Give a few examples of “baseball magic” presented in this article. Do you have or know about any similar practices of magic and taboo in your life?
In “Baseball Magic,” which players (which positions) tended to use more “magic” than others? Why did those players use magic more than other players according to the author?
Based on this article, what is the function of magic (ritual and taboo), and in what situations can we expect humans to “use” it?
Reflecting on the article “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving?”
The author of this article uses an interpretive/symbolic approach to analyze the different meanings of the veil worn by Muslim women, as understood by Muslim women (i.e. “the emic perspective”). What are some of the different emic meanings conveyed by the veil, and how do the different veils and manners of wearing them reveal about social status, professional occupation, religious beliefs, and so on?
The author then discusses the “politics of the veil” by comparing and contrasting Western assumptions about the meaning of the veil to the prior emic ones. What are some of these uninformed etic meanings, and how are they contributing to politics and international relations?
What can you summarize after reading this article about the risks of interpreting the meaning of another’s religious symbols?
