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Ant 101: Introduction To Anthropology

ANT 101 provides an introduction to the field of anthropology. Anthropology is defined as the comparative study of human societies and cultures, examining both ancient and modern societies. It takes a holistic and comparative approach to understand how human groups adapt to their environments and make meaning of their lives. Anthropologists study various aspects of culture and human behavior through participatory research methods like ethnography and participant observation. The field generates knowledge about human diversity and has practical applications to address real-world problems by incorporating local perspectives. Culture is learned and shared patterns of behavior and beliefs that are transmitted between generations in a group. Society refers to the largest scale of human social organization where people share a common culture and heritage.

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65 views22 pages

Ant 101: Introduction To Anthropology

ANT 101 provides an introduction to the field of anthropology. Anthropology is defined as the comparative study of human societies and cultures, examining both ancient and modern societies. It takes a holistic and comparative approach to understand how human groups adapt to their environments and make meaning of their lives. Anthropologists study various aspects of culture and human behavior through participatory research methods like ethnography and participant observation. The field generates knowledge about human diversity and has practical applications to address real-world problems by incorporating local perspectives. Culture is learned and shared patterns of behavior and beliefs that are transmitted between generations in a group. Society refers to the largest scale of human social organization where people share a common culture and heritage.

Uploaded by

Amina Matin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ANT 101: INTRODUCTION TO

ANTHROPOLOGY

Lecture: 1

Dr. Bulbul Ashraf Siddiqi


Assistant Professor
Dept. of Political Science and Sociology
Dr. Stanley Ann Dunham is the mother of US President Barak Obama.
ANTHROPOLOGY
FROM GREEK
ANTHROPOS (HUMAN) AND
LOGIA (STUDY)

IT IS THE STUDY OF HUMAN


KIND
WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?
Is this the study of fossils and nonindustrial societies?
•Anthropology is the study of human being
•What does it mean to study of human being?
• Anthropology is a comparative science that examines all
societies, ancient and modern, simple and complex.
• Comparative study of human societies and culture
•It provides a cross cultural perspective, comparing the
customs of one societies with those of others.

•Learning about as many different human ways of life.


WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?
Anthropology is the comparative study of
human societies and cultures—is to
describe, analyze, and explain different
cultures, to show how groups have
adapted to their environments and given
significance to their lives.
 Holistic Science: Study of the whole of the human
condition: past, present and the future; biology, society,
the learned and shared patterns of human behaviour. -
this is known as holistic approach.
WHAT DO ANTHROPOLOGIST STUDY?

A member of the Yora tribe from the border between Bolivia and Peru -
1986 (Kim Hill). Taken from
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140804-sad-truth-of-uncontacted-tri
bes
HOW DOES ANTHROPOLOGY STUDY?
 Participant observation:
 Living with a ‘native community’. And the output is
ethnography

 Ethnography:
 Writing about another culture following participant
observation.
CONTRIBUTION OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Generating Knowledge:
 Produce reliable knowledge about people and their
behaviour
 Produce knowledge about culture

Applied Anthropology:
 Application of anthropological knowledge to design a
solution.
 Identify reasons of problem and design an intervention
bring the voice of researched people.
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
What is Culture?
 Cultures are traditions and customs, transmitted through
learning, that form and guide the beliefs and behaviour of the
people exposed to them.
 Tylor defined culture as the “complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other
capabilities acquired [learned] by man as a member of
society” (1920:1)
 Culture is an historical process, with any culture composite and
hybrid and showing variations with groups.
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
 Enculturation: Children learn such a tradition by growing
up in a particular society, through a process called
enculturation

 Cultural tradition is transmitted through learning rather than


through biological inheritance.

 But it rests on certain features of biology:


 Learn, to think symbolically, to use language, employ tools,
strong adaptation skill etc.

The case: How About a Hug?


CULTURE AND SOCIETY
 What is society?
 A society is the largest form of human group. It consists of
people who share a common heritage and culture. Members
of the society learn this culture and transmit it from one
generation to the next. They even preserve their distinctive
culture through literature, art, video recordings, and other
means of expression.
 Members of society generally share a common language,
which facilitates day-to-day exchanges with others.
TWO CRUCIAL TERMS
Emic view

Etic view
EMIC VIEW

 What insiders do and perceive about their own


culture

 The insiders’ perceptions of reality

 Insiders’ explanations of why they do what they do


ETIC VIEW

 Analytical framework & tools used by outsiders


 In searching for patterns of the insider’s culture
Water bath – Boisabi Festival
Boi from Boisu (Tripura), Sa from Sangrai (Marma) and Bi from Bijhu (Chakma)
 Life of Anthropologists:
.
http://nypost.com/2014/05/24/son-finds-his-lost-mother-in-a-
stone-age-tribe/
 http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23758087
 Anthropologist’s Son Elected President: Dr. Stanley Ann
Dunham is the mother of US President Barak Obama.

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