Sociology EssayExample:Culture may be defined, through the aid of Schneider, as a complex "system of symbols and meanings" (p. 197). As symbols and meanings, not to mention the values upon which they are predicated, tend to be culture-specific, cultures may find one another unintelligible. Anthropology contributes to cultural understanding insofar as anthropologists, through their recording and presentation of culture, unravel the complexities which surround cultural symbols and rituals and, importantly, play a fundamental role in rendering the unintelligible, intelligible. In his exposition of the role of anthropology in the communication and explication of culture, Geertz emphasises the imperatives of cultural relativism. As he quite explicitly states in his Interpretation of Culture, the role of the anthropologist in the communication and exposition of culture is that of the ethnographer whose responsibility is to "first grasp and then render" (p. 10). Engagement in the "thick description" of culture is predicated on the anthropologist's assuming the role of an ethnographer and within the context of that role, to understand the culture's codes and symbols from the inside. The point here is, according to Geertz, that loci of culture are the hearts and minds of its natives and this imposes the imperatives of entering the hearts of minds in order to understand culture and communicate it, not from the anthropologist's subjective point of view but, "from the native's point of view" (Geertz, Local Knowledge, p. 56).Cultural relativism is the optimal approach, not just to the study of cultures but, to their accurate comprehension. Geertz's "thick description" of culture, which translates into understanding culture "from the native's point of view" implies the comprehension of cultures from an internal perspective. To be able to understand a culture on its own terms, from an internal perspective, the ethnographer needs to engage in "experience near" as opposed to "experience distance" (p. 57). The first necessitates that the ethnographer listen to an informant's description of his culture and his explanation of how he and his fellow cultural adherents perceive, feel, think and imagine the world around them. Listening to informant and engaging in experience near, as compared to maintaining distance, gives the ethnographer a solid sense of the intricacies of the culture in question and helps in the understanding of the underlying meaning of its symbols. This understanding is the cornerstone of "thick description;" relativist descriptions of culture which emerge as intelligible and deeply understood.The imperatives of exercising cultural relativism when studying alien cultures are further emphasised by Schneider. As he writes, "the assumption that culture cannot be reduced to any other system makes it possible to study culture on its own, apart from all other aspects of behaviour" (p. 197). Culture is whole and all inclusive with the implication being that culture does not simply define and transmit meaning and symbol but that contains its own self-explanation. The exercise of cultural relativism is, in other words, facilitated by the fact that the wholeness of cultures implies that they explain themselves, thereby negating the need to turn to other cultures for possible explanations.In sum, it is apparent that the works discussed are intent on the preservation of the integrity of individual cultures. Cultural relativism, understanding cultures "from the native's point of view" and composing "thick descriptions" of culture, is the means by which anthropologists record cultures while preserving their integrity.ThesisSimply put, a thesis is an unproved statement presented in the opening paragraph of an essay with the expressed goal to turn in from a generalization to a proven fact by the end of the work. Its placement is usually the first or last sentence of said paragraph. It can be explicit: "The causes of the recent Global Financial failure can be clearly traced to…" or it can be an implied (understood) agenda set forth by the author.On a larger basis, a thesis is similar to a Dissertation. The change is simply in the name of the sought degree. Both Master's and Doctorate Candidates need to complete a large original piece of writing prior to graduation. The standards and particular required expectations will differ, but the usual general understanding is that a Master's Thesis is the logical expansion (to varying degrees) of the initial thesis statement.Term PaperA term paper generally refers to a to a piece of research or writing that is completed over the course of an academic term. This can be at the secondary or post-secondary level. These papers provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate to their teachers they have the ability to argue or analyze a particular concept or point concerning a specific topic in one subject area. Term papers are usually an extremely important part of a student's work and often represent a high percentage of their grade. Sometimes these papers are used to elaborate on specific concepts that the teacher deems important, but there is also some overlap with the idea of essay and term paper. The quality of these papers and expectations for them are usually very high. 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