Introduction to Anthropology

Anthropology

• Study of human beings and their behaviors/products across time and space
• Holistic approach
• Separated into four fields in North America: Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology, and Socio-Cultural Anthropology
• Includes the study of human behavior and cultures

Misconceptions

• No dinosaurs
• Fossils, Pre-Industrial Societies, Non-Western Cultures are sometimes mentioned in the study of human behaviors but not always

Socio-Cultural Anthropology

• Study of many different human cultures and societies
• Culture includes behaviors, beliefs, thoughts, practices, and products
• Focuses on living/existing cultures around the world
• Aims to understand and analyze human behavior, not individual behaviors
• Comparative, cross-cultural analysis
• Does not generalize about human behavior

Ethnographic Method

• Similar to other social sciences and humanities
• Employs field research in specific, limited groups
• Often focuses on the form of participant observation, involving extended time spent living among the group, learning the language
• Data gathering focuses on qualitative data instead of quantitiative data like statistics, or surveys
• Ethnography is the result of this research; this details and explains the studied group or specific cultural aspects
• Importance of cultural relativism in sociological research, to avoid misunderstanding

Colonial Roots

• Anthropologys initial roots were tied to colonialism
• Defined as the study of "others" in the 19th century
• Used as a tool for westerners to understand and control 'different' cultures
• Now distanced from this legacy
• Present day anthropology values understanding various cultural contexts and beliefs

Culture

• Learned set of ideas/behaviors acquired by people in a group
• Includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, and customs
• Culture informs how people view the world
• All humans have culture
• Vary in their details and characteristics but with similarities and differences

Culture is:

• Learned — not biological; Even behaviors that seem natural are contextualized by culture
• Shared — with other members of the same group or culture
• Symbolic — symbols stand for other things, with no inherent connection
• Integrated — parts of a culture are connected and interconnected; not separate entities
• Adaptive/Changeable — Cultures can change over time

Nature vs. Nurture

• Humans are shaped by both nature and nurture (biological needs/functions and their cultural context)
• Culture shapes development, views, life experiences, and even our bodies

Enculturation

• Learning a specific culture

Ethnocentrism

• The belief that one's own culture is correct and others are wrong
• Cultural practices are viewed through the lens of one's own norms and beliefs
• Typically leads to judgments of other cultures
• Can occur in any culture

Cultural Relativism

• Opposite of ethnocentrism
• Idea that beliefs/behaviors can only be understood in their own context
• All cultures are equally valid; behaviors and beliefs in different cultures must be interpreted within their contexts

Historical Context

• Anthropology emerged in response to colonialism
• Developed from the interest in the “Other” — the desire to know and understand unfamiliar cultures

Cultural Evolutionism

• Early anthropological theory; believed humans started with similar cultures that developed in parallel stages
• Assumes one culture is more 'advanced' than others
• Believed humans evolved from one singular culture, and Europeans were the most 'evolved'
• Now considered inaccurate and problematic

Studying Sideways and Up

• Studying groups with equal/similar power
• Studying groups with more power
• Native Anthropology/Ethnography

Participant Observation

• Key anthropological method
• Deeply immerses the anthropologist into relevant social environments to gain a detailed understanding of specific cultures

Reflexivity

• Anthropologists are generally in a position of power compared with their informants
• Awareness that the anthropologist's identity and background could influence the research, interpretations, and findings