Anthropology intro and types

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