...I. Human Adaptability Anthropology is the exploration of human diversity in time and space. Anthropology studies the whole of the human condition: past, present, and future; biology, society, language, and culture. Of particular interest is the diversity that comes through human adaptability. A. Adaptation, Variation, and Change 1. Adaptation refers to the processes by which organisms cope with environmental forces and stresses. 2. Humans use both biological and cultural means of adaptation. For example, human bodies can adapt biologically in three ways to high altitude: genetic adaptation, long-term physiological adaptation, and short-term physiological adaptation. Culturally, humans have developed technologies, such as pressurized airplane cabins equipped with oxygen masks, to deal with extreme environments. 3. As human history has unfolded, the social and cultural means of adaptation have become increasingly important. Much more recently, the spread of industrial production has profoundly affected human life. II. General Anthropology B. The academic discipline of anthropology, also known as general anthropology or "four-field" anthropology, includes four main subdisciplines or subfields. They are sociocultural, archaeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology. This four-field approach is distinctly American. 4. There are historical reasons for the inclusion of four subfields in a single disciple, with origins...
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...‘DISCUSS THE EXTENT TO WHICH ANTHROPOLOGY IS A SCIENCE.’ The study of anthropology concerns itself with the understanding of various societies and cultures within our world. It focuses on revealing the spectrum of connections and relationships that serve as the foundation to society and culture. Ethnography, which involves one immersing themselves in a foreign culture serves as the main form of research for anthropologists’. However the interpersonal and subjective nature of this form of study undermines the scientific nature of Anthropology in regards to the natural sciences. In order to understand the extent to which anthropology is a science, I will explore arguments which reiterate the validity and academic value of anthropological import, this will be achieved through the analysis of the ‘modified sociological realism’, intersubjective pattern recognition’ as well as ‘human patterns’. Science considers itself totally absent from interpersonal subjectiveness however this notion should be scrutinized and evaluated in order to ensure that the study of Anthropology is not made to be redundant In contrast to the natural sciences. This form of scientific understanding can be referred to as the ‘modified sociological realism and is supported by the commentaries of Ziman (1978), Hacking (1982,1983), Taylor (1982) and Harre (1986). Science is a human activity and human nature should be considered as an element in producing empirical import. The work of scientists within the natural...
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...KOTTAK Department of Anthropology University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109 The New Ecological Anthropology Older ecologies have been remiss in the narrowness of their spatial and temporal horizons, their functionalist assumptions, and their apolitical character. Suspending functionalist assumptions and an emphasis upon (homeo)stasis, "the new ecological anthropology" is located at the intersection of global, national, regional, and local systems, studying the outcome of the interaction of multiple levels and multiple factors. It blends theoretical and empirical research with applied, policy-directed, and critical work in what Rappaport called an "engaged" anthropology; and it is otherwise attuned to the political aspects and implications of ecological processes. Carefully laying out a critique of previous ecologies by way of announcing newer approaches, the article insists on the need to recognize the importance of culture mediations in ecological processes rather than treating culture as epiphenomenal and as a mere adaptive tool. It closes with a discussion of the methodologies appropriate to the new ecological anthropology. / "the new ecology, " political ecology, applied or engaged anthropology, linkages methodology] cological anthropology was named as such during the 1960s, but it has many ancestors, including Daryll Forde, Alfred Kroeber, and, especially, Julian Steward. Steward's cultural ecology influenced the ecological anthropology of Roy Rappaport and Andrew...
