Science of human cultural and biological variation and evolution
Study of human biological and cultural difference across space and time Anthropos: man (Greek) Logos: word (Greek) Naming: building a knowledge off “Study of Man”
Human Diversity/Differences Rigorous explanation of being human appreciation of many things Overlap with other fields Economics: accumulate wealth v. giving away wealth Different perspectives
Biological and Cultural Differences Important factor: wired naturally to perceive/interact with world Not just about biology mediated by complex culture (shared meanings: signs, symbols, knowledge, LANGUAGE) Communication: body language clothes, hair etc.
Assumptions about the world without realizing
Culture
Shared, learned behavior (social/economic systems; marriage custons; religion; philosophy; etc.) product of human history; created through interpersonal interactions through time Male v. Female: stereotypes
Natural v. Cultural: how raised v. how wired
Subfields of Anthropology
Sociocultural Anthropology: interested in socialcultural differences
Linguistic Anthropology: diversity of language
Study of language uniquely human characteristics
Analysis of language (not literature) and evolution of language
Archeology: history over time
Study of cultural behaviors in the historic and prehistoric past
Reconstruct past with artifacts
Biological Anthropology: diversity over time and biology
Biological evolution and variation of the human species, past and present
Evolutionary science focused on human biological origins, evolution and variation Paleoanthropolgy Study of primate and human evolution in the broadest possible sense Uses different contributions from other disciplines Primatology Scientific study of primates Human Biology Variation in biology
Epistemology
Way of knowing (knowledge of world around us)
Objective v. subjective
Examples: