ANTH 1102 01 08 2014 Anthropology The study of the human species and its immediate ancestors The study of human nature human society and the human past o Holistic o Comparative Anthropology Concepts 1 Culture o shared human behavior o a society s socially transmitted ideas values and perceptions makes sense of experience reflected in behavior generates behavior o Present and past Current Historical 2 Evolution o human biological change o belief that species arise from others through a long gradual process of transformation genetic change over successive generations o present and past adaption human biological change What is Anthropology Other disciplines o Not the only academic field that studies humankind Holistic perspective o All facets of shared human behavior o Trying to understand Without being culture bound For comparative purposes Anthropology and Science o Scientific Method o Hypothesis testing Anthropology and Humanism o Cultural Process o Logic of Rationality Four Fields of Anthropology Biological Anthropology o Trying to understand the biological aspect of humankind o Human variation adaption o Study of humans based on their biological traits Archaeology o Study of the cultural past Linguistic Anthropology o The focus on one cultural behavior LANGUAGE Cultural Anthropology o Study of modern cultures in society shared learned behavior that exists within groups Unity of General Anthropology o Historical reasons in the U S 1900s or before Fran Boas North American native peoples Culture and Biology History of racial categories Started first department of Anthropology o Topical reasons Human variation in time and space Culture and evolution o Fieldwork Where data is collected important to every field of anthropology what defines anthropologists Applying Anthropology American Anthropological Association AAA recognizes two dimensions o Academic anthropology Grant and university research o Applied anthropology Practical application of anthropological research What is Applied Anthropology Practicing anthropologists practice their profession outside of academia o Aimed at influencing human behavior and social conditions Academic vs Applied Anthropology Historically always mixed o Pre World War II most anthropology was Applied o Academic anthropology grew after The four subfields and applied anthropology Crosscuts all four subfields Cultural anthropologist Microsoft Archaeologist Cultural Resource Management Linguistic anthropologist state board of education Physical anthropologist forensics 01 08 2014 Applied and Academic Theory and Practice Anthropologists study societies firsthand o Theory aids practice and application fuels theory o Thus the application of anthropology has created new fields of study Anthropology and Practice Applied anthropologists work in o Education o Urban and rural areas o Medical fields o Business and politics o Developmental fields Fieldwork and Anthropology On location research o An extended period o Close involvement Source of information o Data collection Personal involvement Problem oriented o Specific research question Longitudinal o Long term study based on repeated visits Term research o Coordinated research by multiple researchers Archaeological Fieldwork Systematic survey and Excavation o Systematic survey Provides a regional perspective by gathering information on settlement patterns over a large area o Excavation Systematic removal of soil and other material Systematic Survey Site Identification Survey large areas Finding and locating sites Answers certain research questions Archaeological Excavation Excavation compliments the regional surveys o 1 site mapped and surface collected o 2 site subdivided o 3 excavate and sift recovering and recording artifacts features o 4 Use this information to answer research question protect or describe cultural resources Ethnographic Fieldwork Ethnography o Fieldwork in and about a particular living culture Participant observation o Learning a culture through social participation and personal observation over a long period of time Interviews o Conversations that maintain rapport and provide knowledge Genealogical methods o Procedures to understand kinship descent and marriage Key consultants o Experts on particular aspects of local life Life histories Emic vs etic o Comparison of local beliefs and perceptions to the ethnographer s o 01 08 2014 Ethnographic Techniques Emic vs etic o Comparison of local beliefs and perceptions to the ethnographer s Survey Research Survey research design sampling impersonal data collection and statistical analysis o Sample o Random selection o Variables Anthropology s Responsibility Relevance and impact Anthropology ethics and responsibilities American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics 2012 1 Do no harm 2 Be open and honest 3 Obtain informed consent and necessary permissions 4 Weigh competing ethical obligations 5 Make results accessible 6 Protect your records 7 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 Anthropologists primary ethical obligations is to the people species and materials they study Informed consent o Peoples agreement to participate Purpose Nature Procedures Potential impact 01 08 2014 Culture Concept Anthropological Definition o 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 belief arts morals laws customs traditions etc As humans we use culture to adapt to and transform the world in which we live Culture vs Cultures vs Cultured Culture o The set of learned behavior and ideas that humans acquire as members of society Cultures o The different sets of learned behavior between societies Enculturation o The process by which culture is learned and transmitted across generations Cultured o NOT an anthropological term Traits of Culture Learned o Passed between generations Shared o Located and transmitted in groups Symbolic o Something that comes to stand for something else Culture and Nature o Converts natural urges and acts into cultural customs All Encompassing o Culture is a model that includes all aspects of human group behavior Integrated o Patterned systems of customs that are related Adaptive Maladaptive o Cultures is an adaptive strategy but can be maladaptive Individual