What is Anthropology? What is Culture

Diffusion

The process by which cultural elements are borrowed from another society and incorporated into the culture of the recipient group. Three types: direct, intermediate, and stimulus

ethnographic fieldwork

a primary research strategy in cultural anthropology typically involving living and interacting with a community of people over an extended period to better understand their lives results in ethnography. To do so they involve knowledgable members of the the local society.

Historical Particularism

The idea, attributed to Franz Boas, that cultures develop in specific ways because of their unique histories. Developed as a reaction to unilinear cultural evolution.

thick description

a research strategy that combines detailed description of cultural activity with an analysis of the layers of deep cultural meaning in which those activities are embedded

Stimulus Diffusion

a situation in which knowledge of a cultural elements stimulates the invention/development of a local equivalent.

Values

fundamental beliefs about what is important, true, or beautiful, and what makes a good life. They develop out of a shared history. Cultures cultivate them to create unity

Margaret Mead

studied gender roles& sexuality, cultural anthropologist. Noticed that coming of age problems in America were a culturally induced phenomena for Samoa children did not experience the same problem.

multisited ethnography

studying a culture or community in several different locations around the globe.

Hegemony

the ability of a dominant group to create consent and agreement within a population without the use or threat of force

power

the ability or potential to bring about change through action or influence. Beginning to think that power plays a very crucial role in culture because power is embedded in many kinds of social relations and reflects social stratification.

increasing migration

the accelerated movement of people within and between countries. Simply put, as transportation becomes easier and cheaper to access, people can more easily move to where there are jobs, or at least where it is perceived that there are jobs.

ethnology

the analysis and comparison of ethnographic data across cultures. Purpose is to create theories designed to increase understanding of how cultures and societies work.

Holism

the anthropological commitment to look at the whole picture of human life - culture, biology, history, and language - across time and space.

time-space compression

the rapid innovation of communication and transportation technologies associated with globalization that transforms the way people think about space (distances) and time.

prehistoric archaeology

the reconstruction of human behavior in the distant past (before written records) through the examination of artifacts

Linguistic Anthropology

the study of human language in the past and in the present to see how it affects our culture and our worldview. Three subfields: descriptive, historic, and sociolinguistics.

Emic

an insider's perspective of their culture

Etic

an outsider's perspective of culture.

Four Approaches of Anthropology

-holistic -comparative (comparison) -field study -evolution.

Comparison

A characteristic of the anthropological perspective that requires anthropologists to examine similarities and differences between human societies.

participant observation

A key anthropological research strategy involving both participation in and observation of the daily life of the people being studied.

Homogenization

A trend toward uniformity, as cultures are adopting values, norms, and symbols from one another. It is exciting to share such things but sad to see the loss of variety. Migration has helped mitigate this a little

Advertising

A written or spoken media message designed to interest consumers in purchasing a product or service. It has long been a key component for manufacturing the desire to consume.

Ethnography

An anthropologist written or filmed description of a particular cultures customs, practices, and beliefs. Collected through ethnographic field work.

Credit

An arrangement to receive cash, goods, or services now and pay for them in the future. Has largely driven the consumerist society we live in.

Intentional invention

An invention or discovery that deliberately occurs

Evolutionary

Anthropologists examine biological and cultural change in humans over time.

Paradox of Anthropology and globalization

Anthropology desires to preserve cultures of which globalization is wiping out but globalization is what has enabled the culture to be studied in the first place. Not only that, it is causing anthropology to transform because of the changes resulting from globalization. New research strategies by approaching any communities studied as apart of the global picture: Multisited ethnography

Bidirectional process

Both sides of something can input something. Both cultures can adopt aspects of the other.

Climate change

Changes to Earth's climate, including global warming produced primarily by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases created by human activity such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. The increased technological change driven by the processes of globalization has begun to have clear impacts on climate causing polar caps to melt and rising sea levels.

bicultural

Culture would not be what it is without biology. Biology enables us to learn and create culture. Culture makes human survival possible. They are codependent on one another but do not have each-others backs in that culture can cause us to do things that are bad for us biologically and biologically we may need to do something that is seen as culturally wrong.

