Samenvatting Small Places, Large Issues - Introduction to Cultural and Social Anthropology
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Course
Introduction to Cultural and Social Anthropology
Institution
Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen (RU)
Book
Small Places, Large Issues
This comprehensive summary explores the exciting world of anthropology, with an emphasis on cultural and social aspects. The abstract covers a wide range of themes, theories, and concepts, including cultural anthropology, the history of anthropology, psychological anthropology, gender studies, and ...
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
2023/2024 | Radboud University Nijmegen
Based on “Small Places, Large Issues” (Hylland Eriksen) and other literature
,Wed 6 Sep Introductory lecture by Toon van Meijl (TvM) What is Cultural Anthropology?
Cultural Anthropology:
• Cultural anthropology
o Anthropology: the comparative study of cultural and social life, with participant observation
as its primary method of data collection through lengthy fieldwork in specific social settings.
o This science…
▪ Investigates the customs, beliefs, practices, and social structures of human societies.
▪ Describes, interprets and possibly also explains the cultural customs.
▪ Does this through systematic research, looking at differences and similarities.
• Grapples with the balance between similarities and differences in human social life. The tension between
universality (similarities) and relativism (differences) is a central concern in anthropology.
o Anthropology has focused more on oddities and differentiating cultures.
• The science of anthropology was developed in the United States and the United Kingdom
o Originally, anthropology was based on evolutionism and imperialist theory.
• Traits of anthropology
o Holistic: there are no answers, only theory. It’s a fluid science.
o Comparative: comparing cultures and customs is the essence of this science
▪ Knowledge is gained when experiencing cultural differences
o Open-minded: there is awareness of your own cultural bias. These are pitfalls:
▪ Moral judgement of others before understanding the differences
▪ Ethnocentrism: viewing yourself and your culture as the cultural norm
▪ Hierarchical classification of cultures
• The Anthropological view on humans
o Humans are social beings> socially influenced by our environment.
o Humans are cultural beings> characterized by our behavior, custom, cognition etc.
• Clifford Geerts on Culture:
o Culture as the “abilities, notions, and forms of behavior that people have acquired as
members of society.”
o Culture as an “integrated and bounded system of meaning shared by a population.”
▪ Critics: Geertz theory doesn’t account for variations within populations
• The ambiguity (tweezijdigheid) of the concept of culture
o Culture serves as a common foundation for humans.
o It’s also a source of systematic differences for humans.
• Culture vs. Society.
o Culture refers to the acquired, cognitive, and symbolic aspects of existence.
o Society refers to the social organization of human life, patterns of interaction, and power
relationships.
o This analytical distinction is important in anthropology.
• Individuality coexists with collectivism.
▪ We tend to think of ourselves as individuals, and of outsiders as collections as people.
▪ This is a human perspective which is common for all humans.
• Traits of culture
o Cultures are integrated, patterned systems> If one-part changes, other parts change.
o Culture is instrumental: Culture serves a purpose, either helping or hindering.
o Culture is adaptive or maladaptive: It can be good (adaptive) or bad (maladaptive) for a society.
• Culture has an evolutionary basis.
o Similarities between humans and apes evident in anatomy, brain structure, genetics, and
biochemistry
o Evolution can be traced back in our human traits (ex: depth and color vision)
• Culture can be…
o Universal: Found everywhere, what makes us human.
o General: Found in some societies, like nuclear families.
o Particular: Unique to a specific culture, getting rarer
• Levels of culture: National culture, international culture and subculture
• Cultural rights
o Cultural rights: rights vested in religious and ethnic minorities and indigenous societies
o Intellectual property rights (IPR): an indigenous group’s collective knowledge and its
applications
• Globalization: series of processes that work to make modern nations and people increasingly interlinked
and mutually dependent
o Economic and political forces, Long-distance communication, Local people must increasingly cope
with forces generated by progressively larger systems
Enculturation: The process by which a child learns of their culture
• Cultural learning amongst humans depends on our human skill to use and interpret symbols.
o Symbols: Signs or gestures that ‘symbolize’ a meaning for humans, that have no necessary
natural connection. This is decided by context, which is also a human phenomenon.
▪ Symbols can unite and divide cultures and societies.
▪ Symbols can be verbal and nonverbal.
o Clifford Geerts on Symbols: “Culture is ideas based on cultural learning and symbols.”
• Culture teaches us how to express ourselves, also taking natural biological urges.
o (Ex:) Response to pain: Auw (Dutch) Auch (English) (Ai) French
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