Lecture 6: Social Organisation, Person and Society Flashcards
why is anthropology humanistic science?
study that seeks reliable interpretations and possibly explanations with reference to the socio-cultural and physical world
cultural anthropology and sociology
Cultural anthropology and sociology share an interest in social relations, organization, and behaviour
Anthropology and psychology
psychological anthropology studies cross-cultural variations in, for example: cognition, child rearing and identity.
Human biological diversity and the race concept
Historically, scientists approached the study of human biological diversity in two ways:
- Racial classification, now largely rejected
- Explanatory approach
racial classification
attempt to assign humans to discrete categories (purportedly) based on common ancestry.
phenotypical traits
an organism’s evident traits, its “manifest biology”—anatomy and physiology
are races biologically distinct
no. ‘color based’ racial labels are not accurate. Many populations don’t fit neatly into any one of the three “great races”. No single trait can be used as basis for racial classification. Phenotypical similarities and differences do not necessarily have genetic basis.
melanin
a natural sunscreen produced by skin cells responsible for pigmentation. By screening out ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sun, melanin offers protection against a variety of maladies, including sunburn and skin cancer
what does traditional racial classification assume?
Traditional racial classification assumes biological characteristics are determined by heredity and were stable. Role of natural selection in producing variation in skin colour offers explanatory approach to human biological diversity
two kinds of nature
- external nature
- inner nature
external nature
ecosystems
inner nature
the senses
role
dynamic behaviour associated with the social position, for example the role of the father
rite of passage
customs associated with transition from one stage of life to another
contemporary rites of passage
baptism, confirmations, bar and bat mitzvahs, initiations, weddings etc.
liminality
in-between phase of passage rite
what does liminality involve
a temporary suspension and reversal of social distinctions
examples liminality
humility, poverty, equality, obedience, sexual abstinence and silence
social structure or organizations
household / village / descent groups
cognition is …
- conscious
- unconscious
unconscious cognition
that is understanding through thought, experience, and the senses
habitus
system of embodied dispositions. This is seen as anthropology of the body
distribution knowledge
Knowledge is unevenly distributed, there are many different perspectives such as Marxist perspectives, feminist perspectives and postcolonial perspectives
