Anthropology Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key concepts and vocabulary from the anthropology lecture notes.

Anthropology

The scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics.

Cultural Anthropology

The study of the diverse ways people live today, including their thoughts, actions, creations, struggles, meanings, and societal organization.

Polytheism

The belief in and worship of multiple gods or spiritual beings, each associated with specific aspects of the natural or social world.

Franz Boas

A foundational figure in American anthropology known for promoting cultural relativism, historical particularism, and rigorous fieldwork.

Monotheism

The belief in a single, all-powerful deity.

Nomothetic

An approach in anthropology that seeks to identify general laws or universal patterns across cultures, emphasizing broad comparative studies.

Cesare Lombroso

An anthropologist who theorized that criminality is biologically inherited and can be identified through physical traits.

Anthropometrics/social Darwinism

Anthropometrics relates to measuring human bodies to compare physical differences, while social Darwinism is the belief that social hierarchies reflect natural evolutionary differences.

First Contact film

A documentary portraying the first encounters between Papua New Guineans and Australian gold prospectors, exploring themes of colonialism and cultural misunderstanding.

Ideographic

An approach that focuses on the in-depth study of cultures or individuals, placing emphasis on their uniqueness and specificity.

Cultural Relativism

The principle that each culture should be understood on its own terms rather than judged by the standards of another culture.

Psychic Unity of Mankind

The anthropological idea that all humans share the same basic mental and cognitive capacities regardless of culture or race.

Geography

The study of Earth's physical features and environments, important in anthropology for understanding cultural practices and historical development.

Laura Bohannan

An American anthropologist known for her work in West Africa and her influential essay 'Shakespeare in the Bush' about translating cultural meanings.

Shakespeare in the Bush

An essay by Laura Bohannan analyzing cultural differences in understanding literature and the complexities of cultural relativism.

Voyages of Discovery

Refers to the era of European exploration from the 15th to 18th centuries when explorers charted unknown territories.

Ferdinand Magellan

A Portuguese explorer known for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe.

Spice Islands

A group of islands in eastern Indonesia historically important during the age of exploration for their valuable spices.

Armchair Anthropology

A term used to describe early anthropological studies that were theoretical and conducted from a distance, often without field research.

Ethnology

The comparative and analytical study of cultures, focusing on patterns, similarities, and differences among them.

Culture Characteristics

Learned, shared, symbolic, integrated, adaptive, dynamic, and based on symbolism.

Comparative Method

An approach in anthropology that compares cultures to identify patterns, similarities, and differences.

Salvage Anthropology

An approach aimed at documenting and preserving cultural practices that are believed to be threatened by changes such as colonialism.

Kwakiutl

An indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, known for their rich cultural traditions.

Emile Durkheim

A French sociologist recognized as a founding figure of modern sociology who studied social structures and institutions.

Mechanical Solidarity

A concept by Émile Durkheim describing social cohesion in traditional societies where individuals perform similar tasks and share common values.

Organic Solidarity

A concept by Émile Durkheim referring to the cohesion in modern societies where individuals perform specialized roles and depend on each other.

Emic/Etic

Emic refers to how local people think, while etic refers to an outsider's perspective and interpretation.

Participant Observation

A research method where the researcher immerses themselves in a community to observe behaviors while actively participating.

Ethnography

The systematic study of people and cultures, designed to explore cultural phenomena from the subjects' perspectives.

Degeneration Theory

The idea that societies can decline from their original state over time.

Progressivism

The belief that human societies progress through developmental stages, increasing complexity and social advancement.

Functionalism

An approach in anthropology that identifies different elements of society and their roles in maintaining social order.

Kula Ring

A ceremonial exchange system among islanders involving the giving and receiving of valued items to forge social connections.

Anthropology

The scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics.

Cultural Anthropology

The study of the diverse ways people live today, including their thoughts, actions, creations, struggles, meanings, and societal organization.

Polytheism

The belief in and worship of multiple gods or spiritual beings, each associated with specific aspects of the natural or social world.

Franz Boas

A foundational figure in American anthropology known for promoting cultural relativism, historical particularism, and rigorous fieldwork.

Monotheism

The belief in a single, all-powerful deity.

Nomothetic

An approach in anthropology that seeks to identify general laws or universal patterns across cultures, emphasizing broad comparative studies.

Cesare Lombroso

An anthropologist who theorized that criminality is biologically inherited and can be identified through physical traits.

Anthropometrics/social Darwinism

Anthropometrics relates to measuring human bodies to compare physical differences, while social Darwinism is the belief that social hierarchies reflect natural evolutionary differences.

First Contact film

A documentary portraying the first encounters between Papua New Guineans and Australian gold prospectors, exploring themes of colonialism and cultural misunderstanding.

Ideographic

An approach that focuses on the in-depth study of cultures or individuals, placing emphasis on their uniqueness and specificity.

Cultural Relativism

The principle that each culture should be understood on its own terms rather than judged by the standards of another culture.

Psychic Unity of Mankind

The anthropological idea that all humans share the same basic mental and cognitive capacities regardless of culture or race.

Geography

The study of Earth's physical features and environments, important in anthropology for understanding cultural practices and historical development.

Laura Bohannan

An American anthropologist known for her work in West Africa and her influential essay 'Shakespeare in the Bush' about translating cultural meanings.

Shakespeare in the Bush

An essay by Laura Bohannan analyzing cultural differences in understanding literature and the complexities of cultural relativism.

Voyages of Discovery

Refers to the era of European exploration from the 15th to 18th centuries when explorers charted unknown territories.

Ferdinand Magellan

A Portuguese explorer known for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe.

Spice Islands

A group of islands in eastern Indonesia historically important during the age of exploration for their valuable spices.

Armchair Anthropology

A term used to describe early anthropological studies that were theoretical and conducted from a distance, often without field research.

Ethnology

The comparative and analytical study of cultures, focusing on patterns, similarities, and differences among them.

Culture Characteristics

Learned, shared, symbolic, integrated, adaptive, dynamic, and based on symbolism.

Comparative Method

An approach in anthropology that compares cultures to identify patterns, similarities, and differences.

Salvage Anthropology

An approach aimed at documenting and preserving cultural practices that are believed to be threatened by changes such as colonialism.

Kwakiutl

An indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America, known for their rich cultural traditions.

Emile Durkheim

A French sociologist recognized as a founding figure of modern sociology who studied social structures and institutions.

Mechanical Solidarity

A concept by Émile Durkheim describing social cohesion in traditional societies where individuals perform similar tasks and share common values.

Organic Solidarity

A concept by Émile Durkheim referring to the cohesion in modern societies where individuals perform specialized roles and depend on each other.

Emic/Etic

Emic refers to how local people think, while etic refers to an outsider's perspective and interpretation.

Participant Observation

A research method where the researcher immerses themselves in a community to observe behaviors while actively participating.

Ethnography

The systematic study of people and cultures, designed to explore cultural phenomena from the subjects' perspectives.

Degeneration Theory

The idea that societies can decline from their original state over time.

Progressivism

The belief that human societies progress through developmental stages, increasing complexity and social advancement.

Functionalism

An approach in anthropology that identifies different elements of society and their roles in maintaining social order.

Kula Ring

A ceremonial exchange system among islanders involving the giving and receiving of valued items to forge social connections.