Field-Based

For anthropologists data collection occurs in direct contact with people, sites, or animals studied.

Migration and Homogenization

Increased levels of migration (with improved transportation technologies) have led to the sharing of different cultural traditions. When migrants move to a new place, they bring their cultural values and norms with them. The values and norms often change to a certain extent to accommodate their new environment. But they can also influence their new environment with their old culture. This results in what is called the Global Flow of culture.

Unidirectional

One culture is only allowed to share their culture.

consumer demand

The amount of a good or service a consumer is willing and able to purchase at a range of prices. Stimulated by advertising.

Anthropology

The study of the full scope of human diversity, past and present, and the application of that knowledge to help people of different backgrounds better understand one another. Done so through exploring societies, culture, and physical diversity across time and space. As well as examining human ancestors to understand human origins. Four subfields: Biological, Cultural, Linguistic, and Archeology. All four together result in applied anthropology.

Unilinear Cultural Evolution

The theory proposed by nineteenth-century anthropologists that all cultures naturally evolve through the same sequence of stages from simple to complex. Developed by Lewis Henry Morgan. An example of evolutionary framework theory for culture of which were heavily influenced by Darwins topic.

four-field approach

The use of four interrelated disciplines to study humanity: physical anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and cultural anthropology. Foundation is credited to Franz Boaz.

Discovery and Invention

They are ultimate the sources of all cultural change. Though, they don't necessarily always lead to cultural change. Two types: intentional and unintentional invention. These might not always be adopted by the public.

Structural Functionalism

a conceptual framework positing that each element of society serves a particular function to keep the entire system in equilibrium. Taking a more scientific approach by analyzing such components through controlling them as if in an experiment.

interpretivist approach

a conceptual framework that sees culture primarily as a symbolic system of deep meaning with many layers. Getting the deep meaning required a thick description.

consumer culture

a culture where buying and selling are highly valued. in order for it to exist there must be a consumer demand. There also must be the ability to consume: credit

Unconscious Invention

a discovery or invention that occurs unintentionally

Culture

a system of knowledge, beliefs, patterns of behavior, artifacts, and institutions that are created, learned, and shared by a group of people. Human beings use culture to adapt to and transform the world in which they live (what made them so successful as a species). It is a learned behavior via enculturation. Within there is a reason behind why things are done. It does not involve value judgements. Has subcultures. Culture is shared making it a group concept that cannot be experienced outside of group activity. It is flexible. There are four main processes that create culture: Norms, values, symbols, and Mental maps

intermediate contact diffusion

acquiring and transmitting cultural elements through the use of a third party.

direct contact diffusion

acquiring and transmitting cultural elements via direct contact with others.

epigenetics

an area of study in the field of genetics exploring ways environmental factors directly affect the expression of genes in ways that may be inherited between generations

Symbols

anything that represents something else. Language is a symbol cultural values and norms are often expressed through symbols. In culture it is used to convey meaning to those of a culture.

Applied anthropology

combines the four subfields of anthropology to identify and solve contemporary issues. Purpose is to create practical cross-cultural solution to contemporary problems. Work outside of Academia

Mental maps of reality

cultural classifications of what kinds of people and things exist, and the assignment of meaning to those classifications. attempts to distill the complex world around us into understandable categories. Heavily culturally influenced and can lead to ethnocentrism.

subcultures

cultural groups that exist within the confines of a larger, overarching culture. They are common, but not less than the dominant culture because they are underneath it. It allows people to find a community or niche.

assimilation

culture change that occurs when different cultural groups come into intensive contact. Usually this occurs in situations in which there are superordinate-subordinate relations between the groups and typically involves the subordinate group to completely incorporate the superordinate group's culture. This is unidirectional

Acculturation

culture change that occurs when different cultural groups come into intensive contact. Usually this occurs in situations in which there are superordinate-subordinate relations between the groups. The thing to note about acculturation is that each culture that is present remains distinct. A bidirectional process

Norms

ideas or rules about how people should behave in particular situations or toward certain other people. They created by the common actions of people in a group. Change can often arise from resistance to these norms.

