Essentials of Cultural
Anthropology, Sixth Edition
Garrick Bailey
James Peoples
Chapter 1
The Study Of Humanity
Chapter Outline
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Subfields of Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology Today
Understanding Human Cultures:
Anthropological Approaches
The Value of Anthropology
Subfields of Anthropology
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Archaeology
Biological (Physical) Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Anthropological Linguistics
Applied Anthropology
Archeology
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Investigating the human past by
excavating and analyzing material
remains.
Prehistoric archaeology investigates
cultures that lived before the development
of writing.
Historic archaeology investigates written
accounts along with historic sites.
Biological Anthropology
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Investigates:
 Anatomy and behavior of monkeys and apes.
 Physical variations between different human
populations.
 Biological evolution of the human species.
Primatology is the study of evolution, anatomy,
social behavior and adaptation of primates.
Biological Anthropology
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Human Variation
How and why populations vary physically.
Paleoanthropology
How and why humans species evolved.
Forensic Anthropology
Analyze and identify human remains.
Cultural Anthropology
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The study of contemporary and
historically recent human societies and
cultures.
Focus on the customs and beliefs of a
human group.
Cultural Anthropology:
Objectives
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Study how groups of humans lived.
Compare cultures to determine universal
principles.
Understand how dimensions of human life
relate (religion, art, communication, family).
Understand cultural change.
Make the public aware of cultural differences.
Fieldwork
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Moving into the community under study,
communicating in the local language and
living in close contact with the people.
Ethnography
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A written account of how a single human
population lives.
Anthropological Linguistics
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How is language used in social contexts?
What styles of speech do people use?
What do the labels people attach to the
environment tell us about the the way
they perceive the environment?
Anthropological Linguistics
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Concerned with the complex relations
between language and other aspects of
human behavior and thought.
Applied Anthropology
Applies research skills to human problems.
 Medical anthropology - health, nutrition,
social environment and cultural beliefs.
 Development anthropology - helps
agencies adapt projects to community
needs.
Applied Anthropology
Applies research skills to human problems.
 Educational anthropology - deals with issues
of learning and teaching.
 Corporate anthropology - trains employees
within a company what to expect and how to
speak and act when they conduct business in
other countries.
Cultural Anthropology Today
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Research is often done in urban,
industrial areas.
Extended fieldwork continues to
distinguish cultural anthropology from
other disciplines.
Research extends across many
disciplines (law, music, religion, etc.).
Globalization
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The effect on cultures of:
 intermixing and migrations of peoples with
diverse homelands
 multinational reach of communications media
 movement of production and services to
overseas locales
 increase in international travel and tourism.
Anthropological Perspectives
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Holistic -No dimension of culture can be
understood in isolation.
Comparative - Generalizations about
humans must consider the range of
cultural diversity.
Relativistic -Cultures cannot be
evaluated based on the standards of
another culture.
Cultural Relativism
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No culture is inherently superior or inferior
to any other culture.
Ethnocentrism
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The belief that moral standards, manners
and attitudes of one's own culture are
superior to those of other cultures.
Value of Anthropology
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Allows us to see the development of
human biology and culture over time.
Provides knowledge about human
evolution, prehistoric populations, and
tribal societies.
Value of Anthropology
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Encourages understanding and tolerance
among citizens of different nations.
Allows us to compare our lives with those
of people living in different times and
places.
Quick Quiz
1. Anthropology has how many subfields?
a)
b)
c)
d)
just one
three
five
six
Answer: c
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Anthropology has five subfields:
archeology, biological or physical
anthropology, cultural anthropology,
linguistic anthropology, and applied
anthropology.
2. Paleoanthropologists study:
a)
b)
c)
d)
our closest living relatives, the
chimpanzees
people such as the Asmat from New
Guinea
the aged
our fossil ancestor
Answer: d
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Paleoanthropologists study fossils to
determine how our species evolved.
3. Primatologists study:
a)
b)
c)
d)
plant pollen
monkeys and apes
prehistoric people and their sites
the social context of language
Answer: b
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Primatologists study monkeys and apes.