LESSON
In the end of the lesson, you will be able to: 1
• Define the field of Anthropology
• Understand the concepts of Anthropology
• Examine different cultures and traditions
• Apply anthropological perspectives in
looking at a culture
What is Anthropology?
ANTHROPOLOGY
Derived from the Greek word Anthropos meaning “man” as in “human
being” and logos means “study”
The study of humans and all aspects of its being including its origin. The
first use of the term was as early as the 14th century. The field strives for
a comprehensive understanding of what defines humans. It tries to
explain and to understand the biological and cultural origins of species. It
includes the study of the remains of early and remains of human activities
(artifacts).
The fusion of social sciences and natural sciences. The field does not
only focus on the social aspect of the human being but the biological as
well. It studies the genetic make-up of the people concerning evolution,
the culture itself, religion, politics, language, and the different
environmental set ups.
ANTHROPOLOGISTS
are concerned with all humans, both from the past and the present, the
patterns, systems, and material possessions. They explore human
diversity in time and space. They explain how humans evolve and got to
be the way they are now. It distinguishes the significant variables to the
human experience that requires an unbiased view in its attempt to
understand it.
study practices of people like ritual and ceremonies. They look for
empirical data to understand the diversity of human existence, and the
cultural and biological perspectives.
THE FOUR FIELDS OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Anthropology is divided traditionally into four subfields;
Biological (Physical) Anthropology, Archaeology, Anthropological
Linguistics, and Cultural Anthropology. First, Physical
Anthropology or Biological Anthropology deals with humans as
biological beings. Second, Archaeology is an attempt to
reconstruct the past. Third, the subfield Anthropological
linguistics focuses on the study of language in its social and
cultural contexts. Lastly, Cultural Anthropology examines the
similarities and differences between the cultures of the world. Franz Boas
The four subfields should be studied holistically. This is a German-American
Anthropologist who has
concept that Franz Boas, the father of American Anthropology, been called “Father of
introduced. The approach is also known as the Boasian American Anthropology”
Anthropology that balances theories and methods to understand
all aspects of the human being.
PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Physical Anthropology or biological
anthropology is the study of humans from
the biological perspective. This concerns
investigating and reconstructing the
evolutionary origins of the human species.
This sub-field looks at the emergence of
humans from the evolutionary perspective.
This field requires an understanding of
concepts in biology and culture to explain
how humans adapt and continuously evolve.
ARCHAEOLOGY
Archaeology (archaeo in ancient Greek)
studies human cultures through the materials
or artifacts of the past. Archaeologists try to
understand the relationship of the artifacts to
the present and future of society. They include
the use of the remains to explain cultural
evolution and adaptive strategies through time.
This subfield of Anthropology works hand in
hand with Physical Anthropology.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL LINGUISTICS
Language is the gateway to culture. It is a field
of study in Anthropology that documents
languages in terms of structure, use, and
acquisition. Linguistic Anthropologists sought
to understand the use of language in the
transmission of culture. They study how
language influences the way people think in a
specific culture - language in the context of
culture.
CULTURAL ANTROPOLOGY
Cultural Anthropology explores the patterns
of societies, and its beliefs, practices, and
behavior in the contemporary setting. It is
also interested in the history of cultures
around the world. This subfield focuses on
the diversity of human societies. It is where
anthropologists look for commonalities and
differences across them.
ANTHROPOLOGY AND THE FIELDWORK
Fieldwork is essential in the life of anthropologists.
It is one of the methods to gather primary data in
studying people. The necessary process in doing
fieldwork is participant observation, which was
pioneered by Bronislaw Malinowski in 1915, where
he studied the Trobriand Island in the South Pacific.
He participated, observed, and learned about the
culture of the islander. In general, he looked for
patters and wrote a description of that culture. He
said that the goal of an anthropologist is to be in the
shoes of the locals to understand their life world. Bronislaw Malinowski
Polish-British Anthropologist and
This whole process of gathering data and writing a ethnologist whose writings on
descriptive output is called ethnography. ethnography.
Ethnography
Derived from the Greek word ethno means “group” and grapos means
“writing”
It is the recording and analyzing culture or society usually based on
participant-observation that results in a written account of people, places, or
institutions. It is a form of qualitative research that involves long-term
participation while observing the daily lives and activities of the people. It is a
method that does not rely primarily on surveys and questionnaires like other
fields that study human behavior.
Ethnographies reflect the anthropological desire for holism- the idea that the
whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. In the case of
ethnography, it refers to the practice of understanding as many aspects of the
cultural contexts as possible.
Ethnology
Derived from the Greek word ethno means “group” and logos means
“study”
Ethnologists employ the comparative method, use ethnographies or
ethnographic data, and apply them to a single cross-cultural topic.
Some of the ethnological studies in the Philippines during the 19th
century were Jose Rizal's Dapitan exile and Jose Burgos' Estado de
Filipinas a la Llegada de Los Españoles (1864) and Estudios Sobre la
Arqueologia de Manila a la Llegada de Los Españoles (1871).
Multiculturalism, Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism
Multiculturalism – describes the existence, acceptance, or
promotion of multiple cultural traditions within the fixed boundaries.
Ethnocentrism – When you look at other cultures as inferior, their
language sounds funny, their practice as weird, you are ethnocentric.
When we judge other cultures based on our culture, that is
ethnocentrism.
Cultural relativism – We respect other cultures, religions, rituals, or
food habits. It argues that there should be no international or universal
standards of culture. All are equal.
The Emic and Etic Perspectives
The basic anthropological perspectives in doing fieldwork are the etic and
emic perspectives. This two perspectives are ways to gain cultural
knowledge, and necessary to efficiently observe and write better
ethnographies that cover every aspects of a culture.
Etic – is an outsider’s view. It is to understand the culture from the point of
view of a non-member of a culture. It helps to make sense of the worldviews
without biases. One may encounter the Hawthorne effect in doing the etic
perspective. Hawthorne effect is the altering of the behavior of individuals
under study or observation.
Emic – the insider’s view. It is an effective way to fully grasp the worldviews
and lifeways of a culture, one dives into a culture and be part of it.
ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES
The University of the Philippines Diliman Department of
Anthropology was established by Henry Otley Beyer. He
was employed as an ethnologist by the Bureau of
Education when he arrived in the country in 1905. He
taught the first anthropology courses at the university in
1914. He was able to produce ethnographic researches,
specifically the documentation of Ifugao traditions. Beyer
proposed the Wave Migration Theory, which is about
peopling in the Philippines that later on, was repudiated
by scholars who find no evidence to reinforce the theory. Henry Otley Beyer
American Anthropologist who
He retired in 1954 and succeeded by Marcelo Tango spent most of his adult life in
Philippines teaching Philippine
whose interest is in Physical Anthropology. indigenous culture.
Some notable Filipino anthropologists selflessly contributed to the
development of the field in the Philippines. One is F. Landa Jocano,
who documented the epic poem "Hinilawod" and wrote numerous
writings on Philippine folklore. Another is Poncianno Bennagen, who
helped the government to draft the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act,
and co-founded the Ugnayang Pang-Agham Tao (UGAT) the
anthropology organization in the Philippines. The massive
researches and studies of Jesus Peralta, Eric S. Casiño, Alfredo
Evangelista, Leonardo Concepcion, Avelino M. Legaspi, Prospero
Covar, Arsenio Manuel, Juan Francisco, and June Chayapan Prill-
Brett,made an impact on the field.
