PERSPECTIVES: AN OPEN INTRODUCTION TO CULTURAL ANTH
b b b b b b
ROPOLOGY
SECOND EDITION
b
NinabBrown,bThomasbMcIlwraith,bLaurabTubellebdebGonzález
2020bAmericanbAnthropologicalbAssociationb2
b
300bClarendonbBlvd,bSuiteb1301
Arlington,bVAb22201
ISBNbPrint:b 978-1-931303-67-5
ISBNbDigital:b978-1-931303-66-8
http://perspectives.americananthro.org/
ThisbbookbisbabprojectbofbthebSocietybforbAnthropologybinbCommunitybCollegesb(SACC)bhttp://sacc.am
ericananthro.org/bandbourbparentborganization,bthebAmericanbAnthropologicalbAssociationb(AAA).bPlease
breferbtobthebwebsitebforbabcompletebtablebofbcontentsbandbmorebinformationbaboutbthebbook.
, b b
Perspectives:bAnbOpenbIntroductionbtobCulturalbAnthropologybbybNinabBrown,bThomasbMcIlwraith,bLaurabTubellebdebGonz
álezbisblicensedbunderbabCreativebCommonsbAttribution-
NonCommercialb4.0bInternationalbLicense,bexceptbwherebotherwisebnoted.
UnderbthisbCCbBY-NCb4.0bcopyrightblicensebyoubarebfreebto:
Shareb—
bcopybandbredistribute bthebmaterialbinbanybmediumborbformatbAdaptb—
bremix,btransform,bandbbuildbuponbthebmaterial
Underbthebfollowingbterms:
Attributionb—
bYoubmustbgivebappropriate bcredit,bprovideba blink btobtheblicense,bandbindicatebif bchangesbwerebmade.bYoubmaybdobsobinb
anybreasonablebmanner,bbutbnotbinbanybwaybthatbsuggestsbtheblicensorbendorsesbyouborbyourbuse.
NonCommercial b—bYoubmaybnotbusebthebmaterialbforbcommercialbpurposes.
,1
INTRODUCTION TO ANTHR b b
OPOLOGY
KatiebNelson,bInverbHillsbCommunitybCollegebkn
://kanelson.com/
LarabBraff,bGrossmontbCollegeblara.braff@gcc
cd.edu
3
, 4 PERSPECTIVES:bANbOPENbINTRODUCTIONbTObCULTURALbANTHROPOLOGY
LearningbObjectives
• Identifybthebfourbsubfieldsbofbanthropologybandbdescribebthebkindsbofbresearchbprojectsbassociatedbwithbeachbsubfield.
• Definebculturebandbthebsixbcharacteristicsbofbculture.
• Describebhowbanthropologybdevelopedbfrombearlybexplorationsbofbthebworldbthroughbthebprofessionalizationbofbthebdisciplinebinbt
heb19thbcentury.
• Discussbethnocentrismbandbthebrolebitbplayedbinbearlybattemptsbtobunderstandbotherbcultures.
• Explainbhowbthebperspectivesbofbholism,bculturalbrelativism,bcomparison,bandbfieldwork,basbwellbasbbothbscientificbandbhumanisticbt
endenciesbmakebanthropologybabuniquebdiscipline.
• Evaluatebthebwaysbinbwhichbanthropologybcanbbebusedbtobaddressbcurrentbsocial,bpolitical,bandbeconomicbissues.
ThebfirstbtimebIb(KatiebNelson)bheardbthebwordbanthropology,bIbwasbseventeenbyearsboldbandbsittingba
tbthebkitchenbtablebinbmybhomebinbruralbMinnesota.bMybmotherbwasbstirringbabpotbofbchilibonbthebsto
ve.bMybdogbwasbbarkingb(again)batbthebsquirrelsboutside.bHerblowbbawlbfilteredbthroughbthebscreenbdoor
bleftbopenbonbthebporch.bItbwasbthebsummerbbefore bIbwasbtobstartbcollegebandbIbhadbabMacalesterbCollegebc
oursebcatalogbspreadboutbinbfrontbofbmebasbIbsetbaboutbcarefullybselectingbthebcoursesbthatbwouldbmake
bupbmybfallbclassbschedule.bWhenbIbappliedbtobcollege,bIbhadbindicatedbinbmybapplicationbthatbIbwasbinter
estedbinbstudyingbcreativebwriting,bpoetrybspecifically.bButbIbalsobhadbabpassionbforblanguagesbandbpeopl
e:bobserv-
bingbpeople,binteractingbwithbpeoplebandbunderstandingbpeople,bespeciallybthosebwhobwerebculturallybdi
f-
bferentbfrombmyself.bIbnoticedbabcoursebinbthebcatalogbentitledb“CulturalbAnthropology.” bIbdidbnotbkno
wbexactlybwhatbIbwouldblearn,bbutbthebcoursebdescriptionbappealedbtobmebandbIbsignedbupbforbit.bSev
eralbweeksblater,bIbknewbwhatbmybmajorbwouldbbe–banthropology!