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...Anthropology: A Definition Learning Objectives 1 1. Define anthropology as a discipline. 2. Enumerate and define the subdivisions of anthropology. 3. Outline the history of anthropology. 4. Discuss the research methods of anthropological research. 5. Explain the causes of culture shock. 6. Analyze the values of cultural relativism. 7. Identify the uses of cross-cultural comparison. After reading this chapter, you should be able to: iStockphoto/Thinkstock iStockphoto 8. Explain the basic ethical questions of anthropological research. 9. Explain the different concepts used in an anthropological analysis of culture. 10. Explain the difference between humanistic and scientific approaches to culture. Chapter Outline 1.1 The Breadth of Anthropology • • • • • The Four Traditional Subfields Anthropology as Science and Humanity Etic Versus Emic Perspectives The Holistic Perspective Breadth in Time and Space 1.3 Methods of Anthropological Research • • • • Participant Observation The Fieldwork: A Case Study Cross-Cultural Comparison Ethics in Anthropological Research 1.2 The History of Cultural Anthropology • • • • • The Evolutionary Period The Empiricist Period The Functionalist Period The Contemporary Period The Period of Specialization 1.4 Cultural Differences • Culture Shock • Ethnocentrism • Cultural Relativism 1.5 Employment in Anthropology 1 cra80793_01_c01_001-032.indd 1 5/23/13 2:23 PM Section 1.1 The Breadth of Anthropology CHAPTER...
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...aspect of the recent interest in second-hand and reuse concerns the meaningfulness of circulation in social life. Using classic anthropological theory on how the circulation of material culture generates sociality, it focuses on how second-hand things are transformed by their circulation. Rather than merely having cultural biographies, second-hand things are reconfigured through their shifts between different social contexts in a process that here is understood as a form of growing. Similar to that of an organism, this growth is continuous, irreversible and dependent on forces both internal and external to it. What emerges is a category of things that combine elements of both commodities and gifts, as these have been theorized within anthropology. While first cycle commodities are purified of their sociality, the hybrid second-hand thing derives its ontological status as well as social and commercial value precisely from retaining ‘gift qualities’, produced by its circulation. Keywords: Second-hand, circulation, material culture, retro, vintage, growing, gifts, commodities Appelgren, Staffan & Anna Bohlin: “Growing in Motion” Culture Unbound, Volume 7, 2015: 143-168. Published by Linköping University Electronic Press: http://www.cultureunbound.ep.liu.se Thus, one of the most important and unusual features of the Kula is the existence of the Kula vaygu’a, the incessantly circulating and ever exchangeable valuables, owing their value to this very circulation...
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...ANTHROPOLOGY 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Queens College / CUNY, Spring 2015 TuTh 12:15-1:30PM, Kiely 150 Professor: Ramona Lee Pérez, PhD Email: ramona.perez@qc.cuny.edu Office hours: Th 2-3 PM, PH 315H COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is an introduction to the range of human diversity through an exploration of the peoples of the world. We will cover the basic concepts, theories, and methods that anthropologists use to study variations in cultural norms and social practices, economic systems and rules of law, social organization and patterns of inequality, identity and worldview, and patterns of social and cultural change. Focusing on the culture concept and the method of ethnography, we begin with the historical foundations of anthropology and then follow its attempts to understand contemporary human cultures. Comparative analysis of multiple ethnographic case studies and major theoretical approaches illuminates the range of human diversity, the forces that shape cultures, and how people adapt to a rapidly changing modern world. The central objectives of this course are to develop your intellectual skills, your cross-cultural fluency, and your sense of civic and moral engagement in global society. I hope that this course inspires many of you to become anthropology majors or minors, and grants each of you an anthropological perspective on your own life. REQUIREMENTS This is an intensive course that requires full participation from every student...
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...Young 1 Virginia Young Dr. Lawrence Wheeler Honors 101 13 November 2013 Informal Fictive Kinship in Japan: A Summary of Argument This essay will review the use of informal kinship within Japanese culture, as explored by Edward Norbeck and Harumi Befu. Through careful examination I shall analyze the central arguments as presented by Norbeck and Befu, the evidence used to support these arguments, how the evidence and argument complement one another, and the previous training and experience had by the authors that allows them to write a successful article. Together Norbeck and Befu examine how the Japanese use of kinships terms can often give non-relatives the status of relatives. Their process of exploration on this topic of the range for the usage of kinship terms are examined throughout four distinct sections in the article, with subsequent sections found within each. This use of division helps to frame the argument of Norbeck and Befu in a manner that allows the reader to clearly understand the cultural usage of the varying forms of kinship and how it helps to define relationships among people. The first section, “Background Consideration” describes the methods in which Norbeck and Befu gathered information - personal experiences, fieldwork, and thirty informants. Further reading introduces the general rules of kinships and how the method of kinships has been obtained from other cultures. Based on the research conducted by Spier, the Japanese system of classification is similar...
