1. Anthropology

2. What is Anthropology? • Anthropology is the study of human beings
as a species and as members of different
cultures
There are two MAIN braches of anthropology
Cultural Anthropology and Physical Anthropology

3. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
is broken into the following 3 branches:
Ethnology – Ethnologists immerse themselves in a culture for months or years and take meticulous notes.
Linguistic Anthropology – Linguistic anthropologists study the history and structure of language, and the ways humans use language.
Archaeology – Archaeologists study the physical remains of a past culture through excavation and reconstruction.

4. What is Culture?
Culture consists of all shared and learned behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, values and ideals that are passed on from generation to generation among a particular society or population.
Two Sides of Culture:
Non-material side of culture includes thoughts and behaviors we learn and share with others
- Example: values, ideas, beliefs, language, rules, customs, skills
Material side of culture: All physical objects humans create and give meaning to.
- Example: tools, technology, clothing, weapons, art

5. Components of Culture:
Values: Standards of what is important, good, true, ethical
- Example: Wealth, status, family, codes of behavior
- Specific Example:
Norms: Rules that indicate what should motivate behavior in specific situations
- Example: appropriate dress, manners, communication

6. Symbols: Something or someone that represents something or someone else
Example: Religious, National
-Specific Example:
Beliefs: Shared ideas explaining the world and reaffirming group affiliation
Example: Religious, Scientific
Roles: positions, rights, obligations conceptualized in social situation
Example: work, family, social

7. Material, Non Material or Both?
Food
Art
Values
Religion
Shelter
Industry
Dress
Myth
Science
Weapons
Transportation
Attitudes
Laws
Child rearing
Property
Family relationships/marriage
Philosphy

8. So What is Culture?
• It is acquired and created over time & \ has historical roots – it is learned & shared to form a distinct society
What do Cultures have in Common?
CULTURE IS LEARNED
CULTURE IS SHARED
CULTURE DEFINES NATURE
CULTURE SHAPES HOW WE PERCIEVE AND UNDERSTAND THE WORLD
CULTURE HAS PATTERNS

9. What is Cultural Anthropology?
• Explores how culture has
shaped the way people live
today & in the past
Cultural anthropologist
often question how
another culture can be
understood by an
outsider

10. List of Concepts Language Religion Social Organization Politics
History
Economics
Kinship
Music
Marriage & Family
Art
Clothing
Globalization

11. Nacirema – Body Rituals Reading

12. Ethnocentrism
• What is it? • Ethno = means a group that identifies itself by common features (ethnicity) • Centrism is derived from the word centre • being ethnocentric means that you perceive your culture (beliefs, lifestyle, ideas, and values) as superior or at least more important than other cultures (it is the centre of all things) • ALL other cultures would be considered inferior, weird, or strange and be measured against their own

13. Some very simple examples of ethnocentric thinking. .. ..
We often talk about British drivers driving "on the wrong side" of the road. Why not just say "opposite side" or even "left hand side"?
We talk about written Hebrew or Arabic as reading "backward." Why not just say "from right to left" or "in the opposite direction from English."
We consider certain types of art “naive” or “primitive”

14. While ethnocentric views are not necessarily intended, they have led to major human disasters throughout history causing
Bullying, Discrimination, Intolerance, War, Genocide….

15. CULTURAL RELATIVISM
Anthropologists promote cultural relativism as an approach to understanding diversity.
Cultural relativism - individual human's beliefs and activities make sense in terms of his or her own culture.
logical outcome of the diverse environments in which humans live.
No right or wrong, there is no fixed truth but rather all is relative.
What are some examples of ideas that are culturally relative?

16. FEMALE BEAUTY: is it a cultural universal? Why or Why not?

17. FOOD?

18. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Can you think of examples of universal values that supersede the particularities of cultures?
What are the challenges associated with determining international standards for morality within cultural relativism?
What are the benefits of cultural relativism?
What would you say are the deficiencies or dangers of cultural relativism?

19. SOME AIMS OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY:
To provide objective insight into other cultures
To help preserve valuable knowledge, cultural practices and languages around the world
To foster cross-cultural empathy, understanding and collaboration
To emphasize similarities among human cultures and help bridge their differences and misunderstandings

20. National Geographic- Taboo – Delicacies

21. Physical Anthropology
Examines how humans
have developed
biologically over time
Examines similarities
& differences b/w
humankind & other
species
Example topics: primates
and evolution

22. Physical Anthropology
Physical Anthropologists attempt to answer the question, “What makes us Human?”

23. 3 Branches of Physical Anthropology
Paleoanthropology - study bones and stone remains of our ancient ancestors from millions of years ago
Primatology – study primates
Human Variation – study of physical differences and similarities of existing human populations

24. Primatology & Human Variation

25. Why Study Primates?
Scientific research & DNA analysis has concluded that humans belong to the biological group designated primates Humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orang-utans, etc
• Genetic evidence suggests humans only 1-2% different from other primates
• Humans & other primates do not directly descend from chimpanzees/gorillas Evidence suggests that we all share a common ancestor
The more we learn about our primate cousins, the more we learn about ourselves

26. A Few Similarities and Differences
Bipedalism (ability to walk upright for extended periods of time)
language to communicate complex and abstract ideas
Infant dependency of 20+ years – monogamy and complex social structures
Abstract thinking - we develop ideas about our world that guides our actions & allows us to reflect on our behaviour
Opposable thumbs
Highly developed brain
Capacity to think and learn
Communicate socially through facial expression and body language
Children are dependent on adults for care (social and physical)

27. Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall arrives on shore of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa
Purpose: to study chimpanzee population
The chimpanzees initial response was to flee when Jane came near
Jane observed from a distance and over time was accepted into the group

28. Human Variation: What explains the variation in human populations?
Variation essential to survival
Environmental change – species must adapt – variation ensures that some individuals will be able to adapt and pass on that trait
Human Sub-groups:
Race: a socially constructed idea – the meaning of “race” goes beyond the physical traits: what does it mean to be “white” or “asian” or “black”?
NOT a scientific category – not biologically relevant
Social idea of race was / is used to justify the different, and often inhumane, treatment of others, even to the point of extermination

29. Skin Colour Micro adaptation to environment
As humans moved north, skin lightened to allow for more adsorption of UV rays to produce vitamin D

30. Jane Goodall
Jane interacted with the chimps and observed 1 day she observed two chimps strip leaves off twigs to make a tool that allowed them to dig for termites
Until then, scientists believed only humans made tools
Goodall concluded that chimps have unique personalities, emotions, and minds