anthropology is
a comparative science that examines all societies, ancient and modern, simple and complex, offering a unique cross-cultural perspective; the study of the human species and its immediate ancestors
ethnography
the first hand, personal study of local settings
to become a cultural anthropologist, one usually does
ethnography
ethnographic field work usually entails
spending a year or so in another society, living with the people and learning their way of life
of particular interest to anthropologists is the diversity that comes through
human adaptability
the subject matter of anthropology
human diversity
anthropology is a ___ science
holisitc
holism
the study of the whole of human condition: past, present, and future: biology, society, language, and culture
society
organized life groups
cultures
traditions and customs, transmitted through learning, that form and guide the beliefs and behavior of the people exposed to them
enculturation
the process by which children learn traditions by growing up in a particular society
a culture produces
a degree of consistency in behavior and thought among the people who live in a particular society
the most critical element of cultural traditions is
their transmission through learning rather than through biological inheritance
adaptation
the process by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses, such as those posed by climate and landforms
humans use both ____ and ____ means of adaptation
cultural and biological
food production
the cultivation of plants and domestication of animals
when did the first civilization arise
between 6000 and 5000 bc
general anthropology
the academic discipline of anthropology that includes four main subfields
five main subfields of general anthropology
1. sociocultural
2. archaeological
3. biological
4. linguistic
5. applied
of the subfields of anthropology, ___ has the largest membership
cultural (sociocultural) anthropology
early american anthropologists were concerned primarily with
the history and cultures of the native peoples of north america
each subfield of anthropology considers
variation in time and space (geographic areas)
cultural and archaeological anthropologists study
changes in social life and customs
biological anthropologists study
evolutionary changes in physical form that might explain societal advances
linguistic anthropologists study
the basics of ancient language
human biology is constantly molded by
cultural forces
biocultural
the inclusion and combination of both biological and cultural perspectives and approaches to comment on or solve a particular problem or issue
although our genetic attributes provide a foundation for our growth and development, human biology is
fairly plastic/malleable
culture helps determine
our personalities
CULTURAL anthropology
the study of human society and culture, the subfield that describes, analyzes, interprets, and explains social and cultural similarities and differences
to interpret and study cultural diversity, anthropologists engage in
ethnography and ethnology
ethnography
provides an account of a particular community, society, or culture (the data collected in different societies)
how do political scientists and anthropologists differ
political scientists tend to study programs that national planners developed while anthropologists discover how these programs work on a local level
cultures are not
isolated
ethnology
examines, interprets, analyzes, and compares the results of ethnography
archaeological anthropology
reconstructs, describes, and interprets human behavior and cultural patterns through material remains
many archaeologists examine
paleoecology
ecology
the study of interrelations among living things in an environment
ecosystem
a patterned arrangement of energy flows and exchanges
paleoecology
looks at ecosystems of the past
archaeologists may infer cultural transformations by
observing changes in the size and type of sites and the distance between them
garbology
studying modern garbage to reveal what people actually did
biological/physical anthropology
human biological diversity in space and time
the focus on biological anthropology is (5)
1. human evolution as revealed by fossils
2. human genetics
3. human growth and development
4. human biological plasticity
5. the biology, evolution, behavior, and social life of primates
osteology
the study of bones.. helps paleoanthropologists
biological anthropology also includes
primatology
linguistic anthropology
studies language in its social and cultural context across space and time
sociolinguists
investigate relationships between social and linguistic variation
main difference between anthropology and other social sciences
holism
anthropology has strong links to
the humanities
the two dimensions of anthropology as recognized by the AAA
1. academic or general anthropology
2. applied anthropology
applied anthropology
the application of anthropological data, perspectives, theories, and methods to identify, assess, and solve contemporary social problems
areas of applied anthropology
public health, family planning, business, economic development, and cultural resource management
applied archaeology is usually called
public archaeology
cultural resource management (CRM)
a group that decides what construction activities (highways, dams, etc) need saving, and preserves significant information about the past when sites cannot be saved