FROM THE

PERSPECTIVE OF
ANTHROPOLOGY
Prepared by: Rassil J. Goboleo, RPm
What is Anthropology?

■ Is a field of the social sciences that

focuses on the study of man
■ This field includes man’s
physical/biological characteristics, his
social relationships and the influences
of his culture from the dawn of
civilization up to the present
What is Anthropology?
■ Anthropology makes the person aware that
what he is maybe determined by his past
and present condition, his biological
characteristics, the way he communicates,
the language that he uses and the manner
in which he chooses to live his life.
■ The four subfields of Anthropology are
Archaeology, Biological Anthropology,
Linguistics and Cultural Anthropology
Archaeology

■ The study of the ancient and

recent human past through
material remains
■ Archaeological records consists
of artifacts, architecture, biofacts,
and cultural landscapes
Archaeology

■ Archaeologists’ focus is the past

and how it may have contributed
to the present ways of how people
conduct their daily lives
■ Archaeologists discovered the
most important aspect of human
nature, which is survival
Biological Anthropology

■ Also called physical anthropology

■ Is the study of the past and present
evolution of the human species and
is especially concerned with
understanding the causes of present
human diversity
Linguistic Anthropology
■ Studies the role of language in the social
lives of individuals and communities
■ Explores how language shapes
communication and how language and
modes of communication change over
time
■ An essential part of human communication
is language
■ Language is a system of communication
used by a particular country or community
Linguistic Anthropology
■ Language identifies a group of people.
The words, sounds, symbols, writings
and signs that are used are reflections of
a group’s culture
■ Linguistic anthropologists’ interest
focuses on using language as a means to
discover a group’s manner of social
interaction and his worldview
■ English is the universal language
Cultural Anthropology

■ It is the study of human cultures, their

beliefs, practices, values, ideas,
technologies, economies and other
domains of social and cognitive
organization
■ Culture is described as a group of people’s way of life. It
includes their behaviors, beliefs, values and symbols that they
accept (usually unconsciously) that are socially transmitted
through communication and imitation from generation to
generation.
Theory of Cultural Determinism
■ A belief that the culture in which we are raised determines who
we are at emotional and behavioral levels
■ Positive implication of this theory suggests that human beings
can be shaped/formed to have the kind of life they prefer it
further means that there is no limit placed on the human ability
to be or to do whatever they set their minds and hearts into.
■ Negative implication is that people have no control over what
they learn. They blindly accept the learning their cultures
exposed them to. Human beings are seen as helpless and do
only what their culture instructs them to do.
Theory of Cultural Relativism

■ Is the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not

to make judgments using the standards of one’s own culture.
■ The goal of this is promote understanding of cultural practices
that are not typically part of one’s own culture.
■ It leads to the view that no one culture is superior than another
culture when compared to systems of morality, law, politics,
etc.
Culture may manifest itself in people in
the following ways:
■ Symbols
■ Heroes
■ Rituals
■ Values
Symbols
■ Are the words, gestures, pictures or
objects that have a
recognized/accepted meaning in a
particular culture
■ Symbols are considered the most
superficial level of culture
■ Symbols can be shared or copied by
other cultures who find them also
fitting for their own culture
Heroes

■ Are persons from the past or

present who have characteristics
that are important in a culture
■ They may be real of fictitious and
are models for behavior
Rituals

■ Are activities (may be

religious or social)
participated in by a group of
people for the fulfillment of
desired objectives and are
considered to be socially
essential
 Values
■ Are considered to be the core of
every culture
■ Values are unconscious and can
neither be discussed nor be directly
observed but can only be inferred
from the way people act and react
to circumstances and situations
■ Values involve human
tendencies/preferences towards
good or bad, right or wrong
THANK YOU!
Rassil J Goboleo, RPm
Activity No. 4: From the Perspective of
Anthropology
Paste each picture of your real hero and fictional
hero. Explain why do you consider them as your
hero.