Any anthropologist on DU?

[serryjw]

Molly the cat was rescued after 14 day in NY yesterday. What is so amazing is the NYers from all demographics changed their routines to stop by daily to see how the kitty was doing.Men and woman of all ages, races and probably socioeconomics were concerned for the kitty. The rescuers spend days saving one kitty, WHY not humans?
Everyday in America we walk right past many homeless, we are in the middle of 2 wars, millions of woman and children are in shelters and few people care BUT ONE kitty is in trouble everyone is there to help.

What does this say about us as humans?

[Jigarotta]

1. I think it says

what we are capable of doing, we do. Singular simple tragedies are easier to handle than the complexities we are faced with.

Should that kitten have gone unrescued until all the world is set right first?

[eleny]

2. Human beings aren't usually cute and fuzzy

No sarcasm involed here. We just aren't c&f.

I majored in anthro - so I toook a stab at it.

[hippiechick]

3. Not an anthropoligist by any means, but my .02 is ...

... that we see 'cute little helpless baby animals' and 'lazy shiftless good for nothing criminal humans'. Perhaps the Darwin theory of survival of the fittest, at its sickest? "Nobody ever gave me a break, why should I help that (fill in the blank)?"

I do find it perplexing, though, when communities come together to hold elaborate funerals & ourpourings of grief for babies abandoned in dumpsters or found dead in other places, but nobody seems to realize (or care) that Iraqi and Afgani babies are dying by the hour because of this stupid 'war'.


:shrug:

[serryjw]

7. TRY closer to home

quote......
Poverty and the lack of affordable housing are the principal causes of family homelessness.While the number of poor people decreased every year between 1993 and 2000, in recent yearsthe number and percentage of poor people has increased. The percentage of poor people hasrisen from 11.3% of the population in 2000 to 12.1% in 2002 (U.S. House of Representatives,2004), and by 2004 the number of poor people grew by 4.3 million from 2000 (Center of Budget and Policy Priorities, 2004). Today, 36% of persons living in poverty are children; in fact, the2003 poverty rate of 17.6% for children under 18 years old is significantly higher than the poverty rate for any other age group (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2005).

end quote......
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:89dgLQ-yeq4J:www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/families.pdf+number+of+children+in+US+homeless+shelters%3F+&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=7

[Cleita]

8. Something about survival of the fittest that the social

Darwinists overlook is that primates survived because they lived in groups that had a leader that looked after them especially the youngest and weakest.

When we evolved into humans the survival of the tribe was dependent on members of that tribe looking out for each other and engaging in cooperative behavior.

So true social Darwinism would be about the more successful individuals reaching down and helping the less successful and weaker members up so they too can be part of the system and lead successful lives.

We seem to have forgotten that.

[SPKrazy]

4. Because It Is A Simple Problem

and it is one kitten

there are millions of people who need rescuing, so to speak.

easier to fix the kitten

(millions of kittens need rescuing too)

[KittyWampus]

5. Corporations haven't brainwashed people to think of helpless kitties

as welfare queens.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

6. It is a simple problem, without any GOP spin attached. Nobody

blames the kitty.

It makes people feel good, to help a kitty.

The plethora of problems in the world at this time can be overwhelming also.

Sometimes it is a matter of finding out how to make a difference. If one group doesn't seem to be using donations well, I try another.

An undergrad Anthro major here as well.

[Igel]

9. Simple, safe, and social.

Easily understood, sorrow for a clear victim. And, once rescued, it was done. Simple.

Also it requires no action on their part. Somebody else was paid to do the phenomenal act of vicarious charity for them. It provided an emotional outlet, but they wouldn't be responsible for action or failure. Safe.

Everybody (it seems) knew about it; media event (even if I didn't know about it ... I read newspapers and pick what I read, rather than let the tv present me with what some producer wants me to see; the limitation in newspapers is already too great). So one could be part of a crowd, a social critter doing what society approves of. Social.

Compare that with a person or group of people. Their problems aren't simple, but usually complex. For the war on poverty, welfare, training, and everything else, we still have poverty. Same for disease, AIDS, illiteracy ...

Unless we delegate our compassion or Xianity into simply having money deducted from our pay, helping people isn't safe. We get personally involved; we feel bad, or run the risk of failure. And just chucking money isn't satisfying.

No crowd effect. Helping others is usually a solitary affair, or part of a small group. Or, if as a group financial effort, anonymous. Hence not social.

[shraby]

10. Prolly because kittens can't help themselves

and humans with a larger brain and opposable thumbs should be able to, although some humans find the going so rough they have given up.

[TreasonousBastard]

11. I would add Stalin's observation that...

"One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic."

Aside from the general fatigue of hearing bad news from downtown Detroit to Darfur, it's much easier to get a handle on one poor kitten, a missing blonde girl in the Carribbean, or a small group of miners stuck underground than it is to deal with those other tragedies that involve judgments of contributory guilt or innocence. Particularly our own guilt or innocence.

Putting an innocent face or name on a single tragedy is so much easier than sorting out the many greater problems we are faced with. I call it being morally lazy, but perhaps I'm being too judgmental there myself.

And, no I'm neither an anthropologist nor sociologist, or even a psychologist, but I can play one on the internet.

[serryjw]

15. "One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic."

I like that,think it's true. We can put our mind around one.....after a while the enormity of the issue is too much for anyone to grasp. $8 TRILLION debt ceiling? People just laugh!

[SoCalDem]

12. I think it;s because animals are so totally at the mercy of humans

and when an animal is in danger, it's usually because of some man-made circumstance.

Most people probably admire the resiliance of animals. I mean.. think about it.. The lowliest of animals has everything it needs to survive...built right in... IF humans leave it alone. Animals, especially strays and wild animals endure the cruelest conditions, and still manage to raise their young, and survive.. They are admirable creatures.

Our society through the years has conditioned us to believe that "man" is in charge of his own destiny, so when humans fall on hard times, some in society can rationalize their misfortune ans something THEY somehow created/deserved. People see a homeless person and some immediately think "drunk/drug addict/deserter/runaway/hooker..you name it. They can rationalize their own indifference..but a lost toddler or an injured animal cannot be held responsible for their circumstances.

and when people give help to the innocent helpless, they always feel good about themselves. Gifts given to "others" have often later been exposed as having been scammed.

a lost child or animal is never "scamming", so it's easy to see the concern..

No paper is ever going to run a headline that says:

"So-called "lost kitty" is actually heir to Millions..scamming the public for unneeded aid"

[Swamp Rat]

13. Behavioral psychologists and sociologists might have more to say about it.

Molly the Cat at least served as a distraction from more complex problems involving humans - it was an easier problem for people to grasp onto, unify, and resolve.

[ret5hd]

14. Anthropologists! Anthropologists!