The Development of Anthropology 2.3

Fields of Study in Anthropology Cultural Anthropology Analyzes cultures of living peoples Social Anthropology Analyzes social organization of living peoples Physical Anthropology Analyzes human evolutionary & genetic development

Culture  Perhaps the most important concept to an anthropologist  Culture: any information about behaviour transmitted from one to another that enables people to live together

Elements of Culture  Material objects people own  Attitudes deemed acceptable  Behaviours deemed proper

Ethnographic Studies  Studies of culture & traditions of distinct peoples  Implies: culture is static & clearly defined

Myth  Also important to anthroplogists  Stories explaining origins of the world & humans  Recount lives of heroes  Intended to reassure people  Told “why” attitudes & behaviours to be followed

Kinship  Members of a social group define themselves as descending from common ancestors  Family most obvious kinship system

Differences in studying culture:  Sociology  Analysis of statistics to explain trends  Focus: industrialized peoples  Anthropology  Participant observation  Living with the people being studied  Focus: non- industrialized peoples