Anthropology-Study of culture Flashcards
What is anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of humanity like out prehistoric origins and contemporary human diversity. It is broader and covers a much greater span of time and broader range of topics than other disciplines that study humanity.
Anthropology as a science
Hypothesis, hunch, observing and testing
Anthropology as a humanistic approach
Understanding humanity through study. Culturally informed understanding
Biological anthropology
Study of humans as biological organisms, evolution and contemporary variation
Archaeology
Study of past human cultures through their material remains
Linguistic anthropology
Human communication, origins, history, contemporary variation and change
Cultural anthropology
Study of living people and their cultures(variation and change)
Applied anthropology
Using anthropological knowledge to prevent and solve problems or shape and achieve policy goals
Culture
People’s learned and shared behaviours and beliefs
Functionalism
The view that a culture is similar to a biological organism, in which parts work to support the operation and maintenance of the whole
Holism
The view that one must study all aspects of a culture in order to understand the whole culture
Cultural relativism
Each culture must be understood in terms of values and ideas of that culture and not be judged by standards of others
Historical particularism
Individual cultures must be described and studied on their own terms
Increased theoretical diversity
Theories of culture based on environmental factors, similar environments lead to emergence of similar cultures
French structuralism
Best way to understand a culture is to collect myths and stories and analyze the themes
Symbolic anthropology
Study of a culture as a system of meanings
Cultural materialism
Studying culture by emphasizing the material aspects of life
Interpretive anthropology/Intepretivism
Understand culture should be what people think about, their ideas and the symbols and meanings that are important to them
Postmodernism
Intellectual pursuit that asks whether modernity is truly progress and it questions such aspects of modernism as the scientific method, urbanization, mass communication and technological change.
Structural
The view that powerful structures such as economics, politics and media shapes culture and creates entrenched systems of inequality and oppression
Agency
Power of individuals to create and change culture and make choices and exercise free will
Feminist anthropology
The need to study female roles and gender-based inequality
Gay/lesbian/queer anthropology
The need to study gay people’s cultures/discrimination based on sexual identity and preferences
Local culture
A distinct pattern of learned and shared behaviour and thinking found within larger cultures
Culture and nature
The relationship is of great interest to help understand people’s behaviour and thinking
Eating
Culture shapes how, what, when, meaning of food and eating, foods that are acceptable and unacceptable
Drinking
Appropriate substances, when, with whom to drink. Particular drinks, style of drinks, serving them are heavily influenced by culture
Sleeping
Who sleeps with whom, where children sleep. Excessive daytime sleepiness
Elimination
Where to eliminate? Private or public. Positive or negative effect