1. Mirror for Humanity Conrad Phillip Kottak Fifth Edition
Chapter 1
Anthropology and Its Applications
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2. Subfields of anthropology Applied anthropology
Overview
Subfields of anthropology
Applied anthropology
Medical anthropology
Urban anthropology
Anthropology and education, business
© 2007 McGraw-Hil Higher Education. All right reserved.

3. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Study of the human species and its immediate ancestors
Holistic discipline: concerned with human biology, society, language, and culture in the past, present, and future
Unique cross-cultural perspective
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4. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Subdisciplines of American anthropology
Cultural anthropology
Ethnography – fieldwork-based accounts of particular communities, societies, or cultures
Ethnology – examines, analyzes, and compares the results of ethnography
Archaeological anthropology – studies human behavior and cultural patterns through material remains
Biological (or physical) anthropology – studies human biological diversity
Evolution, genetics, biological plasticity, primatology
Linguistic anthropology – studies present and past languages
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5. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Dimensions of American anthropology:
Academic or theoretical anthropology
Applied anthropology
Application of anthropological data, perspectives, theory, and methods to identify, assess, and solve contemporary social problems
All four subdisciplines
Appropriate roles for applied anthropologists:
Identifying locally perceived needs for change
Working with local people to design culturally appropriate, socially sensitive change
Protecting interests of local people
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6. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Anthropology and education
Anthropological research in classrooms, homes, and neighborhoods
Recognizes the influence of family, peers, and society on students’ enculturation and attitudes toward education
Highlights the need to accommodate cultural differences in the classroom
© 2007 McGraw-Hil Higher Education. All right reserved.

7. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Urban anthropology
Cross-cultural and ethnographic study of global urbanization and life in cities
Increasing urbanization worldwide
Cultural diffusion (borrowing) between urban and rural social systems
Applied urban anthropology
Most humane and productive strategies for change build upon existing social forms
© 2007 McGraw-Hil Higher Education. All right reserved.

8. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Medical anthropology
Study of disease, health problems, health care systems, and theories about illness in different cultures and ethnic groups
Academic (theoretical) and applied (practical) dimensions
Both biological and sociocultural anthropologists
Disease – a scientifically identified health threat
Illness – a condition of poor health perceived or felt by an individual
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9. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Medical anthropology
Theories about the causes of illness:
Personalistic disease theories – illness caused by agents such as sorcerers, witches, ghosts, or ancestral spirits
Naturalistic disease theories – impersonal explanations of illness (e.g., Western biomedicine attributes illness to organisms, accidents, or toxic materials)
Emotionalistic disease theories – illness caused by emotional experiences (e.g., susto in Latin America)
© 2007 McGraw-Hil Higher Education. All right reserved.

10. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Medical anthropology
Health-care systems
Beliefs, customs, specialists, and techniques aimed at ensuring health and preventing, diagnosing, and treating illness
Health-care systems are universal (all societies have them)
Western vs. non-Western medicine
Advantages and disadvantages of Western medicine (biomedicine)
Applied medical anthropology
“Holistic” perspective of non-Western medicine
Public health programs must take local theories about the nature, causes, and treatment of illness into account
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11. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Anthropology and business
Anthropologists’ contributions to business:
Study organizational conditions and problems
Mediate between executives/managers and workers
Observe how consumers with diverse cultural backgrounds choose and use products
For business, key features of anthropology include:
Ethnography and observation as ways of gathering data
Cross-cultural expertise
Focus on cultural diversity
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12. CHAPTER 1 Anthropology and Its Applications
Careers and Anthropology
Anthropology’s breadth provides an excellent foundation for many careers
Anthropology majors go into medicine, law, business, and other professions with little explicit connection to anthropology
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