THE SELF FROM ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Anthropology

The scientific study of humans across time and space, focusing on cultural, biological, linguistic, and archaeological aspects to understand how people live, evolve, and define themselves.

Anthropos

Greek word meaning human being, the root of “anthropology.”

Logia

Greek word meaning study or discourse, combined with anthropos to form “anthropology.”

Cultural (Social) Anthropology

The study of learned human behavior, beliefs, and social life — including rituals, norms, and traditions that shape identity.

Linguistic Anthropology

The study of how language influences culture, social interactions, and identity.

Biological (Physical) Anthropology

The branch of anthropology focused on human evolution, genetics, and biological variations across populations.

Archaeology

The study of material remains (artifacts, tools, structures) to interpret the lives and cultures of past societies.

The Self (in anthropology)

A person’s identity and perception of themselves, which is shaped and influenced by cultural norms, social roles, rituals, and symbols.

Clifford Geertz

An anthropologist known for symbolic/interpretive anthropology, emphasizing culture as a system of symbols and identity as a performance within social interactions.

Symbolic Anthropology

A perspective introduced by Geertz that views culture as a collection of symbols whose meanings shape people’s identity and worldview.

Performance of Identity

The idea (from Geertz) that identity is not fixed but acted out and negotiated in social contexts, similar to a play or performance.

Margaret Mead

An anthropologist who studied cultural relativity and how socialization shapes identity, emphasizing that gender roles and identities are culturally flexible.

Cultural Relativity

The principle that norms, behaviors, and roles must be understood within their cultural context — no culture is “more normal” than another.

Socialization

The process through which individuals learn values, behaviors, and identities by interacting with family, community, and rituals.

Flexibility of Identity

Mead’s idea that identity (including gender roles) is not biologically fixed but varies according to cultural expectations and practices.

Geertz vs Mead

• Geertz: Focused on symbols and performance in shaping identity.

• Mead: Focused on socialization and cultural relativity in forming identity.