1. Anthropology and the Study of Culture
a. The field of anthropology that I find to be most interesting is anthropological linguistics. Personally, I believe this subdivision is so interesting because it is so diverse and covers so much ground on how our language and others have evolved over time. Ranging from early cave writings, to sign language, to the language and slang we all know and use today, language among not only our cultures but also others have vastly changed and there is proof of this that dates back to ancient times. The mere complexity of our current language is beyond what past civilizations could have even imagined it would come to be. What I find to be very interesting is the fact that even today our upbringing, social class, or cultural norms, can define how we speak. For instance, there are certain slangs or terms that someone may say because they were brought up around people who spoke using that kind of language. While this is true for some, but not all, children of an upper class parents may grow up speaking very formally, and be taught to not use any slang or vulgar words. They continue using this vocabulary further on in life because it is what they were taught to do. This can also be applied to any other social class, or even differ between people from different geographic locations. Linguistics is often learned and adopted from generation to generation and from civilization to civilization.
b. A person who studies anthropological linguistics
Modern Culture instills a misguided perception of why charitable acts are performed. In Alfie Kohn’s article, “ The Wrong Way to Get People to Do the Right Thing,” the author uses research evidence, from newspaper articles, to explain his thesis that rewards and praise promotes charitable acts. This article exposes the sad truth behind the natural tendency for human generosity.
The four fields of anthropology are biological/physical, linguistic, cultural, and archaeology. Cultural anthropology focuses on the beliefs, ideas, artistic expression, and patterns of behavior of a society. Linguistic is the spoken language, body language, and sign language. Biological/Physical is the info on genetics, child growth/development, health of ancestors, and types of diseases that can infect communities. Lastly, archaeology is the material remains, in a specific time period of extinct culture.
Anthropology and what it means was very interesting to me but the thing that spoke out to me is holistic perspective. This is “a fundamental principle of anthropology, that the various parts of our human culture and biology must be viewed in the broadest possible context in order to understand their interconnections and interdependence”. This means we must have an open mind when studying anthropology and see the world with a new pair of eyes; not those, which only know our own culture. In a way anthropologist are scientists performing experiments and have no personal say in what is the correct outcome of that experiment. Therefore anthropologist are seeking to understand how humans interact and their belief system; as opposed to trying to
What is anthropology? How does observing with an anthropological manner help us understand the world? According to Kenneth Guest, anthropology is: “The study of the full scope of human diversity, past and present, and the application of that knowledge to help people of different backgrounds better understand one another” (Guest 7). Anthropology helps one better understand and engage with the world as he or she moves through it. Specifically, cultural anthropology is: “The study of people 's communities, behaviors, beliefs, institutions, including how people make means as they live, work, and play together” (Guest 16). Where culture, is the learned and shared knowledge that people use to generate behavior and interpret experience (Leynse
Anthropology is the study of humans throughout the world. It examines our ancestors, how we behave, adapt to different environments, communicate, socialize with one another, and more. The study of anthropology focuses on the features that make us human; our genetic makeup, the evolution of humans, and the physiology. It also focuses on language, religion, family, and more. The goal of anthropology is to be able to describe and analyze the different cultures. Anthropologist believes that the only way humans can be understood is by seeking information from various cultures and different societies. Anthropologist use multiple methods to collect data and to understand evolution of humans from millions of years ago. To take an anthropological approach anthropologist should not study participants using their values or a bias approach. The anthropological perspective includes cultural relativism, holism, and the etic and emic perspective which are all important when studying culture. When it comes to understanding diversity, the anthropological view can help understand the diversity amongst cultural groups.
Throughout the world many people find it very difficult to communicate with people that do not share the same ideals as them. This lack of communication is a major barrier in advancement of our world. Anthropology, in short, is the study of humans living and dead Anthropology is divided into five main categories: applied, linguistic, medical, biological, archaeological, and cultural. Each of these five divisions teaches a different aspect of human life.
