DEFINITION OF ANTHROPOLOGY

Anthropology

The study of humanity, encompassing our prehistoric origins and contemporary human diversity.

Goals of Anthropology

• Discover what makes people different from one another in order to understand and preserve diversity

• Discover what all people have in common by studying commonalities such as folklores, traditions, language, etc. in all humanity so that we could understand more about “human nature"

• Look at one’s own culture more objectively like an outsider

• Produce new knowledge and new theories about humankind and human behavior

Cultural Anthropology

Focuses on living people and their cultures, including aspects like social life, art, religion, migration, marriage, and family.

Linguistic Anthropology

Concentrates on the study of communication, its origins, history, and contemporary variations among humans.

Archaeology

Involves studying past human cultures through the recovery and analysis of material remains and artifacts.

Biological Anthropology

Also known as physical anthropology, it studies humans as biological organisms, including evolution, variation, and the contributions of heredity, environment, and culture to human biology.

Applied Anthropology

The application of anthropological knowledge to solve social problems or achieve policy goals, integrated within the four fields of anthropology.