Anthropology

1. Anthropology More Than Grass Shacks and Exotic Sunsets

2. Defined • Anthropology is the study of the human condition, in all of its forms and splendors

3. Derivation of Name • Anthropos…from the Greek for man • We extend this today to mean all of humanity • -ology…(logos) the study of…

4. Place in Modern Academia • Usually a Social Science • Developed in the 19th century as part of the birth of social sciences, along with • Sociology • Psychology • Political Sciecne

5. Anthropology’s Scope of Study • If humans are involved, we study it • This is very broad, perhaps too broad to get a handle on… • So we break it into 4 subfields • This organization is called the quadripartite approach

6. Quadripartite Approach • Cultural Anthropology • Anthropology 1100 • Linguistic Anthropology • Anthropology 1115 (new course in Spring) • Biological Anthropology (Race, Sex, & Human Evolution) • Anthropology 1125 • Archaeology (Discovering Archaeology) • Anthropology 1120

7. Cultural Anthropology • Focuses on living (or recently living) cultures • Identifies rules of social behavior • Studies the ways people identify themselves in their societies and the world

8. Linguistic Anthropology • Focuses on human communication • Studies the ways we structure our communication • Includes components on how the brain and speech emerged together • Covers the ways to be effective in communication

9. Biological Anthropology • Studies the human animal • Evolution • Population and breeding histories and how people create ideas of race and racism • Forensic anthropology

10. Archaeology • Studies humanity through the remains left behind by people • Provides a unique view across time of culture, language, and physical forms • Explores the lost civilizations & cultures of the past

11. 4 Fields Unified By… • Their connection to human-kind • Cannot speak of archaeology without referring to culture, or language without referring to biology and culture • They all interrelate when we put people in the picture

12. They Also Share… • An emphasis on Holism • An emphasis on Application (sometimes called Applied Anthropology and treated as a 5th sub-discipline)

13. Holism • The notion that sets us apart from other social sciences • We add factors and look for interrelatedness • Other social sciences often look for prime movers and single causal factors • They tend to be reductive

14. Application • About 70% of all jobs in anthropology are in the private sector • Corporations hire anthropologists to study their structure and to improve efficiency • Cultural Resource Management archaeology is commonplace

15. But There Is More • Anthropology is typically listed as one of the top 5 or 6 most desirable skill areas by employers • Everything from personnel management to international business and government positions

16. And Still There is More • Anthropology provides you with tools you can use every day! • Understanding how people and systems function can help you run a business, serve clients and patients, even navigate the COD bureaucracy