Biological Anthropology Pondering...

Truth: over time our bodies have adapted to our surroundings. This accounts to some people being really hairy, having darker skin, having larger chest cavities, not being able to drink much alcohol, etc. Even though it is bad to stereotype people groups...some generalizations can be made. People with Swedish ancestry will be more likely to be burnt by the sun than people from Kenya. Yes?

These traits are passed down from generation to generation, and even accented upon over time. We discussed in class how Kenyans are known for being good runners and some think that it is because they live near the equator. Now the question that I present you with is: The Japanese have been able to live on their own for many many years without outside interaction. Throughout time there has been and still is a huge emphasis on education and discipline. Much like the effect of high altitude on some people's bodies, have years of education and discipline effected the Japanese' minds?

I believe that measuring intelligence is cultural, there are different ways of doing so. A person in Africa or the Amazon jungle might not be able to perform well on standardized tests but the smarter ones prove their intelligence by coming home with more food and by building better huts. The Japanese has a whole are not faced with such challenges, but are able to perform well in Western academics.

I understood that the way that someone is brought up effects their smarts. Middle and upper class people get into better schools. I'm not discussing that at all. Have years of discipline and emphasis on "brain power" have an effect on the actual brains? I asked my professor today...and he said that he would get back to me on my question. Leave a comment on what you think.