The word "anthropology" comes from the Greek anthropos meaning human being. Anthropology is the broad scientific study of human biology and culture. Anthropologists recognize that the study of what is is to be human is a huge topic that encompasses many different disciplines, from the objective and scientific study of biology, genetics and evolution to the very subjective study of cultural attitudes and beliefs.
When we think of Anthropology, we think of musty old professors surrounded with books or we think of swashbuckling adventurers like Indiana Jones. The truth is, anthropologists are trained scientists who work as professors, museum curators, and in a wide variety of other fields. Some anthropologists concern themselves with how humans evolved. Some focus on human biology, some study primates, some work with police to identify skeletal remains, and some live in different societies. And some do excavate archaeological remains. All of these scientists work in conjunction with other professionals and scientists to study human biology, evolution and culture.
Anthropology, as a discipline, began after the enlightenment when scientific societies began to study the indigenous peoples of newly discovered lands. These scientists were curious about the differences in appearance and culture of the indigenous peoples and began to objectively observe and record what they saw. They asked questions like
Anthropologists operate under the following assumptions
New discoveries are made all the time in anthropology and most are achieved in the field, where anthropologists make first-hand observations of human lives and work. We'll read and watch many examples of these discoveries over the course of the year.When we think of Anthropology, we think of musty old professors surrounded with books or we think of swashbuckling adventurers like Indiana Jones. The truth is, anthropologists are trained scientists who work as professors, museum curators, and in a wide variety of other fields. Some anthropologists concern themselves with how humans evolved. Some focus on human biology, some study primates, some work with police to identify skeletal remains, and some live in different societies. And some do excavate archaeological remains. All of these scientists work in conjunction with other professionals and scientists to study human biology, evolution and culture.
Anthropology, as a discipline, began after the enlightenment when scientific societies began to study the indigenous peoples of newly discovered lands. These scientists were curious about the differences in appearance and culture of the indigenous peoples and began to objectively observe and record what they saw. They asked questions like
- Are differences a result of genetic inheritance?
- Is there a relationship between brain size and intelligence?
- Were African slaves as fully human as Europeans?
Anthropologists operate under the following assumptions
- Human universalism
- Integration
- Human Adaptation
- Culture
Watch this brief video by Lauren W. Hasten to cement these ideas in your mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMFsgPy1H5M
Please read through the handout by Dennis O'Neill (which I've summarized for you above) and define the following terms.
Anthropology
Human Universalism
Integration
Human adaptation
Culture
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