chapter 1 keyterms anthropology

Holism

Studying humans as a whole, including biology, culture, history, and language.

Human Variation

Differences in human traits (ex: skin color, body shape).

Human Adaptation

Biological or cultural changes to fit environment (ex: high-altitude lungs, farming).

Hypothesis

A testable explanation of facts, can be proven false.

Theory

Broad explanation supported by lots of evidence (ex: evolution).

Law

Predicts what happens under certain conditions, often mathematical.

Knowledge system

A group’s way of knowing/explaining the world (ex: science, religion, indigenous knowledge).

Indigenous

First/original peoples of a region with deep ties to place.

Participant Observation

Living with and participating in a community to study its culture.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Language shapes how people think (linguistic relativity).

Scholarly Peer Review

Experts check research before it’s published.

Subdiscipline

One of the 4 main branches of anthropology:

• Cultural, Biological, Archaeology, Linguistic.

Subfield (Biological Anthro)

Specialties within biological anthropology: primatology, paleoanthropology, molecular, bioarchaeology, forensic, human biology.

Prehistoric Archaeologists

Study societies without written records through material remains.

Primates

Order of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and humans.