Anthropology Essay #6

Inayat Kaur
ANT 1001 TV24A/ Gaunt
2nd Year (Finance)

Religion is important. The broader Anthropological definition of religion encompasses beliefs, taboos, fetishes, rituals etc. As an avid Facebook user, I notice what people write under the 'Religion' option. A friend of mine wrote 'Cricket' under religion. The game clearly, means a lot to him. Another one wrote 'Gossip Girl.' Mine says 'Spiritual but not Religious.'

We've seen how religion plays an important role in shaping history. Whether it was the Franciscan Friars converting the Native Indians or the insistence of Islam that led to the creation of Taliban. In anthropology, religion could mean superstitions or beliefs. In 'Baseball Magic,' for instance, the player sticks to his routine because he believes it will bring him good luck.

I come from a land where superstition is very common. We believe that eating youghurt before an exam brings good luck. And if you call someone's name when they're leaving for some work, it might disrupt it. Also, we never keep books on the ground. The Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, music and creative art. We belive that Saraswati resides in books, from where we derive knowledge. And therefore, we avoid keeping books on the ground.

It's interesting to note how people believe in a variety of things. Religion is a key component to understanding a culture.