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...Marquette and Jolliet’s expedition may have been to find a route to the Pacific Ocean, but not everyone knows what accomplishments they made. On their expedition, they met two groups of Indians, one of them almost killing them if it weren’t for the calumet, peace pipe, that was given to them by the other group of Indians. They also made very impressive accomplishments. One of these accomplishments includes Marquette’s death. Marquette and Jolliet had a pretty interesting early life, including their jobs before their mission on the Mississippi. Jacques Marquette was born in Laon, France in 1637. Louis Jolliet, however, has an unknown exact birthday, but he was baptized on September 21, 1645. Marquette became a Jesuit missionary and Jolliet became a fur trader before their expedition. Governor Frontenac of New France, now Canada, sent Marquette and Jolliet to see if the Mississippi was a route to the Pacific Ocean in 1673. Marquette and Jolliet had quite an impressive expedition, given that they were trying to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They went across the Fox River, through the Wisconsin River, down the Mississippi River, and on the Michigan River back home. They also explored Illinois and Arkansas during their expedition. While on their expedition, Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet ran into two new species. They discovered the bison and a large catfish species, which Marquette described as, “...a monster with the head of a tiger, the nose of a wildcat, and whisker...
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...I have been asked to describe four different types of expeditions, I am going to start my assignment by explaining what expedition means, expedition means a journey organized for a particular purpose. A military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in foreign country can be referred to expedition. Expedition is personal development, it is about pushing yourself, and it encourages life and social skills. Expeditions combine adventure, cultural and educational activities for people who want to experience everything the nature has to offer. The first expedition am going to describe is an individual expedition. These expeditions are set up and planned by the individual. The motivation for carrying out an expedition is to achieve something different individually, The general age range for the people who take part in this form of expedition are between 18-45 and provide learning in different aspects as well as allowing the person to gain experience. The time for an expedition of this type is usually around a couple of days up to a week in length. An individual expedition can take many forms in their activity such as climbing, trekking and caving. This involves going to an appropriate place where such an activity can be completed, for example mountaineering would need you to go to a place such as the Alps or the Himalayas. If you are going mountaineering then you are expected to be within a mountainous region with the possible inclusion of snow and low cloud covering. The...
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...Unit 9: Outdoors & Adventurous Expeditions Workbook |Name | | |Group | | This completed workbook is to be submitted for assessment on the following date: ORIGINALITY STATEMENT: The contents of this workbook have been produced by me individually or with team members & is a true reflection of the activities undertaken as part of this unit. Name: Signed: INTRODUCTION Outdoor and adventurous expeditions are used by most of the Uniformed Public Services; particularly the Armed Forces, to develop the skills and values essential for effective teamwork. They provide opportunities for individuals and organisations to understand how they perform in difficult and arduous conditions. This workbook serves as a record of activities, development of skills, reflection, future plans and also includes witness statements to be completed by tutors or lecturers. Careful completion of this workbook in relation to the activities carried out will provide evidence to support the learning outcomes for the module. It should be completed with your own work and you may include photos and diagrams as you feel appropriate. You should complete the workbook electronically and will need to ask staff and tutors to complete witness statements...
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...The New World known today as America is a product of the meeting of two worlds, two different social, political and economic environments. America remained hidden for thousands of years and unknown to European explorers. Its discovery consisted of a clash of cultures, languages, traditions and history. Although they bear a similarity as they were both initially sponsored by monarchs in search of the Northwest Passage, the differences between the Spanish (1492 – 1548) and English (1584-1648) explorations are very clear. During the XV century the first marine expeditions that allowed having a better understanding of the world, were made. The major European explorers that were part of the Spanish and English explorations were Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Nunez Balboa, Ferdinand Magellan, Juan Ponce De Leon, Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando De Soto, Francisco Coronado, and Sir Francis Drake. An important similarity on the explorations was that they were in search of the Northwest Passage , a route that the Far East could be achieved (India) from Europe traveling to the west. Other similarities included are the first voyages were made by Italian explorers and sponsored by monarchs. Christopher Columbus and John Cabot were from Italy. Columbus’ voyages were approved by Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile of Spain. John Cabot received approval by Henry VII of England. These are the similarities, but now we will see how clear the differences were. ...
