What is Anthropology?What is Anthropology?

•Anthropology is the broad study of Anthropology is the broad study of humankind around the world and humankind around the world and throughout time. throughout time. 

•It is concerned with both the It is concerned with both the biological and the cultural aspects of biological and the cultural aspects of humans. humans. 

Included in anthropology are Included in anthropology are four main subdivisions: four main subdivisions: Physical AnthropologyPhysical Anthropology• Mechanisms of biological evolution, genetic inheritance, human adaptability Mechanisms of biological evolution, genetic inheritance, human adaptability

and variation, primatology, and the fossil record of human evolutionand variation, primatology, and the fossil record of human evolution

Cultural AnthropologyCultural Anthropology• Culture, ethnocentrism, cultural aspects of language and communication, Culture, ethnocentrism, cultural aspects of language and communication,

subsistence and other economic patterns, kinship, sex and marriage, subsistence and other economic patterns, kinship, sex and marriage, socialization, social control, political organization, class, ethnicity, gender, socialization, social control, political organization, class, ethnicity, gender, religion, and culture changereligion, and culture change

ArchaeologyArchaeology• Prehistory and early history of cultures around the world; major trends in Prehistory and early history of cultures around the world; major trends in

cultural evolution; and techniques for finding, excavating, dating, and cultural evolution; and techniques for finding, excavating, dating, and analyzing material remains of past societiesanalyzing material remains of past societies

Linguistic AnthropologyLinguistic Anthropology• The human communication process focusing on the importance of socio-The human communication process focusing on the importance of socio-

cultural influences; nonverbal communication; and the structure, function, cultural influences; nonverbal communication; and the structure, function, and history of languages, dialects, pidgins, and creolesand history of languages, dialects, pidgins, and creoles

What would be the What would be the best way to really best way to really

get to know another get to know another society and its society and its culture? Why?culture? Why?

Participation-Participation-observationobservation

• Anthropologists have learned that the Anthropologists have learned that the best way to really get to know best way to really get to know another society and its culture is to another society and its culture is to live in it as an active participant live in it as an active participant rather than simply an observer.  rather than simply an observer. 

• By physically and emotionally By physically and emotionally participating in the social interaction participating in the social interaction of the host society it is possible to of the host society it is possible to become accepted as a member. become accepted as a member. 

Dian FosseyDian Fossey

• Dian Fossey believed Dian Fossey believed that in order to study that in order to study gorillas effectively she gorillas effectively she had to immerse had to immerse herself with them in an herself with them in an effort to get them to effort to get them to accept her presenceaccept her presence

• She was murdered in She was murdered in her cabin at Karisoke her cabin at Karisoke on December 26, on December 26, 1985. Her death is a 1985. Her death is a mystery yet unsolved. mystery yet unsolved.

Why do we need social Why do we need social scientists? scientists?

Don’t they tell us what Don’t they tell us what we already know to be we already know to be true?true?

Why we need social scientists: Why we need social scientists:

• IntuitionIntuition is believing something to be true is believing something to be true because a person’s emotions and logic because a person’s emotions and logic support itsupport it

• Intuition is not proof of fact – this is why we Intuition is not proof of fact – this is why we need social scientists – they prove or need social scientists – they prove or disprove what we BELIEVE to be truedisprove what we BELIEVE to be true

• Question: According to your Question: According to your intuitionintuition, , would introducing the death penalty into a would introducing the death penalty into a society decrease the murder rate?society decrease the murder rate?

Anthropology: Anthropology: The Question of KinshipThe Question of Kinship

• KinshipKinship is a family relationship based on what is is a family relationship based on what is a culture considers a family to bea culture considers a family to be

• The family unit can vary depending on the The family unit can vary depending on the culture in which the family livesculture in which the family lives

• Anthropologists have concluded that human Anthropologists have concluded that human cultures define the concept of marriage in three cultures define the concept of marriage in three ways: mating (marriage), birth (descent) and ways: mating (marriage), birth (descent) and nurturance (adoption)nurturance (adoption)

• Most human societies are patrilineal (organized Most human societies are patrilineal (organized through the father’s line). Examples? through the father’s line). Examples?

