Anthropology Overview: Study of Cultures

Discipline of Anthropology

• Focuses on the study of people and their cultures.
• Emerged in the 19th century as a distinct field.
• Marcel Mauss contributed the idea of gifts creating complex social bonds.
• Ethnography became a key method in the 20th century for understanding cultures.

Important Figures

• Charles Darwin: Proposed the theory of evolution and the "Out of Africa" hypothesis regarding the spread of Homo sapiens.

Branches of Anthropology

• Biological Anthropology: Examines human evolution, physical characteristics, and biological evidence.
• Cultural Anthropology: Studies cultural practices and employs ethnographic methods.
• Archaeology: Investigates relics from the past to uncover the narratives of ancient cultures.

Anthropology at Present

• Intersects with natural and social sciences.
• Often studied alongside linguistics and genetics.

Political Anthropology

• Explores the dynamics of power and governance.

Medical Anthropology

• Investigates diverse experiences of medical practices and beliefs.

Economics

• Focuses on wealth management and how societies address resource scarcity.

Etymology of Economics

• Derived from Greek: "OIKOS" meaning house and "NOMOS" meaning custom/law.

Key Economic Figures and Ideas

• David Ricardo: Advocated laissez-faire economics, promoting free market capitalism.
• John Stuart Mill: Proposed utilitarianism, emphasizing the greatest happiness principle.
• Adam Smith: Known as the father of modern economics; authored "The Wealth of Nations."
• Karl Marx: Critiqued capitalism through historical materialism, highlighting economic systems' impact on society.

Key Concepts in Economics

• Supply and demand dynamics.
• Savings and investment strategies.
• Cost and price assessments.
• Economic fluctuations and their effects.
• Value assigned to work and natural resources.
• Money as a medium of exchange.
• Banking and finance systems.
• Capital accumulation and wealth distribution.
• Employment dynamics and unemployment issues.
• Distribution of goods and services.

Geography

• Encompasses the study of Earth's physical features and human interactions with the environment.
• Focuses on describing the Earth (from Greek "GEO" for earth and "GRAPHE" for description).

Five Major Themes of Geography

• Relationships between people and environments.
• Location: relative (distance) and absolute (longitude & latitude).
• Place: distinguishes physical and human features.
• Region: identifies areas with common characteristics.
• Movement: analyzes interconnectivity among people.

Branches of Geography

• Physical Geography: Examines natural systems, including climate and landforms.
• Human Geography: Assesses human aspects of geography, including cultural impact and population distribution.

Important Figures in Geography

• Islamic scholars in early mapmaking.
• Marco Polo's travels in the 13th century.
• Eratosthenes, who coined the term "geographia."
• The development of the compass by the Chinese in the 10th century.

History

• A discipline focused on studying past events, their causes, and effects.
• Originates from the Greek term "historia," meaning inquiry.

What History Entails

• Aims to uncover truth through evidence, often derived from primary sources and testimonies.

Historiography

• The writing of history; used cuneiform and hieroglyphics in ancient documentation.

Branches of History

• Social History: Centers on common people's experiences.
• Political History: Examines political events, movements, and leaders.
• Cultural History: Studies customs, arts, and traditions.
• Economic History: Investigates economic practices and goods distribution.
• Military History: Analyzes warfare and military strategies.
• Diplomatic History: Focuses on international relations among nations.
• History of Women: Explores women's roles and contributions.
• History of Religion: Investigates religious beliefs and practices.
• Environmental History: Studies human relationships with the environment.

Important Figure in History

• Herodotus: Known as the "Father of History," contributed significantly to historical writing in ancient Greece.

Discipline of Linguistics

• Scientific study of language as a fundamental aspect of human behavior.
• Explores language structure, meaning, changes, and usage.

Approaches in Linguistics

• Synchronistic: Focuses on language at a specific point in time.
• Diachronic: Examines language development over time.