9 Key Anthropological Terms

Change

the alteration or modification of cultural or social elements in a society

Culture

organized systems of symbols, ideas, explanations, beliefs and material production that humans create and manipulate in the course of their daily lives

Identity

the individual's private and personal view of the self or to how an individual is viewed from the perspective of a social group

Materiality

Objects, resources and belongings have cultural meaning

Power

an essential feature of social relations and can be considered as a person's or group's capacity to influence, manipulate or control others and resources

Belief and Knowledge

A set of convictions, values and viewpoints regarded as "the truth" and shared by members of a social group

Social relations

Refer to any relationship between two or more individuals in a network of relationships

Society

the way in which human organize themselves in groups and networks

Symbolism

the study of the significance that people attach to objects, actions, and processes, creating networks of symbols through which they construct a culture’s a web of meaning