Anthropology Basics

14 Questions

Which century did anthropology emerge as a profession?

Late 19th century

What was a major impetus for the growth of anthropology?

Expansion of Western colonial powers

Which of the following is NOT a focus of anthropology?

Studying non-human species

In which country did professional anthropologists start studying culture and society intensively only since the late 1950s?

Ethiopia

What is a primary goal of anthropology?

To describe what it means to be human

Which subfield of anthropology is concerned with the biological and cultural origins of humans?

Physical/Biological Anthropology

What is the scope of anthropology in terms of time?

The past, present, and future

How many major subfields of anthropology are often categorized?

Four

What is the etymology of the term Anthropology?

Compound of two Greek words: Anthropos and Logos

What is unique about Anthropology as a discipline?

It is the study of people— their origins, development, and contemporary variations

What are the two important characteristics of humans that are inseparable elements?

Biological and cultural

What is the primary goal of Anthropology?

To develop an integrated picture of humankind

What does Anthropology examine?

The diverse ways that people live in different environments

What does Anthropology offer in terms of insight?

Knowledge about the actual biological and cultural variations in the world

Study Notes

Concepts in Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of humans, encompassing their origins, development, and contemporary variations, wherever and whenever they have been found.
The term "anthropology" comes from the Greek words "anthropos" (human being/mankind) and "logos" (reason/study/science).
Humans have two important characteristics: biological and cultural, which are inseparable elements.
Anthropology is dedicated to the comparative study of humans as a group.

Scope and Focus of Anthropology

Investigates the strategies for living that are learned and shared by people as members of human social groups.
Examines the characteristics that human beings share as members of one species (homo sapiens) and the diverse ways that people live in different environments.
Analyses the products of social groups, including material objects (material cultures) and non-material creations (religion/beliefs, social values, institutions, practices, etc).
Aims to achieve an understanding of culture, society, and humanity through detailed studies of community life, supplemented by comparison.

Goals and Insights of Anthropology

Produces knowledge about the actual biological and cultural variations in the world.
Offers methods and theoretical perspectives enabling the practitioner to explore, compare, understand, and solve the varied expressions of the human condition.
Develops an integrated picture of humankind.

Historical Development of Anthropology

Anthropology is a fairly recent discipline with roots in the works and ideas of ancient and medieval Greek, Roman, and Hebrew philosophers and social thinkers.
Originated in Western countries: France, Great Britain, the USA, and Germany.
Historically, it is a European discipline that began to emerge as a profession in the late 1870s.
The expansion of western colonial powers contributed to the growth of anthropology.

Scope and Subject Matter of Anthropology

Covers the past, present, and future, as well as all aspects of human ways of life experiences and existence.
Studies humanity with its all aspects of existence, and in its all means of differences (diversity) and similarities (commonality).
Concerned with understanding both connections within societies and connections between societies.

Sub-fields of Anthropology

Anthropology has four major subfields:
- Physical/Biological Anthropology
- Social/Cultural Anthropology
- Linguistic Anthropology
- Archaeological Anthropology