Week 1 Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science PDF

**Understanding Culture, Society and Politics** **Lecture 1** **Anthropology** was taken from two Greek words ***logos/logia*** which means **to study**, and ***Anthropos*** which means **man**. Anthropology as a discipline focuses on studying man and its indefinite curiosity which makes it more d...

**Understanding Culture, Society and Politics** **Lecture 1** **Anthropology** was taken from two Greek words ***logos/logia*** which means **to study**, and ***Anthropos*** which means **man**. Anthropology as a discipline focuses on studying man and its indefinite curiosity which makes it more diverse and complex. Given that it focuses to study man it seeks to understand not the difference but what it binds them together. ***Perspective in Anthropology*** **Franz Boaz -- FATHER OF MODERN ANTHROPOLOGY** strongly believed that the same method and strategy in natural science could be applied in measuring culture and human behavior while conducting research among humans including the uniqueness of their behavior. **Alfred Kroeber and William Henry Morgan** became prominent in the field since their specialization included the championing of indigenous rights like traditional cultural preservation and ancestral domain of the American Indian tribes they intensively studied. **Branches of Anthropology** **Description** ------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cultural Anthropology Studies human cultures, beliefs, ideas, technologies, economies, practices, values, and other spheres of social and rational organization. This branch is primarily based on cultural understanding gained through actual experiences, or participant observations of the human population. Physical Anthropology Deals with biological and behavioral aspects of human beings. It focuses on their relationships to non-human primates and their extinct hominid ancestors Archeology Studies both the ancient and recent past of humans through the material remains, such as artifacts, fossils and bone fragments. Linguistics Anthropology Studies the relations between language and culture in relation to human biology, human reasoning and human language. Applied Anthropology Deals with the application of anthropological facts, perspectives, theories, and procedures in identifying, assessing, and solving social problems. **Goals of Anthropology** 1. Observe the common things among the people. (*traditions, language)* 2. Discover what make people different from the other. 3. Create new knowledge through researches about humankind and behavior. ***Perspective in Sociology*** **Wright Mills** (1959) term sociological imagination which he defined as "the vivid awareness between private experiences and the wider society." **Peter Berger** explains that the perspective of sociology enables us to see "general patterns in particular events" (Macionis, 2010) **William Isaac Thomas,** an American sociologist, formulated a theorem in 1928 which states: "if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences." Hence, if cult members consider their leader powerful, then he can perform magic. **Branches of Sociology** **Description** ---------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Social Organization This includes the study of social institutions, social inequality, social mobility, religious groups, and bureaucracy. Social Psychology This area focuses on the study of human nature and its emphasis on social processes as they affect individual or responses which are called "social stimuli" Applied Sociology This is concerned with the specific intent of yielding practical applications for human behavior and organizations. The goal of Applied Sociology is to assist in resolving social problems through the use of sociological research. Population Studies This area includes size, growth, demographic characteristics, composition, migration, changes, and quality vis-a-vis economic, political, and social systems. Human Ecology It pertains to the study of the effects of various social organizations (religious organizations, political institutions and etc.) to the population's behavior Sociological Theory and Research It focuses on the discovery of theoretical tools, methods, and techniques to scientifically explain a particular sociological issue. Social Change It studies factors that cause social organization and social disorganization like calamity, drug abuse, drastic and gradual social change, health and welfare problems, political instability, unemployment and underemployment, child and women issue, etc. **Goals of Sociology** 1. Study the nature of humanity -- aware of society (ethnic groups) 2. Appreciate the society -- look for the good things , ways to improve the society ***Perspective in Political Science*** **Nicomachean Ethics Aristotle** describes his subject matter as 'political science', which he characterizes as the most authoritative science. It prescribes which sciences are to be studied in the city-state, and the others such as military science, household management, and rhetoric fall under its authority. Since it governs the other practical sciences, their ends serve as means to its end, which is nothing less than the human good. **Subdivision of Political Science** **Description** -------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Political Theory Is the oldest field in political science, finding its roots in the ancient theories of Aristotle and Plato, this field integrates the timeless with timely questions about political ideology, fairness, justice, and equity. International Relations Study of political relations between nation-states. It includes the study of diplomacy, military conflict, and conflict resolution, as well as the international political economy, international organizations, and other processes that operate across the boundaries of nation-states. Comparative Politics Is the comparative study of other countries, citizens, different political units either in whole or in part, and analyzes the similarities and differences between those political units Political Methodology Focuses on the qualitative methods used in the study of politics combining statistics, mathematics, and formal theory. It is often used in positive research, unlike normative research. It is related to econometrics. Public administration Is the implementation of government policy and also an academic discipline that studies this implementation and prepares civil servants for working in the public service. Political economy Is the study of production and trade and their relations with law, custom and government; and with the distribution of national income and wealth. **Goals of Political Science** 1. Make people better citizens. 2. Keep social order and harmony among different groups of people. 3. Protect the rights of an individual. 4. Avoid conflict and promote cooperation.