Anthropology - Key Theorists/Case Studies:

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Jane Goodall

English zoologist and Primatologist. She wrote a book named “The woman who redefined man”.

• In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to protect chimpanzees and their habitats.

• She made a groundbreaking discovery where she observed a chimpanzee named “David Greybeard” using and making tools in Tanzania.

• She helps people understand chimpanzee behavior and intelligence better.

• Famous for studying the behavior of chimpanzees, starting in the year 1960.

• Chimpanzees changed scientists views on their diets when Jane observed them eating meat like omnivores and they weren’t just herbivores. They ate mammals such as bushpigs and colobus monkeys.

  Theories:

• Goodall showed that chimpanzees use tools, which means that they are smarter than previously thought.

• Goodall often described chimpanzees with human-like traits, helping people connect with them emotionally.

• Goodalls work showed that chimpanzees also have feelings and can think in complex ways.

Margaret Mead

Famous American Anthropologist. Studied different cultures, especially in Samoa (country in Oceania).

• Her research focused on how culture affects behavior and gender roles.

• She showed that ideas on sexuality and gender can be very different in different societies.

• She stated that girls were introduced into adulthood very easily because they had more freedom in their relationships.

Richard Lee

An anthropologist known for his work with the !Kung San people.

• Lee taught us and highlighted the importance of understanding cultures in their own terms.

• In his case study “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari”, he showed how the !Kung San value sharing and humility.

• He focused on their way of life as hunters and gatherers.

Nancy Scheper-Hughes

She was a volunteer for the Peace Corps trying to help mothers and children living in the brazilian slum.

• She studied communities in Brazil, focusing on the impact of poverty and violence on health.

Her book “Death Without Weeping” highlights how mothers cope with their infants death in a poor community.

She advocates for social justice and the rights of excluded (marginilized) people.

Claire Sterk

She wanted to understand the lives of people who often got ignored, such as prostitutes. Spent time with them and gained their trust to learn about their daily struggles. The prostitutes shared their hard experiences with her, where they had to do illegal stuff and faced threats. Sometimes, this made Claire uncomfortable, so she took breaks for herself to stay focused.

Amber Case

An anthroplogist and technology expert who was famously known for her study on how technology affects human behavior.

• She looks at how humans and technology interact, especially nowadays with digital devices.

Amber wants us to understand how technology impacts our lives and culture.

• She created the term “cyborg anthropology” to show us how people and technology blend together.

Case shows us how phones and social media change how we see ourselves and connect with others.

Sonia Patten

An anthropologist known for her work in medical anthropology.

She focuses on the experiences of patients and healthcare providers.

Studied how food affects health, especially in children.

• Sonia and her team believed that if they added goat milk to kid’s diet, it would improve their health. Goat milk includes enoght calcium and vitamins needed for growth.

She emphasizes the importance of considering culture when studying health issues.

Some families that had goats sold them immediately for case.

Successful programs must consider local traditions and cultures.

Dian Fossey

An American Primatologist and Anthropologist. She was known for studying and observing gorillas in Rwanda, which is located in South Africa.

• She wanted to closely understand them better.

Her study is important because she helped protect gorillas from poachers (illegal hunters) and raised awareness about their endangerment.

She wrote a book Gorillas In the Mist, which later on became a movie. Her work still inspires others to protect gorillas and other endangered animals.

Rachel Burr

An anthropologist and researcher who studied people who studies marginalized communities (people who are left out), especially children of South East Asia.

• Known for her work in Vietnam, where she looked at lives of children who were facing harsh conditions.

• She also learned about local ideas about family, care and survival.

Burr often had tough questions to ask, like how to respect local traditions while keeping children safe. Her research helps people see the problems that children face and show why it’s important to understand different cultures to help those in need.

Laura Bohannan

An american anthropologist that studied cultures and storytelling. Best known for her work with the Tiv people in Nigeria.

• In her essay “Shakespeare in the Bush”, she showed how different cultures understood stories in their own ways.

• Her work helps us see the importance of cultural context in communication.