Prof. Lawrence H. LeClair University of Prince Edward Island Text book companion website… What is Anthropology? What Do Anthropologists Do? How Do Anthropologists Do What They Do? …the study of humankind in all times and places. Anthropologists seek to produce reliable knowledge about people and their behaviour, about what makes them different and what they all share in common. (Text pg. 3) Biological anthropologists trace the evolutionary development of humans as biological organisms. They also study the physical and behavioural nature of our closest biological relatives: nonhuman primates such as monkeys and apes. …seek to explain human behaviour by studying material culture; by analyzing what past human societies have left behind. …study the way language is used as a resource for practising, developing, and transmitting culture. …is the use of anthropological concepts and methods in areas outside of the academic world such as government bureaus, private corporations, and international development agencies. Forensic Anthropology is a good example. The forensic anthropologist uses his or her knowledge of human skeletal anatomy to help identify human remains which have been found in unusual circumstances. …concerned with contemporary human cultures, as they have been observed, experienced, and discussed with people whose culture they seek to understand. Ethnography Ethnology Ethnohistory Biological Anthropology Applied Anthropology Sociocultural Anthropology Archaeology Linguistic Anthropology Health and Disease in One Culture: The Ju/’hoansi ▪ Richard Lee, University of Toronto ▪ Indicators of health before and after exposure to outside cultural influences… …general health has decreased with exposure to modern civilization. Anthropology involves the careful and systematic study of humankind using: Facts Hypotheses Theories “The anthropologist is a human instrument studying other human beings and their societies.” Hortense Powdermaker, 1933 Potential problems with framing hypotheses that are culture bound Restrictions upon replication of observations Ideally, theories are generated from worldwide comparisons Dongria Kondh Survival International Dongria Kondh story “the most human of the sciences” Concern with other cultures’ languages, values, and achievements in the arts and literature Commitment to experiencing other cultures Emphasis on qualitative research Anthropology contributes to social sciences, as well as history, geology, biology Urban anthropologists work in policy, planning and development of urban settings Medical anthropologists work closely with health specialists Anthropologists have obligations to: those studied those funding research those in the profession Anthropology provides a framework for promoting understanding, acceptance and appreciation of the cultural diversity of our global community Anthropology is about the interactions of one culture with another, or with the interactions of an anthropologist with a culture which is not their own. How can we learn about each other? This clip shows us one way. Meet the Natives... Napoleon Chagnon: How Cultures are Studied