Lecture 1: What is Anthropology?

Question 1

anthropology

Answer 1

• the study of the human condition or species, its evolution through time, its variations over time and space
• Kottak: organized life in groups; the study of the human species and its immediate ancestors
• comparative and holistic

Question 2

holism

Answer 2

• interested in the whole of the human condition
• past, present, future
• biology, society, language, and culture
• approach to culture

Question 3

society

Answer 3

• organized life in groups

Question 4

cultural anthropology

Answer 4

• culture being social; can be learned through direct or indirect ways
ex: how we view things socially such as female swimmers
• traditions and customs
• social, not biological
• taught from birth
• process is called enculturation
• how you dress, talk, view physical appearance in relation to culturally constructed ideas

Question 5

archaeological anthropology

Answer 5

• reconstructs, describes, and interprets human behavior and cultural patterns through material remains
• called artifacts
•draw conclusions about social organization, diet, culture shift
• Moundville, AL (Mississippian culture 11-16th century)
Australian Aboriginal Stone Tools

Question 6

biological anthropology

Answer 6

• focuses on human biological diversity thru time and as is exists today
• 5 special interests
  
  • human evolution
  • human genetics
  • human growth and development
  • human biological plasticity()
  • biological evolution, behavior, and social life of monkeys/apes/non-human primates

Question 7

Lucy

Answer 7

• example of biological anthro
• early hominin
• australopithecus afarensis
• 3.2 million years old
• East Africa

Question 8

2 goals of anthropology

Answer 8

1. Make the Familiar Strange
2. Make the Strange Familiar

to explain similarities and differences among humans through comparison

Question 9

4 fields of anthropology

Answer 9

1. Cultural
2. Archaeological
3. Biological
4. Linguistic

Question 10

enculturation

Answer 10

• learning our cultures from the time of birth throughout our lives; can be direct (told) or indirect (picking up through observation)

Question 11

applied anthro

Answer 11

• application of anthropological data, perspectives, theory, and methods to identify and assess contemporary social problems

ex: applied medical anthropology