THE SELF FROM THE PERSPECTIVE

OF ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY
• It is a field of Social Sciences that focusses on the
study of Man.
• This does not pertain only to one aspect of man (i.e. his
mind or his environment) but rather on the totality of
what it means to be human.
• The field looks into man's physical/biological
characteristics, his social relationships and the
influences of his culture from the dawn of civilization to
the present.
• The four subfields of Anthropology: Archeology,
Biological Anthropology, LInguistics, and Cultural
Anthropology, suggest that human beings are similar
and very different at the same time. For instance,
people have the same need for food, water and shelter
but they differ in the ways/means of how to acquire
these for their satisfaction. It is through these studies
that people learn about themselves and about others
around them.
ARCHAEOLOGY
• Archaeologist are scientists who study artifacts (tools
and objects past people have made) in order to
discover how the people lived their lives.
• Their focus is the past and how it may have contributed
to the present ways of how people conduct their daily
lives. As a result, what archaeologists have so far
discovered are the unique ways in which human beings
adapted to changes in their environment in order for
them to survive.
• The discoveries of archaeologists made people realize the
most important aspect of human nature which is survival. All
around the world, peope have struggled to survive and up to
the present, human behavior, according to School of
Functionalism continues to adapt in order to survive. In this
aspect, human beings are similar. The manner however that
they choose to survive differs. Some men would use power
and strength, declare wars, conquer and even try to annihilate
races, while others would offer their services, knowledge,
resources and even their lives just to ensure that a few
deserving human beings would survive.
BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
• Biological Anthropologist focus primarily on how the
human body adapts to the different earth environments.
• They look at the probable causes of disease, physical
mutation and death.
• They also want to know how human beings might have
evolved from their early forms (based on discovered
fossilized remains).
• They also do comparative studies on human beings
both dead and living and other primates (apes and
monkeys).
• These scientists are interested in explaining how the
biological characteristics of human beings affect how
they lived their lives.
• By studying people in different places around the globe,
these scientist have discovered that while human beings
do vary in their biological make-up and behavior, there
are a lot more similarities among them than there are
differences (www.americanathro.org/AdvanceYourCareer/Content).
LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
• Human survival is primarily linked to their ability to
communicate. This is another capability that resulted
from big human brains. The brain comes equipped with
specialized areas specifically for the purpose of
communication. In addition, an essential part of human
communications is language.
• Language identifies a group of people. The words,
sounds, symbols, writings and signs that are used are
reflection of 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. These scientists
want to discover how language is used to create and
share meanings, to form ideas and concepts and to
promote social change.
• They also study how language and modes of
communications change overtime.
• In the contemporary society, other forms of languages
have evolved which represent the subculture of a
particular group. Example of these are the terms used
in social media and the language of the LGBTs.
• Looking at language from the perspective of an
anthropologist shows how it is reflective of the time and
mode of thinking of the people using it. Language
adapts to the existing conditions in the society. As
societies change and technologies develop so do the
symbols and meaning people attach to objects and
events as expressed through the language that they
use and their manner of communicating.
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
• Culture is described as a group of people's way of life.
It includes their behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols
that they accept (usually unconciously) that are socially
transmitted through communication and imitation from
generation to generation.
• Cultural anthropologist are interested in knowing what
makes one group's manner of living particular to that
group and forms as essential part of the members'
personal and social identity. Whether the individual
admits it or not, he is a product of his culture.
• According to the Theory of Cultural Determinism,
human nature is determined by the ideas, meanings,
beliefs, and values learned as members of society. This
is tantamount to saying that who or what a person is
maybe determined by the kind of culture he is born into
and grow up in. With the different cultures that exist not
only in a society but all over the world, anthropologists
suggest that there is no universal or right way of being
human. The right way is always based on one's culture.
Since cultures vary, there is no one way of
understanding human nature.
• This theory has positive and negative implications. On the
positive, the theory suggests that human beings can be
shaped/formed to have the kind of life they prefer. On the
negative, Cultural Determinism may mean that people have
no control over what they learn. They blindly accept the
learning their cultures expose them to. Human beings are
seen as helpless and do only what their culture instructs them
do. This places human nature under the mercy of his culture.
• Cultural diversities are manifested in different ways and at
different levels of depth. Symbols are considered the most
superficial level of culture and values and values belong to
the deepest level or are considered the core of culture.
• The following are the ways in which culture may manifest
itself in people.
1. Symbols are the words, gestures, pictures or objects that
have a recognized/accepted meaning in a particular
culture. Symbols can be shared or copied by other
cultures who find them also fitting for their own culture.
2. Heroes are persons from the past or present who have
characteristics that are important in a culture. They may
be real or fictitious and are models for behavior.
3. Rituals are activities (maybe religious or social)
participated in by a group of people for the fulfillment of
desired objectives and are considered to be socially
essential.
4. 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.
• In summary, the field of anthroplogy is yet another way
by which a person can view himself. To be added to his
repertoire of perspective, anthropology makes the
person aware that what he is may be 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.