Chapter One
What Is Anthropology?
What We Will Learn
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How does anthropology differ from other social
and behavioral sciences?
What is the four- field approach to the
discipline of anthropology?
How can anthropology help solve social
problems?
What is meant by “cultural relativism,” and why
is it important?
What skills will students develop from the study
of anthropology?
What is Anthropology?
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Anthropology is the study of people
• their origins
• their development, and contemporary
variations
• wherever and whenever they have
been found
Branches of Anthropology
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Physical Anthropology
Archaeology
Anthropological Linguistics
Cultural Anthropology
Physical Anthropology
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Paleontology
Primatology
Human variation
Forensic Anthropology
Applied Physical Anthropology
Archaeology
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Historical archaeology
Prehistoric archaeology
Contract archaeology
Applied archaeology
Anthropological Linguistics
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Historical linguistics
Descriptive linguistics
Ethnolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Applied linguistics
Cultural Anthropology
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Economic anthropology
Psychological anthropology
Educational anthropology
Medical anthropology
Urban anthropology
Political anthropology
Applied cultural anthropology
Biological Anthropology
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In 1991, construction
workers in Manhattan
unearthed a burial
ground dating to the 17th
century containing the
remains of 10,000
African slaves.
Biological anthropologist
Dr. Michael Blakey
headed the African Burial
Ground Project.
Physical Anthropology
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Study of humans from a biological perspective.
Areas of investigation:
• Paleoanthropology - emergence of
humans and how humans have evolved.
• Human variation - how and why the physical
traits of human populations vary.
Forensic Anthropology
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Dr. Kathy Reichs, a
forensic anthropologist,
works with police, the
courts, medical
examiners, and
international
organizations to identify
victims of crimes,
disasters, and genocide.
Dr. Reichs inspired the
primetime TV series
Bones.
Primatology
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Study of anatomy and social behavior of
nonhuman primate species: gorillas, baboons,
and chimpanzees.
Effort to learn about human evolution by
studying contemporary nonhuman primates in
similar environments.
Tool-making skills found in chimpanzees help
explain human strategies for adapting to the
environment.
Primatology
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Primatologist Diane
Brockman studies the
behavior of
Coquerel's sifaka at
the Duke University
Primate Center.
Archaeology
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Study people from the past by analyzing
material culture they leave behind:
• Artifacts
• Example: tools, arrowheads.
• Features
• Examples: foundations and fireplaces.
• Ecofacts
• Examples: bones, seeds, and wood.
Question
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The study of humans from a biological
perspective is called
a) anthropological linguistics.
b) zoology.
c) forensic anthropology.
d) physical anthropology.
Answer: d
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The study of humans from a biological
perspective is physical anthropology.
Archaeologists
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Historic archaeologists:
• Reconstruct the cultures of people who
used writing and about whom historical
documents have been written.
Prehistoric archaeologists:
• Study the human record of cultures that
existed before the development of
writing.
Anthropological Linguistics
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Historical linguistics
• Study of emergence of language and
how specific languages have diverged
over time.
Descriptive linguistics
• Study of sound systems, grammatical
systems, and the meanings attached to
words in specific languages.
Anthropological Linguistics
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Ethnolinguistics
• Study the relationship between
language and culture.
Sociolinguistics
• Study the relationship between
language and social relations.
Anthropology
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Dr. Owen Sichone, an
anthropologist at the
University of Cape Town,
conducts research on
African migrants to Cape
Town, issues of
xenophobia, and
emerging political
structure in South Africa.
Cultural Anthropology
Areas of Specialization
1. Urban anthropology
2. Medical anthropology
3. Educational anthropology
4. Psychological anthropology
Two Facets of Cultural
Anthropology
Ethnography
Ethnology
Descriptive
Comparative
Based on direct
fieldwork
Uses data collected by
other ethnographers
Generalizes across
cultures or subcultures
Focuses on a single
culture or subculture
Non-Academic Career
Opportunities in Anthropology
Subfield
Physical
Anthropology
Examples
Forensic specialists with law
enforcement
Museum curator
Genetic counselor
Human rights investigator
Zoologist/primatologist
Public health official
Non-Academic Career
Opportunities in Anthropology
Subfield
Archaeology
Examples
Cultural resource management
Museum curator
Environmental impact specialist
Historical archaeologist
Contract (salvage)
archaeologist
Non-Academic Career
Opportunities in Anthropology
Subfield
Anthropological
Linguistics
Examples
ESL teacher in public schools
International business trainer
Foreign language teacher
Cross-cultural
advertising/marketing
Translator/interpreter
Non-Academic Career
Opportunities in Anthropology
Subfield
Examples
Cultural
International business consultant
Anthropology Cross-cultural consultant in hospital
Museum curator
International economic
development worker
Cross-cultural trainer
Public school educator
Immigration/refugee counselor
Holism
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A distinguishing feature of the discipline of
anthropology is its holistic approach to the
study of human groups.
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Anthropology involves both biological and
sociocultural aspects of humanity.
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The time frame goes from the earliest
beginnings of humans to the present.
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Anthropology studies all varieties of people
wherever they may be found.
Ethnocentrism
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The practice of viewing the customs of
other societies in terms of one’s own.
Cultural Relativism
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The idea that cultural traits are best
understood when viewed within the
cultural context of which they are a part.
Limits of Cultural Relativism
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If every society is unique and can only
be evaluated in terms of its own
standards, a cross-cultural comparison
impossible.
There is no behavior that could be
considered immoral if the people who
practice it consider it acceptable or it
functions for the well-being of the
society.
Question
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A distinguishing feature of anthropology
is its ________ approach to the study of
human groups.
a) emic
b) etic
c) ethnocentric
d) holistic
Answer: d
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A distinguishing feature of anthropology is
its holistic approach to the study of
human groups.
Question
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________ is the belief that one's own
culture is superior to all others.
a) Holism
b) Ethnocentrism
c) Cultural relativism
d) Emeticism
Answer: b
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Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's
own culture is superior to all others.
Emic Versus Etic Approaches
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The emic approach (insider view) seeks
to describe another culture in terms of the
categories, concepts, and perceptions of
the people being studied.
In the etic approach (outsider view),
anthropologists use their own categories
and concepts to describe the culture
under analysis.
Value of Anthropology
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Individual
• The study of different cultures provides a
better understanding of one’s own culture
and develops valuable leadership skills.
Societal
• Understanding different cultures can
contribute to the solution of pressing societal
problems.
Cultural Anthropology
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The study of cultural
anthropology
prepares people for
working in the global
economy of the
twenty-first century.