Chapter 1 Introduction

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Chapter 1

• Introduction

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Chapter Outline

• What is Anthropology?
• Cultural Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology and the Scientific Method
• The Anthropological Perspective
• Issue Evaluation in Science

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Hominids

• Humans are hominids, belonging to the taxonomic
  family Hominidae.
• Bipedalism, walking on two legs, is a critical
  feature of the hominids.
• Humans are members of the Order Primates, the
  group of mammals that includes prosimians,
  monkeys and apes.

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Culture

• Strategies humans use to adapt to their natural
  environment

Technologies Subsistence patterns
Housing types Clothing
Religion Values
Gender roles Marriage and family
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What Is Anthropology?

• The study of humankind.
• Integrates sociology, economics, history,
  psychology, and biology.
• Comprises three subfields
• cultural anthropology
• Archaeology
• physical, or biological, anthropology

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Culture and Evolution

• Over time, cultural and biology interacted.
• Humans are said to be the result of biocultural
  evolution.
• Biocultural interactions resulted in anatomical,
  biological and behavioral changes.

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Cultural Anthropology

• Studies all aspects of human behavior.
• Subfields
• Urban anthropology deals with issues of inner
  cities.
• Medical anthropology explores relationship
  between culture and health.

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Archaeology

• Study and interpretation of material remains
  recovered from earlier cultures.
• Information about culture comes from artifacts
  and material culture left by early hominids.

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Linguistic Anthropology

• Study of the origin of language and speech.
• The use of language is a unique human
  characteristic.

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Relationship Between Culture and Language

• How do members of a society perceive phenomena?
• How does the use of language shape perceptions?

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Physical Anthropology

• Study of human biology in the framework of
  evolution.
• Many physical anthropologists emphasize the
  interaction between biology and culture.

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Subfields of Physical Anthropology

• Paleoanthropology - study of human evolution
• Anthropometry - measurement of human body parts
• Primatology - study of nonhuman primates
• Osteology - study of skeletons

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Evolution

• A change in the genetic makeup of a population
  from one generation to the next.
• Genetic alterations within populations
  microevolution.
• Genetic change resulting in the appearance of a
  new species macroevolution.

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Physical Anthropologyand the Scientific Method

• State the research problem.
• Develop a hypothesis.
• Test the hypothesis through data collection and
  analysis.
• If the hypothesis is verified, it becomes a
  theory.

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Physical Anthropology as a Part of the Scientific
Study of Humans