Anthropology

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  • Social Sciences

• Anthropology

  • Study of how humans as a species are members of cultures.
  • Physical
    • How we as a species are different compared to other species and humans.
    • Our evolution
  • Cultural | Social
    • Study values, beliefs, artifacts and the culture.
    • System of their ideas, values, attitudes.
    • Analyzing elements of different cultures. From the past and present.
      • Ethnic | Ethnology
        • Traditions
        • Art
        • Music
        • Ceremonies
        • Religion
      • Language
      • Societal structure
      • Skills
    • Values are the core of social anthropology
      • Determines what behaviours would result with what artifacts.
      • Artifacts tell us about their music, art, values and culture overall.
      • Hierarchy
        • Artifacts
        • Behaviours
        • Values

• Schools of thought

  • Cultural Evolution
    • Thinks that society can be understood and identified by the natural laws they govern themselves by.
    • Different societies evolve at different rates. They were in competition with Western Europe, and governed themselves by being in competition as a country.
    • Apparently this is racist
  • Relative Cultures
    • Franz Boas
    • Because each culture has their own values. You cannot judge another culture, because you will then value them by your values.
  • Functional Cultures
    • Malinowki
    • Belief that cultures only serve its people and their needs.
    • Rituals and other things serve as upkeep for the culture to preserve its utility.
  • Materialistic Cultures
    • Based on materials or conditions
    • Ex:
      • Dry areas might have a rain god, placing the importance of rain as divine and from providence.
    • Infrastructure
      • Materials
      • Technology
      • Land
    • Structure
      • Politics
      • Economy
      • Family
    • Superstructure
      • Ideas
      • Values
      • Idols
      • Religion
    • If the conditions of the area changes, so does everything else.
  • Postmodernism
    • Our comprehension of the world is shaped by our society. Western societies believe that men should be weak. Eastern societies believe that men should be strong.
    • So basically we cannot understand everything, if our comprehension of the world is shaped by society.
    • Anthropologists cannot understand a society in a full capacity.