Experience Another Community's Culture: An Emic Perspective

Introduction

In order to have an emic perspective of a certain culture, one has to put themselves in the shoes of those residing in that particular place. One has to thoroughly socialize and take part in the daily activities of the native community to have a better insight into their ways of life. It is through such an experience that a researcher can get to experience fully and have explanations of what he or she is studying or trying to bring to light. Finding an emic view of another community's culture requires one to have a central goal of looking at the ethnography and taking part in the daily activities of the community's culture. Emic perceptions provide an insight view of various cultural elements of various communities in a way that normal research processes cannot articulate. The essay will thus look at a field study where we look at the cultural aspect of the Indus and their view on the sacredness of cows and the reasons that are tailed behind their perception of cows (Wahrman & Zach 2018).

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A renowned anthropologist by the name Marvin Harris conducted an outstanding field assignment in India where Hinduism is the prevalent religion. Their religion entirely prohibits the slaughtering of cows for purposes of consumption. The Indian sacred cow has been used as the ground and basis for the expression of English. "Sacred cow" in their view can be applied in any group setting that clings to something viewed objectively to be irrational. Such a perception is an ethnocentric analogy of pract9ce among the Indians. Their perception takes the assumption that by slaughtering cows, it would help in feeding the people, and by extending improve the country's economic track.

In an Emic perception, the cultural nature of Indus does not allow them to slaughter their cattle because they believe that it is not right morally. Such a practice is not right in their culture because they find the act to be spiritually repulsive and also emotionally repulsive. Since they would thus be sickened by eating beef in any restaurant, there is much evidence that shows how McDonald's restaurants only serve mutton burgers instead of hamburgers. Recently, one was attacked for the application of beef fat in French fries oil. It is a practice that the Indians view as wring according to their socio-cultural beliefs, and it was only through sharing their experience that one could have a better insight into their emic perception of cows and why they view the slaughtering of cows to be emotionally repulsive to them (Gover, Halinski & Duxbury, L. 2016).

Emic perceptions are an ideal that requires a researcher to fully partake in particular cultures practices to have a better understanding of their ways of life. By experience, researchers get to understand and present the ideal situation as it is with that particular community in question. Indus has upheld its culture that views cows as sacred and prohibiting their slaughtering because such actions are emotionally and spiritually repulsive in their view. Harris, in his research, was able to fully integrate and share their shared belief of cows in a way that critical research study would not bring to light. Such aspects of cultures and beliefs can only be understood if one gets involved in the daily activity of the community by getting to interact with the locals for purposes of getting the right-hand information necessary for the study.

References

Gover, L., Halinski, M., & Duxbury, L. (2016). Is it just me? Exploring perceptions of organizational culture change. British Journal of Management, 27(3), 567-582.

Wahrman, H., & Zach, S. (2018). The value of emic research in the sport for development and peace programs. Sport, Education, and Society, 23(4), 354-366.