User:Memelme/sandbox

Topics

 * Moroccan cuisine


 * Shamanism


 * Jack Black

Wikipedia citations

 * "Moroccan cuisine." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 Sep. 2014.
 * "Shamanism." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Sep. 2014. Web. 13 Sep. 2014.
 * "Jack Black." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 9 Sep. 2014. Web. 13 Sep. 2014.

Other source citations

 * "Morocco." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 13 Sep. 2014.
 * "shamanism." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 13 Sep. 2014.
 * "Thomas Jacob Black." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 13 Sep. 2014.

Research Process
My search for three topics and their respective citations was quick, simple and complete in a matter of minutes.

Moroccan cuisine: My husband is Moroccan and I cook Moroccan food all the time. North African cuisine is well known for it's unique and flavorful dishes and I felt confident that I would find information from reputable sources. It was very easy to find the information in both Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica by typing the words "Moroccan cuisine" into the search bar.

Shamanism: I was researching the topic "alternative medicine" when I noticed a link to shamanism located on the right side of the page. Intrigued, I clicked the link and found a very informative page. I found an almost equal amount of information in Encyclopaedia Britannica by typing the word "shamanism" into the search bar.

Jack Black: I was listening to Marvin Gaye singing on YouTube. I was contemplating my third subject and wanted something light, after the exhaustive topic of shamanism. At the end of the song, YouTube suggested the same song but performed by Jack Black. I love the movie Kung-Fu Panda (with Jack Black as the voice of Po) so I clicked the link. It occurred to me to use Jack Black as my topic and I knew I'd find him in Wikipedia; and I did by typing his name into the search bar. I did not find anything about Jack Black in Encyclopaedia Britannica so I decided to see if I could find a reputable source elsewhere. I Googled his name and the link to Biography.com came up. I've watched this channel on TV before and the website offers citations. The page also has a blurb about Fact Check where they say:

"We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!".

That cinched it for me.

Thoughts
For Moroccan cuisine: the topic has it's own page in Wikipedia. However, the same is not true in the Encyclopaedia Britannica source. I had to click on the main topic of Morocco and the information was in a section titled "Daily life and social customs". There is very little information in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, whereas Wikipedia is quite informative.

For shamanism: both sources contain a lot of varied information but Wikipedia contains more. The same is true for the topic of Jack Black - Wikipedia contains more information than Biography.com.

While Wikipedia seems to have more information than other sources, one cannot always rely on the accuracy of Wikipedia's content. It's a good place to start and can help guide the search.

Article Summaries
The Wikipedia article begins by defining the term shamanism as the ritualistic practice of one who reaches an altered state of consciousness to interact with the spirit world for healing or divination. The text goes on to state the etymology of shamanism; its origins and how the term is applied today. Wikipedia mentions how one becomes a shaman and the typical and differing roles of a shaman. Several paragraphs detail shamanistic beliefs, common practices, and tools such as: special attire, instruments and hallucinogenic substances. Following that, the article states variances between shamans and practices by region and culture. The article includes an academic study that mentions different approaches in the study of shamanism and a criticism of the term shamanism.

Encyclopedia Britannica explains the origins of the word shamanism, and how the term applies to “the religious systems and phenomena of the peoples of northern Asia and the Ural-Altaic" and how it “is also used more generally to describe indigenous groups in which roles such as healer, religious leader, counselor, and councillor are combined”. The article then describes the classical shaman (shaman from northern Asia) and his or her world view, social role, personal characteristics, tasks, and degrees or types of shamans and how they would rise in rank. It also mentions dress, equipment, and the dramatic aspects of a shaman that includes drums, dance, theater and song. Subsequently, Encyclopedia Britannica lists shamans outside of northern Asia and descriptions about each.

Comparison
The articles seem quite similar at first, but a basic analysis reveals several dissimilarities.

