APY1501
NOTES
, Anthropology in a Diverse World (APY1501)
Study Notes based on Key Learning Outcomes for each Chapter
Critical questions answered for each chapter, below the relevant summary.
Learning Theme 1: What is anthropology?
1.1 What is anthropology is and how does an anthropologist thinks?
Anthropology is the study of humankind everywhere, both past and present.
The term anthropology comes from the Greek anthropos for “man/human”
and logos for “study”. The basic question which anthropology has always
tried to answer is: How can we explain the uniformity and diversity of
humans and human behaviour – that is, the human experience? The
discipline sets out to develop a better understanding of diverse societies in
diferent contexts by spending time with people in their particular settings.
They take themselves out of their comfort zone to experience other people
and their activities in an unfamiliar context. This has been termed
“fieldwork”.
1.2 Anthropology and other disciplines:
Psychology studies the mental life of humans by means of scientific and
interpretive methods. The nature and characteristics of the human psyche or
mind are therefore the focus of psychology.
Sociology studies the social life of people, particularly the social relations,
organisation and human behaviour of human societies. Anthropologists share
these interests, but there are significant diferences between the disciplines.
History is inclined to focus on past events and individuals, and historians
seek to explain why such events occurred in the sequence that they did as
well as the role of particular individuals and circumstances in such a process.
Geographers, particularly human geographers, are also interested in
people. However, they tend to relate the study of humans to the study of the
land. They stress ecological factors such as terrain and climate and their
influence on human behaviour. The common interest with anthropology lies
in examining the relationship between human populations and their natural
and built environments.
1.3 Themes and interests of the four subfelds that characterise
anthropology:
Biological or Physical Anthropology:
This field of study deals with the biological or physical aspects of humans and
human populations. It entails the study of the past and present evolution of
the human species and is especially concerned with understanding the
causes of present human diversity.
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, Biological anthropologists focus on the fossil remains of prehistoric human-
like beings, which have been preserved in the earth’s crust, the polar regions
and swamps. Biological anthropologists also make use of human genetics
(the study of inherited human traits), population biology (the study of the
efects of the environment) and epidemiology (the study of the difering
efects of diseases on populations).
Archaeology
Archaeology, which is derived from the Greek arkhaios (ancient) and logos
(study), studies the past living conditions and changes that occurred in
human populations during prehistoric times.
Since archaeologists often do not have written records on which they can rely
for information, they obtain data from the material remains of human
settlements that are carefully collected during the excavation of sites where
people once lived. Items such as tools, ornaments, potsherds, weapons and
human bones are all examples of “remains”.
Linguistic Anthropology
This field of study focuses on the large variety of languages spoken by people
and, especially, the relationship between language and other aspects of
people’s lives. Initially, linguistic anthropologists studied the historical
development of the unwritten languages of “non-Western societies”.
Language is also used as a key to determine how people view the world, the
environment in which they live and how they view other people.
Sociocultural anthropology
Historically, a distinction was made between cultural anthropology and social
anthropology.
Cultural anthropology, as followed in most American institutions, is broadly
based on principles from the German anthropological tradition. It emphasises
patterned behaviour, guided by common values and transmitted over
generations within a group context. Social anthropology’s focus is on the
dynamics of social relations, social structure and social systems.
1.4 The anthropological approach - diferent areas of concern to
understand particular aspects of human behavior:
From the previous discussion and your own experience in other courses, it
should be clear that
anthropology difers from other disciplines in distinct ways. Other disciplines
generally limit their field of study to particular aspects or systems of human
activities or human living.
Anthropology is concerned with the human condition in its entirety.
In addition to its characteristic scope of studying people worldwide and
throughout time, another distinguishing feature is its holistic approach to
studying human beings. The notion of holism is based on the expectation that
each patterned element or system is dependent upon or linked to some other
elements within a specific time, situation and locality. Anthropologists study
not only varieties of people, but also many aspects of human experience. The
Downloaded by: alnduplessis |
Distribution of this document is illegal
NOTES
, Anthropology in a Diverse World (APY1501)
Study Notes based on Key Learning Outcomes for each Chapter
Critical questions answered for each chapter, below the relevant summary.
