled experiment in the laboratory is a central element of the methodology of reductionist
science. In this kind of experiments basic object of study is isolated from the natural
surroundings. Hence the experimenter decides the factors which the experiment will be carried
under. (I.e. he determines the properties perceived in nature) and he arrives to a conclusion
about nature based on these findings.
This method leads to hugely debated drawbacks as follows,
1) Ontological: The other properties which are perceived by the particular fact under
consideration within nature are note taken care of.
2) Epistemological: there are various other ways of perceiving and studying, which will not
be recognized under this method
3) Sociological: in that the non-expert is deprived of the right both of access to knowledge
and of judging the claims of knowledge.
(Q2)

(i)

Sociological Definition: Culture consists of the ideas, beliefs, behaviours, objects, and other
characteristics common to the members of a particular society, which will be passed from one
generation to another.

Anthropological Definition: Anthropology is the scientific study of human beings as social

organisms interacting with each other in their environment, and cultural aspects of life. One of
five disciplines of anthropology is cultural anthropology in which it studies about contemporary
human cultures and how these cultures are formed and shape the world around them.

Hence according to anthropology culture is “human nature” and all people have a capacity to
classify experiences, encode classifications symbolically (i.e. in language), and teach such
abstractions to others.

(ii)

Material culture: this emphasizes on the tangible aspects (materials) in the culture. Arts &
crafts, buildings, weapons, equipments used etc. are the main focus in material culture

Ex: ancient Buildings, sthupas, reservoirs in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa area can be identified
as an example for Material culture

Non- Material culture: this deals with the intangible aspects in a culture such as values, beliefs,
ideas, metaphysics etc. of a certain culture.

Ex: Rituals that are practiced during New Year festival can be identified as an example of non-
material culture.

(iii)

(a) Cultural diffusion: cultural diffusion can be basically identified as the borrowing of cultural
elements from another culture in contrast to their independent inventions within a host
culture. In order to a significant scale of diffusion to take place there must be separate
cultures with distinctive ways of living, and also the two cultures must be in well contact
with the other. Basically there are 3 types of diffusion as follows,

Direct Diffusion: this can be identified as the diffusion of that takes place due to the direct
contact between two cultures. (Ex. Indian influence can be observed in ancient arts & crafts of
Sri Lanka)
Indirect Diffusion: this can be identified as the diffusion which takes place through a
middleman to another culture, without the first and final cultures being in direct contact.

Forced Diffusion: this happens when a culture subjugates (conquers or enslaves) another
culture and forces its own customs on the conquered people. (Ex. Names such as “De Silva”,
“Lionel”, “Fernando“etc. are due to the forced diffusion which took place during the
colonization era.

(b)

Cultural Relativism: Cultural relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs, values, and practices
(basically the culture) should be understood based on that person's own culture, rather than be
judged against the criteria of another.

Ex: people living in Arctic regions wear thick clothes made of fur and leather jackets etc. to
protect themselves from extreme conditions. A person in other region of the world should not
criticize this without understanding the facts behind the particular belief/ practise

(c)

Cultural Lag: it can be identified as the phenomena in which the material culture grows at a
much higher rate than the non-material culture. I.e. the technological advancements occur at a
much higher rate than the society gets used to it.

Ex: Stem cell treatment- this have been identified as a cure for number of diseases, but the
main source of stem cells are from unborn foetus. Which is highly criticized by the society
hence they are not ready to accept it still.
(Q4)

(i)

The terms sounds like they mean almost the same thing, but they have two different meanings,

Sex: Sex is a biological factor which differentiate a man from a women at the birth of a certain
human being. This is universal and generally unchanged after birth

Gender: Gender refers to the social differences between women and men. These are not
decided at the birth (learned throughout the life) they change over time and vary widely within
and across various cultures (not universal like “sex”)

(ii)

Women in development (WID): This approach focuses for a greater attention to women in
development policy and practice, and emphasises the need to integrate them into the
development process

Gender and development (GAD): This approach mainly focusses on the socially constructed
basis of differences and unequal relations between women and men, emphasising the need to
challenge existing gender roles and relations and recognises women’s and men’s contribution
to development

The WID approach did not examine why women had fared less well from development
strategies. It is focused only on how women could be integrated into ongoing development
initiatives. By focusing on the productive aspects of women's work, it tended to ignore or
minimize the reproductive role of women.

On the other hand GAD approach does not emphasise either the productive or reproductive
aspects of women's/ men's lives, but analyses the nature of women's / men’s contribution both
inside and outside the household.

The basic differences between the two approaches can be tabulated as follows,
WID GAD
Focus on women Focus on gender relations

Stress on practical needs Stress on strategic interests/needs

Rationale is effectiveness Goal is equity

Enabling Empowering

Changes the condition of Changes the position of women

women

Aims to enhance women’s Aims to integrate gender

participation consideration into mainstream
(iii)

(a) Productive work: All around the world women also get engaged at work for pay in cash or
kind. But women’s productive work is often carried out alongside with their domestic and
childcare responsibilities (reproductive work) and tends to be less visible and less valued
than men’s productive work.

(b) Reproductive work: this is basically the child bearing and other responsibilities and tasks
done by women. It’s not limited to just the biological reproduction. But also to thake care
and maintenance of the work force (male partner and working children) and the future
work force (infants and school-going children).

Some of the basic tasks include cooking, washing clothes, cleaning, collecting water and fuel,
caring for the sick and elderly

(c) Practical gender needs: practical gender needs are which arises from the roles the society
has assigned them in to. (I.e. needs women identify in their socially accepted roles in
society) Although they arise out of, gender divisions of labour and women’s subordinate
position in society they do not challenge it

Ex: For women these are often needs that arise because of their role as mothers, housewives
etc. who basically take care of their family members

(d) Strategic gender needs/interests: these are the needs women identify because of their
subordinate position in society, achieving them assists women to achieve greater equality
and change existing roles, thereby challenging women’s subordinate position. They relate to
issues of power and control, gender divisions of labour, power and control, and may include
such issues as legal rights, domestic violence, equal wages, and women’s control over their
bodies and vary according to the social, economic, political and cultural context.