http://anthro.palomar.edu/intro/overview.htm
http://anthro.palomar.edu/intro/fields.htm
the word anthropology comes from the Greek
anthro, meaning human being and ology,
meaning study of
anthropology is a broad scientific study of
human biology and culture
human universalism
holistic approach--learn about both the biological
and cultural aspects of humanity around the globe
and throughout time
all people today are fully and equally human
people from all societies of the world are equally
intelligent, complex, and interesting to study
integration
all aspects of a culture are interrelated
try to understand how cultures or institutions
impact, and are in turn impacted, by other
institutions
human biological traits do not evolve and function
in isolation
an analysis of a culture must be done holistically
adaptation
Homo sapiens sapiens have been able to
successfully colonize most environments on our
planet
the ability to acquire knowledge
and create technology to adapt
to new environments
culture
the full range of learned behavior patterns and
knowledge acquired by people as members of a
society
learn from our parents and other people who are
around us as we grow up
what sets our species apart from most, if not all,
others is our heavy reliance and even
dependence on culture for survival
the last 2.4 million years has allowed us to
transform ourselves from scavengers of plants
and animal carcasses left by large carnivores to a
truly global species capable of controlling the
fate of all other species
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m
UGiSXXdse0&feature=player_e
mbedded#!
1. Biological (or physical) anthropology
want to learn how our ancestors changed through time to
become what we are today
interested in human biological origins, genetic inheritance,
evolution, and variation
three different areas of research
Human biology
learn about human diversity, genetic inheritance patterns, Homo
sapiens
Primatologists
carry out non-human primate studies
done in a natural setting among wild apes, monkeys
Paleoanthropologists
recover the fossil record of early humans and their primate
ancestors in order to understand the path of our evolution
2. Cultural (or socio-cultural) anthropologists
(sometimes called ethnology)
examine social patterns and practices across cultures, how
people live in particular places, organize, govern, and create
meaning
attention to race, sexuality, class, gender, and nationality
research is participant observation which involves placing
oneself in the research context for extended periods of time
to gain a first-hand info.
3. Linguistic anthropology
study the human communication process
predisposes us to see the environment in specific
ways.
are languages filters for reality?
for instance, if a language does not have
a word for the color orange, can its speakers
distinguish orange from red and yellow…
4. Archaeology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C
dzmH3jNkU0
interested in recovering the prehistory and early
history of societies and their cultures
the analysis of remains, such as artifacts,
architecture, and landscapes
uncover the evidence by excavating,
dating, and analyzing the material
remains left by people in the past
most carry out research and teach about what they
have learned.
employed by universities, colleges, and museums
a third of all anthropologists are applied
anthropologists
U.S. military and NATO
mediators in major corporations
forensic anthropologists employed by police and the
courts
medical anthropologists
ethnobotanists concentrate on finding new potential
medicines