Transcript Introductory overview of Anthropology

Introductory overview of
Anthropology
GERALD F. MURRAY
Anthropology within the social sciences
 Human behavior and thought: can they be studied
scientifically?
 Other social sciences: psychology, sociology,
political science, economics.
 Anthropology’s original niche: the study of societies
that the West considered “exotic” or “primitive.”
British vs. American anthropology
 British anthropologists studied colonial populations.
 American anthropologists focused on Native
Americans.
 American anthropology departments incorporated
the study of biological evolution, archeology, and
linguistics. These remained separate disciplines in
Europe.
The “four field” approach
 Biological anthropology
 Archeology
 Linguistic anthropology
 Cultural anthropology
Basic focus of course: evolving systems
 Diachronic focus: systems through time.
 Biological evolution
 Cultural evolution
 Universal components found in all cultures
 Synchronic structures: diversity of cultural systems.
Specific topics to be covered: evolutionary phases.
 Human evolution: from tree-dwelling primate to Homo sapiens
 Human survival strategies: from biological to cultural evolution.
 Stone-age technologies: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic
 Major phases of cultural evolution: bands, tribes, chiefdoms, states.
 Human impact on the environment.
Synchronic focus: Cultural diversity
 Systems of production and exchange
 Family systems and kinship terminologies.
 Marriage systems
 Healing systems.
 Religious systems.
Applied anthropology and human problems
 The survival of cultures and languages.
 Pressures on entire nations
 Pressures on minority groups within nations.
 The protection and restoration of tree cover.
 The anthropology of individual survival
Background of the instructor
 Cultural anthropologist.
 Countries where he has worked.
 Topics that he has researched.
 Linguist
 Applied anthropologist
The Caribbean
Hispaniola: Haiti and Dominican Republic
South America: Peru
Africa
Israel / Palestine
The instructor’s U. of Florida website
 web.clas.ufl.edu/users/murray/
 Links to the course.
 Course requirements