Class notes
TrentU - introduction to anthropology
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Due to professor not releasing a copy of the notes given in lecture...these are the typed lecture notes and the professor's viral additives.
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jocelynwilliams@trentu.caOffice: DNA C222
Lecture 1:
Purpose of anthropology
● Get people to think more broadly
● Addresses social issues that stem from the complexity of human nature
● Gives insight into discussions about society
Summary of knowledge (15%)
● Create a pinterest thing - add to it weekly
○ Question, link, image
● Create a final exam - each week 2 questions: include answer key
What is anthropology
● Social science - study of human society and social relationship
● Overlap w/ sociology + psychology b/c studies humans/society + methods
How to distinguish: Historical Differences
● Psychology - science b/c relies heavily on scientific method + focus on brain, subject:
humans and animals, methods: scientific, statistics, quantitative
● Sociology - social science, focus = origins and development, defines society and its roles
(western), methods: statistics, quantitative and qualitative
● Anthropology - social science, human condition, non-western, focus on culture, methods:
scientific method
Anthropological perspective
● Humans can only be understood by broadening our perspective over space/time
Keywords to distinguish anthropology
● Holism, evolutionary, comparative, qualitative, linkages, change, fieldwork
Anthropological lens
● Set of ideas that shape how anthropologists view world and identify research
● Defined in relation to the curvature of the human eye
What makes anthropology unique
● Scope all people (human & non-human), all throughout world, through all time periods
● Holism all people, all facets of the human experience
● Curiosity diversity - what causes/promotes/sustains it
Subfields of anthropology
● Different methods, temporal focus, research questions
Key course themes
● We are biological and cultural entities
○ Fact that biology is also shaped by culture (ex. Breastfeeding - length, place)
● Human culture and biology reflect our past
○ Things are the way they are for a reason (tooth shape - diet and competition)
● Human culture and biology are constantly evolving and adapting in response to the
world around us
○ Constantly evolving and how shaped by technology and culture
, ● Humans are part of a complex ecosystem
○ Close the circle - how our actions have repercussions and long-term
consequences
To-do
● Harvey dialect survey
● Answergarden - classroom rules
Lecture 2:
Human Evolution and biological change
● Evolution = progressive
○ Not goal directed/oriented, not working towards a paramount idea
○ Not defined by speed
○ Entirely chance between generations (beneficial or not)
○ Accurate depiction is not classic linear monkey to human
Biological vs Cultural evolution
● Biological = interaction between genes and environment → chance overtime
○ Caused by mechanisms of evolution
● Cultural = human driven (social change)
○ Goal directed, defined by speed (usually very fast) (ex/ tech, norms, dress)
○ Result of conscious process → trying to do something = goal
Cause of gene frequency change (mechanisms of inheritance)
1. Migration - move from one geographical location to another
a. Bring genese with them and causes an exchange of alleles
b. The DNA of the offspring differs from parents
c. One of the strongest mechanics
2. Genetic drift
a. Cause of disease
3. Mutations
a. Most important source
4. Natural selection (Charles Darwin 1859)
a. Advantageous features = better breeding success → pass on genes --overtime→
change in individuals
Theory of evolution by natural selection
1. More people born than can survive = cause for competition
2. Variation exists → phenotypically or genotypically
3. Limited resources = cause for competition
4. Adaption causes differences in reproductive success
5. Change in gene frequencies
6. Accumulated change → speciation (creation of new species or subspecies)
For natural selection to occur, traits must be:
1. Heritable
2. Variable - variation must exist
a. Or else nothing for natural selection to act on
Adaptation
, ● Adjusting to local external environment
● Increases chance of survival and reproduction
Variation is key to the process of adaptation
● Variation = flexibility
● Important to resilience / ability to adapt + respond to environment
● Best response = minimal sacrifice in variability
● Groups = heterogenous = variable in behaviour and biology
Responses (first - last likely to use)
1. Behavioural - least costly, easily reversible
2. Physiological - some cost (energy + metabolic)
3. Genetic/development - most costly, long term effects, limit flexibility
Human ecology
● Relationship betweens humans + their natural, social and built environment
Ecology and evolution
● Ecology is a crucial factor
Humans are unusual in our ecosystem
● Occupy + Dominate the most ecosystems and niches (almost all)
○ Due to reliance on tools / tech (also unique - the extent to which)
● Lesser need to adapt to biological changes b/c can create tools to address the pressure
(ex/ snowshoes, vaccines, sunscreen, filtration of water, medicine)
● Occupy habitats and niches that would otherwise be unsustainable (ex/ arizona)
○ Downfall: only works if can invest the resources/time into the tools
Reliance on tools is a downfall b/c:
1. Reliance on learning - unequal access to knowledge = inequalities
2. Social differentiation
3. Lack of resiliency - constantly needing to improve, innovate and respond to change
Taxonomy
● Scientific code - classification indicates the features/relationship/characteristics
● Humans become distinct from other mammals at the Order (Primates)
Phylogenetic trees
● Not stagnant, help create hypothesis
Primate traits - grouping of these 11 traits define primates
1. Prehensile feet
2. Nails (not claws)
3. Forward facing eyes (stereoscopic vision)
4. Large brain (size + relative to body size)
5. Single offspring (twins or more = unusual)
6. Long period of infant dependency
7. Diurnal - active during day (exceptions)
8. Arboreal - in trees (exceptions)
9. Social - live in social groups
10. Non-specialized diets
11. Movement in variety of ways (bipedal, knuckle walking)
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