Anthropology

• Anthropology is a holistic study of human origins, patterns of interactions, culture, and physical and socio-cultural development
• Expansion of territories among ancient civilizations led to a convergence of peoples with different characteristics and cultural practices
• In the Age of Exploration and Colonialism (15th to 19th centuries), European explorers sought new land and labeled the Occident or the "West" as superior to the Oriental or the "exotic other"
• In the 19th century, there was a global move towards pacification, leading to further encounters between "native" peoples and Europeans
• Edward Burnett Tylor (1832-1917):

  • English anthropologist known as the "Father of Cultural Anthropology"
  • Posited anthropology as a "science of culture" that could be objectively studied with proper methodology and a theoretical framework
  • Introduced the concept of unilineal cultural evolution
• Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881):

  • American anthropologist who believed in socio-cultural evolution with three stages: Savagery, Barbarism, and Civilization
  • Used science to justify racism
• Franz Boas (1858-1942):

  • German-American anthropologist known as the "Father of American anthropology"
  • Did not use science to justify racism
  • Pioneered fieldwork (ethnography) and promoted cultural relativism
• Subdisciplines of anthropology:

  • Biological or physical anthropology: examines human variation and evolution through physical or biological characteristics
  • Archaeology: reconstructs the human past using excavated artifacts
  • Linguistic anthropology: examines the relationship between language and culture
  • Cultural anthropology: studies the lifeways and traditions of human groups
• Research Methods in Anthropology:

  • Ethnography: describes a culture based on interviews and through participation and observation of locals' lifeways and beliefs
  • Key informant interview: collects data from individuals who are experts on the topic
  • Participant observation method: involves the anthropologist's daily encounters with the locals