The Anthropological Approach and Its Unique Perspective Can Contribute to the Search for Solutions to Contemporary Human Problems”
“The anthropological approach and its unique perspective can contribute to the search for solutions to contemporary human problems”
-With reference to Globalization-
Anthropology refers to the study of humanity. Anthropologists do not discriminate against culture, gender or race but study all societies and are concerned with the totality of human existence. Ethnography is often seen as the hallmark of anthropology and it consists of fieldwork, which is used to acquire the information and insights needed to understand different societies ways of life. Fieldwork entails going to live with or close to the people being studied in order to gain firsthand experience about their lives and the problems they have to deal with.
There are three main approaches of anthropology as identified by John H. Bodley, these are:
• The Holistic approach
• Cross-cultural comparative approach
• Evolutionistic Approach
The Holistic approach is concerned with all the cultural systems of a society (such as the kinship, religious or economic systems). All phenomena must be investigated and interpreted in terms of the total context in which they are found.
The Cross-cultural comparative approach enables one to gain insight into human similarities and differences. It reveals the various ways in which people solve problems and enables anthropologists to generalize about the behavior of people and their relationships with others. The investigation of similarities and differences facilitates an understanding of why different interpretations and meanings are ascribed to phenomena by different people.
The Evolutionary approach allows us to see how we have changed through time and what it really means to be human.
These approaches give anthropology its uniqueness and contribute to the search for solutions to contemporary human problems. Take globalization as an example.
Globalization is the system of interaction among the countries of the world in order to develop the global economy. It
-With reference to Globalization-
Anthropology refers to the study of humanity. Anthropologists do not discriminate against culture, gender or race but study all societies and are concerned with the totality of human existence. Ethnography is often seen as the hallmark of anthropology and it consists of fieldwork, which is used to acquire the information and insights needed to understand different societies ways of life. Fieldwork entails going to live with or close to the people being studied in order to gain firsthand experience about their lives and the problems they have to deal with.
There are three main approaches of anthropology as identified by John H. Bodley, these are:
• The Holistic approach
• Cross-cultural comparative approach
• Evolutionistic Approach
The Holistic approach is concerned with all the cultural systems of a society (such as the kinship, religious or economic systems). All phenomena must be investigated and interpreted in terms of the total context in which they are found.
The Cross-cultural comparative approach enables one to gain insight into human similarities and differences. It reveals the various ways in which people solve problems and enables anthropologists to generalize about the behavior of people and their relationships with others. The investigation of similarities and differences facilitates an understanding of why different interpretations and meanings are ascribed to phenomena by different people.
The Evolutionary approach allows us to see how we have changed through time and what it really means to be human.
These approaches give anthropology its uniqueness and contribute to the search for solutions to contemporary human problems. Take globalization as an example.
Globalization is the system of interaction among the countries of the world in order to develop the global economy. It