bicultural organisms

organisms whose defining features are codetermined by biological and cultural factors

Globalization

refers to the worldwide intensification of interactions and increased movements of money, people, goods, and ideas within and across national borders. Resulting because of time space compression and humans ability to adapt to the environment they are in via biological and cultural adaptations and changing the environment. Has always been present, only intensity and pace has increased. Anthropology has a paradox with it. Results in flexible accumulation, uneven development, increased migration and climate change.

ethnocentrism

the belief that ones own way of life is normal and natural and indeed the only true way of being fully human; using ones own culture to evaluate and judge the practices and ideals of others. Our culture tells us how to act and we take it a say that this is the best way to be. We all have ethnocentrism.

human microbiome

the complete collection of microorganisms in the human body's ecosystem

Anthropocene

the current historical era in which human activity is reshaping the planet in permanent ways. We are now experiencing the effects of changes we made to the planet.

historic archaeology

the exploration of the more recent past through an examination of physical remains and artifacts as well as written or oral records

society

the focus of early British anthropological research whose structure and function could be isolated and studied scientifically.

Increasing Cosmopolitanism

the increasing flow of people, ideas, and products has allowed worldwide access to cultural patterns that are new, innovative, and stimulating increasing the awareness of belonging to a global community all due to globalization and leading to broader global outlooks (less ethnocentrism).

flexible accumulation

the increasingly flexible strategies that corporations use to accumulate profits in an era of globalization, enabled by time-space compression.

Archeology

the investigation of the human culture of the past by means of excavating and analyzing artifacts. Material remains enable past cultural activities to be described, reconstructed, and interpreted. It provide tremendous time depth unavailable to ethnographers. Done on cultures with and without written records. Focuses equally on the great and simple things of the past. There is also historic archaeology, and prehistoric archaeology

Material Power

the more traditional signs of power: political, economic, or material power. This power is often exhibited through coercion or brute force.

Agency

the potential power individuals and groups have to contest cultural norms, values, mental maps of reality, symbols, institutions, and structures of power.

Enculturation

the process of learning culture. Because culture is constantly changing it is a life long process. this means that it is taught. This is done via parents, socialization, and schools.

Physical Anthropology

the study of humans from a biological perspective, particularly how the have evolved and adapted to environment. Arose because of noted differences among human populations. Includes primatologist and paleoanthropologist.

Cultural Anthropology

the study of living cultures including the everyday lives of people in their communities including behaviors, beliefs, and institutions that also includes how people make meaning as they live, work, and play together. Done so through looking at how humans organize themselves and how material life varies across human societies through ethnography and ethnology.

Primatology

the study of living nonhuman Primates as well as primate fossils to better understand human evolution and early human behavior. Studying primates may help us better understand ourselves and our evolution.

Paleoanthropology

the study of the history of human evolution and origin through the fossil record. Now it is delving into genetic analyses as well.

Language

the system of arbitrary symbols that we assign meaning to and arrange with grammar to communicate meaningfully. Used to encode ones experience of the world and of others. It is flexible and innovative being able to describe experiences never had or nonexistent.

uneven development

the unequal distribution of the benefits of globalization. The increasing gap in economic conditions between core and peripheral regions as a result of the globalization of the economy.

Stratification

the uneven distribution of resources and privileges among participants in a group or culture

human rights

those things we value most and thus consider inherent to a concept of justice given our culture. Very difficult to discuss with a culturally relativistic perspective since cultures are not shared around the world changing the idea of human rights from culture to culture.

descriptive linguists

those who analyze languages and their component parts. focuses on preserving linguistic diversity before it is lost by documenting and recoding them

historic linguists

those who study how language changes over time within a culture and how languages travel across cultures. As different language dialects become so different that new languages form. Attempts to reconstruct the history and processes of change within languages.

Sociolinguists

those who study language in its social and cultural contexts. focuses on the interaction between language and society, that is, how our language affects our society, and how our society effects our language

cultural relativism

understanding a group's beliefs and practices within their own cultural context, without making judgements. Understand that there is a reason behind why things are done the way they are in that culture. Apply etic and emic perspective to do so.