Exam 1 Flashcards
Anthropology
The study of humankind which seeks to understand people and their behavior in order to better communicate with and relate to other human groups in an increasingly interdependent world.
Holistic Approach
focusing on all aspects of interconnections and interdependence
ethnocentrism
belief that ones own cultural way is the proper one
Cultural Relativism
standards and practices are valued relatively
Ethical Relativism
the notion that no beliefs or actions are right or wwrong
Situational ethics
Relative view of the Bible
Absolute view of culture
Antinomianism
Relative view of the Bible
Relative view of culture
Traditionalism
Absolute view of the Bible
Absolute view of Culture
Mutual Respect
Absolute view of the Bible
Relative view of culture
4 Main fields of Anthropology
Physical - science
Cultural - Linguistics, Archaeology
Culture
That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society
The learned and shared attitudes, values and ways of behaving of the members of a society.
Society
A self perpetuating group who share a geographical territory and a culture
Building block approach to culture as a pyramid
• Belief
o Norms – acceptable behavior
Values – difference between good and bad
• Sanctions – the enforcement of those norms
Customs
optional behavior
Folkways
unwritten social expectations, manners
Mores
prohibitions including most offensive of all taboos. Mores are for a decent civilized society
Laws
legalized requirements
Institutions
the place where people learn their culture
3 Components of world view
- Reality
- Identity
- Natural vs Supernatural
Edward P Tylor
• The man who coined and defined the term culture
o He developed a threefold stage through which culture evolves
Savagery
Barbarism
Civilization
Lewis Henry Morgan
Morgan was an attorney who defended the Iroquois in a battle for land
• As they were deeply appreciative they adopted him into their tribe
• Morgan realized they had many fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters who were not biologically related
o They had a classificatory system vs descriptive systems (descriptive like we have for singular father mother)
• Morgan published a book describing the pyramid of human development
o Evolved from primitive to civilized
o Savagery to Barbarism is marked by using pots
o Barbarism to Civilization is a result of evolving linguistic reading and writing
Franz Boaz
Boaz studied the eskimos and their environment
Theorizing vs Fieldwork
• Fieldwork is wht made anthropology scientific
• He objected to theorizing
Bronislaw Malinowski
His approach was functionalist
• He was not interested in history but how does a culture work now
• Participant observation “walk in their moccasins”
Alfred Reginald Radcliff Brown (AR Brown)
He identified as a structural functionalist
• Culture is something very abstract – you get into the culture by examining the structures, or institutions of a society
• Culture developed in groups not individually