Action Item: For our next class, please read this excerpt from Outliers.
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Saliva continuously moistens the linings of the mouth, throat, and general bronchial area. Saliva aids in the prevention of infection in these areas. Some cold remedies, for example, so dry out the linings that the microscopic cracks in the linings often bleed and are very susceptible to infection. Also, the admonitions of parents to their children to eat slowly and chew well is not just to prevent choking on large pieces of food. The leisurely eating of food mixes saliva with the food, which shortly thereafter is blended with the gastric acids in the stomach. This compound now sets the stage for a catalytic combination of saliva, food, and gastric juices, which produces optimal digestion. The addition of an adequate amount of saliva allows the body to extract needed nutrients throughout the digestive tract. Finally, saliva offsets the possibility of too much acid in the stomach, and therefore lessens the possibility of heartburn or ulcers.
Social - society/other peopleConstruction - createReality - feelings/experiences
- Many of us have been to baseball games and watched players spit all throughout the game. We didn't get repulsed by that.
In fact, during one World Series, Reggie Jackson averaged 19 spits per at-bat! (see this 1985 article from LA Times about baseball spitters)
- Another example is when parents or siblings use their saliva to wipe off a baby's face. We don't find that repulsive, but if a teacher even accidentally drops saliva onto a desk it becomes gross. Can you imagine a teacher who spits like a baseball player? We have been conditioned to accept spitting on the baseball field but not in a classroom. Watching a teacher spit in a classroom would feel gross and disgusting because we have learned to think that this is unacceptable/gross behavior. This can be true for many of our experiences; feelings of happiness, sorrow, stress, worry can often be created for us by our of the society.
Ross Coomber, who is a professor of sociology at Plymouth University, will spend about a month visiting six Asian countries.
He said people should take historical and cultural influences into account before forming opinions about those who spit.
He added, in many nations it was an accepted part of their lifestyle.
(1) the use of saliva in healing and medical practices,(2) the use of saliva in initiation or ritual practices and(3) the use of saliva in feeding practices.Among some ethnic groups...it has been observed that part of the healing and treatment process involves using saliva to treat different ailments:Among the Somali, saliva is used in the treatment of all forms of disease (Helander, 1988, p 111)...In Tanzania, among the Bena, for the treatment of a boil, the traditional healer chews traditional herbs (mhefefa and munepa) and subsequently uses the chewed and softened herbs to treat wounds (Culwick, 1935, p. 395)...Among the Masai of East Africa, the juice of the plant ol giloriti (Acacia abyssinica) is chewed and spit onto the wound by a healer as an astringent (Merker, 1910, p. 247)...Among the Azande of Sudan the patient's body is sucked vigorously by the traditional healer (Rattray, 1923, pp 248–250)...Also among the Igbo of Nigeria, it is observed that a traditional healer (dibia) will suck the arms, head or abdomen of a new-born baby...Among the Wolof of West Africa, when a baby is born, it is reported that an elderly woman will visit the mother and infant and subsequently give the infant a blessing by spitting on its face and kissing it....Among the Nuer of Southern Sudan, it is noted that men spit on the heads of their children on returning from trips and young girls who have not seen each other for some time spit on each other as a form of greeting (Huffman, 1931, p 87)....
"Bath Rooms" as a Social Construction
Please do not let the example of spit/saliva make you think that the rest of the world is gross while our culture is normal. Instead, there is no objective normal, there is only the way that each society has affected it's people to feel. For example, here is an example that you might not realize about how another culture would be grossed out by American culture.
6. Think about something from your own life; your religion, sports, fashion, college (or being a college student), or something else. What are some feelings you have about this that you might share with other people/especially strangers? How are your feelings/experiences shaped by what you have learned from people/society?
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