ANTHROPOLOGY

Prepared by:
Pastor, Kharl Ashley
Nerida, Paul Justine
OBJECTIVES:
Define Anthropology
Explain Culture and Mechanism of Enculturation
Synthesize anthropological perspective on self-awareness and
self-reflexive conduct
Show appreciation of one’s cultural identity through practice of
one’s cultural values.
 ANTHROPOLOGY
Is the study of all the aspect of human condition. (Kottak,
2009)
 ANTHROPOLOGY
Is the study of all the aspect of human condition. (Kottak,
2009)

Anthropology explores the interconnectedness and inter-

dependence of human cultural experiences in all places and ages.
(Havilland, et. al., 2014)
 This kind of broad and holistic
perspective of anthropological
inquiry equips the anthropologists
the ascendancy in explaining
human nature.
“The self is both biological and
a cultural entity.”
 The traditional anthropological understanding of
the self is that the self is an animal specie which
underwent the process of biological evolution and
has shared characteristics with other living animals,
the hominids.
“The self is both biological and
a cultural entity.”
 The traditional anthropological understanding of
the self is that the self is an animal specie which
underwent the process of biological evolution and
has shared characteristics with other living animals,
the hominids.

 Since the self has better development in terms of

brain with billion neurons, and adaptation to the
environment for survival, the self develops a culture
resulting in behavioral changes.
“Man is a rational
animal”
-Aristotle
 The self is a living animal but superior
to other animals due to these factors;

a. PHYSICAL ASPECT

b. SOCIAL ASPECT
 CULTURE
Is traditionally defined as systems of human behavior and
thought. These are the complex structures of knowledge,
beliefs, arts, religion, morals, law, language, traditional
practices and all other aspects needed by human to function
in society.
 Culture is symbolic
When our ancestors learned to use tools and symbols to
originate meaning of significant events in life and in society,
those tools and symbols become an integral part of the
culture. The burial sites, ancestral homes, landmarks of
significant and historical events, the rituals, customary actions
and even some natural phenomena are all part of one’s
culture.
 Culture therefore, is a historically transmitted
pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system
of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms
by means of which men communicate, perpetuate
and develop their knowledge about their attitude
toward life. (Geertz, C., 1973)
 Culture is learned and is very much integrated in one’s
customs and beliefs. It is engrained in patterns and systems of
one’s life. Hence, if culture considers all aspects and elements
of the self, people must be on guard that culture can be
adaptive or maladaptive.
ENCULTURATION
It is the transmission of culture from one generation to
another. Unlike biological hereditary transmission, cultural
transmission is done through observation use of language,
adaptation to environment, rituals, formal and informal
educations.
The Self and Person in Contemporary
Anthropology
The anthropological self is considered both
the biological and environmental aspects of the
person.
 However, the contemporary anthropologists
suggest that environmental exposure starts during
conceptions.

The growing years of the child is very crucial in

anthropological perspective. This is the time when the
child develops psychological construct of dependency or
independency. Western and Asian cultures differs in this
area.
SELF-AWARENESS
Anthropology defines self-awareness as “that which
permits one to assume responsibility for one’s own
conduct, to learn how to react to others, and to assume
a variety of roles. (Haviland, 2003)
 It has been observed that a child starts to
conceptualize self-awareness at the age of two.
However, study show that self-awareness is
conceptualized much earlier by children sleeping with
parents and exposed to a variety of stimuli like touch.
 Following the faster process of enculturation and self-
awareness is the importance of attachment of positive values to
one’s self. The child must be able to get the culturally correct
values necessary for adult life.

In the continued process of self-awareness, the child will

eventually develop his or her own identity. This identity is
furthered intensified by a practice common to all cultures – the
naming ritual.
 Naming individualizes person. It gives a person his/her own
unique traits, experiences, personality, identity and status. The
name of a person also states as the status in the community. It
either gives you honor or stigma. The self that bears the name
continues to establish an identity of the name in the community.
Self and Behavioral
Environment
In order to strengthen the identity of the self, one must be able to
grasp the different behavioral orientations. These are concepts that
will help situate the self in different behavioral conditions. The four
environmental orientations are;
 Object Orientation positions the self in relation
to the surrounding objects. The self should be
able to act responsively to the cultural objects
around.
 Spatial Orientation provides the self with
personal space in relation to other people or
things.
 Temporal Orientation endows the self with the
sense of time. Time is truly relevant to cultural
communities.
 Normative Orientation provides the self with the grasp of
accepted norms in the community. Being on time is a generally
accepted norm in communal activities. Likewise, normative
orientation is at the same time providing the self an idea of
behaviors which are not acceptable in the community.
Self Embedded in Culture
When the self is able to distinguish what is acceptable
behavior and what is not, it only follows that the self is already
able to recognize the differences of one’s self and the other. This
ability to manage the differences between selves is what makes
the self-embedded in culture.

Psychological anthropologists recognize the thin line that

distinguishes the cultural self and the “actual self”. The latter
includes all the feelings, thoughts, experiences, language,
memory.
 The claim of the self as embedded in culture can only be
embraced when the self recognizes its relation to everything
else. The complexity of cultural identities of peoples, things, and
events shall be recognized and respected by the self.

The individual self must remain reflexive of the similarities

and unique differences of everything around it. This shows that
the self should not remain the individualistic, independent, and
autonomous entity.
 Anthropology recognizes the movement of this understanding
towards plurality and multiplicity of thoughts, beliefs, convictions, and
practices. This is exactly the contribution of anthropology to the post-
modern era. Anthropological movements at this time are already
geared toward recognizing the power of culture influencing little gaps,
intervening spaces between people.

It is only when the self recognizes the power of culture constituted

by every system that we can have an effective shaping of social reality.
 Disregarding those mentioned above may
cause to conflict and worse, Cultural
Degradation.
 Cultural Degradation or worse Cultural
Genocide means the loss of particular culture
due to assimilation or loss of interest.
Assimilation happens when a dominant culture
overshadows inferior culture.
LARGER SCALE OF
CULTURE GENOCIDE
Culture is also lost through continued violence,
genocide, inability to respect traditions and other
religions, beliefs, and community’s sense of pride, which
are largely the result of globalization.
 Very obvious example of cultural degradation is that brought
by excessive exposure to media in various forms. Television
specifically influences language, traditions, beliefs, knowledge,
and even personalities. Televisions teaches us the standard of
beauty with the following;

• Face must be beautiful and no pimples.

• Hair must be black and silky.
• Skin color must be fair and flawless.
• Body must be slim and toned.
 In conclusion, Anthropology liberates the self from the fallacies of dominant
ideas. In this most liberating science, the self is no longer seen as an entity with
innate ideas, ready to face the world, and as if programmed to respond to the
demands of time. The self is not seen as a “blank slate” ready to encode all the
details of everyday experiences, so that it becomes limited only to what is
written on that slate.

In anthropology, the self is recognizes (1) biologically attuned to respond to

his or her environment, (2) variably self-aware of the mechanisms of the
elements of culture working within the self, and (3) self-reflexive of the
uniqueness and differences of all other selves and everything else around.