Key Notes on Cultural Anthropology

Anthropology: Definition & Scope

  • Derived from Greek "Anthropos" (human) + "Logos" (study).

  • Scientific, holistic study of humanity: culture, biology, language, history.

  • Multidisciplinary; combines empirical research and comparative analysis.

Core Subfields

  • Cultural Anthropology

  • Biological/Physical Anthropology

  • Linguistic Anthropology

  • Archaeology

Key Definitions

  • Margaret Mead (19281928): study of human culture & society.

  • Ruth Benedict (19341934): comparative, holistic integration of biological, social, cultural, historical aspects.

  • Alfred Kroeber (19171917): "most humanistic of sciences & most scientific of humanities".

Foundational Figures

  • Sir Edward B. Tylor – Father of Anthropology.

  • Bronislaw Malinowski – Father of Modern Anthropology.

  • Franz Boas – Father of Cultural/American Anthropology.

What Anthropologists Do

Research & Fieldwork → Data Analysis → Teaching → Applied Work → Policy/Advocacy → Consultation & Collaboration → Public Outreach.

Major Schools of Anthropology

British School (Social Anthropology)

  • Emphasis: Functionalism, structural-functionalism, kinship, religion.

  • Key scholars: Malinowski, Radcliffe-Brown, Evans-Pritchard, Firth.

  • Hallmark: long-term ethnographic fieldwork.

American School (Cultural Anthropology)

  • Concepts: Cultural relativism, historical particularism, holistic approach.

  • Key scholars: Boas, Mead, Geertz.

German School (Völkerkunde / Physical focus)

  • Early focus on racial classification & craniometry (Blumenbach, Bastian).

  • These biological race concepts now discredited; race viewed as social construct.

French School

  • Structuralism; analyses of underlying cultural structures & symbolism.

  • Key scholars: Mauss (gift exchange), Lévi-Strauss, Bourdieu.

Japanese School

  • Interdisciplinary, fieldwork-intensive; attention to local/regional cultures.

  • Scholars: Yanagita, Takada, Kasuga.

Cultural Anthropology

  • Studies beliefs, values, customs, social organization, adaptation, change.

  • Field methods: participant observation, interviews, surveys, ethnography.

Subfields within Cultural Anthropology

  • Ethnography – immersive description of a single culture.

  • Ethnology – comparative analysis across cultures.

  • Linguistic Anthropology – language & culture interface.

  • Medical Anthropology – culture & health/illness.

  • Economic Anthropology – cultural shaping of production & exchange.

  • Political Anthropology – power & governance in cultural contexts.

  • Applied Anthropology – real-world problem solving.

Additional Newer Areas

Environmental, Digital, Business, Urban, Legal, Visual, Tourism, Cyber Anthropology.

Anthropology & Other Social Sciences

  • Sociology: both study society; anthropology stresses culture & fieldwork.

  • Psychology: shared interest in behavior; anthropology focuses on cultural shaping of mind.

  • Archaeology: material past; collaborates to reconstruct societies.

  • Political Science: formal vs. informal power structures.

  • Economics: formal models vs. culturally embedded economies.

  • Geography: spatial interaction between people & environments.

  • Linguistics: language structure vs. language-in-culture.