Anthropology HSB4U

Anthropology

• Anthropology is the comprehensive study of humankind in different cultures and across historical timelines.

• It investigates both biological and cultural aspects of human beings.

Four Main Subdivisions of Anthropology

Physical Anthropology

• Studies mechanisms of biological evolution, including:

  • Genetic inheritance

  • Human adaptability and variation

  • Primatology (study of primates)

  • Examination of the fossil record of human evolution.

Cultural Anthropology

• Focuses on various cultural dimensions such as:

  • Understanding culture and its influences.

  • Ethnocentrism (evaluating other cultures based on one's own).

  • Cultural aspects of language and communication.

  • Economic patterns including subsistence methods.

  • Social constructs like kinship, sex and marriage, socialization, and social control.

  • Political organization, class structures, ethnicity, gender roles, religion, and culture change.

Archaeology

• Explores prehistory and early history of various cultures around the globe.

• Investigates major trends in cultural evolution.

• Employs techniques for:

  • Finding and excavating archaeological sites.

  • Dating and analyzing material remains from past societies.

Linguistic Anthropology

• Examines human communication processes, emphasizing:

  • Socio-cultural influences on language.

  • Nonverbal communication.

  • Structure, function, and historical development of languages, dialects, pidgins, and creoles.

Participant-Observation

• The most effective way to understand a society and culture is through participant-observation.

• Living as an active participant enables deeper social interaction and helps in gaining acceptance within the host society.

Case Study: Dian Fossey

• Prominent for her immersion in gorilla habitats to study them effectively.

• Tragically murdered on December 26, 1985, in her cabin in Karisoke; her death remains unsolved.

Importance of Social Scientists

• Social scientists provide empirical evidence that can affirm or disprove intuition.

• Intuition can lead to false assumptions (e.g., belief that the death penalty reduces crime).

• Knowledge derived from scientific research helps clarify misconceptions held in society.

The Need for Scientific Research

• Some beliefs about human experience are assumed to be true but can be false (e.g., the impact of the death penalty).

• Social sciences help distinguish between what is factual and what is fiction.

Kinship in Anthropology

• Kinship is defined based on cultural interpretations of family.

• Cultures conceptualize marriage in three ways:

  • Mating (marriage)

  • Birth (descent)

  • Nurturance (adoption)

• Many cultures function on a patrilineal system (through the father). Examples needed.

Skills and Methods of Anthropologists

• Methodologies include:

  • Participation-Observation

  • Collection of statistics

  • Field interviews

  • Detailed note-taking

• Fieldwork is classified as "ethnography": the scientific study of human races and cultures.

Anthropological Schools of Thought

• Different schools of thought arise when a method of interpreting subject matter gains prominence.

Major Schools

1. Functionalism

2. Structuralism

3. Cultural Materialism

Comparing Major Schools of Thought

Functionalism (1930-1960)

• Investigates social functions of institutions to understand their contributions to social stability.

Structuralism (1940-1970)

• Seeks rules based on binary oppositions and principles governing human thought.

Cultural Materialism (1970-present)

• Analyzes cultures through technology and economy.

• Its emphasis on cultural stability overlooks the complexities of human society.

Levels of Society in Cultural Materialism

• Superstructures: Religion, science, arts, rituals.

• Structures: Social organization, kinship, gender roles.

• Political Economy: Class patterns, modes of organization.

• Infrastructures: Mode of production, environmental factors, population demographics.

Social Change

• Defined as a transformation in societal organization and the beliefs/practices of its members.

• Changes in social structure and institutions are crucial.

Anthropology and Social Change

• Cultures are viewed as dynamic and ever-evolving by anthropologists.

• Investigative questions include mechanisms of social change and the motivations behind cultural shifts.

Sources of Cultural Change

1. Invention: New products and ideas. Examples?

2. Discovery: Uncovering previously unknown elements. Examples?

3. Diffusion: Sharing ideas across cultures. Examples?

Classifications of Culture

• Enculturation is the process through which individuals learn and internalize their culture.

• Culture consists of four components:

  • Physical Environment

  • Level of Technology

  • Social Organization

  • System of Symbols

Theories of Social Change

• Adaptation to cultural changes occurs through:

1. Diffusion: Borrowing symbols from other cultures.

2. Acculturation: Long-term interactions that blend customs and beliefs.

3. Cultural Evolution: Evolution following identifiable patterns.