Anthro
Test Review
HSP 3U1
Anthropology Unit
Key Concepts
Define the terms Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology
Anthropology - the study of the development of human societies and cultures.
• To be human, an anthropologist might look at our genetics.
Psychology - the study of the mind and behaviour.
• To be human, a psychologist might look at the way we think and act.
Sociology - the study of social life, change, causes and effects of human behaviour.
• To be human, a sociologist might look at the way we work within a society.
Human Origins
Charles Darwin - a geologist who travelled around the world to prove the theory of species adaptation.
• He documented types of animals and observed their characteristics, specifically in the Galapagos Islands.
• He found proof that species change as time goes on.
• He recorded his findings in his books, On the Origin of Species.
Natural Selection - the biological survival of the fittest (the best traits will survive).
• When species die off, they pass on successful traits, making the next generation more fit to survive.
Genetics - Genes carry information that gets carried on from one generation to the next.
Donald Johannson - An American paleontologist who discovered the fossil “Lucy”. This proved that human ancestors were bipedal before we thought. (Before our brains got bigger of we made stone tools)
Homonid - A type of ape that includes humans and direct human ancestors and those similar. (Chimps, Gorillas, Orangutans)
Bipedal - The ability to walk on two legs.
Theories exist that support bipedalism:
Raymond Dart - If humans were bipedal, they could look over tall grass for predators and look more intimidating.
Thermoregulatory Hypothesis - Creatures stand up and lessen the surface area being hit by the sun, cooling them off. Also may expose their body to wind.
Jonathan Kingdom - Foraging improved lower body strength, and eventually became more useful for humans to be in an upright position.
Craig Stanford - Being bipedal made someone faster, and where they lived, this would help them forage more efficiently.
Chimpanzees are humanity’s closest ape relatives.
Australopithecus
• Likely the first bipedal homonid.
• Thier teeth, legs, and pelvis bones are similar to humans.
Homo Habilis
• First species to make and use primitive stone tools.
• Has brains larger than the Australopithecus, but smaller than homo erectus.
Homo Eretus
• First wide-ranging homonid, fossils in Asia and Africa.
• Skeletons are similar to human skeletons.
• Walked upright and similar to humans
• Probably the first to use fire.
Homo Heidelbergenisis
• Standing and weighing the same as modern humans.
• First homonid that likely developed speech.
Homo Sapiens
• Us!
Cultural Anthropology
Leaky’s Angels - Three women, Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, and Birute Galdikas, who studies primates. They studied gorillas, chimps, and orangutans, respectively.
Venus Figurine - figures that represent female fertility, sexuality, emphasizing the parts of the female body such as the breasts and hips.
Social Darwinism - The idea that certain people become powerful in society because they are innately better. It has been used to justify imperialism, racism, and eugenics.
Ethnography - a qualitative method for collecting data used in the social and behavioural sciences. It provides an account of a specific culture, society, or community.
Enculturation - the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of a culture by a person, another culture, etc.
Ethnocentrism - The evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture. Basically believing that someone’s culture is better than others.
Rites of Passage - Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person’s life. They usually enforce values of a culture and a certain world-view.
Margaret Mead - An American anthropologist who pioneered fieldwork on topics such as childhood, adolescence, gender, and personality. She used photographs, film, and psychologial testing.
Franz Boas - the “father of modern anthropology”. He was the first to apply the scientific method to anthropology.