What Is Anthropology?

1. What Is Anthropology?

2. Recall

3. Sub-fields of Anthropology

4. 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 English • Main 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 data

5. Spotlight on Anthropology • “Landmark Case Study” • Pg 26-27 and questions 1-4 • Gods Must Be Crazy - Clip • http://www.crackle.com/c/The_Gods_Must_Be_Crazy + handout • Now 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?

6. 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)

7. Linguistic Anthropology • Subfield of anthropology, philosophy, and English • Main research areas: • How language is used • Relationship between language and culture • How humans acquire language • Fields of linguistics: • Structural, historical, sociolinguistics

8. 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 adaptation • http://jaymans.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/americanenglishdialects2.png • Google: “North American regional speech patterns”

9. ARCHAEOLOGY • Focuses on the materialrecord: artifacts, fossils, or other evidence of human activities • Techniques of excavation & documentation are also used to recover evidence from a crime scene • Terms “bioarchaeologist” & and “zooarchaeologist” identify specialists who deal with human or other animal bones from archaeological site

10. 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”

11. The Subfields in More Detail: Archaeology • The study of human prehistory and cultural evolution (no dinosaurs) • Bioarchaeology= study of ancient human remains Paleopathology – study of ancient disease through materials remains

12. 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, genetics

13. 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 evolution • Primatology

14. Cultural Anthropology • Sometimes known as Ethnology, Cultural Anthropology examines contemporary societies and cultures throughout the world. • Participant observation: • Ethnography • Ethnographic data

15. 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 inheritance • Culture includes: language, knowledge, beliefs, morals, laws, customs, kinship systems, values, art, folklore, food, etc.

16. The Subfields in More Detail: Cultural Anthropology • Cultural anthropologists study modern, existing human cultures • Comparative and holistic • Ethnology is the study of particular cultures • Ethnography is writing about a culture. • Social anthropology (which is part of cultural anthropology) focuses more on social structure

17. Literature Arts Religion Sociology Biology Psychology Medicine Political Science Genetics Venn Diagram Anthropology

18. 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-humanPrimates, the group of mammals that includes humans and our closest nonhuman relatives.

19. 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 body • nut-hammer, stone hammer on wood anvil: This is where an individual uses a stone hammer on a wooden anvil to break open a nut

20. 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 object • bobbing: 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-grunts

21. Comparing Human with Non-human Primate • 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 display • wrist-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 gesture • social 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

22. Comparing Human with Non-human Primate • Humans are capable of self-recognition • So are the Great Apes • Chimpanzees • Bonobos • Gorillas • Orangutans

23. Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism • Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another society by the values and standards of one’s own society. • Nacirema discussion - VIDEO • Culturalrelativismis the view that cultural traditions must be understood within the context of a particular society’s responses to problems and opportunities.

24. 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:s • Afghani women, refugees • Medical aid workers • September 11th