Transcript Cultural Anthropology An Applied Perspective, 5e

Cultural Anthropology
An Applied Perspective, 5e
Gary Ferraro
Chapter One
What Is Anthropology?
Chapter Outline
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Physical Anthropology
Archaeology
Anthropological Linguistics
Cultural Anthropology
Emic Versus Etic Approaches
Contributions of Anthropology
Branches of Anthropology:
Physical Anthropology
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Paleontology
Primatology
Human variation
Forensic Anthropology
Applied Physical Anthropology
Branches of Anthropology:
Archaeology
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Historical archaeology
Prehistoric archaeology
Contract archaeology
Applied archaeology
Branches of Anthropology:
Anthropological Linguistics
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Historical linguistics
Descriptive linguistics
Ethnolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Applied linguistics
Branches of Anthropology: Cultural
Anthropology
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Economic anthropology
Psychological anthropology
Educational anthropology
Medical anthropology
Urban anthropology
Political anthropology
Applied cultural anthropology
Physical Anthropology
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Study of humans from a biological perspective.
Areas of investigation:
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Paleoanthropology - emergence of humans and
how humans have evolved.
Human variation - how and why the physical traits
of human populations vary.
Primatology
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Study of anatomy and social behavior of
nonhuman primate species: gorillas, baboons,
and chimpanzees.
Effort to learn about human evolution by
studying contemporary nonhuman primates in
similar environments.
Tool-making skills found among chimpanzees
in Tanzania help explain human strategies for
adapting to the environment.
Archaeology
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Study the people from the past by excavating and
analyzing the material culture they leave behind:
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Artifacts can be removed from the site and taken to the
laboratory for further analysis. Examples: tools, arrowheads.
Features cannot be readily carried away from the site.
Examples: house foundations and fireplaces.
Ecofacts are found in the natural environment and were used
by humans.
Examples: bones, seeds, and wood.
Archaeologists
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Historic archaeologists:
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Reconstruct the cultures of people who used writing
and about whom historical documents have been
written.
Prehistoric archaeologists:
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Study the human record of cultures that existed
before the development of writing.
Anthropological Linguistics
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Historical linguistics
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Study of emergence of language and how specific
languages have diverged over time.
Descriptive linguistics
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Study of sound systems, grammatical systems, and
the meanings attached to words in specific
languages.
Anthropological Linguistics
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Ethnolinguistics
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Study the relationship between language and
culture.
Sociolinguistics
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Study the relationship between language and social
relations.
Responding to Unfamiliar Cultures
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Ethnocentrically
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Responding from the context of one’s own cultural
perspective.
Cultural relativist
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Responding within the context of the other culture.
Limits of Cultural Relativism
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If every society is unique and can only be
evaluated in terms of its own standards,
cross-cultural comparison is virtually
impossible.
There is no behavior found in the world that
could be considered immoral if the people
who practice it consider it acceptable or if it
functions for the well-being of the society.
Value of Anthropology
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Individual
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The study of different cultures provides a better
understanding of one’s own culture and develops
valuable leadership skills.
Societal
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Understanding different cultures can contribute to
the solution of pressing societal problems.