© 2013 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.

1 C H A P T E R WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY? 1-2

WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY? Human Diversity General Anthropology The Subdisciplines of Anthropology Anthropology and Other Academic Fields Applied Anthropology The Scientific Method

WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY? What distinguishes anthropology from other fields that study human beings? How do anthropologists study human diversity in time and space? Why is anthropology both scientific and humanistic?

HUMAN DIVERSITY Anthropology: study of human species and its immediate ancestors Uniquely comparative and holistic: study of the whole of the human condition—past, present, and future; biology, society, language, and culture Cultures: traditions and customs, transmitted through learning, that form and guide the beliefs and behavior of the people exposed to them

ADAPTATION, VARIATION, AND CHANGE Adaptation: process by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses Humans adapt using biological and cultural means

ADAPTATION, VARIATION, AND CHANGE Rate of change accelerated during past 10,000 years Foraging was sole basis of human subsistence for millions of years It took only a few thousand years to develop food production: economy based on plant cultivation and/or animal domestication Spread of industrial production profoundly affected human life

RECAP 1.1: Forms of Cultural and Biological Adaptation (to High Altitude)

GENERAL ANTHROPOLOGY General anthropology: academic discipline of anthropology, also known as “four-field” anthropology, includes: Sociocultural (cultural anthropology) Archaeological Biological Linguistic

GENERAL ANTHROPOLOGY Developed as scientific field in U.S. Early American anthropologists studying native peoples of North America combined studies of customs, social life, language, and physical traits in the 19th century

GENERAL ANTHROPOLOGY Subdisciplines explore variations in time and space Influence each other Sound conclusions about “human nature” cannot be derived from studying a single nation, society, or cultural tradition

CULTURAL FORCES SHAPE HUMAN BIOLOGY Biocultural: combining biological and cultural approaches to a given problem Culture is key environmental force determining how human bodies grow and develop Cultural standards of attractiveness and propriety influence participation and achievement in sports

THE SUBDISCIPLINES OF ANTHROPOLOGY Cultural anthropology Archaeological anthropology Biological, or physical anthropology Linguistic anthropology

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Describes, analyzes, interprets, and explains social and cultural similarities and differences Ethnography: fieldwork in a particular culture; provides an account of that community, society, or culture Ethnology: comparative, cross-cultural study of ethnographic data, society, and culture

RECAP 1.2: Ethnography and Ethnology— Two Dimensions of Cultural Anthropology

ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Study of human behavior and cultural patterns and processes through culture’s material remains Artifacts (potsherds, jewelry, tools) Garbage Burials Remains of structures

ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Many archaeologists examine ecology: study of interrelations among living things in an environment Paleoecology looks at ecosystems of the past Possible to infer cultural transformations Reconstruct behavior patterns and lifestyles

ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY Archaeologists also study the cultures of historical and living people Historical archaeology combines archaeological data with textual data to reconstruct historically known groups Rathje’s “garbology” shows that what people report may contrast with their real behavior

BIOLOGICAL, OR PHYSICAL, ANTHROPOLOGY The study of human biological variation in time and space

BIOLOGICAL, OR PHYSICAL, ANTHROPOLOGY Human evolution (paleoanthropology) Human genetics Human growth and development Human biological plasticity Biology, evolution, behavior, and social life of monkeys, apes, and other nonhuman primates (primatology)

LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY Study of language in its social and cultural context across space and time Historical linguists reconstruct ancient languages and study linguistic variation through time Sociolinguistics: investigates relationships between social and linguistic variation

ANTHROPOLOGY AND OTHER ACADEMIC FIELDS Anthropology is a science: study that seeks reliable explanations with reference to the material and physical world Unique blend of biological, social, cultural, linguistic, historical, and contemporary perspectives Also linked to humanities

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY Cultural anthropology and sociology share an interest in social relations, organization, and behavior Initially, sociologists focused on industrial West, anthropologists on nonindustrial societies Different methods of data collection and analysis emerged In many areas and on many topics, anthropology and sociology are converging

ANTHROPOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY Psychological anthropology studies cross-cultural variations in psychological traits Malinowski’s study of Trobriand Islanders of the South Pacific suggested modifications in Freud’s Oedipus complex theory

Figure 1.1: Location of Trobriand Islands

APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY Application of anthropological data, perspectives, theory, and methods to identify, assess, and solve contemporary social problems Usually called public archaeology

APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY Includes cultural resource management, contract archaeology, public educational programs, and historic preservation Cultural resource management (CRM): decide what needs saving, and preserve significant information about the past when sites cannot be saved

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD Anthropology a humanistic science Ethnology a comparative science Attempt to identify and explain cultural differences and similarities Compare, contrast, and make generalizations about societies and cultures

THEORIES, ASSOCIATIONS, AND EXPLANATIONS Theory: a set of ideas formulated to explain something Association: observed relationship between two or more measured variables Hypotheses: suggested but as yet unverified explanations In social sciences, associations usually stated in form of probability

THEORIES, ASSOCIATIONS, AND EXPLANATIONS Theories suggest patterns, connections, and relationships that may be confirmed by new research Hypothesis testing should be done using a sample of cases that have been selected randomly from some statistical universe

WHEN MULTIPLE VARIABLES PREDICT How has variable exposure to television affected Brazilians? Current viewing level and length of home TV exposure Strong correlation between liberal social views and current viewing hours Stronger correlation between years of home viewing by individuals and liberal social views

RECAP 1.3: Steps in the Scientific Method