When comparing the information from both articles, there are several parallels, as mentioned in my summaries. An obvious but seemingly minor difference is that the articles are not divided in the same way. The Wikipedia article has eleven main headings while Encyclopedia Britannica has three main sections, with one section containing nine subsections. This is important because there are two ways to define shamanism.

Encyclopedia Britannica states that “[t]he term shamanism comes from the Manchu-Tungus word šaman” … and “the term applies in the strictest sense only to the religious systems and phenomena of the peoples of northern Asia and the Ural-Altaic[.] … However, shamanism is also used more generally to describe indigenous groups in which roles such as healer, religious leader, counselor, and councillor are combined”.

Encyclopedia Britannica's focus is primarily on the first definition, or the "classical” practice of shamanism, while Wikipedia generally presents the latter definition, or the shamanic practices of indigenous groups in general.

Contributors also factor as one of the more apparent differences between both articles. It is inconvenient to verify the authenticity of contributors and their contributions via the Wikipedia website. It is a tedious process that is not worth the effort. On the other hand, Encyclopedia Britannica features the real names of contributors directly below the title of the article, with links to their respective credentials.

One intriguing difference is that Encyclopedia Britannica mentions the word “transgender” twice in the article. This suggests that transgendered shamans may be a significant subtopic; yet Wikipedia has no mention of that in the text, references or further reading.

Opposition and criticism are also treated differently in each article. Wikipedia has a section devoted to the criticism of the term shamanism while Encyclopedia Britannica has a small paragraph that dismisses arguments opposing the broad usage of the term shamanism.

There are also variances regarding the many regional distinctions within shamanism. Wikipedia offers a broad range of shamans from several different continents and countries with links to main pages while Encyclopedia Britannica mentions only three variances but offers a section with links to related articles organized into categories.

Overall the articles are similar in many aspects with a few important differences. Both articles reveal that shamanism is a vast topic that can be studied with differing approaches.

References, Contributors and Further Reading
Wikipedia has many references and notes from books and journals. A few sources have been authored by Vilmos Diószegi, who “in 1958 completed an archive on shamanistic faith, consisting of 15,000 articles as well as innumerable photographs and manuscripts”. .

Encyclopedia Britannica does not have any references but has links that lead to other articles within Encyclopedia Britannica. It should be noted that the article was written by experts: the aforementioned Vilmos Diószegi and Mircea Eliade.

Several users have contributed to the Wikipedia article; however, none can be identified as authoritative. Physis has the most edits and has several interests and contributions in related topics but his or her credentials cannot be verified. Skyfall's edits have added the most text, but that user’s page is blank. Several contributors/editors are users with aliases that can’t be tracked or are no longer active under that username.

There are two contributors for the Encyclopedia Britannica article: Vilmos Diószegi and Mircea Eliade. Diószegi wrote the bulk of the article and his major works include: A sámánhit a magyar népi műveltségben (1958; “Shamanism in Hungarian Folk Culture”), A sámánok nyomában Szibéria földjén (1960; “On the Trail of the Shamans in Siberia”), Sámánizmus (1962; “Shamanism”), and A pogány magyarok hitvilága (1967; “The Religious Beliefs of Pagan Magyars”). Mircea, who “was one of the most influential scholars of religion of the 20th century and one of the world’s foremost interpreters of religious symbolism and myth” wrote the heading titled "Shamans outside of northern Asia".

Wikipedia suggests several books and a few articles from journals, such as American Anthropologist, which “is the flagship journal of the American Anthropological Association (AAA)”. One suggested textbook titled “Shamans and Religion: an Anthropological Exploration in Critical Thinking” has been reviewed in the Australian Journal of Anthropology. The review by Jon Marshall concludes with “… rather than engaging its uninitiated readers and leading them to new insight, the book seems more interested in making them morally wrong.”

