ucsp

• Politics

  Activities associated with the governance of a country/other areas, especially the debate or conflict among individuals/parties having or hoping to achieve power
• Franz Boas

  Considered the Father of Modern American Anthropology
• Society

  Group of people living together, interact with each other, and share a common culture
• Culture


  • Consists of beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society
• Sociology


  • Study of society, patterns of social interactions, and culture of everyday life
• Anthropology vs. Sociology

  Answers different questions
• Sociology emerged as an academic field at the height of the Industrial Revolution in Europe, studying European society by European people
• Material Culture

  Includes all society's physical objects such as tools, technology, clothing, utensils, and means of transportation
• Major elements of socio-cultural and political variations include gender, ethnicity, socio-economic class, and religion
• Political Science

  Study of politics
• Anthropology started as a science during the times of exploration, focusing on non-European people by European people
• Sociology

  Study of society
• Anthropology

  Study of culture
• Anthropology


  • Study of people and their culture, uses ethnography as a special research method
• Culture

  All the ways of life including arts, beliefs, and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation
• Auguste Comte

  French philosopher and mathematician who coined the term sociology
• Major Elements of Culture

  • Symbols
  • Beliefs
  • Values
  • Language
• Political Science


  • Systematic study of government, politics, and political power
• Nonmaterial Culture

  Also known as symbolic culture, includes values, beliefs, symbols, and language that define a society
• John Lubbock coined the term “Paleolithic” in 1865
• Major Elements of Culture


  • Symbols
  • Language
  • Norms
  • Values
  • Artifacts
• In the Paleolithic Period, people were nomads, caves served as their shelter, and they used simple tools and weapons made of unpolished stone
• The Neolithic Period, also known as the New Stone Age, happened around 10,000 B.C.
• Formal Norms

  • Also called mores and laws
  • Refers to the standards of behavior considered the most important in any society
  • e.g., traffic laws, criminal codes, student behavior codes
• Nonmaterial Culture

  • Also known as symbolic culture
  • Includes the values, beliefs, symbols, and language that defines a society
• Humans in the Paleolithic Period were grouped in small societies such as bands and subsisted by gathering plants, fishing, hunting, or scavenging wild animals
• Language

  • The key symbol of any culture
  • A system of words and symbols used to communicate with other people
  • A vital part of human connections
  • Allows us to share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with others
• The Neolithic Period resulted in an increase in population, dependence on domesticated plants and animals, creation of crafts, and development of boats for transportation and fishing
• Values

  • Important elements of culture involving judgments of what is good and bad, desirable or undesirable
  • A culture’s values shape its norms
  • Human values are essential in our life because they help us grow and develop
• Polished stone tools were used for weapons in the Neolithic Period
• Metal such as bronze, copper, and iron were discovered during the Age of Metal, leading to historical developments in civilizations
• There were no leaders during the Paleolithic Period, but individuals known for good decisions were consulted when problems arose
• Informal Norms

  • Also called folkways and customs
  • Standards of behavior that are less important but influence how we behave
  • e.g., table manners, dress codes
• Symbols

  • Every culture is filled with symbols that stand for something else, often evoking various reactions and emotions
  • People who share a culture often attach a specific meaning to an object, gesture, sound, or image
  • Nonverbal communication or material objects
• The Paleolithic Period happened 2.5 million years ago and is known as the Old Stone Age
• Artifacts

  • Material objects that constitute to society’s material culture
  • Valuable tools for exploring the past and using them to understand the past
• Material Culture

  Includes all society’s physical objects such as tools and technology, clothing, utensils, and means of transportation
• Respect was given to age and individual prowess during the Paleolithic Period
• Norms

  • Standard and expectations for behaving
  • Formal and informal rules regarding what kind of behaviors are acceptable and appropriate within a culture
• John Lubbock coined the term “Neolithic”