Introduction to Anthropology

Anthropology Definition

• Anthropology is the study of humankind
• The word comes from the Greek words anthropos, meaning 'human', and logia, meaning 'study'
• Anthropology seeks to understand all things human
• It is a fascination with Homo sapiens, the scientific name for the human species

Comparative Method

• Anthropology is based on observing and explaining human behavior by comparing it to other human behavior
• The comparative method explains similarities and differences among people holistically, in the context of humanity as a whole
• For example, joy is expressed differently in different cultures
• The comparative method helps anthropologists understand how a person's environment affects how they act

Charles Darwin and Franz Boas

• Some link the birth of anthropology to the early 19th century when scientists, like Charles Darwin, began creating theories on the evolution of man
• Anthropology began viewing cultures as progressing up an evolutionary ladder from savagery to civilized
• This view placed the modernized West above primitive cultures and justified the exploitation of less evolved cultures
• Franz Boas turned anthropology's attention toward culture and away from physical makeup
• Boas believed that a person's culture, not race, determines behavior
• Boas is nicknamed the 'Father of American Anthropology'

Anthropology Disciplines

• Anthropologists are trained in physical and cultural disciplines
• They include sociocultural anthropology, biological/physical anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics
• Sociocultural anthropologists focus on social patterns and practices across cultures
• Biological anthropologists study human adaptation, biological origins, evolution, and variation
• Archaeologists explore past people and cultures
• Linguistic anthropologists focus on the ways language reflects and influences social culture

Lesson 2: Cultural Anthropology

• Cultural anthropology studies the commonalities and differences of past and present cultures
• Cultural anthropology focuses on social things like class structure, language, law, politics, religion, magic, art, and technology
• It is the study of universals and variations in cultures of the past and the present

Culture

• Culture is the set of learned behaviors and ideas, including beliefs, attitudes, values, and ideals that are characteristic of a particular society or population
• Culture encompasses a people's language, religious beliefs, music, diet, work habits, family structures, technology, and much more

Branches of Cultural Anthropology

• Cultural anthropology is usually broken down into archaeology, anthropological linguistics, and ethnology
• Archaeology studies the physical remains of past cultures
• Anthropological linguistics studies human language
• Ethnology studies recent cultures and how they differ

Historical Context

• Archaeology and history both study the past
• Historians usually only deal with written records
• Archaeologists go way back to prehistory, the time before written record
• While a historian can use the works of men like Martin Luther to study the era of the Reformation, an archaeologist is often left with pieces of pottery, or maybe some unearthed tools, to study the culture of ancient Babylon.

Ethnology

• Ethnology studies recent cultures and how they differ
• Unlike archaeology and linguistics, which dabble in prehistory, ethnology focuses on more contemporary cultures
• An ethnologist usually can actually observe his culture of interest and interview his subjects
• Cultural anthropologists who live among a culture in order to interview and observe a people group are known as ethnographers

Physical Anthropology Projects - Saudi Arabia

• Fossil Discoveries: Fossilized human bones and footprints in sites like the AlWusta site in the Nefud Desert, dated to about 85,000 years ago
• Archaeological Sites: Excavations at sites such as the Paleolithic site of Jubbah in the Nefud Desert
• Human Remains Analysis: Study of human skeletal remains from ancient burial sites across Saudi Arabia, including those in the Arabian Gulf region
• Rock Art: Collection of rock art in regions like Ha'il recognized by UNESCO
• These include: Bedouin Culture, Islamic Practices and Rituals, Cultural Festivals and Traditions, Tribal and Family Structures, Gender Roles

Archaeological Anthropology

• Archaeological anthropology studies things left behind by past cultures to better understand those cultures
• Archaeologists work to reconstruct the daily lives of past cultures by studying what's been left behind, like unearthed weapons, pots, tools, and even decayed bones

Historic vs Prehistoric Times

• Unlike historians, who usually only deal with societies that have left written records, archaeological anthropologists reach further back in time to prehistory, the time before written record
• Historical archaeologists enjoy the study of the remains of recent cultures, including written records

Other Considerations - Archaeology

• Archaeological anthropology relies on geology, the study of the Earth's physical structure and substance
• Archaeological anthropology relies on modern chemistry techniques to do their datings once artifacts are safely unearthed

Linguistic Anthropology

• Linguistic anthropology studies language in the context of human social and cultural diversity in the past and the present
• Linguistic anthropology has three specialty areas, including historical linguistics, descriptive linguistics, and sociolinguistics
• Linguistic anthropologists hold strongly to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which asserts that our language shapes our thinking and our behavior

Historical Linguistics

• Historical linguistics studies how languages change over time
• Historical linguists seek to understand language before the time of writing
• These individuals try to piece together the history of language

Descriptive Linguistics

• Descriptive linguistics, also called 'structural linguistics,' studies how languages are constructed
• Descriptive linguists seek to describe the differing structures within language

Sociolinguistics

• Sociolinguistics studies cultural patterns of speaking in different social contexts
• Sociolinguistics seeks to answer why people speak differently depending on the culture or situation they're in

Linguistic Anthropology

• Saudi Arabia: Arabic has dialectical diversity, such as Najdi and Hijazi dialects
• India: linguistic diversity is vast, with languages like Hindi, Bengali, and Tamil coexisting

Sociolinguistics

• Saudi Arabia: formal Arabic used in religious contexts versus dialects in everyday conversation and greetings/polite forms of address differ based on age and status
• Japan: language levels (honorifics) change depending on social hierarchy and context

Historical Linguistics

• Saudi Arabia: Saudi dialects developed from classical Arabic scripts impacted by trade/migration
• English-speaking countries: Norse and Norman French impacted the English language after invasions

Descriptive Linguistics

• Saudi Arabia: local dialects have differing pronunciations of "‫"ج‬
• Spain: variations exist between Castilian and Andalusian Spanish

Cultural Anthropology

• Saudi Arabia: traditional "Majlis" (a gathering place for social and political discussion) highlights communal/family aspects
• Native American cultures: "Council Circle" shares similar communal purpose

This covers the definition of anthropology as the study of humankind. It also touches on the comparative method, Charles Darwin, and Franz Boas. It also involves observing and explaining human behavior by comparing it to other human behavior