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A Fraction of the Feast: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

A Fraction of the Feast: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology. Anthropology – The Study of Humans. Anthropology’s Features. Studies All Humans Everywhere Studies All humans Through All Times Humans as Biological and Cultural Beings. Subfields of Anthropology. Cultural Anthropology

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A Fraction of the Feast: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

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  1. A Fraction of the Feast: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Anthropology – The Study of Humans

  2. Anthropology’s Features • Studies All Humans Everywhere • Studies All humans Through All Times • Humans as Biological and Cultural Beings

  3. Subfields of Anthropology • Cultural Anthropology • What humans do, why they do it, and the consequences • Archeology • Study of people in the past using material culture • Physical (Biological) Anthropology • Human evolution, genetics, and physiology • Linguistics • Language and communication

  4. Culture • Knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capability acquired by humans as members of society • Material and Non-Material Culture • Non-Material Culture – What is in peoples’ heads • Beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions • Shared and Patterned • What people do – real and ideal culture • Material • What people make

  5. Characteristics of Culture • Ever Changing • Adaptation • Beliefs versus Social Structure • Beliefs versus Tradition

  6. Cultural Anthropology Compared to other Social Sciences • Length of Research • Fieldwork • Language of Research • Research Methodologies • Participant Observation • Accidental Fieldwork • Ethnography • Ethnology

  7. Cultural Ideals, Perceptions and Behavior • What people believe • What people recognize • How people behave

  8. Basic Theoretical Orientations in Cultural Anthropology • Evolution • Structural Functionalism • Historical Particulism • Symbolic Anthropology

  9. Geographic Levels of Culture • Global-International • Biome • National Culture • Tribal or Ethnic Identity • Regional, State, and Local culture

  10. Non-Geographic Aspects of Culture • Ethnic Identity • Race is a Social construct • Religion • Political Beliefs • Social Class • Education Level • Subsistence or livelihood strategy • Rural or Urban Setting • Age, historical age, development in life cycle

  11. US Culture is Weird • Everyone is an immigrant • Melting Pot—No Salad Bowl • Democracy, Religious Freedom, and Capitalism • Progress is good Resistance is futile

  12. Ethnocentrism, Cultural Relativism, and Theory of Mind • Ethnocentrism • Focused on one’s own ethnic group • Cultural Relativism • Understanding a culture in context, and not judging • Theory of Mind • Others have different thoughts, knowledge, and understandings • Culture Shock

  13. Thinking Like an Anthropologist • The world can’t be divided into us and them • People who look similar may belong to very different cultures • People who live in one country may belong to many different cultures • People who share culture may live in many different spots around the world • People who look very different then you may share your culture • People who look and act like you may in fact have very different views and beliefs • DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS

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