ANTH 1010

Danielle Swartz
10.9.2021
What is Anthropology?

When you look at the word “Anthropology” what do you think? Some may look at it and

notice how it is derived from the Greek words ánthrōpos (meaning human or referring to man)

and logos (traditionally meaning word, though, principle, or speech) also read as ἄνθρωπος and

Λόγος respectfully. Others may look at this word and notice the suffix -ology and understand

the connection it has denoting it as a field of study. The textbook definition of anthropology is

“the study of human societies and cultures and their development.” If you want to put it into

simpler terms, it is the study of what makes us human.

Anthropology stands apart from other studies because of the way it combines it’s four

subfields to bridge the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. To create a better

understanding of this study, we must first investigate the different subfields within it. In

anthropology there are four subfields: cultural, biological, linguistic, and prehistoric archeology.

Cultural anthropology focuses on studying the modern and living people of

communities. Exploring how these people live and understand the world around them is a

stable of this subfield. It is most common for anthropologists in this field to actively live amidst

the people they are studying, engaging actively in fieldwork. The knowledge gained from living

among different cultures offers a vast insight to different perspectives, practices, and social

groups, further enriching human understanding on a much broader level.

 Biological anthropology focuses on studying the biological properties of humans. Think

of genetics, evolution, and environmental influences and you would be on the right track. These

anthropologists’ study both living and dead humans as well as animals like primates and fossils

to determine similarities and differences in how biology and culture work in tandem. Some

other topics of intense study include health and disease, diet and nutrition, and impact of social

stress on the body.

Linguistic anthropology focuses on studying the most fundamental human trait:

language. Traditionally, anthropologists would seek to understand the linguistic categories used

by study populations and how they order their natural and cultural environments. They look at

how languages form and change over time, as well as how language is used to build and share

meanings. Forming identities, changing relations of power, and the proper usage of languages

all fall into this specific subfield.

Prehistoric archeology anthropology focuses on studying objects and materials that

were left from cultures of the past. Common sites of study for these anthropologists include

housing settlements and burial pits. It is quite common to discover tools, pottery, and animal

remains prominently in cultures from around the globe. This subfield is mostly concerned with

explaining the difference and similarities in human societies across space and time.

While each subfield is important in its own right, let’s shift the focus to solely cultural

anthropology and it’s means of study methods. There is a broad approach to understanding the

different aspects of the human experience, better known as the Holistic approach. This
approach is used by looking at the entirety of a person as a whole; how one integrates all that is

known about human being and their activities into their wellbeing.

First one must understand that there is a wide suite of quantitative and qualitative

methods to use to better understand cultures being studied. Participant observation is a stable

in this subfield, which is a practice of living and participating within a community to gain a

deeper understanding of their cultural system first-hand. It is more than simply talking to

people. It is accompanied by systematic one-on-one interviews with cultural experts, focus

groups, surveys, and questionnaires to further explore cultural knowledge and cultural

domains.

Anthropology is key into creating a better understanding of the world we live in today. It

is important to understand that it is very difficult to separate the “social” from the “cultural” in

people because they very often developed from the same experience and interactions. Even

though we may live across the globe from another group of people, we may come to realize the

several connections we still have as human beings. Wants, needs, and ambitions have

universally belonged to, and make us, humans. Using the many methods of anthropology, we

have been given to the keys to unlocking a universal understanding of the culture that exists

around us. By acknowledging the things that make us different and appreciating them for what

they are creates a sort of contentment across culture. It shows respect and when people feel s

though their feelings matter, they are privier to opening up and including outsiders into their

social groups.
 The solving of practical problems through the use of anthropology is a double-edged

sword so to speak. Anthropology does give us the insights to human behavior and cultural

patterns. Comparing the past with the present, clear patterns of universal traits may help

expose exactly where issues begin and how to possibly remedy them. But as anthropology is a

scientific discipline and not a social justice, making a moral conclusion based off of those facts is

outside of the scope. As an example, anthropologists could answer the questions “Is our culture

different from all other cultures distinctively?” and “What causes differences in societies social

stratification?” but are unable to answer questions such as “How can we make people more

tolerant?” or “Should we view our culture as superior to others?”

Yes, conclusions may be used to back up arguments for or against particular issues, but

the anthropologists themselves cannot be the ones to make that final decision for us. Any

issues anthropology deals with cross over with social justice issues, like benefits in aiding group

dynamics and stability, but passing off moral judgments as scientific judgments is a misuse of

the science. Practical problems are more philosophical than anthropology can proper answer.

Think of it as a question of should or how can we. . .and understand that anthropology can’t

answer it while keeping objective standards.

 Sources Cited:

• “What Is Anthropology?” What Is Anthropology? - Advance Your Career,

https://www.americananthro.org/AdvanceYourCareer/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2150.

• “Glossary Definition: Logos.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service. Accessed October 9, 2021.
https://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/theogloss/logos-body.html.

•Anthropology: The Four subfields. Accessed October 9, 2021.

https://revelpreview.pearson.com/epubs/pearson_scupin_aagp/OPS/xhtml/ch01_sec_01
.xhtml.

• “What Is Cultural Anthropology?” National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior.
Accessed October 9, 2021. https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1209/what-is-cultural-
anthropology.htm.