* Connections to biological anthropology, ex. Nonhuman primate communication and archaeology regarding communication in past cultures
Culture has been defined as the knowledge, values, attitudes, and traditions that guide the behavior of a group of people and allow them to solve the problems of living in their environment. Beyond this standard definition, I believe that culture is a conglomeration of the things we adopt from our families, friends, peers, and other members of our community. As Reyes stated in her article “Whose culture is it anyway,” culture extends to all individuals, including those considered “of the norm” within their communities. Growing up in the rural small town of Red Wing, Minnesota, I was indeed considered “of the norm.” Red Wing’s community consists primarily of descendants of Northern European Christians (Caucasians). When my parents moved to Red Wing, they were welcome by the community and easily adapted, in part, due to their white skin and European heritage. In addition, finding a Scandinavian Lutheran Church, United Lutheran E.L.C.A. Church made them feel like Red Wing was home. The only determinants that separated my family from the majority of the Red Wing residents was our elevated socioeconomic status and the fact that no other relatives live in Red Wing. My mother is a chemistry professor at Southeast Technical College, while my father is one of the few pediatricians in town. As a small rural community, the majority of residents work primarily in blue-collar jobs, including factory jobs at the renowned Red Wing Shoes®, Capital Safety, Tannery, or BIC plants.
Attempts to understand other cultures have seemingly existed all throughout human history, yet the methods for doing so have changed over time. The field of anthropology dates back to the late 19th century, and when it reached the United States, it became even more WORD-widespread? Since then, it has continued to develop as a field, with new approaches becoming standard about every twenty years. Two of the main approaches to writing works of ethnography include ethnographic accounts of a culture foreign to the writer, and fictional stories, often based on the culture the writer himself belongs to. Each approach has its strengths and drawbacks, and both seek to achieve different objectives, but works of both styles have gained popularity for their insightful and thought-provoking commentary. Each method has a unique set of advantages to offer, and the cultivation of anthropology as a field has only furthered their influence.
Latin-American- Spanish but with a wide distribution of others such as English, German, French, and Latin.
There are lots of areas of study out there but the one field that intrigues peoples and civilizations is the actual study of themselves and how they interact with other human cultures. I don't think that I would have enrolled for this class if it hadn't been for the minor requirement in my business major. Although this class started early in the morning and required a lot from me, I am glad that I took it. I grew up in two cultures simultaneously and the experiences I incurred have made me the person I am today. I think that it is important to familiarize yourself with other cultures not just in business but it will aid in smoother business transactions. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the breadth of cultural anthropology.
What is anthropology? That was the first thing I asked myself as I was scrolling through university courses, the pull I felt when looking at the world ‘anthropology’ sparked my interest in it. I remember going through several websites to find more information on the subject so that I can feed my curiosity. After getting a clearer picture of the subject, a switch flicked in my mind and I realised that this was what I was interested in when I was a child. I was fascinated about the things that I would learn and the areas I could go into after finishing my studies. What I love about anthropology is that it is a unique subject, it’s not something you would hear everyone talk about. However, the knowledge gained from it is remarkable there are questions that will be answered by the knowledge learnt but then new questions will arise.
Anthropology: It is a general comprehensive science of man in the past and present of any culture. This is divided into two main areas: physical anthropology, dealing with biological evolution and physiological adaptation of humans, and social or cultural anthropology that deals with people living in society, ie forms of evolution of language, culture and customs. Anthropology uses tools and knowledge produced by the natural sciences and the social sciences. Aspiration of anthropological discipline is to produce knowledge about the human being in various areas, but always as part of a society. Thus, attempts to encompass both the biological evolution of our species, development and lifestyles of people who have disappeared, the social structures of today and the diversity of cultural and linguistic expressions that characterize humanity.
Though Anthropology is the study of humanity, early anthropologists only focused on men during their ethnographic research of various cultures, leaving out women and children. Anthropology has adapted allowing modern anthropologists to focus on all members of society. Considering men were the focus of the discipline for so long, you would not expect there to be a gap in such a fundamental aspect of human evolution, men as fathers.
Anthropology, as the study of human culture and society, began with the earliest speculation of the humankind. It developed and prospered along with people’s understanding of the world, as the earliest scholars relied on their intelligence and cognition to explain social phenomena. Through the use of rigorous scientific methods and inductive reasoning, they began to propose theories that might explain their findings conceptually and collectively. Among such was the evolutionist theory implicated that culture followed a progress that built gradually on its sophistication. Later, it was improved with the use of more empirical evidence through the participant-observation of primitive cultures, thus the emergence of functionalists who interpreted cultures as the satisfaction of biological needs. However, some anthropologists questioned the objectivity in social behaviours and…