Comprehensive Anthropology & Cultural Studies: Key Concepts and Theories

Anthropology

the study of human diversity (past and present) and how people understand and organize their world.

Biological Anthropology

human evolution, biology, adaptation

Archaeology

study of the past through material remains

Linguistic Anthropology

study of language across time

Cultural Anthropology

study of beliefs, behaviors, and meaning

Salvage Anthropology

Early effort (associated with Franz Boas) to document cultures believed to be "disappearing"

Historical Particularism

Cultures develop based on unique historical contexts

Structural Functionalism

Society is a system of interrelated parts

Interpretive Anthropology

Culture is a system of meaning

Thick Description (Geertz)

explains the meaning behind actions

Thin Description

describes behavior without interpretation

Culture

Learned, shared, symbolic system of meaning

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures by one's own standards

Shifting Gaze

Applying anthropological analysis to one's own culture

Globalization

Intensification of global interactions and movement of goods, people, money, and ideas

Time-Space Compression

faster communication and travel

Flexible Accumulation

rapid production and adaptation for profit

Outsourcing

external companies perform tasks

Offshoring

production moved abroad

Uneven Development

unequal distribution of wealth and resources

Glocalization

global ideas adapted locally

Hybrid Culture

blending of cultural elements

Cultural appropriation

extraction without respect or awareness of power

Emic

insider perspective (subjective)

Etic

outsider analysis

Reflexivity

Awareness of researcher bias and positionality

Polyvocality

Inclusion of multiple perspectives

Sex

biological differences

Gender

socially constructed roles and expectations

Gender Performance (Judith Butler)

Gender is performed through repeated actions

Sexual Dimorphism

Biological differences between sexes (exists on a spectrum)

Gender Stratification

Unequal distribution of power and resources

Gender Ideology

Cultural beliefs that justify inequality

Intersectionality

Overlapping identities (race, class, gender) shape inequality

Biopower

Institutional control over bodies and populations

Global Care Chain

Care labor performed by women from poorer countries in wealthier ones

Glass Ceiling

An invisible, unacknowledged barrier—rooted in bias, stereotyping, and exclusionary workplace cultures—that prevents women and minorities from rising to upper-level positions