AN INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY from Greek: anthropos, "human being"; and logos, "knowledge"

What is it?  Anthropology = the study of the lives and cultures of human beings, alive or dead  Culture= the abilities, ideas, and behaviours people have acquired to become members of society  Culture consists of a group of people’s traditions, values, beliefs, behaviours, and material objects

What Anthropologists Study  There are two main branches of anthropology:  Physical anthropology  Cultural anthropology

Physical Anthropology  Looks at how humans have developed biologically over time  Ex. evolution  Looks at how humans are similar to, and different from other species  Ex. primates

Cultural Anthropology  Explores how culture has shaped the way people live today and in the past  Cultural anthropologists question how another culture can be understood by an outsider

History of Anthropology  Throughout time people have travelled around the world making observations about the people who they meet and the societies in which they visited

History of Anthropology  Prior to World War Two, anthropologists spent most of their time researching groups that had little contact with Western society  Researchers often had a difficult time understanding life in these societies- difficult for them to become members of the culture and live in their society that had demanding living conditions

History of Anthropology  Since the 1970’s, anthropologists have begun to look at culture using a much more formalized process- now less likely to participate in isolated field work  Applied anthropology is a new and growing field  Engage in work for private corporations and government agencies doing research, developing campaigns and cross-cultural training for employees  As the world becomes more global, the need for anthropologists will continue to grow

Major theorists in Anthropology  Lewis Henry Morgan  One of the first to conduct research of the Aboriginal Peoples of North America  Margaret Mead  Conducted field work with aboriginals in Papua New Guinea  Proved gender roles are not universal- they are formed from cultural history and upbringings

Careers found in Anthropology  Forensic scientist  Archaeologists- digging for fossils  Language teacher  Public health worker  Humanitarian aid worker  Law enforcement

YouTube - The Cultured Ape (Part 1 of 6)

Something to think about…  With a partner, discuss the following questions  Think of something in your school culture you would like to investigate. Develop a few questions to investigate people’s attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviours.  What kind of material culture might future archaeologists find in your school, and what would it tell them about your culture? Choose three artefacts in your classroom, and explain what these would tell future archaeologists about your ideas, values, attitudes and behaviours.

What Makes Us Human? The Anthropological Answer  Some physical anthropologists attempt to answer the question through the study of primates. Humans belong to the biological group called primates. While we are not directly descended from chimpanzees or gorillas many believe that we do have a common ancestor. Evidence seems to indicate that there is only a 1 to 2% genetic difference between humans and other primates. Although we appear to be quite different we actually share many similar physical characteristics and some social characteristics.

What Makes Us Human? The Anthropological Answer  Humans vs. Animal Primates SimilaritiesDifferences - Opposable thumbs - Highly developed brain - Capacity to think and learn - Socially children are dependent on adults for care - Bipedalism (ability to walk upright for long periods of time) - Use language to communicate complex and abstract ideas

What Makes Us Human? Leading Anthropologist: Jane Goodall  In the summer of 1960, 26-year old Jane Goodall arrived on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa to study the area’s chimpanzee population. Initially the chimps fled whenever Jane came near. She persisted, watching from a distance and gradually she was accepted into the group and able to get closer and even interact with the chimps. One day in October 1960 she saw two of the chimps strip leaves off twigs to make a tool that allowed them to dig for termites in a nest inside a tree.

What Makes Us Human? Leading Anthropologist: Jane Goodall  Prior to this, scientists had thought that humans were the only species to make tools, but here was evidence to the contrary. Through her research she came to the conclusion that chimps have their own distinct personalities, minds and emotions. They form close family relationships and distinct mating practices. In 1977, Jane founded the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation to provide ongoing support for field research on wild chimpanzees. The Institute is a leader in the effort to protect chimps and their habitats

What Makes Us Human? Leading Anthropologist: Jane Goodall