Jamaree Flonnory January 8 2014 Anthropology 1102 th Test One Notes February 10 Read Chapters 1 3 4 pages 71 80 and 13 pages 273 285 Readings for next week Chapters 2 13 pages 285 299 Chapter 14 302 321 Chapter 5 92 99 Anthropology is the study of human species and its immediate ancestors The study of human nature society and past holistic and comparative Anthropology Concepts 1 Culture a Shared human behavior b A society s socially transmitted ideas values and perceptions i Makes sense of experience ii Reflected in behavior iii Generates behavior c Present and past 2 Evolution a Human biological change b Belief that species arise from others through a long gradual process of transformation i Genetic change over successive generations c Present and Past i Adaptation ii Human biological change d Holistic Perspective all facets of shared human behavior i Trying to understand humans as a whole without being culture bound for comparative purposes 3 Anthropology and Science a Hypothesis testing 4 Anthropology and Humanism a Logical thinking b Conceptual 4 Fields of Anthropology human variation adaptation humans in the past and the the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites the focus on one cultural behavior language the study of modern cultures and societies shared behaviors 2 Archaeology 1 Biological Anthropology 3 Linguistic Anthropology 4 Cultural Anthropology origin of humans humans based on their biological traits and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains that exists within groups of people Unity of General Anthropology o Historical reasons in the U S Franz Boas North American native people Culture and biology 1st 4 field anthropologist History of racial categories o Topical Reasons Human variation in time and space Culture and evolution o Fieldwork Applying Anthropology 1 Academic Anthropology a Grant and university research hired by universities to teach or to do research develops theories and generates understanding about human behavior and how people do things 2 Applied Anthropology anthropologists who apply anthropological knowledge outside of academia a Practical application on anthropological research do not ask general anthropological questions b The goal of applied anthropologist is more about how we influence human behavior and are looking for ways to fix particular issues and or social conditions Academic vs Applied Anthropology Historically always mixed o Pre WWII most anthropology was applied o Academic anthropology grew after The 4 Subfields and Applied Anthropology 1 Cultural anthropology i e Microsoft 2 Archaeologist Cultural Resource Management 3 Linguistic Anthropologist State Board of Education 4 Physical Anthropologist Forensics Applied Anthropologists work in Education Urban and rural areas Medical fields Business and politics Developmental fields Fieldwork and Anthropology On location research o An extended period of time o Close involvement Source of information o Data collection Personal involvement Problem oriented Longitudinal long term study based on repeated visits Archaeological Fieldwork Systematic Survey provides a regional perspective by gathering information on settlement patterns over a large area o Survey large areas o Finding and locating sites o Answer certain research questions Excavation removal of soil and other material o Excavation compliments the regional surveys o Site mapped and surface collected o Site subdivided o Excavate and sift recovering and recording artifacts and or features o Use this information to answer research questions and protect or describe cultural resources Ethnographic Fieldwork Ethnography fieldwork in and about a particular living culture Ethnographic techniques o Participant observation learning a culture through social participation and person observation over a long period of time o Interviews conversations that maintain rapport and provide knowledge o Genealogical methods procedure to understand kinship descent and marriage o Key consultants experts on particular aspects of local life o Life histories a personal cultural portrait of existence or change in a culture o Emic inside local vs etic external comparison of local beliefs and perceptions to the ethnographer s beliefs and perceptions o Survey Research etic perspective sampling impersonal data collection and statistical analysis American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics 2012 Do no harm when performing research Be open and honest with the people Obtain informed consent and necessary permissions from the people Weigh competing ethical obligations Make results accessible to the people you interact with the people employing you the government etc Protect the information and records that you find Maintain professional relationships Fieldwork and Ethics A set or system of moral principles o Problems involving contrasting systems o Issues with applying anthropology Ethics and Ethical Quandaries Most anthropologists primary ethical obligations is to the people species and material that they study Primary way this is done is through informed consent o People s agreement to participate to the purpose nature of the research procedures done during the research and the potential impact of the research Culture Concept Anthropological Definition a set of learned behavior and ideas that humans acquire as members of societies Culture consists of the abstract values beliefs and perceptions of the world o Knowledge beliefs arts morals laws customs traditions etc o Language we speak what we define as right vs wrong etc o As humans we use culture to adapt to and transform the world in which we live Culture vs cultures vs cultured o Culture the set of learned behavior and ideas that humans acquire as members o Cultures the different sets of learned behavior between societies o Enculturation the process by which culture is learned and transmitted across Humans are not born with culture but with biological traits to adapt to of society generations culture NOT an anthropological term o Cultured Traits of Culture something that comes to stand for something has a shared meaning and passed between generations located and transmitted by groups culture cannot be something owned by one Learned Shared single person Symbolic understanding to all the people of that specific culture example the American flag has a shared meaning to the people who grew up in the United States Culture and Nature evolved to have a biological capacity