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...Military: Military expeditions are used by the military/army; the specialised forced to help them train their personnel in a variety of different skills. An example of this can be they might send a few soldiers in training to Arctic for Cold/Hot weather training to see how they are going to cope and do; The Aim of Expedition like that is to train soldiers to fight in any type of surroundings. Military expeditions also help to promote teamwork, leadership, and teamwork Regardless of the weather Conditions. Educational: This type of Expeditions is recycled to learn or to teach college /University Students in a new or foreign area. How this helps them is to progress and advance their Individuality, Freedom to learn new skills and things about the place where they are going to (The Expedition Location). Students will gain much more experience of doing outdoor activities with the group or on their own this is really helpful in many different ways. It is a good way to grow, Develop different types of abilities and talents which are useful in our every day to day life, Such as Map reading or orienteering events. Example of educational expedition is The Challenge expeditions approved by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award which include training, practice and qualifying ventures for schools, youth groups and uniformed organisations. Individual: A specific expedition is agreed to...
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...The Development of Anthropology * Anthropology (Anthropos = “Man”, Logy = “Study of”) * The study of humankind in all times and places * The discipline of Anthropology is a European invention, but the study of people has a long history… Early Anthropology * Herodotus * Greek Historian (5th century B.C.E.) * The Histories – collections of Herodotus’ encounters with peoples of the Mediterranean world. He often emphasized how he faithfully recorded stories told to him, but would often add embellishments/emphasis to endear his Greek readers to the peoples he met abroad. * Napoleon Bonaparte and Egypt * Self-proclaimed Emperor of France (1769-1821) In Western History… European Exploration/Colonialism Columbus, Napoleon, and… Western Society’s past attempts at getting to know other cultures * Modernism: Began with the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. * A reaction to the superstition and hysteria of Europe’s “Dark Ages” (The Witch hunt era that we will get into later). Rationality, objectivity, reason can discover knowledge and truth and lead to progress We can understand everybody/thing everywhere if we adhere to these principles of logic. * Empirical knowledge: Based on observations of the world rather than on intuition or faith. * Hypothesis: A tentative explanation of the relation between certain phenomena Theory: In science, an explanation of natural phenomena, supported by a reliable...
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...That is to say, Flaherty portrayed his passion of the Inuit in the film and he made a decision to live with them for over eight years, which is similar to anthropological field work. Ruby mentions that, Flaherty “not only behaved like anthropologist, but his field methods, his stated intentions, and his willingness to be methodologically explicit place him more solidly within orthodox anthropology than do the actions of most of the contemporary self-professed ethnographic filmmakers” (Ruby 2000, 86). In the end, the Inuit played a major role in the production of the film and challenged Flaherty to picture life differently, rather than from a Western perspective. Thus, the film Nanook includes the use of anthropological methodology and that is the reason why Flaherty fits the bill of an...
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...The film The Namesake started out while Ashoke Ganguli was traveling on a train to visit his grandfather. On the train Ashoke meets fellow traveler, Ghosh, who impresses upon him to start traveling. The train crashes and Ashoke almost dies but is found and survives. After the crash, Ashoke relocates to America for school. In 1977, Ashoke returns home to India to be arranged to marry Ashima. When Ashima accepts Ashoke’s marriage proposal, she has to move to New York with him where their residence becomes permanent. Ashima has to adapt and adjust to American culture, which is very hard for her because she has never been out of India and she misses her family. Shortly after, they become parents of a boy, who they name Nikhil, with the pet name Gogol, after his father’s favorite author. In time, they have their second child together, a girl named Sonia. Both kids grow up as rebellious, typical American teenagers and have very slight interest in their Bengali culture. When they visit India, they both feel very out of place especially with their grandparents who want them to get married and have children already. After visiting the Taj Mahal, Gogol knows he wants to become an architect. He studies at Yale and falls in love with a preppy, wealthy American girl named Maxine. Sonia continues to live the American way of life when she moves to California to live an independent life. Cultural tensions flare when he brings Maxine home to meet his parents, who want their children...
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