What does the term anthropology mean?
derived from the Greek words 'anthropos' for 'human' and 'logos' for 'study'- Anthropology is the study of people-their origins, their development, and contemporary variations, wherever and whenever they have been found. (understanding of biological and c
What are 4 scientific fields of anthropology?
Physical Anthropology- humans as biological organisms
Archaeology-attempts to reconstruct cultures of the past
Cultural Anthropology-examines similarities and differences among contemporary cultures of the world
Anthropological Linguistics-study of langua
What is cultural relativism?
The notion that any part of a culture (such as an idea, a thing, or a behavior pattern) must be viewed in its proper cultural context rather that from the viewpoint of the observer's culture. This is a cognitive tool that helps us understand why people th
In anthropology, what is the "emic" approach?
The emic approach (derived from the work phonemic) refers to the insider view, which seeks to describe another culture in term of the categories, concepts, and perceptions of the people being studied.
Where as etic refers to outsiders view, in which anthr
Describe the four-field approach to anthropology.
The subject matter in anthropology is wide-ranging, including fossil remains, non-human primate anatomy and behavior, artifacts from past cultures, past and present languages, and all of the prehistoric, historic, and contemporary cultures of the world.
List the principal concerns linguistic anthropologists.
Linguistic Anthropology: historical linguistics (studying the emergence and divergence of languages over time), descriptive linguistics (analyzing the structure of phonetic and grammar systems in contemporary languages), ethnolinguistics (exploring the re
What is the difference between applied and basic research in anthropology?
Applied research seeks to gain scientific knowledge for the sake of solving particular society problems.
Basic research is dedicated to gaining scientific knowledge for its own sake.
Basic- primary objective: test hypothesis and describe ethnographic real
How does applied and basic research in anthropology help us to better understand ourselves?
Helps build and develop skills and competencies needed to live in the 21st century-developing a broad perspective, appreciating other perspectives, balancing contradictions, emphasizing global teamwork, developing cognitive complexity and developing perce
What does the holistic approach in anthropology involve?
A holistic approach in anthropology attempts to study a culture by looking at all parts of the system and how those parts are interrelated.
Anthropology involves both biological and socio-cultural aspects of humanity, time frame from earliest beginnings o
What does applied research in anthropology seek to do?
Apply anthropological data, concepts, and strategies to solve social, economic, and technological problems at home and abroad.
Based primarily on the article "Aspects of Culture," explain the difference between cultural and socio-biological anthropologists.
socio-biologist view humans as genetically predisposed
What is biological anthropology?
biological anthropologists or physical anthropologists are concerned with two board areas of investigation:
(1) they are interested in reconstructing the evolutionary record of the human species; how humans have evolved up to the present time (paleoanthro
How does Ferraro define the concept of culture. and how does it differ from that of Sir Edward B. Tylor?
Tylor- culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
Ferraro- "everything that people have, think, and do as members of a society.
What is culture shock?
a psychological disorientation experience when attempting to operate in a radically different cultural environment-a form of psychological distress that can result in depression, overeating, or irritability.
What branch of anthropology studies people from the past by analyzing material culture they leave behind?
Archaeology
Two facets of anthropology for studying human societies are 'ethnography' and 'ethnology,' but how do they differ?
Ethnography: single descriptive study, based on direct observation, studying one culture
Ethnology: Use data collected by ethnography, make generalizations across cultures and subcultures, and is comparative (two or more cultures)
How do humans acquire culture?
Through enculturation, acquiring culture after we are born. We acquire our culture (ideas, values, and behavior patterns) by growing up in it.
What are cultural universals?
all cultures of the world share a number of common features because they have all work out solutions to the whole series of problems that face all human societies.
List five examples of cultural universals.
(1) communicating with verbal language
(2) using age/gender to classify people
(3) classifying people based on marriage and descent relationships and having kinship terms to refer to them
(4) raising children in some sort of family setting
(5) sexual divi
What is connotation of the term "primitive," and why would modern anthropologists avoid the use of this term?
Primitive gives the suggestion that the culture is inferior to other cultures, where really all cultures are equal; just different.
What are the key characteristics of culture?
Culture is: learned, shared, dynamic, expressed symbolically- ex: language, symbols, universal, adaptive
What are three components of culture?
Materials
Ideas
Behavior Patterns
What two trends have stimulated the movement of applied anthropologists out of the academic setting?
(1) Over the past four decades, the market for most academic jobs has declined dramatically.
(2) Increased federal legislation has mandated policy research that can be accomplished effectively by cultural anthropologists.
Why is it difficult to distinguish between pure and applied anthropology?
because both groups receive the same training and draw on the same methods. They have developed parallel, been mutually supportive, and often have claimed the same personnel. (common concerns and experiences)
List four special features of applied anthropology.
(1) Participant-observation
(2) Emic View
(3) Hollistic Perspective
(4) Regional Expertise
(5) Value orientation of cultural relativism
(6) Topical Expertise
Who is Franz Boas?
The father of modern anthropology in the United States
In what specific ways did anthropology contribute to the war effort in WWII?
Anthropologist were recruited by the National Research Council to examine national morale during wartime, to learn about food preferences and wartime rationing, and to conduct behavioral assessments of our adversaries.
How do the other three branches of anthropology (other than cultural anthropology) apply their insights to the solution of practical problems?
physical anthropology: primatologist Eloy Rodriquez observed primates self-medicating and saw as a potential treatment for human illness.
anthropological linguistics: work with educators to plan effective strategies for teach ESL
archaeology: the study of
Define the concept of "theory".
A statement that suggests a relationship among phenomena.
What is the basic premise of the theory of evolutionism?
All societies pass through a series of distinct evolutionary stages. We find differences in contemporary cultures because they are at different evolutionary stages in development. (represented by Edward Tylor-England and Lewis Henry Morgan-United States)
Who is Lewis Henry Morgan?
a 19th century evolutionist, founded the evolutionary school in the United States
Who was the anthropologist that trained virtually the entire first generation of American anthropologists?
Franz Boas
Define "empirical" research and give a concise example.
Empirical research uses verifiable observation or experience rather than pure logic.
ex: field work
What is "cultural materialism," and what research methodology do these anthropologists (cultural materialists) rely on for data collection?
Cultural Materialism refers the the belief that martial conditions or modes of production determine human thoughts and behaviors. According to this approach, the primary task of anthropology is to provide causal explanations for the similarities differenc
Briefly explain the technique or methodology known as participant observation.
a technique when the cultural anthropologist lives with the people under study and observes their everyday activities.
What is the meaning of "fieldwork" as use by anthropologist?
the practice in which an anthropologist is immersed in the daily life of a culture in order to collect data and test cultural hypothesis
What scientific disciplines make-up the Social and Behavioral Sciences?
Anthropologists, Psychologists, and Sociologists
List the principal concerns of archaeologists
Archaeology: primary objective the reconstruction of past cultures, both historic and prehistoric, from the material objects the cultures leave behind.
List the principal concerns of physical anthropologists
Physical Anthropology: paleoanthropology (deciphering the biological record of human evolution through the study of fossil remains), primatology (the study of nonhuman primate anatomy and behavior for the purpose of gaining insights into human adaptation
List the principal concerns of cultural anthropologists
Cultural Anthropology: focuses on the study of contemporary cultures wherever they are found in the world. One part of the task of cultural anthropology involves describing particular cultures (ethnography), and the other part involves comparing two or mo