Learning Theme 1: What is anthropology?
1.1 What is anthropology is and how does an anthropologist thinks?
Anthropology is the study of humankind everywhere, both past and present.
The term anthropology comes from the Greek anthropos for “man/human”
and logos for “study”. The basic question which anthropology has always
tried to answer is: How can we explain the uniformity and diversity of
humans and human behaviour – that is, the human experience? The
discipline sets out to develop a better understanding of diverse societies in
diferent contexts by spending time with people in their particular settings.
They take themselves out of their comfort zone to experience other people
and their activities in an unfamiliar context. This has been termed
“fieldwork”.
1.2 Anthropology and other disciplines:
Psychology studies the mental life of humans by means of scientific and
interpretive methods. The nature and characteristics of the human psyche or
mind are therefore the focus of psychology.
Sociology studies the social life of people, particularly the social relations,
organisation and human behaviour of human societies. Anthropologists share
these interests, but there are significant diferences between the disciplines.
History is inclined to focus on past events and individuals, and historians
seek to explain why such events occurred in the sequence that they did as
well as the role of particular individuals and circumstances in such a process.
Geographers, particularly human geographers, are also interested in
people. However, they tend to relate the study of humans to the study of the
land. They stress ecological factors such as terrain and climate and their
influence on human behaviour. The common interest with anthropology lies
in examining the relationship between human populations and their natural
and built environments.
1.3 Themes and interests of the four subfelds that characterise
anthropology:
Biological or Physical Anthropology:
This field of study deals with the biological or physical aspects of humans and
human populations. It entails the study of the past and present evolution of
the human species and is especially concerned with understanding the
causes of present human diversity.
Downloaded by: alnduplessis |
Distribution of this document is illegal
, Biological anthropologists focus on the fossil remains of prehistoric human-
like beings, which have been preserved in the earth’s crust, the polar regions
and swamps. Biological anthropologists also make use of human genetics
(the study of inherited human traits), population biology (the study of the
efects of the environment) and epidemiology (the study of the difering
efects of diseases on populations).
Archaeology
Archaeology, which is derived from the Greek arkhaios (ancient) and logos
(study), studies the past living conditions and changes that occurred in
human populations during prehistoric times.
Since archaeologists often do not have written records on which they can rely
for information, they obtain data from the material remains of human
settlements that are carefully collected during the excavation of sites where
people once lived. Items such as tools, ornaments, potsherds, weapons and
human bones are all examples of “remains”.
Linguistic Anthropology
This field of study focuses on the large variety of languages spoken by people
and, especially, the relationship between language and other aspects of
people’s lives. Initially, linguistic anthropologists studied the historical
development of the unwritten languages of “non-Western societies”.
Language is also used as a key to determine how people view the world, the
environment in which they live and how they view other people.
Sociocultural anthropology
Historically, a distinction was made between cultural anthropology and social
anthropology.
Cultural anthropology, as followed in most American institutions, is broadly
based on principles from the German anthropological tradition. It emphasises
patterned behaviour, guided by common values and transmitted over
generations within a group context. Social anthropology’s focus is on the
dynamics of social relations, social structure and social systems.
1.4 The anthropological approach - diferent areas of concern to
understand particular aspects of human behavior:
From the previous discussion and your own experience in other courses, it
should be clear that
anthropology difers from other disciplines in distinct ways. Other disciplines
generally limit their field of study to particular aspects or systems of human
activities or human living.
Anthropology is concerned with the human condition in its entirety.
In addition to its characteristic scope of studying people worldwide and
throughout time, another distinguishing feature is its holistic approach to
studying human beings. The notion of holism is based on the expectation that
each patterned element or system is dependent upon or linked to some other
elements within a specific time, situation and locality. Anthropologists study
not only varieties of people, but also many aspects of human experience. The
Downloaded by: alnduplessis |
Distribution of this document is illegal