Skills and Methods used by Skills and Methods used by AnthropologistsAnthropologists

• Participation-observationParticipation-observation

• Collection of statisticsCollection of statistics

• Field interviewsField interviews

• Rigorous compilation of detailed Rigorous compilation of detailed notesnotes

• Fieldwork on anthropologists is know Fieldwork on anthropologists is know as “as “ethnographyethnography”: the scientific ”: the scientific study of human races and culturesstudy of human races and cultures

Anthropological Schools of Anthropological Schools of ThoughtThought

• School of thoughtSchool of thought: when a certain way : when a certain way of interpreting a discipline’s subject of interpreting a discipline’s subject matter gains widespread credibility, it matter gains widespread credibility, it is considered to be a ‘school of is considered to be a ‘school of thought’thought’

• Anthropology Schools of ThoughtAnthropology Schools of Thought1. Functionalism1. Functionalism2. Structuralism2. Structuralism3. Culturalism3. Culturalism

Comparing the Schools of ThoughtComparing the Schools of Thought

•

Functionalism Structuralism Cultural Materialism

Similarities

-attempts to understand cultures as a whole

-attempts to understand cultures based on common properties of the human mind

-attempts to understand cultures though technology and economy

Differences

Investigates the social functions of institutions

-seeks out and explains rules that are based on binary opposites (ie. Day / night; male; females)

-explores members’ decisions regarding human reproduction and economic production

Criticisms -presents societies as being more stable than they are and downplays the negative results of some practices

-overemphasizes logic and stability in human societies; societies wouldn't die out if they always met the needs of their members

-tries to establish laws that apply to all cultures and their development; observes cultures through biased eyes

Social ChangeSocial Change

• Refers to changes in the Refers to changes in the way society is way society is organized, and in the organized, and in the beliefs and practices of beliefs and practices of the people who live in itthe people who live in it

• Change in the social Change in the social structure and the structure and the institutions of societyinstitutions of society

• Examples?Examples?

Anthropology and Social Anthropology and Social ChangeChange

• Anthropologists regard CULTURES, Anthropologists regard CULTURES, the focus of their studies as the focus of their studies as constantly changing organismsconstantly changing organisms

• Key QuestionsKey Questions-What are the known basic -What are the known basic mechanisms of social change?mechanisms of social change?-What ideas or explanations can we -What ideas or explanations can we use to describe what causes cultures use to describe what causes cultures to change?to change?

Three Major Sources of Three Major Sources of Cultural Change Cultural Change (anthropology)(anthropology)

1)1) Invention: new products, ideas and social Invention: new products, ideas and social patterns. Examples?patterns. Examples?

2)2)Discovery: finding something that was Discovery: finding something that was previously unknown to a culture. previously unknown to a culture. Examples? Examples?

3)3)Diffusion: spreading of ideas, methods and Diffusion: spreading of ideas, methods and tools from one culture to another. tools from one culture to another. Examples?Examples?

Four Classifications of Four Classifications of CultureCulture

• Anthropologists focus on the process of Anthropologists focus on the process of ENCULTURATION (members of a culture ENCULTURATION (members of a culture learn and internalize shared ideas, values learn and internalize shared ideas, values and beliefs) and beliefs)

• Culture is made up of 4 inter-related Culture is made up of 4 inter-related parts:parts:1) Physical Environment 1) Physical Environment 2) Level of Technology 2) Level of Technology 3) Social Organization3) Social Organization4) System of Symbols4) System of Symbols

Theories of Social ChangeTheories of Social Change• Adaption to change or cultural change Adaption to change or cultural change

takes place through three methods: takes place through three methods:

1) Diffusion- one culture borrows 1) Diffusion- one culture borrows cultural symbols from anothercultural symbols from another2) Acculturation- prolonged contact 2) Acculturation- prolonged contact between two cultures where they between two cultures where they interchange symbols, beliefs and interchange symbols, beliefs and customscustoms3) Cultural Evolution- cultures evolve 3) Cultural Evolution- cultures evolve according to common patternsaccording to common patterns