Week 1: Defining Anthropology

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Anthropology is the study of all things human. It helps us to understand one another and therefore aim to create a better world for us to live in.

  

Under the umbrella term of anthropology there are 4 different types which all focus on the different aspects of human existence.

 

Social/cultural anthropology, which looks to understanding the way we behave and interact with each other and how we’ve responded to societal changes over time. Also, how our culture affects our behaviour. This is compared to biological/physical anthropology, which looks at human biology, our DNA and how we have adapted physically.

Linguistic anthropology studies human languages and communication in context of the cultures that created them. And archaeology studies human past and evolution from the discovery of material remains, (artefacts).

 

An important part of anthropology is its holistic perspective. It looks at humankind as a whole and all intertwining aspects of human existence.

Holism is used to take an all-embracing approach to understanding humans. From how we respond to social change in the modern world to how we previously made stone tools.

 

The form of research used by anthropologists uses different techniques compared to other studies of this nature known as ethnographic research. It’s an effective method of studying different cultures and societies, where a researcher will immerse themselves in a culture for a lengthy period of time in order to learn about how people from different cultures live their lives.

 

Anthropology allows us to gain different perspectives on our environment and the world in which we live.

References:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/anthropology

https://anthro.ufl.edu/files/About-Anthropology.pdf