anthropology intro and types
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All cultures all people have one.
It answers many important questions.
Anthropology tries to answer these questions scientifically.
What questions does Anthroplogy answer?
Why we are here.
Explains life’s suffering
Establishes or reveals a deity
Explains the nature of that deity.
Tells us about how we should live
Explains the cause or origin of natural phenomenon
Spoiled Paradise
Establishes and explains social or hierarchical order. (Relationships)
Ex: men and women, man and animals, man and the gods, etc.
Gives reasons to follow the rules
A Brief History of ANTHROPOLOGY
Not a field of study in U.S. until 1879. Why?
1. No world travel
2. Difficulty in sharing information. (compared to now)
3. There was no belief in a common humanity. This idea changed after the ENLIGHTENMENT.
Understanding Anthropology
Anthropology – the science that deals with the origins, physical characteristics, and cultural development of humankind
Two Types: Cultural and Physical
The Physical Anthropologist
Concerned with our species, homo sapiens, and its place in evolutionary history
They Study:
The evolution of our species Fossil and skeletal evidence Knowledge of biology and
zoology is very important to their studies
The science that studies past forms of life preserved in fossil remains is Paleontology
Cultural Anthropology
Archeology Linguistics Ethnology- Often times referred to
simply as cultural anthropology
Cultural Anthropology Seeks to understand how and why different
people think and act similarly.
Concerned with patterns of thought, behaviors, customs, kinship organization, political and economic systems, religion, art, music etc.
They compare cultures
Remember: Ethnology = Cultural Anthropology!
ARCHEOLOGY The study of the material remains of human
culture in order to describe and explain human behavior.
Focus is on the human past
Objects from the past are studied. We refer to them as artifacts.
LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
Language transmits culture
This field deals with the description of language and the history of languages.
Language can tell you volumes about the way a group of people view the world.
Methods of Anthropological Research
Field work- describes observable facts found on sites, where first hand observation is possible Classifies facts Establishes connections among facts Make generalizations based on evidence
Methods of Anthropological Research
Participant Observation- When one lives among a culture, does not study the culture from research or by doing surveys
- Important aspect of Anthropology and Sociology!
Cross-Cultural Comparison- An examination of the varied ways a certain aspect of human life is treated in different cultures
Holistic Perspective
In order to understand the way that individual things work in a system, you must understand the way that the entire system works
Why Study Anthropology??
To deepen your understanding of humans behavior
To better understand human development
To better understand about other cultures
Increase tolerance
Why is it important to understand more about other cultures?
Studying anthropology helps to eliminate racism, encourage toleration and promote peaceful solutions to problems