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Introduction to Anthropology
What is anthropology?
Anthropology is the systematic study of
humankind.
- man
- word/study
Emergence of the discipline
Two major goals:
Understand uniqueness and diversity
Discover fundamental similarities
Four-field Approach
Four subdisciplines bridge science and
humanities:
Physical Anthropology
Archaeology
Linguistics
Cultural Anthropology
Physical Anthropology
Primarily concerned with humans as a
biological species
Most closely related to natural sciences
Major research areas:
Human evolution
Modern human variation
Subdisciplines:
Palaeoanthropology, primatology, forensics,
genetics
Archaeology
Archaeologists seek out and examine
the artifacts (material products) of past
societies.
Archaeology is not treasure-hunting (a
la Indiana Jones).
Subdisciplines of archaeology:
Prehistoric, historic, Classical, Biblical,
underwater
Modern “trash”
Linguistic Anthropology
Subfield of anthropology, philosophy,
and English
Main research areas:
How language is used
Relationship between language and culture
How humans acquire language
Fields of linguistics:
Structural, historical, sociolinguistics
Cultural Anthropology
Sometimes known as ethnology, cultural
anthropology examines contemporary
societies and cultures throughout the
world.
Participant observation:
Ethnography
Ethnographic data
Holism and Applied Anthropology
Training in all four fields required
Links to other social sciences
Sociology, psychology, economics, political
science, history
Applied Anthropology
Sometimes called the 5th field
Offers practical solutions to cultural problems
Great Britain - 1966
Guinea Bissau, Africa
The Americas
The Netherlands
Italy
Tibet, 1997
Mexico - November 1
U.S. - Virginia, 2000
Cultural Relativism
The values of one culture should not be used as
standards to evaluate the behavior of persons from
outside that culture; a society’s custom and beliefs
should by described objectively.
Modern approach: We should strive for objectivity
and not be too quick to judge; however, there are
some moral absolutes that are removed from culture.
Discussion:
Examples of moral absolutes?
Introduction to Sociology
Sociology defined and explained
Q: Is it a science?
Q: Is it organized?