1. What is Anthropology?

- Anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Anthropologists take a broad approach to
understanding the many different aspects of the human experience, which we call holism. They consider the
past, through archaeology, to see how human groups lived hundreds or thousands of years ago and what
was important to them.

2. What do Anthropologist Do?

- Anthropologists want to know why things happen. Anthropologists tackle big human problems, such as
overpopulation, warfare, and poverty. Anthropologists work in practically every environment and setting
imaginable. They can be found working in large corporations such as Intel and GM or studying primates in
Africa. Anthropologists work in deserts, cities, schools, even in underwater archaeological sites.

Links:
https://www.americananthro.org/AdvanceYourCareer/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2150
https://www.americananthro.org/AdvanceYourCareer/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2148
https://essayrx.com/article/importance-of-studying-anthropology
https://anthropology.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/what-is-anthropology
https://lisbdnet.com/how-is-anthropology-useful-in-everyday-life/

3. What are the branches of Anthropology (give the 4 major branches and their meanings)

BRANCHES OF ANTHROPOLOGY

Linguistic Anthropology

Biological Anthropology

Archaeology

Cultural Anthropology

Social Anthropology

Applied Anthropology

4 MAJOR BRANCHES OF ANTHROPOLOGY

1. Archaeology. Archaeology examines peoples and cultures of the past.

2. Biological Anthropology. Biological anthropology specializes in evolution, genetics, and health.
3. Cultural Anthropology. Cultural anthropology studies human societies and elements of cultural life.
4. Linguistic Anthropology.
ARCHEOLOGY

The broad area of archaeology (archaios means old and logia means study), which is concerned with the study of extinct
cultures, has been drawn from the broad field of archaeology (archaios means ancient and logia means study). Long
before the written record was invented, man was the central figure of anthropology. As a result, archaeology can
augment anthropology by recovering the remains of ancient individuals from bygone eras, as well as cultural material
evidence.

Fine arts, history, and classics are all combined in classical archaeology. It's looking for treasures from the past. As a
result, it cannot be anthropologists' only domain, and anthropologists must rely on archaeologists to describe the
human history and to discover ancient cultures that thrived before 5000 years ago.

https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/archaeological-anthropology-as-a-branch-of-anthropology/41662

BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

The study of human biological variation and evolution is known as biological anthropology. Bio-anthropologists study
and explain the patterns of biological variation in modern human populations, trace our lineage's evolution through time
in the fossil record, and provide a comparative perspective on human uniqueness by comparing our species to other
living primates in order to understand how we differ from other primates. A course in statistics, as well as one or more
advanced biological sciences courses, are recommended for students concentrating in biological anthropology.

https://anthropology.dartmouth.edu/undergraduate/courses/biological-anthropology

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Humans and their cultural, social, biological, and environmental aspects of existence in the past and present are studied
scientifically in anthropology. In the larger discipline of anthropology, cultural anthropology is one of four fields of study
(archeology, physical or biological anthropology, and linguistics being the other three). The study of culture and people's
ideas, customs, and the cognitive and social organization of human communities is the specialty of cultural
anthropologists. People who share a same cultural system organize and shape the physical and social world around
them, and how those ideas, actions, and physical settings shape them in turn.

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1209/what-is-cultural-anthropology.htm

LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY

The anthropological discipline of linguistic anthropology is concerned with the relevance of language in understanding
human history, culture, and biology. Although linguistics in general has many of the same concerns as anthropology in
general, linguistic anthropology is distinguished by its concentration on fieldwork and linkages to larger anthropological
understandings of humans. The documentation of minority and indigenous languages, the link of language to social
systems (gender, class, ethnicity), and the interaction between historical linguistics and archaeology are all specialties in
linguistic anthropology.

https://anthro.ufl.edu/about-us/department-subfields/linguistic-anthropology/
4. What is the main focus of Anthropology?

Anthropology is primarily concerned with humans, whether in the past or in the present. Anthropology varies
from other disciplines and scientific sciences in that it focuses on human conditions, both culturally and
biologically. Anthropology is also the study of all kinds of people from all over the world, their cultures, history,
how they have evolved over the years, how they communicate with one another, and other aspects of what
makes us human. It is largely reliant on both our shared history and distinctiveness, as well as dealing with
different ways of being in the world. Due of its intricacy, it has been separated into four major areas, each of
which requires a distinct type of study to properly fully understand.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/anthropology/

https://www.txstate.edu/anthropology/about/anthropology.html

https://www.discoveranthropology.org.uk/about-anthropology/what-is-anthropology.html

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-essence-of-anthropology

https://anthropology.princeton.edu/undergraduate/why-study-anthropology

5. Importance of Anthropology

Anthropology provides the possibility to study every aspect of human existence. it is the window into the
unknown. anthropology provides the answer to our questions about ourselves, our past, present and future.
anthropology helps to connect everyone from around the globe. It involves all those concepts that people not
only find interesting but valuable. Understanding different cultures, linguistic skills, the biological formation of
our bodies Anthropology, and the history of humans are some of the important concepts you get to learn in
Anthropology.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

a) Where did it start? – Anthropology started as a science during the time of exploration when European
countries started to colonize what they considered as primitive societies where people were believed to be
savages and barbaric.

b) Who started this field? Franz Boas – considered as the father of modern American anthropology. His
study led to the doctrine of “historical particularism,” where he started that each society is considered as having
a unique form of culture.

c) Concept – it uses a special research method known as ethnography in which anthropologists are
required to live with their subject of study for a long period of time in order to make their writings more reliable
and credible.
d) Goals – Look at what makes us the same to understand more about human nature.

-Produce new knowledge and new theories about mankind and behavior.

- See the commonalities among people (tradition, language, kinship, etc.)

https://l.messenger.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Fscience%2Fanthropology&h=AT06-
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IrpaN1lGpyU5jkFaju4ofeI9lIAaZ6hM1E6w

6. How is anthropology useful in every day life?

Anthropology is relevant to everyday life. It is an exploration of human diversity, both cultural and biological.
These essays and conversations explore how anthropological insights help us bring clarity to our everyday
struggles, laugh at our own cultural mishaps, and find meaning when we need it most. Anthropology has the
power to transform us, to unlock our assumptions about everything: parenting, politics, gender, race, food,
economics, and so much more, revealing new possibilities and answers to our social and personal challenges.

https://www.relevanth.com/#:~:text=Anthropology%20is%20relevant%20to%20everyday
%20life.&text=Anthropology%20has%20the%20power%20to,our%20social%20and%20personal%20challenges.

A degree in anthropology will give you a range of skills useful to many job roles and industries. In addition to
anthropology-related skills, you'll improve in other areas such as communication, research, problem-solving,
reasoning writing, independent and collaborative work, and information organization.

https://www.aberdeen-isc.ac.uk/blog/5-benefits-of-studying-anthropology