Week 1 (Intro to Anthropology)

Question 1

What is Anthropology?

Answer 1

Study of Humanity.
* Cultures, and humans in the past and present.
* Very broad scope of study both in terms of:
* Time
* Topics.

Science of possibility and difference.

Anthropology’s four fields:
* Biological Anthropology.
* Archaeology.
* Linguistic Anthropology.
* Cultural Anthropology.

Question 2

Biological Anthropology

Answer 2

The study of evolution and contemporary variation.

Three subfields
1. Primatology
* Study of non-human members (primates)

2. Paleoanthropology
   * Study human evolution through fossils.
3. Physical Anthropology.
   * Explore differences in biological makeup and behavior of humans.
   * Tell history through bones, teeth etc.

Question 3

Archaeology

Answer 3

Studying history.
* Historical depth between 300,000 to 160,000 years ago.

Prehistoric Archaeology
* Prior written records.
* Artifacts (Pottery, architecture)

Historical Archaeology
* Written records.
* Artifacts (Pottery, architecture)

Underwater Archaeology

Archaeology of modern times.
* The Garbage Project.
* Examine landfills on Staten Island.

Question 4

Linguistic Anthropology

Answer 4

Three subfields.

1. Historical linguistics
   * How language changes over time.
2. Structural linguistics.
   * Comparison between contemporary and past languages in terms of structure
3. Sociolinguistics.
   * Highlighting how language change according to social variation and social context
   * Non verbal communication is a key.

Question 5

Cultural anthropology

Answer 5

Study of contemporary people and cultures.
* Investigate how cultures change.
* Gathering data by living with people they study.

Many subfields.

Economic anthropology.
* Study of economic relations between people and cultures.

Medical Anthropology

Political Anthropology.
* Political systems
* Institutions.

Cultural/political ecology.
* Interaction between culture and environment

Question 6

Should Applied Anthropology be
considered a subfield of Anthropology?

Answer 6

Many anthropologists think so.
* Bring our unique knowledge for the betterment of human/environment development.
* Incorporate our knowledge into policy implementation.

Should be in our repertoire, regardless.
* Just like theory, we should incorporate it in every subfield of Anthropology.

Question 7

What is culture?

Answer 7

Humans are not physically gifted species.

Humans are social animal
* Ability to form social groups.
* Use various methods of communications.
- Often non-verbal
- Rituals, beliefs, etc.

Culture as learned and shared behavior and beliefs.

Question 8

Characteristics of Culture

Answer 8

1. Culture is Learned.
2. Culture is Shared.
3. Culture is integrated
4. Culture is adaptive.
5. Culture is symbolic
6. Defines the way we view the world.

Question 9

How is Culture learned?

Answer 9

Process of enculturation
* Formal and informal
* Social Institutions
* Rites of passage.
* Rituals.

Observing and imitating others.

Continuously learning.

Question 10

How is Culture shared?

Answer 10

Depends on sharing
* Taboos (For example pork).
* Norms

Not always agreed upon.
* Multiple Cultural Worlds (Microcultures).

Culture is constantly being negotiated.
* Moving in different directions.
* A process.

Question 11

How is Culture patterned?

Answer 11

Different social elements work together and complement one another.
* Principle of Holism.
* Example, Pigs in the Highland of Papua New Ginea.

Highly paradoxical

Behavior and beliefs can be inconsistent.

Question 12

How is Culture adaptive?

Answer 12

Microculture (Local cultures)
* Local regions or particular groups (Ethnicity, gender, age etc.)
* Interaction with other cultures (groups)

4 Models of Cultural interaction
* Clash of Civilization.
* Westernization
* Hybridization
* Localization.
* Resisting McDonald’s principle.

Culture is not static
* Adapt to different challenges.
* State terror or political conflicts.

Question 13

How is Culture Symbolic?

Answer 13

Cultures organized around set of key symbols.
* Modes of actions.
* Modes of expression – art, literature etc.

Summarizing symbols (Ortner 1973)
* Bring out emotions.
* Sense of sacredness.
* National flag – aka American Flag can have multiple meanings.

Question 14

How Culture defines how we view the
world

Answer 14

Ideas and behavior impact how we see the world.
* For example Freedom.

Question 15

Cultural meaning

Answer 15

Humans produce behavior, objects, rituals, rules, etc.
* Different meaning for different cultures.

Culture is systematic
* Patterns
* Prcoess
* It is everywhere!

Culture is often seen as static, bounded and whole.

Question 16

Critique of Culture

Answer 16

Lila Abu-Lughod critiques of Cultures;
* Culture is not an airtight container.
* Culture is not as coherent as we think.
* Cultures are not impediments (obstacles) to change
* Culture are not internally homogenous.