What Is Anthropology? - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

What Is Anthropology?Slide2

Recall

ANTHROPOLOGY

Definition:

The scientific study of hominids and human culture over time

Focus on:

On hominids/humans as members of a species or cultural group

On humankind as a species, throughout time;

On how human culture has shaped the way people live

Areas of Inquiry:

Names:

Taylor, Boas, Malinowski, Levi-Straus, Lorenz, Leaky, Goodall, Fosey

Physical Anthropology

- compares ancient human/hominid remains using archaeology

- compares ancient and modern cultures, looking for patterns

Cultural Anthropology

- compares shared patterns of learned behaviour in a particular society with those in another Slide3

Sub-fields of AnthropologySlide4

Anthropology

Primarily concerned with

humans as a biological species

- Most closely related to

natural sciences

- Major research areas:

Human evolution

Modern human variation

Subfield of Anthropology, Philosophy, and EnglishMain research areas:- How language is used- Relationship between language and culture- How humans acquire language

Sometimes known as Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology examines contemporary societies and cultures throughout the world.Participant observation: Ethnography, ethnographic dataSlide5

Spotlight on Anthropology

“

Landmark Case Study”

Pg

26-27 and questions 1-4

Gods

Must Be Crazy - Cliphttp://www.crackle.com/c/The_Gods_Must_Be_Crazy + handoutNow that you have read a scholarly article about the San and watched a satirical clip about them as well, discuss

…What is similar between the two?What is exaggerated between the two?Which source is more credible and why?Are there any biases in either media?Slide6

What is Anthropology?

HOLISTIC

To understand what it means to be human, we need to study the inter- relationships among all the parts of anthropology: culture, biology, prehistoric past, linguistics, and solving problems!

E.g. the capacity for

learning language is

genetically programmed into our DNA (our

biology); however, our environment determines which language/s we end up learning (our culture)Slide7

Linguistic Anthropology

Subfield

of anthropology, philosophy, and

English

Main research areas:

How language is used

Relationship between language and cultureHow humans acquire language

Fields of linguistics:Structural, historical, sociolinguisticsSlide8

Linguistic Anthropology

Studies human communication systems

Topics range from

language

to the

dynamics of human interaction

Closely tied into studies of

cognitive psychology and the origins of language as a uniquely human adaptationhttp://jaymans.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/americanenglishdialects2.png

Google: “North American regional speech patterns”Slide9

ARCHAEOLOGY

F

ocuses

on the

material

record: artifacts, fossils, or other evidence of human activitiesTechniques

of excavation & documentation are also used to recover evidence from a crime sceneTerms “bioarchaeologist” & and “zooarchaeologist” identify specialists who deal with human or other animal bones from archaeological siteSlide10

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”Slide11

The Subfields in More Detail: Archaeology

The study of

human

prehistory and cultural evolution

(no dinosaurs)

Bioarchaeology

= study of ancient human remainsPaleopathology – study of ancient disease

through materials remainsSlide12

Physical Anthropology

Primarily concerned with humans as a biological species

Most closely related to natural sciences

Major research areas:

Human evolution

Modern human variation

Sub-disciplines:Palaeoanthropology, Primatology, Forensics,

palaeopathology, human osteology, geneticsSlide13

The Subfields in More Detail: Physical Anthropology

Physical Anthropology (also known as Biological Anthropology) concerns

human biological diversity and evolution

Includes:

Medical anthropology

Paleo

-anthropology (including some paleontology)Human genetics and evolutionPrimatologySlide14

Cultural Anthropology

Sometimes known as Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology examines

contemporary

societies and cultures throughout the world.

Participant observation:

Ethnography

Ethnographic dataSlide15

Cultural Anthropology

The study of

human culture

=

patterns of learned behavior and thought that are shared and passed down

among members of a society.

Culture is not the result of biological inheritanceCulture includes: language, knowledge, beliefs, morals, laws, customs, kinship systems, values, art, folklore, food, etc.Slide16

The Subfields in More Detail: Cultural Anthropology

Cultural anthropologists

study modern, existing human cultures

Comparative and holistic

Ethnology

is the study of

particular culturesEthnography is writing about a culture.

Social anthropology (which is part of cultural anthropology) focuses more on social structureSlide17

Venn Diagram

Literature

Religion

Sociology

Psychology

Political Science

Genetics

Medicine

Biology

Arts

AnthropologySlide18

PHYSICAL Anthropology

The study of

human biology

, particularly the origins, diversity, and adaptations of modern people and our ancestors

To place humans in a comparative perspective, physical anthropologists also study the origins and biology of the

non-human

Primates, the group of mammals that includes humans and our closest nonhuman relatives.Slide19

Comparing Human with Non-human Primate

Humans developed into very sophisticated tool users

Compare Chimp tool-use behaviours:

leaf-sponge

:

This is where an individual will use a leaf mass as a sponge

dig: This is where an individual uses a spade to dig out a termite nest,leaf-mop: This is where an individual will use a leaf to mop up insects for consumption

leaf-napkin: This is where an individual will use a leaf to clean the bodynut-hammer,

stone hammer on wood anvil: This is where an individual uses a stone hammer on a wooden anvil to break open a nutSlide20

Comparing Human with Non-human Primate

Humans are highly developed communicators

Chimps, as social animals, communicate also:

open mouth grin

:

This is where the mouth is open, the corners of the mouth are drawn back, and the teeth are showing. This display is shown when an individual is threatened by a more dominant individual that it fears

pout face: This is where the eyes are opened and the lips are pushed forward making an "O" shape This display occur in circumstances of frustration or anxiety such as after an attack, rejection of grooming, when an infant is lost, and after detecting a strange objectbobbing:

This is where the individual performs push-ups with the arms bowed. This is done by adolescent males when a high-ranking male approaches, and is accompanied by pant-gruntsSlide21

Chimps use vocal and tactile communication:

pant-hoot:

a series of loud calls which are rising and falling in pitch and often end in a scream This call is most often given by males, but females may also give it. It is given at abundant feeding sites, after smaller groups have been reunited after a few days, a response to loud calls, and as a response to

charging display

pant-grunt: This consists of a series of soft, low grunts. This is given by subordinate individuals to dominate ones as a response to dominance displays, such as the

charging displaywrist-bending: This is where an individual presents the back of the hand to another's lips. This is done by adults and juveniles to infants, a reassuring gesturesocial grooming: This is where one individual will remove parasites and/or dead skin from another. This functions in maintaining social bonds and is usually done between males, usually lower to higher ranking (Estes, 1991). In the common chimpanzee this also occurs between family members

Comparing Human with Non-human PrimateSlide22

Comparing Human with Non-human Primate

Humans are capable of self-recognition

So are the Great

Apes

Chimpanzees

Bonobos

GorillasOrangutansSlide23

Ethnocentrism

and Cultural

Relativism

Ethnocentrism

is

the practice of judging another society

by the values and standards of one’s own society.Nacirema discussion

- VIDEOCultural relativism is the view that cultural traditions must be understood within the context of a particular society’s responses to problems and opportunities.Slide24

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:sAfghani women, refugeesMedical aid workersSeptember 11th