Cahpter 1 Flashcards
What the Heck is Anthropology?
The study of human culture
Beliefs, language, rituals, kinship, social structure.
Where is Vanuatu?
the study of human beings, and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture.
Traditionally a “four field” discipline— need training in all four fields.
Many different subfields and sub-disciplines, i.e. medical anthropology, Chinese anthropology, environmental anthropology.
Culture
a set of values, beliefs, and behaviours that a group of people; share and pass down to the next generation.
what does anthropology mean
anthropo: human beings
logia: study of
what are the 4 kinds of anthropologists
biological anthropology
archeology
linguistic anthropology
sociocultural anthropology or “cultural anthropology”/ “social anthropology”
biological anthropology
IT IS A SUBFIELD OF ANTHROPOLOGY
the oldest
focuses on the study of the evolution, function and health of the body and closest primates across time and space
specialties in biological anthro
paleoanthropology: study of fossilised remains of both humans and their endevours to understand the history of biological evolution- do excavations and study them in the lab
study mostly fossil records of bipeds. do reconstruction of the physical structure of hominids can also provide evidence of migration
primatology
study of our closest nonhuman relatives- Jane Goodall
forensic anthropology
study of human remains for identification and cause of death. determine the age, sex, health status, height, and cause of death. work in human right tribunals- identify mass graves
archeology
A BRANCH OF ANTHROPOLOGY studies human history and its artifacts- look at the material remains of human groups in order learn how people lived. they map out both horizontal and vertical provenience to understand spatial function as well as time periodes
only has to be 50 years old for it to be archeology
linguistic anthropology
examining the relationship between language and culture- explore how people use language, both in a physical sense with regards to how communication is structured, and in a historical sense in regardsto how different languages have developed and spread throughout history
sociolinguists
interested in how various aspects of culture shape how we use language. they can analyse vocabulary, accents and topics
historical linguists
study the origin of language and changes inlanguage over time
sociocultural anthropologists
look at how societies are structured and how cultural meanings are created. they explore both the universal and the particular , moving back and forth between the two levels . gather data by talking to people and by participating in and observing their day to day lives.
focus on social structure and cultural meaning
A comparative approach to the study of societies and cultures that focuses on difference and similarities in the ways that societies are structured and cultural meanings are created.
Sociocultural Anthropology is…
Holistic- how do factors of social organization fit together?
Comparative- across cultures. How are they different? Similar?
Culture
the system of meaning about the naure of experience that are shared by a people and passed on from one generation to another, including the meaning that people give to things, events, activities, and people.
ethonocentric fallancy
the mistaken notion that the belief and behaviors of other culture can be judged from the perspective of ones own culture
the idea that our beliefs and behaviors are right and true while those of others are wrong and misguided
ehtnocentrism
the tendency to judge the belief and behaviors of other cultures from the perspective of ones own culture
Narrow view of the world.
Example— maps.
We are all a little ethnocentric.
The major obstacle to understanding other cultures
cultural relativism
the effort to understand the beliefs and behaviors of other culrure in terms of the culture in which they are found
No culture possesses a set of absolute standards by which we can judge other cultures.
relativistic fallacy
the idea that it is impossible to make moral judgements about the beliefs and behaviors of members of other cultures
critical cultural relatism
anthropologist engage directly with questions of inequality, ethics and power.
an alternative perspective on cultural relatism that poses questions about cultural beliefs and practices in terms of who accepts them and why, who they might be disproportionately harming and benefitting, and the cultural power dynamics that enables them.
cultural text
a way of thinking about culture as a text of significant symbols, such as words, gestures, drawings, and natural objects, all of which carry meaning, for examplesherlock homes reading the marks on a watch
Which of the following is not a four-field branch of anthropology?
Cultural Anthropology B Forensic Anthropology C Archaeology D Linguistic Anthropology
forensic anthropology- it is a subfield of biological anthropology
culture
is about meaning.
is learned.
is shared
The system of meaning about the nature of experience that are shared by a people and passed on from one generation to another, including the meanings that people give to things, events, activities, and people.
Enculturation:
The process by which humans learn their culture
Cultural Competency:
A set of behaviours, policies, and attitudes which form a system or agency which allows cross-cultural groups to effectively work professionally in situations.
participants or observants
the people they study
E.B. Tylor
father” of anthropology. Armchair anthropologist. Four field approach. made the first definition of culture.
how did anthropology develop
Anthropology developed out of the writings of early explorers and missionaries.
Encountering new ways of life.
The collection, study, and analysis of the writings of missionaries, explorers, and colonists who had sustained contact with non-Western peoples.
Problems- ethnocentric (and racist!) understanding of other cultures
armchair anthropoplogy
by reading they would write about peoples culture and not go anywhere.
you get generalizations about the people- were making our own assumptions about them.
Quantitative Research:
Research methods that involve the generation of statistical data. Examples include surveys and censuses.
Franz Boas + Bronislaw Malinowski=
fathers of sociocultural anthropology.
Advocated for longterm fieldwork and participant observation.
first people who advocated for long term field work and first to advocate for participant observation
they brought anthropology from a quantitative to a qualitative research
Qualitative Research:
Research Methods that aim to explore, rather than measure, various phenomena, often through forms of observation such as interviews, focus groups, and direction participant observation.
malinowski was stuck in the trobrinand island for 5 years- during the time of the war as he was polish
Ethnographic Fieldwork:
: A research method in which sociocultural anthropologists have intensive, long-term engagements with a group of people.
Anthropologists collect data through interviews, surveys, focus groups, conversations, observation… and most importantly, participant observation!
Key to this process: fieldnotes!
Not necessarily only studying in “exotic” places!
Ethnography:
A written description and analysis of a particular group of people, usually based on anthropological research
what is the key to participant observation
fieldnotes
Participant Observation:
An element of fieldwork that can involve participating in daily tasks, and observing daily interactions among a particular group.
The defining feature of contemporary anthropological fieldwork.
Participate in a huge variety of everyday tasks.
Rapport:
A feeling of affinity, friendship, and responsibility between an anthropologist and an informant.
Emic Perspective:
Refers to an “insider’s perspective.
Etic Perspective:
Refers to the analysis of an aspect of culture using comparative categories, explanations, and interpretation from the perspective of an outside observer.
Longterm engagements allow anthropologists to understand aspects of culture from an emic perspective.
After fieldwork- situate our insider understanding of culture within an etic perspective in order to write, analyze, and present our findings.
