Transcript Cultural Anthropology

Biological Anthropology
Introduction to Biological
Anthropology
What is Anthropology?
Anthropo logy
from the Greek
from the Greek
anthropos - ἄνθρωπος
legein - λέγω
meaning “man; manfaced; a human being”
meaning “to speak”
The “Study of” or “Science of”
 bios + logy = the study of bios (“life”)
 geo + logy = the study of geo (“earth”)
 psykhe + ology = the study of psykhe (“breath”,
“spirit”, “soul”)
 theos + logy = the study of theos (“God”)
Four-Field Anthropology
 Cultural Anthropology
 Archaeology
 Linguistic Anthropology
 Biological (or Physical) Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
 Focuses on the role culture plays in human life
 Culture is
 Learned by individuals as they grow up within a group
 Passed on from generation to generation
 The primary means by which humans adapt
 Constantly changing
Three Components of Culture
• Material
• Behavioral
• Ideational
Archaeology
 Focuses on human life in the past
 Humans of the past
 Relied on their cultures to adapt
 Shared many common features with recent and modern
humans
 Saw their cultures change as a result of the same
processes that change cultures today
Linguistic Anthropology
 Focuses on the role language plays in human life
 Language is
 Learned by individuals as they grow up within a group
 Passed on from generation to generation
 The primary means by which a human learns his/her
culture
 Constantly changing
Biological Anthropology
(aka“Physical Anthropology”)
 Focuses on humans as biological organisms
 Biological organisms
 Have similar features and needs
 Are the products of evolutionary and environmental forces
 Are genetically unique
Four-Field Anthropology
 Cultural Anthropology
 Archaeology
the cultural fields
 Linguistic Anthropology
 Biological (or Physical)
Anthropology
the biological field
 Applied Anthropology
(aka the “fifth field”)
making it relevant
Biological Anthropology
 Links the study of humans as individuals
who live in societies to the fact that we are
animals who live in groups
 An explicitly scientific field
 uses the tools of biology and other sciences
The Six Steps to Humanness
1. bipedalism
2. non-honing canine
3. material culture
and tools
4. speech
5. hunting
6. domesticated foods