Introduction
Tuesday, January 29, 2019 10:39 AM
Anthropology
The study of humans. a social science dedicated to understanding of all the facets of what it is to
be human.
Under the assumption that all humans are the same, that we share traits in common with
each other.
4 branches of anthropology
1. Biological Anthropology
Human evolution and biological adaptations/evolution
Primates
2. Archaeology
The study of the material remains of the past societies.
3. Linguistic Anthropology
The study of human languages, their variations, the way language shapes human
interactions and history of language evolutions.
4. Cultural Anthropology
Studies human society and "culture"
ANTH 101 Page 1
,What is Culture?
Thursday, January 31, 2019 10:46 AM
Kincaid "Girl"
Mother talking to daughter
Telling the daughter how to be an "Acceptable Woman" in society
Mothers intention is to aid the girl in the world
Daughter may see it as oppression
Benna Is a folk music, associated with the poor and non-white.
Shouldn't sing Benna in church, b/c church is a place to be "like white people"
What is Culture?
Cult, Cultivate, Agriculture.
The original meaning of "Culture"
Meaning the Growth of something, the Activity that makes something grow for a purpose
The growth and tending of crops. It initially had nothing to do with people.
During the 19th century, the word Culture became synonymous with Civilization.
To be cultured meant to be highly civilized.
"Culture" became Pluralized. Culture ---> CultureS
Became a way to explain Human Diversity.
The idea is rooted under this Doctrine/Concept of Psych Unity of Mankind:
That all human population share the same basic cognitive and physiological makeup
Edward Tylor, one of the most important Anthropologist. 1871
"Culture… is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts,
morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by
man as a member of society."
-Complex whole…
Saying that Culture is very complex, and not simple
-Acquired by man as a member of society
Saying that culture is something you acquire.
Culture is… Learned
Enculturation is the process by which a person (usually a child) learns his/her culture.
The process occurs both through Explicit and Implicit learning.
□ Explicit
Directly being told.
Ex. Such as the Kincaid Girl story, where mother "tells" the daughter
what to do.
□ Implicit
Things that’s implied, that you acquire. Things you learn implicitly are
harder to change.
Ex. Babies learning facial expressions and the meaning behind it.
Culture is… Symbolic
Symbol is something that stands for something else.
Without Symbols, we could not learn from others, could not transmit what we know
to others.
Culture is… Our Nature!
Culture is part of our nature. Is it Natural for humans to have culture, in fact without culture
we wouldn't be humans.
Culture is… all-encompassing
Initially culture referred to specific things such as art. But now the word Culture is much
broader, it extends to everything we do.
ANTH 101 Page 2
,Culture is… shared
Culture exists in collective actions, identity, and beliefs.
In the United States, culture is more emphasized on Individualism.
This is a cultural value, that is taught to us, and shared in common with others that
grown up in the society.
"Achieve your individual goal" "be yourself" "Hold yourself accountable" etc.
Everyone adapts to their own values.
Culture is… Dynamic
Culture DOES NOT stay the same.
It means that cultures are constantly being made, and remade.
Because culture is being transmitted by individuals
Ex. Gay marriage.
Culture is… Contested
Why/How do cultures change?
Contest and Arguments. Because not everyone agrees with the same value.
Culture is… porous
Means that things can pass through it.
Culture can absorb values from other cultures.
ANTH 101 Page 3
, What is Ethnography?
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 10:44 AM
"Shakespeare in the Bush"
Short essay by Laura Bohannan.
The assumption is that all human being is fundamentally alike. Same needs, desires, and
values.
Therefore the story of Hamlet would/should be universally understood.
However people understood the story Differently than she did.
They understood the story under/with their own cultural expectations/experience
▪ Ghost of Hamlet's father --- They had no concept of the idea of a "Ghost"
▪ Marriage of Hamlet's mother marrying the dead husbands brother --- Did not see the
marriage as Wrong. They thought of it as Wise and Appropriate.
▪ Hamlet contemplating on taking revenge on Claudius --- They thought of it was wrong,
because it should be the Chief/Elders who takes care of the "conflict"
▪ Ophelia goes mad --- Madness is done by witch craft. And it's usually done by a
relative, which confused the people.
Anthropological Research
Research typically doesn't go as planned.
Expectations are challenged at various levels.
It's an exchange of culture, between the subject and the researcher.
What do we study?
• Social Customs (what we do)
• Material Culture (what we make/use)
• Ideas (what we think, know, believe)
• Symbols (how we represent things)
• Institutions (organizations/groups)
Ethnography
"Ethnography is a research process in which the anthropologist closely observes, records, and
engages in the daily life of another culture… and then writes accounts of this culture,
emphasizing descriptive detail."
-Marcus and Fischer.
How Ethnographic research has changed?
Armchair Anthropologist
Not getting his feet dirty, not doing the research themselves. Rather, learning about other
cultures by gathering info that other people produced, reading it and organizing it.
Given that it was hard to travel, as steamboats weren't invented.
Reports from Traders, Missionaries, travel writers, and government officials
Problems include that… the reports are biased, incomplete, and exaggerated.
Fieldwork (Late 19th century)
Anthropologists started going on expeditions themselves, often with other researchers such
as geologists, botanists, etc.
Steamboats were readily available at this time.
But the research was still limited.
□ Limited sample size - not accessing/learning the culture, but more of hearing
stories from the small sample of people.
□ Language - often did not know the language, relied on translators.
ANTH 101 Page 4
