Lectures for Anthro-new

8/8/2019 Lectures for Anthro-new

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Anthropology


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What is Anthropology?

The study of the people their

origins, their development, and

contemporary variations, whereverand whenever they have been

found.

Anthropology spans the gap between the humanities,

the social sciences and the natural sciences

(Wolf 19964)


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Archeology

PhysicalAnthropology

LinguisticAnthropology

CulturalAnthropology

Anthropology


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Physical Anthropology

Deals humans from biological perspective

Also known as Biological Anthropology

It studies both human biological evolution

and contemporary racial variationsamong people of the world


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PhysicalVariation

among

Human

Physical Anthropology

Paleoanthropology


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Paleoanthropology

The study ofhuman

evolution

through

fossils remains

Unearthed first than

comparison, analysis and

interpretations. (Cranial

Capacity, teeth, hands,

position of pelvis & shape ofhead)

Signs of cultures (tools)

Paleontologist

Archeologist

Geologist

Practical Application

Forensic Anthropology (age, sex,

abnormalities etc.)


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Physical Variation

among Human

How humans are

physically different

from each other

in the present times

Obvious

DifferencesHidden

Differences

Shape of Nose

Body Stature

Color Skin

Blood Type

Susceptibility to

Diseases


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Race is a group of people who share greaterfrequency of genes and physical traits with

one another than they do with the people

outside that group.

Genetics: The study of inherited physical traits

Population Biology: The study of the relationship betweenpopulation characteristics and environment.

Epidemiology: The study of occurrence, distribution and control ofdiseases in populations.


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Archeology

The study of the life ways of people living inthe past by excavating and analyzing the

material culture they have left behind.or

The subfield of anthropology that focuses onthe study of prehistoric and historic cultures

through the excavation of material remains.

It is to understand the cultural adaptations ofancient peoplesby at least partially reconstructing theircultures

Archeologists are limited to working with material cultures in

some cases written records.


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A r t if a c t F e a t u r e s E c o f a c ts

T ype of m ateria l Rem ain

Objects made ormodified by

humans, found at

some

archeological site

and can beremoved from it

for further study

and analysis e.g

tools, vessels,

arrowheads etc.

Objects found innatural

environment

(such as bones,

seeds and wood)

that were not

made or altered

by human but

used by them

Objects made or

modified by

humans, found at

some

archeological sitebut can not be

removed from it

for further study

e.g hearths, house

foundations etc.


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Only material objects to study to reconstruct

the cultures.

A garbage dump.

Once the material is collected: then analysis

and interpretations begins.

By studying remains within the

environmental and anatomical context

archeologists try to tell: how people survived,

men and women roles in society, powerstructures, trade system and how life styles

has changes over times.


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Historic Archeologist

help to reconstruct the

cultures of people usedwritings and about

whom historical

document have been

written Prehistoric Archeologist

study the past of human

kind before the advent of

writing about 5500 years

ago.

Widest possible time frame

to study man kind


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Practical Application ofArcheology

The study of stone tools, lead to improvement inmodern technology

Obsidian (a stone from western USA) many

times sharper than technology available

discovered by archeologistD

on Crabree. Cultural Resource Management

A form of applied archeology that involves

identifying, evaluating and some times

excavating sites before the construction of roads,dams or buildings.


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Anthropological Linguistics

Studies human speech and language iscalled Anthropological Linguistics

Humans are not the only specie having

communication system but having by far most

complex one.

Some say that with out language we would not

be able to transmit our cultures from one

generation to another.

It studies contemporary human languages as

well as those in the past


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Branches of Linguistic Anthropology

Historical LinguisticDeals with the emergence of languages in

general and how specific languages have

diverged over time.

By comparing contemporary languages, linguistshave been able to identify certain language

families.

Glottochronology linguistic can nowapproximate when tworelated languages began to

diverge from each otherby analyzing similaritiesand differences in theirvocabularies.


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Descriptive Anthropology

Is the study of sound systems, grammaticalsystems and the meanings attached to words in

specific languages.

Every culture --- distinctive language with itsown logical structure and set of rules for

putting words together to communicate.

Task of descriptive linguistic is to compile

dictionaries and grammar books for previouslyunwritten languages.


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Culture Linguistics (Ehtnolinguistics)

Examines the relationship between language and culture.

In any language certain cultural aspects areemphasized like Hospitality, joint family system,religion, males dominance. Mehman Allah ki rehmat

hoty hain.

Cultural Linguists explore how different linuisticcategories can affect:

How people categorize their experiences How they think

How they perceive the world around them


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SociolinguisticThe relationship between language and social relations.

or

How language and culture are related and how language

is used in different social context

e.g. sociolinguistic are interested in investigating how socialclass influences the particular dialect of a person speaks.

situational use of language: how people use different forms of

a language depending on the social situation they find

themselves in at any given time.

e.g. the words, the language used by a student in his mategroup will be different from the linguistic style used when

talking to a grandparents, other relatives or potential employer

during interview.


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Cultural Anthropology

The scientific study of cultural similarities and

differences wherever and in what ever for theymay be found.

