Theory of Relativity |
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| Humanism | |
| This page evolved as
a way to explain my interest in genealogy and whether finding your ancestors is
all that relative. Genealogy follows my interest in history.
This avenue of study not only
helps history text books take on a life of their own but also leaves you to
wonder whether the historians got the story right or from whose perspective
history has been written. Not quite a revisionist of history but always
interested in the questions which revisiting history can raise. Family
migrations over time
provide a glimpse of particular moments in history, from particular
perspectives. It is only when all perspectives are put together that we
can say we have a complete historical picture. By discovering the
economic, political, and social framework in which your ancestors operated
helps to not only depict their place in history but also the communities to
which they were a part of at large. Whether a simple farmer or
fisherman, it is the collective family history overtime which makes for
interesting reading. In essence, humanism is a philosophical approach that attempts to resolve common human dilemmas with rational arguments to derive humane solutions. Recognizing that we are a single member of a very large human family living on a planet where more than 99% of all species that ever existed have gone extinct. What will become of the human family? By studying past generations of our own family we can more readily relate to the immigrant or victim of disease, starvation, war or perhaps better grasp another's political drive to support a particular economic livelihood. Migration is a complex political and economic issue which spans the globe. It is not that in discovering your family roots that the problems of the world will be easily resolved. It is the realization that we share the world as a common domain for our species. By studying genealogy, we can help reduce the views which promote our differences and foster a world view of tolerance and progress for humanity as a whole. By examining how a specific group arrived at a particular situation in time, the "roots" of a local conflict can be more easily delineated and a swifter solution hopefully devised. |
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| Global Genealogy | |
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Recommended reading for
those with an interest in global genealogy is "The Journey of Man,"
by Spencer Wells. Here the author takes the reader around the globe following the
migration of modern humans out of Africa some 60,000 years ago. He uses
the study of DNA, male Y-chromosomes, to trace the footsteps of our earliest
ancestors and a trail of DNA which literally spread worldwide. For a
brief introduction to Wells' book read this
synopsis.
Follow these links for an interesting
interview with Dr. Wells or another one conducted in
India. The National Geographic film The Journey of Man based on the book by
Spencer Wells
is excellent. There is also the Discovery Channel film The Real Eve. The book Seven Daughters of Eve The Science that Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry by Bryan Sykes and the Seven Daughters website if you are interested in finding out which daughter heads your maternal line. For those in search of blue blood and links to royalty I recommend reading the Atlantic Monthly's "The Royal We" which offers evidence of the mathematical implications of our family tree. Anyone descended from someone of Western European origin has a common ancestor in that region dating perhaps as recent as 1400. And so if you share a surname derived from that region then the common ancestor is likely that much more recent. For further reference follow the link below and download In the Name of the Father: Surnames and Genetics by M.A. Jobling A little more technical is Y-chromosome variations and Irish Origins authors Hill, Jobling and Bradley. Follow the link to the Public Medical Journal then by the "SEND" button select "Email" put in your address and when the Citation is sent to you click to the right on the CITED in PMC and you can see the full text of the article. |
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| Genealogy and Justice | |
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There is a wide range of applications for genetics which touch nearly every field of study from medicine to law. The use of medical forensic teams to help anthropologists identify whole ethnic groups of people who have disappeared or to detect the trafficking of Guatemalan babies are just two areas in one country where DNA and Human Rights enter the realms of politics and economics. In these cases the need to prosecute possible criminals may well reveal the entire genealogy of a victim, family or entire village. |
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 Sources
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So we are all
descendants of a common ancestor from 60,000 years ago.
For me I see
that as a very RELATIVE framework or worldview in developing human
solutions to human problems.
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