Overview
This lecture covers the foundations of anthropology, its core perspectives, subfields, and how it helps us understand human diversity, culture, and interconnected global issues.
Traditional Food Systems and Societal Change
- The Tohono O’odham Nation is on the U.S.-Mexico border, roughly the size of Connecticut, with 11 districts.
- Traditional farming practices have declined, contributing to health issues like diabetes.
- Post-WWII economic shifts led many to leave farms for market-based jobs, reducing the role of rituals and subsistence farming.
Defining Anthropology
- Anthropology studies human nature, society, and the past.
- It takes a holistic, comparative, evolutionary, and field-based approach.
- Culture is seen as learned behaviors and ideas acquired as members of society.
Four Major Subfields of Anthropology
- Biological Anthropology: Examines humans as biological organisms, focusing on adaptability, primatology, paleoanthropology, and forensic anthropology.
- Linguistic Anthropology: Studies language’s role in culture, including language change, diversity, communication forms, and language preservation.
- Cultural Anthropology: Investigates beliefs and behaviors shaped by culture, traditionally focusing on "primitive" societies but now inclusive of all human groups.
- Archaeology: Studies past human societies through artifacts, including both preliterate and recent periods.
Applied Anthropology
- Uses anthropological knowledge to address practical problems in health, development, and other fields.
- Medical anthropology examines health outcomes and interventions using both biological and cultural data.
- Example: Anthropometry assesses child growth to evaluate nutrition interventions.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Holistic — Integrating knowledge from all fields to study humans.
- Comparative — Analyzing similarities/differences across societies before generalizing.
- Evolutionary — Considering historical change and continuity in human societies.
- Field-Based — Gathering data through direct involvement and observation.
- Culture — Learned behaviors and ideas acquired as members of society.
- Artifact — Portable object modified by humans, studied in archaeology.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on how anthropology’s holistic approach can help you understand current world issues.
- Consider why certain cultural practices or beliefs are important to different groups.
- Review the four subfields and their relevance to real-world problems.