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• Anthropology is derived from the Greek words "Anthropos" (human) and "Logus" (to study).
• Anthropology explores Homo sapiens and their ancestral primates

Nature of Anthropology

• Anthropology is the scientific study of human beings as social organisms.
• It focuses on human interaction within their environment
• It studies cultural aspects of life, past and present

Scope of Anthropology

• Anthropology addresses human nature, society, and the past
• It includes the origin of man and woman, and relationships with pre-industrial society
• A core goal of anthropology is applying knowledge to solve human problems

Characteristics of Anthropology

• Holistic: Anthropology studies humans in a broad sense
• Comparative: It compares different cultures
• Field-based: Anthropologists work directly with data sources
• Evolutionary. Anthropology studies human variation across time and space

Goal of Anthropology

• Anthropologists describe and explain human variation
• They observe similarities and differences in human societies
• Anthropology uses evidence from diverse cultures to understand humanity

Scope of Anthropology

• Anthropology, a social science, relates to Sociology, Political Science, Economics, and Psychology
• Anthropology connects with natural sciences like Biology and Zoology, and the Humanities like Religion, Art
• Anthropologists study human diversity: skin color, kinship systems, religious beliefs, and technologies
• Anthropology provides a comprehensive explanation of human life, considering complex patterns of work, etc

Fields/Branches of Anthropology

• Physical/Biological Anthropology studies human evolution, physical variations & primate anatomy
• Key research covers:
  • Human Biology: Genetic inheritance, human diversity, adaptation to stresses
  • Primatology: Evolution, anatomy, adaptation, and social behavior of primates.
  • Paleoanthropology: Fossil remains & ancestral connections in evolution
  • Focuses on non-cultural, genetically inherited traits in humans and near-humans
• Cultural/Socio-Cultural/Social Anthropology and Ethnology study historical and contemporary human cultures & societies
  • Examines social & political organization, marriage patterns, kinship systems, economic structures & religious beliefs
• Archeology and Prehistory focus on reconstructing past societies/cultures through artifacts/remains
  • Studying subsistence patterns, settlement, burials, artifacts, and tool use
  • Provides prehistoric human history insights before writing.
• Linguistic Anthropology examines the relationship between human language, culture, history, and biology
  • It analyzes sound patterns, word meanings, sentence structures, & communication styles
  • It studies verbal and non-verbal linguistic features, including body language
• Applied Anthropology uses anthropological theory and methods to solve problems
  • The fields include Applied Medical Anthropology: Studies interaction between health, nutrition, social environment, & cultural beliefs
  • Urban Anthropology: Examines human adaptation to city life
  • Anthropological Economics: Investigates economic behaviors in cultures
  • Contract Archaeology: Assesses and preserves historical sites

Importance of Anthropology

• Anthropology provides a comprehensive understanding of human experiences
• It is panhuman, evolutionary, and comparative, requiring deep knowledge about humankind
  • Panhuman relates humanity;
  • Evolutionary - evolves-changes;
  • Comparative - compares

Relevance of Anthropology

• It helps in understanding human diversity and past-present world affairs
• Provides insights into different ways of life and justifications for human activities/behaviors.
• Enables interaction and collaboration in an interconnected world to solve social and environmental issues
• Offers a scientific basis for dealing with multicultural knowledge & global issues.
• Aids fighting prejudice & discrimination, promoting understanding of humankind
• Serves as a development tool, helping societies progress through anthropological insights

Early Foundations of Anthropology

• Ancient Greeks: Herodotus (400s BC) was one of the first anthropologists
  • Recorded cultures through second- & third-hand accounts
  • Is credited with establishing the East-West cultural division
• Islamic Contributions: Ibn Khaldun (14th century AD)
  • Studied the impact of environment, sociology, psychology & economics on civilizations

Middle Ages

• Dominated by Biblical scholars
  • Viewed human origins through religious beliefs
  • Promoted the idea that human diversity was a divine creation

Age of Exploration

• It showed European explorers describing exotic cultures but lacked respect and systematic study

Age of Enlightenment

• Marked the rise of scientific & rational thought.
• Imperialism (18th-19th centuries) led to greater European interest in studying cultures.

19th Century: Birth of Modern Anthropology

• The exploration and discovery of ancient remains (bones, tools) expanded understanding of human history
• Anthropology became an academic discipline
• Led to scientific acceptance of biological and cultural evolution

20th Century: Modern Anthropology

• Franz Boas & Alfred Kroeber advocated research & fieldwork.
• There was a shift from an evolutionary view to structural functionalism
• Anthropology became scientific, data-driven & applied

Famous Anthropologists

• Christian Jurgensen Thomsen (1788-1865)
  • Developed the Three-Age System (Stone, Bronze, Iron Ages) for ancient societies.
• Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) studied kinship systems
  • proposed three stages of social evolution: savagery, barbarism, civilization
• Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917): Father of British Anthropology
  • Focused on religion evolution from animism to science
• Franz Boas (1858-1942): Father of Modern Cultural Anthropology
  • Emphasized fieldwork & cultural relativism.
• Marcel Mauss (1872-1950) developed Social Ethnology
  • Studied religion & social structures
• Ruth Benedict (1887-1948) studied culture & personality
  • Emphasizing the connection between primal cultures and modern humans
• Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)
  • Researched folklore & culture of American South, etc.
• Margaret Mead (1901-1978) was famous for research on childhood, etc
  • Employing an accessible writing style
• Julian Steward (1902-1972) developed multilinear cultural evolution
  • Focusing on how societies adapt to their environment
• Claude Levi-Strauss (1908-2009)
  • Founder of Structuralism: analyzing myths, kinship, & rituals
• Ray Birdwhistell (1918-1994) pioneered kinesics
  • Studied nonverbal communication through body language
• Eric Wolf (1923-1999) examined peasant communities & their connection to global socio-economic systems.
• Clifford Geertz (1926-2006) developed interpretive anthropology
  • Using "thick description" to analyze cultural meanings
• Marvin Harris (1927-2001) was an important part of cultural materialism
  • Focusing on the economic & environmental influence on culture
• Napoleon Chagnon (1938-) conducted ethnographic research on the Yanomamö tribe
  • Contributing to evolutionary anthropology
• Paul Farmer (1959-2022) was a medical anthropologist/human rights activist
  • Working to provide health care for impoverished communities