Cultural Anthropology

Ethnology

Ethnography

The study of specific

contemporary Cultures

The general underlying

patterns of human

culture derived through

cultural comparison


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Difference in Ethnology and Ethnography

Ethnology

Descriptive

Based on direct fieldwork

Focuses on single

culture orsubculture

Ethnography

Comparative

Uses data collected byotherethnographers

Generalizes across

cultures orsubcultures


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Before cultural comparisons (differences and similarities) we

need to describe specific culture in as depth as possible

The detailed descriptions (ethnographies) result of extensive

field work (usually year or two) through

Observation

Talking and

living with in under study people.

Large numbers of ethnographies in 20th century anempirical base for comparative study of cultures.

How marriage customs of a group relates to groups

economy?

What effect urban migration have on the kinship system?

In what ways have the supernatural beliefs helped a group of

people adapt more effectively to its environment?

While describing the essential features of a culture:

Why certain patterns exist

How they may be related to each other.


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Areas of specialization in Anthropology

Urban Anthropology

Medical Anthropology

Educational Anthropology

Economic Anthropology

Psychological Anthropology


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Urban Anthropology

During the 1st half of 20th century, focus

remained on rural non western societies.

In post World War II, focus shifted to more

complex urban social system.

1950s-60s rural-urban interaction increased

due to migration from rural areas to urban.

What impact this migration causing to cities and

What changes cities social system bring to rural

societies due to such interaction.


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How factors like size, density and heterogeneity affect

customary ways ofbehaving anthropologists research on

important topics like

Ethnic neighborhood

Rural urban linkages

Labor migration Urban kinship patterns

Social network

analysis

Urban socialstratification

Informal economics

Crime

Homelessness

Race relationship Unemployment

Public health

Street gangs

Dug addicts

Prostitution in urban

areas


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Medical Anthropology

Studies the relationship of biological and

socio-cultural factors to health, disease and

illness now and in the past

Medical Anthropologists with biological focus

Study topics like role of disease in human evolution,

nutrition, growth and development. Paleopathology the analysis of disease in the ancient

populations


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Medical Anthropologists with Cultural Focus

Study areas like Ethnomedicine (i.e. the belief

system that affects the health and sickness),medical practitioners and the relationship

between traditional and modern medical

system

Contemporary medical anthropology..

Both biological and socio-cultural approaches.

But they are not separate and autonomous.


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Educational Anthropology

Use of anthropological theory, data and

methods to study educational practices,

institutional and the problems in their proper

cultural context.

Institutional range under study varies from

highly formal school system in industrialized

area to informal systems where informationpass down through storytelling, experiential

learning and peer interaction.


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Economic Anthropology

How goods and services are produced, distributed

and consumed within the total cultural context of

which they are part of.

Traditionally EAs studied small scale non westernsocieties that are not based on profit motive

Most EAs classical economic theories derived from

modern Western economies are inappropriate for

understanding small scale non-Western societies.


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Important topics covered underEconomic

Anthro

po

lo

gy are

Patterns ofwork

Division of labor

System ofexchange

Control ofproperty.


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Psychological Anthropology

Oneof

the largest subspecialty a

rea

ofcultural anthropology

Looks at the relationship ofculture and

psychological make up of individuals and

groups.

Concerned with understanding the

psychological processes and cultural

factors, PAs examine how culture mayaffect personality, cognition, attitudes and

emotions etc.


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Guiding principals in

Anthropology

Holism

Ethnocentrism Cultural Relativism

Etic verses Emic Approaches


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Holism A distinguishable feature of the discipline of

Anthropology is holistic approach to studyhuman.

Anthropological holism is evident from anumberofways

Both biological and socio-cultural approach Deepest possible time frame

Studies all varieties ofpeople

Different aspects ofhuman life including family,marital regulations, conflict resolution methods,

means of livelihood, religious beliefs, language andart etc.

In the past Anthropologists tried to study all culturalaspects in one study but now they are more specializing


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Ethnocentrism

Is the believe that ones own culture issuperior to all others. It means viewing other

cultures of the world from the lens of ones

own culture.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Gandhi

War of 1965 and 1971

A major obstacle in understanding other

culture, which is the supreme goal ofAnthropology


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Why is it so?

Because most people are raised in asingle culture and never learn another culture

during their lifetime, it is only logical that their

own way of life their values, attitudes, ideas

and ways of behaving seems best to them.


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Cultural Relativism

This is the notion that any part of the culture

(such as an idea, a thing or a behavior

pattern) must be viewed in proper cultural

context rather than from the viewpoint of theobservers culture.

The concept helps in understanding why

people think and act the way they do


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Dadoth of Uganda extract the lower teeth of

young girls o make them more attractive.

Inuit groups practice a custom:

Old parents not able to contribute in workload,

they are left out in the cold to die.


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Emic verses Etic Approaches

Emic Approach (derived from the word

phonemic) seeks to explain the culture from

from the point of view of people of that

culture.

Etic Approach (derived from word phonetic)

refers to the outsiders view, in which

anthropologists study a culture from teir ownpoint of view.

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