LikebKatie,bIb(LarabBraff)bstartedbcollegebwithbabcuriositybaboutbpeoplebbutbnobclearbmajor.bInbmybs
econdbyear,bwithoutbknowingbwhatbanthropologybwas,bIbenrolledbinbanbanthropologybcoursebcalledb
“ControllingbProcesses.”bThroughoutbthebsemester,bthebprofessorbencouragedbusbtobquestionbhowbsocia
lbinstitutionsb(likebthebgovernment,bschools,betc.)baffectbthebwaysbwebthinkbandbact.bThisbinquirybresonat
edbwithbmybupbringing:bmybmother,bwhobhadbimmigratedbtobthebUnitedbStatesbinbherbtwenties,boftenbq
ues-
btionedbU.S.bcustomsbthatbwerebunfamiliarbtobher.bAtbtimes,bthisbwasbprofoundlybdisappointingbtobmebasb
abchild.bForbexample,bshebcouldbnotbunderstandbthebjoyousbpotentialbofbfillingbupbonbcandybatbHalloween
,babholidaybnotbcelebratedbinbherbcountry.bYet,bherboutsiderbperspectivebinspiredbinbmebabhealthybskeptic
ismbaboutbthingsbthatbothersbtakebtobbeb“normal.”bAsbIbtookbmorebanthropologybcourses,bIbbecamebintri
guedbbybdiversebnotionsbofbnormalitybfoundbaroundbthebworld.
Ifbyoubarebreadingbthisbtextbookbforbyourbfirstbanthropologybcourse,byoubareblikelybwondering,bmuchbli
kebwebdid,bwhatbanthropologybisballbabout.bPerhapsbthebcoursebdescriptionbappealedbtobyoubinbsomebway,b
butbyoubhadbabhardbtimebarticulatingbwhatbexactlybdrovebyoubtobenroll.bWithbthisbbook,byoubarebinbthebri
ghtbplace!
b b b b b b
ROPOLOGY
SECOND EDITION
b
NinabBrown,bThomasbMcIlwraith,bLaurabTubellebdebGonzález
2020bAmericanbAnthropologicalbAssociationb2
b
300bClarendonbBlvd,bSuiteb1301
Arlington,bVAb22201
ISBNbPrint:b 978-1-931303-67-5
ISBNbDigital:b978-1-931303-66-8
http://perspectives.americananthro.org/
ThisbbookbisbabprojectbofbthebSocietybforbAnthropologybinbCommunitybCollegesb(SACC)bhttp://sacc.am
ericananthro.org/bandbourbparentborganization,bthebAmericanbAnthropologicalbAssociationb(AAA).bPlease
breferbtobthebwebsitebforbabcompletebtablebofbcontentsbandbmorebinformationbaboutbthebbook.
, b b
Perspectives:bAnbOpenbIntroductionbtobCulturalbAnthropologybbybNinabBrown,bThomasbMcIlwraith,bLaurabTubellebdebGonz
álezbisblicensedbunderbabCreativebCommonsbAttribution-
NonCommercialb4.0bInternationalbLicense,bexceptbwherebotherwisebnoted.
UnderbthisbCCbBY-NCb4.0bcopyrightblicensebyoubarebfreebto:
Shareb—
bcopybandbredistribute bthebmaterialbinbanybmediumborbformatbAdaptb—
bremix,btransform,bandbbuildbuponbthebmaterial
Underbthebfollowingbterms:
Attributionb—
bYoubmustbgivebappropriate bcredit,bprovideba blink btobtheblicense,bandbindicatebif bchangesbwerebmade.bYoubmaybdobsobinb
anybreasonablebmanner,bbutbnotbinbanybwaybthatbsuggestsbtheblicensorbendorsesbyouborbyourbuse.
NonCommercial b—bYoubmaybnotbusebthebmaterialbforbcommercialbpurposes.
,1
INTRODUCTION TO ANTHR b b
OPOLOGY
KatiebNelson,bInverbHillsbCommunitybCollegebkn
://kanelson.com/
LarabBraff,bGrossmontbCollegeblara.braff@gcc
cd.edu
3
, 4 PERSPECTIVES:bANbOPENbINTRODUCTIONbTObCULTURALbANTHROPOLOGY
LearningbObjectives
• Identifybthebfourbsubfieldsbofbanthropologybandbdescribebthebkindsbofbresearchbprojectsbassociatedbwithbeachbsubfield.
