Anthropology

Unit 1

What is Anthropology?• Study of human beings and their relatives

everywhere, throughout time.• There are many ways in which to do so

• What are some goals?• What could go wrong?• Do people like Indiana Jones exist?

What’s up with this picture?

Better???

Bestest????

Perspectives• Anthropology as a distinct science

o Focus on interconnectedness and interdependence of all aspects of the human experience in all places and in all times

o Both biological and cultural, past and present

o Holistic Perspective: the various parts of human culture and biology MUST be viewed in the broadest possible context in order to understand their interconnections and interdependence.

Holistic ApproachThis helps anthropologists reach their goals in the following ways:

o Welcome contributions from other professionals (how?)

o Stay aware of ways that their own cultural ideas and values may impact their research (how?)….try to avoid ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism: the belief that the ways of one’s own culture are the only proper ones.

Physical Anthro• The systematic study of humans as biological

organisms; also known as biological anthropology

• Concentration on:o Molecularo Human evolutiono Primatologyo Growth and developmento Human adaptationo forensics

Molecular• Study of genes and genetic relationships

• Comparisons among groups separated by time, geography, or the frequency of a gene can reveal how humans have adapted and where they have migrated.

• Experts of: anatomy, bones and body tissues• Employment: Labs, public health, criminal

investigations

Paleoanthropology• Study of the origins and predecessors of the present

human species; the study of human evolution. Great time spans (long history)

• We share common ancestry with other primates (apes specifically), therefore PA’s look back at earliest (65mya) or even to earliest mammals (215mya) to reconstruct evolution path

• Takes bio cultural approach (focusing on biology and culture)

• Genetic analysis: human line originated 5-8 mya

Primatology• The study of living and fossil primates• Primates: Asian and African apes, monkeys,

lemurs, lorises, tarsiers

• Biologically, humans are members of Ape family

• Studies offer scientifically grounded perspectives on our ancestors as well as greater appreciation and respect for our closest living relatives

Jane Goodall• Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of

social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees

• I have met her.

Human growth, Adaptation, Variation

• Focuses on the capacity of humans to adapt or adjust to their material environment (comparative approach as we live in a variety of enviros)

• We are the only large orgs to inhabit the entire planet (remarkable adaptations)

• Adaptations: Heat, Cold, Altitude• Therefore:• Variations: Height, skin colour, body build, blood

type, and susceptibility to certain diseases

Forensic• Specializes in the identification of human skeletal

remains for legal purposes

• Called upon for: murder victims, genocides, human rights abuses, terrorism, and war crimes

• Specialists in human anatomy to determine: sex, age, right or left handed, population affiliation, or experienced trauma of any kind

Cultural• Cultural Anthro: Study of the patterns of human

behaviour, thought, and feelings• Focuses on humans as culture-producing and

culture-reproducing creatures.

• Culture: Society’s shared and socially transmitted ideas, values, and perceptions, which are used to make sense of experience and generate behaviour and are reflected in that behaviour.o Archaeologyo Ethnologyo Linguistics

Archaeology• Study of human cultures through the recovery

and analysis of material remains and environmental data

• Tools, pottery, hearths, enclosures, human, plant, marine remains, some of which date back to 2.5mya

• Is also within Physical Anthropology realm. Have to understand biology, and a lot of facets of the phys side of anthro.

Ethnology• Study of different cultures from a comparative or

historical point of view. Why are certain cultures different or similar among all humans

• Concerned with scientific explanations concerning the function and operation of social practices and features in all times in all places.

• Employment: business, education, healthcare, government humanitarian aid

Linguistics• The study of human languages - looking at their

structure, history, and relation to social cultural contexts

• Language is a technology that we have learned