The subfields of anthropology

Major subbranches of applied anthro

Forensic anthro, community development, cultural resource management, medical anthro

The major subbranches/ major research areas of linguistic anthro

Historical linguistics Sociolinguistics

Traditional Topics

Sex and genders, kinship, family and marriage, social organization, religion, art

Cultural Anthropology

Studies how variation in the beliefs and behaviors of members of different human groups is shaped by culture, that is, by sets of learned behaviors and ideas that human beings acquire as members of soceity

Ethnology

The comparative study of two or more cultures or socieities.

biological anthro + linguistic anthro

The origin of human languages

Applied Anthropology

Use information gathered from the other anthropological specialties to propose solutions to practical problems

Paleo anthropolgy

it investigates human biological evolution, that is, how and why the human species evolved from prehuman ex: compare to dnas to determine the common ancestor of two or more species

Human adaptation and variation

it studies how and why human populations vary physically due to genetic changes caused by adaption to different environments ex: people living in high altitudes ten to have relatively large lungs high levels of hemoglobin

Primatology

it studies the evolution, anatomy, adaptation and social behavior of primates ex: chimpanzees tool using behavior

Historic Archeology

it studies the past of literate peoples through excavation of sites and analysis of artifacts and other material remains. Ex: underwater archeology, garbology by william rathje

Archeology

reconstructs, describes, and interprets human behavior and cultural patterns through material remains

Linguistic Anthropology

studies human languages in their social and cultural contexts, across space and over time.

Biological Anthropology

studies the biological adaptation and variation of human beings, other non-human primates, and extinct hominin ancestors of the human species

The Traditional Subfields of anthropology

1. Biological Anthropology 2. Archeology 3. Cultural Anthropology 4. Linguistic Anthropology

The major subfields of archeology

1. Prehistoric Archeology 2. Historic Archeology

The major subfields of biology

1. Primatology 2. Paleo anthropolgy 3. Human Adaptation and Variation 4. Forensics

Ethnography

A description of a particular community, society, or culture. It refers to both the research product of an anthropologists, which can be in the form of a book, article and film, and a research method, which focuses on a particular group.

New research trends

Industrial societies Globalization

Prehistoric Archeology

It studies the lives and societies of people who had no writing to keep records of their activities customs and beliefs ex: study plan and animal remains for information about early agriculture

Forensics

It uses the techniques developed to study ancient human skeletal remains to solve modern crimes and aid human rights investigators. Ex: the body farm project by bill bass

linguistic anthro + cultural anthro

Linguistic pattern of a specific social group

Biological anthro + archeology

Location of an ancient group

Why does american anthro traditionally have four subfields

Logical: the aim of anthropology- the whole of the human condition Historical: Early American Anthros interest in the native peoples of North America. The first four- field anthro department in the usa was established at columbia university