1. Essentials of Cultural Anthropology, Sixth Edition
Garrick Bailey
James Peoples

2. Chapter 1
The Study Of Humanity

3. Chapter Outline Subfields of Anthropology Cultural Anthropology Today
Understanding Human Cultures: Anthropological Approaches
The Value of Anthropology

4. Subfields of Anthropology
Archaeology
Biological (Physical) Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Anthropological Linguistics
Applied Anthropology

5. Archeology
Investigating the human past by excavating and analyzing material remains.
Prehistoric archaeology investigates cultures that lived before the development of writing.
Historic archaeology investigates written accounts along with historic sites.

6. Biological Anthropology
Investigates:
Anatomy and behavior of monkeys and apes.
Physical variations between different human populations.
Biological evolution of the human species.
Primatology is the study of evolution, anatomy, social behavior and adaptation of primates.

7. Biological Anthropology
Human Variation How and why populations vary physically.
Paleoanthropology How and why humans species evolved.
Forensic Anthropology Analyze and identify human remains.

8. Cultural Anthropology
The study of contemporary and historically recent human societies and cultures.
Focus on the customs and beliefs of a human group.

9. Cultural Anthropology: Objectives
Study how groups of humans lived.
Compare cultures to determine universal principles.
Understand how dimensions of human life relate (religion, art, communication, family).
Understand cultural change.
Make the public aware of cultural differences.

10. Figure 1.1 Common Ancestors of Modern Apes and Humans, dating between five and one million years ago.

11. Fieldwork
Moving into the community under study, communicating in the local language and living in close contact with the people.

12. Ethnography
A written account of how a single human population lives.

13. Anthropological Linguistics
How is language used in social contexts?
What styles of speech do people use?
What do the labels people attach to the environment tell us about the the way they perceive the environment?

14. Anthropological Linguistics
Concerned with the complex relations between language and other aspects of human behavior and thought.

15. Applied Anthropology Applies research skills to human problems.
Medical anthropology - health, nutrition, social environment and cultural beliefs.
Development anthropology - helps agencies adapt projects to community needs.

16. Applied Anthropology Applies research skills to human problems.
Educational anthropology - deals with issues of learning and teaching.
Corporate anthropology - trains employees within a company what to expect and how to speak and act when they conduct business in other countries.

17. Cultural Anthropology Today
Research is often done in urban, industrial areas.
Extended fieldwork continues to distinguish cultural anthropology from other disciplines.
Research extends across many disciplines (law, music, religion, etc.).

18. Globalization The effect on cultures of:
intermixing and migrations of peoples with diverse homelands
multinational reach of communications media
movement of production and services to overseas locales
increase in international travel and tourism.

19. Anthropological Perspectives
Holistic -No dimension of culture can be understood in isolation.
Comparative - Generalizations about humans must consider the range of cultural diversity.
Relativistic -Cultures cannot be evaluated based on the standards of another culture.

20. Cultural Relativism
No culture is inherently superior or inferior to any other culture.

21. Ethnocentrism
The belief that moral standards, manners and attitudes of one's own culture are superior to those of other cultures.

22. Value of Anthropology
Allows us to see the development of human biology and culture over time.
Provides knowledge about human evolution, prehistoric populations, and tribal societies.

23. Value of Anthropology
Encourages understanding and tolerance among citizens of different nations.
Allows us to compare our lives with those of people living in different times and places.

24. Quick Quiz

25. 1. Anthropology has how many subfields?
just one
three
five
six

26. Answer: c
Anthropology has five subfields: archeology, biological or physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and applied anthropology.

27. 2. Paleoanthropologists study:
our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees
people such as the Asmat from New Guinea
the aged
our fossil ancestor

28. Answer: d
Paleoanthropologists study fossils to determine how our species evolved.

29. 3. Primatologists study:
plant pollen
monkeys and apes
prehistoric people and their sites
the social context of language

30. Answer: b
Primatologists study monkeys and apes.