Anth - Chap 1 & 2 Flashcards
anthropology
a discipline of infinite curiosity about human beings; the study of human beings
Anthropological linguistics
the anthropological studies of linguistics
holistic
multifaceted approach to the study of human beings
biological (physical) anthropology
seeks to answer two distinct sets of questions; first set includes questions about the emergence of humans & their later evolution (this focus is called human paleontology or paleoanthropology). the second set includes questions about how and why contemporary human populations vary biologically (this focus is called human variation); the study of the non-cultural, or biological, aspects of humans and near humans. Biological anthropologists are usually involved in one of three different kinds of research: 1) non-human primate studies (usually in the wild), 2) recovering the fossil record of human evolution, and 3) studying human biological diversity, inheritance patterns, and non-cultural means of adapting to environmental stresses. Biological anthropology is also referred to as physical anthropology.
human paleontology
questions about the emergence of humans and their later evolution
human paleontology or paleoanthropology
questions about the emergence of humans and their later evolution
primatologists
anthropologists, psychologists, and biologists who specialize in the study of primates
Homo sapiens
all living people belong to one species
fossils
the buried, hardened remains or impressions of humans, prehumans, & related animals
archaeology
the study of past cultures, primarily through their material remains (artifacts)
prehistory
the time before written records
ethnology
the comparative/cross-cultural study of cultures; study of existing & recent cultures; now usually referred to by the parent name, cultural anthropology
historical archaeology
studies the remains of recent peoples who left written records; employs the methods of both archaeologists & historians to study recent societies for which there is both archaelogical & historical info
historical linguistics
the study of how languages change over time & how they may be related
sociolinguistics
the study of how language is used in social contexts
descriptive (structural) linguistics
the study of how contemporary languages differ, especially in their construction
ethnographers
one type of ethnologist; usually spend a year or so living with, talking to, and observing the people whose customs they are studying
ethnography
the study of a specific culture; the data for a detailed description of customary behavior & thought
ethnography
the study of a specific culture; the data for a detailed description of customary behavior & thought; anthropological research in which one learns about the culture of another society through fieldwork and first hand observation in that society.
cultural anthropology
divided into 3 major subfields–archaeology, linguistics, & ethnology; the study of contemporary and recent historical cultures all over the world. The focus is on social organization, culture change, economic and political systems, and religion. Cultural anthropology is also referred to as social or sociocultural anthropology.
artifacts
material remains modified by man that can be removed from a site (pottery, tools)