Can we learn anything from primitive cultures?

Answer 1

Define primitive culture first

Answer 2

Learning about other cultures allows insight into our own. Anthropologists don't like using the word 'primitive,' by the way. Some of these 'primitive' cultures have people who can recite epic poems, geneologies, and histories. Some other 'primitive' practices can include ways of protecting people from natural hazards or give people new medicines. One concrete example is that during the tsunamis in Indonesia, people in native villages did not die but people in cities did. This is because those 'primitive' people knew more about the land they were living on.

Answer 3

Primitive is a very leading word to use, if you're talking about contemporary cultures then it sounds like you're implying some kind of cultural superiority. If you're talking about the culture of prehistoric groups who are no longer alive, then sure, we can learn a lot from it, trying to piece together how people lived their lives from the artefacts they left behind.

In fact, we can learn a lot from all cultures today, regardless of the level of technology used in a culture; you can learn from anyone or anything. I'm just not comfortable with the way you phrased the question and I don't know exactly what you're trying to ask.

Answer 4

Sure we do. The best part about primitive cultures is how they enjoy the simple things in life. There's a show on The Discovery Channel called The Tribe. And what you are able to see here is a group of people, raised far from the stress and pressures of modern life. To these people, things like family and friends and even simple activities like fishing or hunting have an entirely different meaning.

What strikes the most, is the connection they have with their surroundings. Some hunters even ask permission to mother nature to take a bird or any other animal to feed themselves and whenever they have the chance they give it back in some way. Our society lost that kind of contact centuries ago and there's nothing, no technology, no science that can take us back to that stage.

Oh hell yeah!!! We can learn a lot from "primitive" cultures

Answer 5

Every thing that looks new and modern today will some day become primitive for the coming generation, I think every action of a man is teaching something, whether old or new, ever thing adds to modernization step by step......it is just like a baby who first learns crawling , then to walk and then to run. Primitive cultures make us think today, about the wrong and right decisions. we are always referring to the past to find out , how people had found solution to their problems as it guides us at every stage of our life.

Answer 6

In every culture if you take your time to study it, you will at least extract something of value. Culture differences if looked at another angle can be beneficial to those who need to promote better life to all people.
Just as cultural differences are a part of our life, so is cultural change. At present those who need to learn are those still following primitive lifestyles. But one would argue, to change to what, western culture? Christianity in its primitive form has transformed many of us to be what we are today - to be philathropists. But the culture of war has caused untold suffering to many people around the world. Wars have been fought since time immemorial, and still with us in the 21st century and still people don't learn anything.
Overall, I believe, we can learn something from a cultural group like the Amish, a people still following primitive traditions but coping well in this troubled world of ours.

Answer 7

of course we can. the more we learn about primitive cultures (our ancestors) the more we will know about ourselves.
I assume by primitive you mean past cultures..i wouldn't use that adjective to describe third world countries.
its so important to study the past because it tends to repeat it's self, and if we can learn from our prior mistakes we can avoid making them now...(i.e. fall of Rome)
if by primitive you are implying 3world, then my answer is also yes that we need to study their cultures too. the more we learn about their lives, values, and people, the better our relationships with their countries will be, and the more we can help each other out.

Answer 8

in my opinion there is no such thing called as primitive culture., life is a learning process through trails and errors, whatever areas the earlier people failed, the people of the next generation succeeded, so everything is nothing but just a learning process.

Answer 9

One thing we have learned from 'primitive cultures' is that human emotions are recognizable cross the gaps. Paul Ekman showed photos off white people to a tribe that had never seen white people before. They were able to accurately identify the emotion shown in the photo. THis helps show that emotions and their resultant facial expressions are universal, part of our genetic package.

Answer 10

hmmmmmmmmmmm 'primitive cultures' Now that's a problem. You may find that this devolved society called 'The western world' Is in fact the most primitive and devolved of cultures.