Introduction to Anthropology Flashcards

A complete set of vocabulary practice flashcards based on the introductory anthropology lecture notes covering key terms, concepts, subfields, and forms of adaptation.

Anthropology

The study of humans around the world and through time.

Holism

Refers to the study of the whole of the human condition, encompassing past, present, and future, as well as biology, society, language, and culture.

Society

Organized life in groups, a trait shared with humans by monkeys, apes, wolves, mole rats, and ants, among other animals.

Culture

Traditions and customs transmitted through learning that influence personalities, behaviors, health, and interests.

Enculturation

The lifelong process by which an individual learns, adapts, and internalizes the norms, values, language, and customs of their own native culture.

Adaptation

The processes by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses.

Food Production

An economy based on plant cultivation and/or animal domestication.

Cultural Adaptation

A form of technological adaptation used to cope with environmental stresses, such as a pressurized airplane cabin with oxygen masks.

Genetic Adaptation

A biological adaptation that occurs over generations, such as the larger barrel chests of native highlanders.

Long-term Physiological Adaptation

A biological adaptation occurring during the growth and development of an individual organism, such as developing a more efficient respiratory system to extract oxygen from thin air.

Short-term Physiological Adaptation

A biological adaptation occurring spontaneously when an individual organism enters a new environment, such as increased heart rate or hyperventilation.

Hunting and Gathering

The primary method of human survival for millions of years prior to the development of food production.

Agricultural Transition

The transition occurring about $12,000$ to $10,000$ years ago when people began farming and domesticating animals, replacing foraging.

Development of Civilizations

The historical milestone occurring around $5,000$ to $6,000$ years ago when the first civilizations developed.

Biocultural

An approach that combines biological and cultural perspectives to address a given problem or issue.

General Anthropology

Anthropology as a whole, consisting of four main subfields: cultural, archaeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology.

Cultural Anthropology

The subfield of anthropology that studies present and recent human societies and cultures.

Ethnography

Fieldwork in a particular cultural setting that collects descriptive data to detail the culture, beliefs, behaviors, and daily life patterns of a specific group or community.

Ethnology

The synthetic, comparative, and cross-cultural study of sociocultural differences and similarities using data collected by a series of researchers.

Anthropological Archaeology

The subfield that reconstructs, describes, and interprets human behavior and cultural patterns through material remains such as tools, buildings, pottery, bones, and garbage.

Potsherds

Pottery fragments studied by archaeologists that reveal information about population size, trade, and connections between different groups.

Paleoecology

The study of past environments and how humans interacted with them.

Garbology

The study of garbage to gain insights into past or contemporary human behavior and material culture.

Biological Anthropology

The study of human biological diversity through time and as it exists in the world today.

Paleoanthropology

A specialty within biological anthropology that studies human biological evolution as revealed by the fossil record.

Human Biological Plasticity

The living body's ability to change as it copes with environmental conditions such as heat, cold, and altitude.

Primatology

The study of biology, evolution, behavior, and social life of monkeys, apes, and other nonhuman primates in their natural environments.

Osteology

The specialized study of bones within anthropology.

Linguistic Anthropology

The study of language and linguistic diversity in time, space, and society, including its connection to culture.

Sociolinguistics

The study of language in society and how social factors influence linguistic variation and usage.

Historical Linguistics

A branch of linguistic anthropology that examines how languages change over time.

Applied Anthropology

The use of anthropology to solve contemporary, real-world problems.

Cultural Resource Management (CRM)

An applied archaeological field involved in deciding what material remains need saving when entire archaeological sites cannot be saved.

Medical Anthropology

The study of how culture and biology influence health, illness, and healthcare systems.

Public Archaeology

An applied field focusing on protecting and preserving important historical and cultural sites.

Ethnomusicology

The study of music and cultural expression around the world.