Uses of Anthropology

The Four Subfields

Presented by: Professor:

Marlot D. Lado Dr. Crema T. Basuil
Linguistic Anthropology
Biological Anthropology
Archaelogy
Socio/cultural Anthropology
Fact: The Tower of Babel is a story based in history
Linguistic Anthropology

 It is a study that involves language (linguistics) and anthropology (the study

of societies).
 Linguistic anthropology is a branch of anthropology that studies the role
of language in the social lives of individuals and communities.
 Linguistic anthropology explores how language shapes communication.
 Linguistic anthropologists study the many ways people communicate
across the globe. They are interested in how language is linked to how we
see the world and how we relate to each other. This can mean looking at
how language works in all its different forms, and how it changes over time.
It also means looking at what we believe about language and
communication, and how we use language in our lives.
Linguistic Anthropology

 This includes the ways we use language to build and share

meaning, to form or change identities, and to make or change
relations of power. For linguistic anthropologists, language and
communication are keys to how we make society and culture. In
this case, linguistic anthropology closely studies those societies
where language defines a culture or society. For example, in
New Guinea, there is a tribe of indigenous people who speak
one language. It is what makes that people unique. It is its
"index" language. The tribe may speak other languages from
New Guinea, but this unique language gives the tribe its cultural
identity.
 Physical Anthropology

Concerns itself in human variation in the form of physical body developments.

These anthropologists study how different bones grow and how these patterns
are influenced by the environment.
Physical anthropologists are particularly suited to investigate public health
issues, which often involve what is a referred to as a "mismatch" between
evolutionary developments in the human body and the contemporary
environment. For example, Physical Anthropologists generate a lot of the
public health understandings about the rise and spread of Type II diabetes,
cancer, and asthma around the world.
Physical Anthropologists also find purchase lending their expertise to those
interested in human development from birth, providing recommendations or
insights into pregnancy and child raising.
Archaelogy

Concerns itself with material culture- the things humans make and use.
These anthropologists can offer insights into the lives of those that are no
longer around through the artifacts that have been left behind. They have
been essential to understanding the lives of those in ancient civilizations, like
those in Egypt and the Americas. Indiana Jones is a popularized version of an
archeologist, representing the romanticized search for, and theft of, ancient
artifacts.
Archeologists have also concerned themselves with applying their insights into
today's cultures, treating trash dumps, for example, as modern day
archeological sites.
Socio/Cultural Anthropology

Concerns itself with patterns of human social behavior- how groups of people
organize themselves, understand themselves and the world around them, and act
according to and in spite of those organizations and understandings.
Sociocultural anthropologists explore how people in different places live and
understand the world around them. They want to know what people think is
important and the rules they make about how they should interact with one
another. Even within one country or society, people may disagree about how they
should speak, dress, eat, or treat others.
Anthropologists want to listen to all voices and viewpoints in order to understand
how societies vary and what they have in common.
Sociocultural anthropologists often find that the best way to learn about diverse
peoples and cultures is to spend time living among them. They try to understand
the perspectives, practices, and social organization of other groups whose values
and lifeways may be very different from their own. The knowledge they gain can
enrich human understanding on a broader level.
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Culture

 The term culture refers to a system of beliefs, customs, knowledge,

behaviour, religion, practices, etc., which is commonly shared by a group
of people. It is described as the people’s way to live such as their learned
behaviour, values, morals, art, law, symbols, lifestyle which they accept
completely without any second thought in mind. In general, culture is
handed down through the generations, by communication, teaching and
imitation. It is considered as the social heritage of the organized group.
 Culture is a pattern of responses (thinking, feeling, behaving) developed by
the Society for solving problems arising due to the interaction of the group
members and the environment.
Society

 We define the term ‘society’ as a group of people who share a common

lifestyle, territory, behaviour pattern and organization. It refers to an ordered
community, engaged in a continuous social interaction with the members.
 In simple terms, society implies the bunch of people who organize
themselves and lives together in a particular geographical area and come
in contact with each other. The members of the society share common
attributes like values, traditions and customs. They also share similar cultures
and religion. Each and every member is important to the society, as its
existence depends on the members only.
ison Chart
BASIS FOR COMPARISON CULTURE SOCIETY

Meaning Culture refers to the set of Society means an

beliefs, practices, learned interdependent group of people
behavior and moral values that who live together in a particular
are passed on, from one region and are associated with
generation to another. one another.

What is it? It is something that differentiates It is a community of people,

one society from the other. residing in a specific area,
sharing common culture over
time.
What it does? It unites the social framework It shapes the social framework
through influence. through pressure.
Represents Rules that guide the way people Structure that provides the way
live. people organize themselves.

Includes Beliefs, values and practices of a People who share common

group. beliefs and practices.
Examples Fashion, lifestyle, tastes & Economy, village, city etc.
preferences, music, art, etc.
 As a way to greet people in different countries, the different cultural trait is
followed. For instance, in the United States people used to shake hands
when they meet someone, in India people join their hands, in Japan and
China people bow down from the waist, in Belgium kiss on one cheek is a
way to greet someone irrespective of the gender. This is how culture of one
society differs from that of another. So it is true to say that different societies
have different cultures.
 You cannot teach people anything
You can only help them discover it within themselves.
 Thank you and God bless…