Encyclopedia Britannica has several items for additional reading and what is helpful is that the article directs you to works according to more specific subjects. For instance the article mentions that V. Diószegi’s, Popular Beliefs and Folklore Tradition in Siberia contains studies on the shamanistic conceptions of the Sami, Hungarian, and Siberian peoples. It also states that “good introductions to shamanism include Piers Vitebsky, The Shaman (1995, reissued 2001; also reissued as Shamanism, 2001); Barbara Tedlock, The Woman in the Shaman’s Body: Reclaiming the Feminine in Religion and Medicine (2005); and I.M. Lewis, Ecstatic Religion: A Study of Shamanism and Spirit Possession, 2nd ed. (1989).

Assessment
The Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica articles are both satisfactory.

Encyclopedia Britannica offers the more pleasant read, as the text is fluid and concise. The voice is authoritative and inspires confidence. In contrast, the Wikipedia article is dotted with references, and at times there are several per sentence. As well, it features words and phrases like “probably” and “seems to” which are weak and create doubt as to the accuracy of the material.

The Wikipedia article has more information, but many statements are unverified and require references to reliable sources. The surplus information is useful to prompt further research; but, in certain areas the text passes quickly and erratically through an idea and it is difficult to grasp the concept in its entirety.

These articles are a good starting point if seeking introductory material. Both pieces define the term “shamanism” and describe the beliefs, practices, habits and characteristics of a shaman. It should be noted that the topic is vast and can be approached from different perspectives; therefore, knowledge of subjects like religion, anthropology, psychology, and mysticism are helpful for a solid understanding of the many facets of shamanism.

The texts contain words and concepts that hint at this: religious ecstasy, axis mundi, drug cult: purification, healing, and divination, and prehistoric religion: shamanism, sorcery, and magic – to name a few. Also, it is interesting that a few peer-reviewed articles such as: “Mentally Ill or Chosen by Spirits?” and "Shamans as Neurotics" regard shamanism and mental illness as related topics.

In conclusion, these articles are not ideal for the purpose of serious and thorough research. They are useful to acquire a general sense of the topic and can be used as a tool to lead a researcher to more detailed, authoritative and reliable sources.

Memelme (talk) 16:58, 7 November 2014 (UTC)

Additional Resources
Craffert, Pieter F. "Shamanism And The Shamanic Complex." Biblical Theology Bulletin 41.3 (2011): 151-161. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Winkelman, Michael. "Shamanism And The Evolutionary Origins Of Spirituality And Healing." Neuroquantology 9.1 (2011): 54-71. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Langdon, Esther Jean. "New Perspectives Of Shamanism In Brazil." Civilisations 61.2 (2012): 19-35. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Pharo, Lars Kirkhusmo. "A Methodology For A Deconstruction And Reconstruction Of The Concepts 'Shaman' And 'Shamanism'." Numen: International Review For The History Of Religions 58.1 (2011): 6-70. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Penkala-Gawęcka, Danuta. "Mentally Ill Or Chosen By Spirits? ‘Shamanic Illness’ And The Revival Of Kazakh Traditional Medicine In Post-Soviet Kazakhstan." Central Asian Survey 32.1 (2013): 37-51. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

SIDKY, H. "A Shaman's Cure: The Relationship Between Altered States Of Consciousness And Shamanic Healing." Anthropology Of Consciousness 20.2 (2009): 171-197. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Jilek, Wolfgang G. "Transforming The Shaman: Changing Western Views Of Shamanism And Altered States Of Consciousness." Investigación En Salud 7.1 (2005): 8-15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Krippner, Stanley. "Shamans As Healers, Counselors, And Psychotherapists." International Journal Of Transpersonal Studies 31.2 (2012): 72-79. Humanities International Index. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Bacigalupo, Ana Mariella. "The Mapuche Man Who Became a Woman Shaman: Selfhood, Gender Transgression, and Competing Cultural Norms." American Ethnologist 2004: 440. JSTOR Journals. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

Glass-Coffin, Bonnie. "Anthropology, Shamanism, And Alternate Ways Of Knowing—Being In The World: One Anthropologist's Journey Of Discovery And Transformation." Anthropology & Humanism 35.2 (2010): 204-217. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.