What is anthropology

1
What is anthropology?

• The study of humankind

2
What aspects of humankind do anthropologists
focus on?

• Biological
• Psychological
• Historical
• Social
• Morals and Beliefs
• Technological
• Sexuality
• And much more...

3
So, whats the difference between anthropology
and...

• Biology?
• Psychology?
• History?
• Sociology?
• Comparative Religion?
• Applied science?
• Studies in sexual behaviour?
• And other specific disciplines?

4
Key Concept Nº 1

• HOLISM
• The principle that aspects of a culture are
  likely to be, to some extent, interrelated,
  leading to the research principle that it is
  useful to explore the possible interconnections
  witihg a culture.
• Anthropology is a holistic discipline

5
What keeps it all interconnected?
6
Key Concept Nº 2

• CULTURE
• Culture is learned and shared ideas about
  behaviour and about ideas themselves, which
  provides individuals and groups a relatively
  successful mode of adaptation to what they
  perceive as their environment.
• Anthropology is the study of culture

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Activity 1-1 Finding the connections in Bali

• View the clip and answer the following questions
• 1. In what ways is the anthropologists research
  holistic?
• 2. How did the holistic approach make a
  difference?
• 3. What connections did the anthropologist make?
• 4. What different power groups are involved in
  rice production?
• 5. What other practices form part of the
  traditional rice production?
• 6. Is the traditional system ecological?
• 7. If you we hired to introduce new agricultural
  technologies in a non-Western society, what
  aspects of the culture would you need to know
  about before introducing changes?

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Activity 1-2The scope of anthropology

• 1. Look at the Bibliography section of your
  cultural anthropology textbook
• 2. Classify the topics and subject matters of
  interest to anthropologists by looking through
  the titles of the books and articles written by
  them.
• Eg Abu-Lughod, L. (1986) Veiled
• sentiments Honor and poetry in a
• Bedouin society. Berkeley, CA University
• of California Press
• In this example the author is interested in the
  following issues
• sentiments
• secrecy
• honor
• poetry
• Bedouin society

? emotions
values
? art/literature
? culture of interest