Intro to Anthropology terminology Flashcards
What is anthropology?
The study of humanity, including our evolution, culture, and language
Define ethnography.
The careful study and holistic description of specific cultures
What is fieldwork in anthropology?
Ethnographic research through direct observation and interaction with people in their natural environment, typically for extended periods
What does participant observation involve?
Fieldwork with active participation (immersion) in the culture
Define ethnocentrism.
Assuming your own cultural norms are superior and judging other cultures by these norms
What is colonialism?
The maintenance of military, economic, and cultural domination over people by a foreign power
What is othering?
Perceiving or portraying someone as fundamentally different, or weird
Define dehumanisation.
Denying the humanity of others by portraying or treating them as lacking qualities that are considered characteristically human
What are hominids?
Great apes (including humans)
What are hominins?
Humans and our upright ancestors / cousins
What is the biological name for our species?
Homo sapiens
Define bipedalism.
Walking upright on two feet
What are hunter-gatherers?
Small, nomadic societies that obtain food by eating wild plants and animals
What is hierarchy?
An unequal social structure where some people have higher status than others
Define collective learning.
When people share knowledge and pass on innovations in groups
What is excavation in archaeology?
The systematic process of uncovering and documenting archaeological remains
What is stratification in an archaeological context?
The layering of deposits in an archaeological site, with older layers typically found below younger ones
Define artefact.
Any object made, modified, or used by humans in the past
What is cultural relativism?
The idea that beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that person’s own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another culture
What is the emic perspective?
The view of an insider, someone belonging to the cultural group in question
What is the etic perspective?
The perspective of an outside observer
