Cultural Anthropology

What is Anthropology

ANTHROPOLOGY – derived from the Greek words anthropos for “human” and logos for “study” if we take
literally, the study of humans. (Gary Ferraro, 2001)
 – is the study of people – their origins, their development, and contemporary variations, wherever and
whenever they have been found on the face of the earth. The subject matter of anthropology includes
fossilized skeletal remains of early humans, artifacts and other material remains from prehistoric and
historic archaeological sites, and all of the contemporary and historical cultures of the world. They are
concerned with humans, both past and present, as well as human behavior patterns, thought systems, and
material possessions.
 is the study of humankind – of ancient and modern people and their ways of living. ( Marvin Harris and
Orna Johnson, 2000)
 is the scientific and humanistic study of the human species. It is the exploration of human diversity in time
and space. ( Conrad Phillip Kottak, 2000)
The Four Core Subfields of Anthropology and Applied Anthropology
Biological Anthropology

Biological anthropology
 (also referred to as physical anthropology) is the subfield of
anthropology concerned with humans as a biological species.
 Biological anthropologists conduct research to understand both
human evolution and modern human variation.
ARCHAEOLOGY

 – (Kottak) reconstructs, describes, and interprets past human behavior and cultural
patterns through material remains. At sites where people live or have lived,
archaeologists find artifacts, material items that humans have made or modified, such as
tools, weapons, camp sites, and buildings. Plant and animal remains and ancient garbage
tell stories about consumption and activities. Archaeologists are best known for studying
prehistory, that is, the period before the invention of writing, they also study the cultures
of historical and even living peoples.
 examines the material remains of past cultures left behind on or below the surface of the
earth. Without the findings of archaeology, we would not be able to understand the
human past, especially where people have not left any books or other written records.
( Harris and Johnson )
Linguistic Anthropology

 the study of language, has a long history that dove- tails with the
discipline of philosophy, but is also one of the integral subfields of
anthropology.
 focuses on the relationship between language and culture, how
language is used within society, and how the human brain acquires
and uses language
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

 (Kottak) is the study of human society and culture, the subfield that
describes, analyzes, interprets, and explains social and cultural
similarities and differences. To study and interpret cultural
diversity, cultural anthropologists engage in two kinds of activity:
ethnography (based on fieldwork) and ethnology (based on
crosscultural comparison).
Kinds

 ETHNOGRAPHY – provides an account of a particular community, society, or culture.

During ethnographic fieldwork, the ethnographer gathers data that he or she organizes,
describes, analyzes, and interprets to build and present that account, which may be in the
form of a book, article, or film. Traditionally, ethnographers have lived in small
communities and studied local behavior, beliefs, customs, social life, economic activities,
politics, and religion.
 ETHNOLOGY – examines, interprets, analyzes, and compares the results of
ethnography – the data gathered in different societies. It uses such data to compare and
contrast and to make generalizations about society and culture. (Kottak)
THE PRACTICING OR APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY

 refers to the application of anthropological data, perspectives, theory,

and methods to identify, assess, and solve contemporary social problems.
More and more anthropologists from the 4 subfields now work in such
“applied” areas as public health, family planning, and economic
development.
 have served as cultural interpreters in public health programs, which
must fit into local culture and be accepted by local people.
 also apply their skills in studying the human dimension of environmental
degradation (e.g.,deforestation, pollution.
ANTHROPOLOGY, ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH SOCIAL
SCIENCES

Anthropology and Sociology

 The relation between anthropology and sociology is widely recognized today. In fact,
anthropologist, Kroeber, pointed out that the two sciences are twin sisters. Robert
Redfield writes that “viewing the whole united states, one sees that the relation between
anthropology and sociology is closer than those between the anthropology and other
social sciences”.
 Sociological topics, such as The Origin of Family, The Beginning of Marriage, Private
property, The Genesis of Religion etc, can be better understood in the light of
anthropological knowledge. The anthropological studies have shown that there is no
correlation between anatomical characteristics and mental superiority. The notion of racial
superiority has been disproved by anthropology.