Anthropology

What do anthropologists study?

The study of human societies, cultures and their development.

Define:

Kinship

(human relations through mating, genealogy, adoption) is defined by different cultures differently. \n \n

Fictive Kinship

\n are constructed kinships such close family friends who are like family, Godparents, etc. \n

Patriarchy/Matriarchy

\n Patriarchy sets the father as the head of the family and as such is typically responsible for decision-making and earning an income.   This also includes the subornation of other family members to the patriarch (from mild to very strong).

Matriarchy is the feminine equivalent of patriarchy. \n

School of thought

A perspective within a field of study \n

Institution

Organizations, laws, practices, customs

Binary Opposite

A pair of direct and exact opposites like good and evil

Materialism

Technological and economic factors are of the highest importance

Determinism

An outcome/result is determined by preceding factors

Infrastructure

Goods, services, materials needed for survival and prosperity

Three schools of thought (Definitions and Central Approach)

Functionalism

Studies problems in society and how institutions meet those needs

Structuralism

Studies what makes culture unique

Cultural Materialism

Technological and economic aspects

Intuition vs Knowledge

Intuition: To Think Based on Personal Experience or Feelings

Knowledge: To Know Based on Empirical Evidence Through Research/Experimentation

Why is scientific research important?

• Some things are an obvious part of human experience (or is in some cultures).
• Other beliefs widely held to be true are in fact false (ex. the death penalty reduces murder rates).
• Social sciences separate fact from fiction, even when those fictions are widely held to be fact.