• Definebculturebandbthebsixbcharacteristicsbofbculture.
• Describebhowbanthropologybdevelopedbfrombearlybexplorationsbofbthebworldbthroughbthebprofessionalizationbofbthebdisciplinebinbt
heb19thbcentury.
• Discussbethnocentrismbandbthebrolebitbplayedbinbearlybattemptsbtobunderstandbotherbcultures.
• Explainbhowbthebperspectivesbofbholism,bculturalbrelativism,bcomparison,bandbfieldwork,basbwellbasbbothbscientificbandbhumanisticbt
endenciesbmakebanthropologybabuniquebdiscipline.
• Evaluatebthebwaysbinbwhichbanthropologybcanbbebusedbtobaddressbcurrentbsocial,bpolitical,bandbeconomicbissues.
ThebfirstbtimebIb(KatiebNelson)bheardbthebwordbanthropology,bIbwasbseventeenbyearsboldbandbsittingba
tbthebkitchenbtablebinbmybhomebinbruralbMinnesota.bMybmotherbwasbstirringbabpotbofbchilibonbthebsto
ve.bMybdogbwasbbarkingb(again)batbthebsquirrelsboutside.bHerblowbbawlbfilteredbthroughbthebscreenbdoor
bleftbopenbonbthebporch.bItbwasbthebsummerbbefore bIbwasbtobstartbcollegebandbIbhadbabMacalesterbCollegebc
oursebcatalogbspreadboutbinbfrontbofbmebasbIbsetbaboutbcarefullybselectingbthebcoursesbthatbwouldbmake
bupbmybfallbclassbschedule.bWhenbIbappliedbtobcollege,bIbhadbindicatedbinbmybapplicationbthatbIbwasbinter
estedbinbstudyingbcreativebwriting,bpoetrybspecifically.bButbIbalsobhadbabpassionbforblanguagesbandbpeopl
e:bobserv-
bingbpeople,binteractingbwithbpeoplebandbunderstandingbpeople,bespeciallybthosebwhobwerebculturallybdi
f-
bferentbfrombmyself.bIbnoticedbabcoursebinbthebcatalogbentitledb“CulturalbAnthropology.” bIbdidbnotbkno
wbexactlybwhatbIbwouldblearn,bbutbthebcoursebdescriptionbappealedbtobmebandbIbsignedbupbforbit.bSev
eralbweeksblater,bIbknewbwhatbmybmajorbwouldbbe–banthropology!
LikebKatie,bIb(LarabBraff)bstartedbcollegebwithbabcuriositybaboutbpeoplebbutbnobclearbmajor.bInbmybs
econdbyear,bwithoutbknowingbwhatbanthropologybwas,bIbenrolledbinbanbanthropologybcoursebcalledb
“ControllingbProcesses.”bThroughoutbthebsemester,bthebprofessorbencouragedbusbtobquestionbhowbsocia
lbinstitutionsb(likebthebgovernment,bschools,betc.)baffectbthebwaysbwebthinkbandbact.bThisbinquirybresonat
edbwithbmybupbringing:bmybmother,bwhobhadbimmigratedbtobthebUnitedbStatesbinbherbtwenties,boftenbq
ues-
btionedbU.S.bcustomsbthatbwerebunfamiliarbtobher.bAtbtimes,bthisbwasbprofoundlybdisappointingbtobmebasb
abchild.bForbexample,bshebcouldbnotbunderstandbthebjoyousbpotentialbofbfillingbupbonbcandybatbHalloween
,babholidaybnotbcelebratedbinbherbcountry.bYet,bherboutsiderbperspectivebinspiredbinbmebabhealthybskeptic
ismbaboutbthingsbthatbothersbtakebtobbeb“normal.”bAsbIbtookbmorebanthropologybcourses,bIbbecamebintri
guedbbybdiversebnotionsbofbnormalitybfoundbaroundbthebworld.
Ifbyoubarebreadingbthisbtextbookbforbyourbfirstbanthropologybcourse,byoubareblikelybwondering,bmuchbli
kebwebdid,bwhatbanthropologybisballbabout.bPerhapsbthebcoursebdescriptionbappealedbtobyoubinbsomebway,b
butbyoubhadbabhardbtimebarticulatingbwhatbexactlybdrovebyoubtobenroll.bWithbthisbbook,byoubarebinbthebri
ghtbplace!
