All cultures all people have one.

1
The Creation Myth

• All cultures all people have one.
• It answers many important questions.
• Anthropology tries to answer these questions
  scientifically.

2
What questions does Anthroplogy answer?
Why we are here. Explains lifes
suffering Establishes or reveals a deity Explains
the nature of that deity. Tells us about how we
should live
Explains the cause or origin of natural
phenomenon Spoiled Paradise Establishes and
explains social or hierarchical order.
(Relationships) Ex men and women, man and
animals, man and the gods, etc. Gives reasons
to follow the rules  
3
A Brief History of ANTHROPOLOGY

• Not a field of study in U.S. until 1879. Why?
• No world travel
• Difficulty in sharing information. (compared to
  now)
• There was no belief in a common humanity. This
  idea changed after the ENLIGHTENMENT.

4
Understanding Anthropology

• Anthropology the science that deals with the
  origins, physical characteristics, and cultural
  development of humankind
• Two Types Cultural and Physical

5
The Physical Anthropologist

• Concerned with our species, homo sapiens, and its
  place in evolutionary history
• They Study
• The evolution of our species
• Fossil and skeletal evidence
• Knowledge of biology and zoology is very
  important to their studies
• The science that studies past forms of life
  preserved in fossil remains is Paleontology

6
Cultural Anthropology

• Archeology
• Linguistics
• Ethnology- Often times referred to simply as
  cultural anthropology

7
Cultural Anthropology

• Seeks to understand how and why different people
  think and act similarly.
• Concerned with patterns of thought, behaviors,
  customs, kinship organization, political and
  economic systems, religion, art, music etc.
• They compare cultures
• Remember Ethnology Cultural Anthropology!

8
ARCHEOLOGY

• The study of the material remains of human
  culture in order to describe and explain human
  behavior.
• Focus is on the human past
• Objects from the past are studied. We refer to
  them as artifacts.

9
LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY

• Language transmits culture
• This field deals with the description of language
  and the history of languages.
• Language can tell you volumes about the way a
  group of people view the world.

10
Methods of Anthropological Research

• Field work- describes observable facts found on
  sites, where first hand observation is possible
• Classifies facts
• Establishes connections among facts
• Make generalizations based on evidence

11
Methods of Anthropological Research

• Participant Observation- When one lives among a
  culture, does not study the culture from research
  or by doing surveys
• - Important aspect of Anthropology and
  Sociology!
• Cross-Cultural Comparison- An examination of the
  varied ways a certain aspect of human life is
  treated in different cultures

12
Holistic Perspective

• In order to understand the way that individual
  things work in a system, you must understand the
  way that the entire system works

13
Why Study Anthropology??

• To deepen your understanding of humans behavior
• To better understand human development
• To better understand about other cultures
• Increase tolerance

14
Why is it important to understand more about
other cultures?

• Studying anthropology helps to eliminate racism,
  encourage toleration and promote peaceful
  solutions to problems