social science anthropology lessons 1-6

What is Anthropology?

The study of humans including their origins, behaviours and culture

What is Psychology?

The study of the human mind, mental states and human behaviour

What is sociology?

The study of human social behaviour including individuals groups and societies

How do social scientists find solutions to problems?

1. Observation

2. Submitting questionnaires

3. Conducting experiments

What is Culture?

What we make, do and believe

What are the two main research tools?

1. Finding informants

2. Interviews

What are the advantages and disadvantages of finding an informant?

Advantages: knowledgeable, reliable, specific detail

Disadvantages: hard to find, may react to presence of researcher, less objective, possible language barriers

What must an interviewer inform their interviewee of?

1. The purpose of the research

2. How the research will be used

3. Confidentiality

What are the three types of interviews?

Unstructured, semi-structured, structured

List one advantage and disadvantage of each type of interview.

Unstructured

Advantage: flexible, long term, relationship established

Disadvantage: interviewee guides the interview, distrust = unwilling

Semi - Structured

Advantage: outline of questions, useful with limited amount of time

Disadvantage: limited time, more self directed questions

Structured

Advantage: set list of questions, clear topic

Disadvantage: no longer have their insight, no relationship established

What is Ethnology?

Study of culture by living in it (live with, while studying)

What is participant observation and who pioneered it?

Participant observation is ethnology, which is studying culture by living amongst the people. Participant observation was pioneer by Barinslaw Malinowski

What is cultural relativism and who pioneer it?

Cultural relative is the inability to compare cultures to one another due to difference in values and rules. It was pioneer by Frank Boas.

What is ethnocentrism?

The theory of superiority that one race is more superior to another

What is functional theory?

States that individuals have physiological needs that social institutions exist to meet

What is cultural materialism and who pioneer it?

States that materials and conditions affect cultural development. Pioneer by Marvin Harris

What is feminist anthropology and who pioneer it?

Feminist Anthropology ensures that female voices are included in research. This was pioneer by Ernestine Friedl

What is postmodernism and who pioneer it?

Postmodernism states that It is impossible to have true knowledge about the world. Sam Dunn

What makes a good research Question?

DETAIL! open ended questions will be open answers. Detailed question = detailed answer

What is linguistic anthropology?

The study of human language and its affects on past and present culture

What is Historical Linguistics?

Comparision of similarities and differences of structure

What is historical linguistics important for?

studying cultures with no written language

What is structural linguistics and who pioneered it?

How sounds are put together to make meaning and was pioneered by Noam Chomsky

What did Noam Chomsky come up with?

Theory of Universal Grammar

What is Sociolinguistics and who pioneered?

the study how people use language within culture to express status and context. Pioneered by Roger Brown and Marguerite Ford.

What is the goal of Physical Anthropology?

Explaining how humans evolved and where we came from, How does past interact with present

What is Paleoanthropology?

Study of Human ancestors

What is a Hominin?

Human like ancestors that lived among us

What is a Fossisls?

Preserved remains or biological matter

What did Donald Johanson discover?

a skeleton, with skull fragments to make the size of a brain

What was the evidence that made Donald Johanson confirm Lucy?

• She was 1m tall

• Pelvis bone had inward slant indicating two feet

• Molars had significant wear indicating adulthood

• Canine teeth were smaller indicating she was female

What do Forensic Anthropologists do?

Assists legal agencies to identify human remains after disasters, wars, homicides, suicides or accidental deaths

What is primatology?

tthe study of the anatomy and behaviour of living primates; investigating what makes us similar and different

Who are some famous primatologists?

Jane Goodall, Diane Fossey, Bivlé Galdikas