Chapter01

Cultural Anthropology: 

COPYRIGHT © 2005 Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Cultural Anthropology

Cultural Anthropology: 

Cultural Anthropology Chapter One: The Nature of Anthropology Link to the American Anthropological Association

Chapter Preview: 

Chapter Preview What is Anthropology? What Do Anthropologists Do? How Do Anthropologists Do What They Do?

The Development of Anthropology: 

The Development of Anthropology Anthropology is the study of humankind in all times and places Anthropologists are from many different societies

Canadian Anthropology: 

Canadian Anthropology Anthropological studies began in the 18th and 19th centuries Museums, academic departments and applied research influenced the development of anthropology Canadian anthropologists shape government policies and many are advocates for First Nation people

The Discipline of Anthropology: 

The Discipline of Anthropology Biological Anthropology Sociocultural Anthropology

Biological Anthropology: 

Biological Anthropology The systematic study of humans as biological organisms

Anthropology Applied: 

Anthropology Applied The identification of human skeleton remains for legal purposes Forensic Anthropology

Sociocultural Anthropology: 

Sociocultural Anthropology Focusing on human behaviour Avoiding culture bound theories Ethnography Ethnology Ethnohistory

Archaeology: 

Archaeology The study of material remains, usually from the past, to describe and explain human behaviour

Linguistic Anthropology: 

Linguistic Anthropology The study of human language

Ethnology: 

Ethnography Description of a culture Ethnology Comparative study of culture Holistic perspective View of culture and the relationship between its parts

Ethnology: 

Ethnology Participant Observation Technique of learning a people’s culture through direct participation in their everyday life for an extended period

Original StudyEating Christmas in the Kalahari Dessert: 

Original Study Eating Christmas in the Kalahari Dessert Lee’s account shows how ethnographers write about their experiences in the field. Lee describes his experience in a cultural milieu different from his own, and in doing so, he also helps us understand the worldview of the Ju/’hoansi. Fieldwork is an open-ended and emergent process.

Anthropology and Science: 

Anthropology and Science Anthropology involves the careful and systematic study of humankind using: Facts Hypotheses Theories

Difficulties of the Scientific Approach: 

Difficulties of the Scientific Approach Potential problems with framing hypotheses that are culture bound Restrictions upon replication of observations Ideally, theories are generated from worldwide comparisons

Anthropology and the Humanities: 

Anthropology and the Humanities Concern with other cultures’ languages, values, and achievements in the arts and literature Commitment to experiencing other cultures Emphasis on qualitative research 'the most human of the sciences'

Anthropology’s Contributions to Other Disciplines: 

Anthropology’s Contributions to Other Disciplines Anthropology contributes to social sciences, as well as history, geology, biology Urban anthropologists work in policy, planning and development of urban settings Medical anthropologists work closely with health specialists

Questions of Ethics: 

Questions of Ethics Anthropologists have obligations to: those studied those funding research those in the profession Link to the American Anthropological Association’s Statement on Ethics

Anthropology and Contemporary Life: 

Anthropology and Contemporary Life Anthropology provides a framework for promoting understanding, acceptance and appreciation of the cultural diversity of our global community COPYRIGHT © 2005 Nelson, a division of Thomson Canada Limited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Slide21: 

The Nature of Culture