Intro Flashcards
Ethnocentrism
Judging another culture based on preconceptions that are found in values and standards of one’s own culture
Relativism
A person’s beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that person’s own culture
Moral Relativism
- “nothing can ever be wrong”
* “therefore we have to tolerate all others when we disagree”
Four Field Approach
Cultural and Linguistic
- Cultural Anthropology
- Non-genetic material that is passed from one individual, community, society to the next
- Ex. language, customs, rituals, tools - Linguistic
- Relationships between human speech and language
- Role of symbols in society
- Origins and the specifics of a language
Four Field Approach
Archaeology, and biological
- Archaeology
- Scientific recovery, analysis, and interpretation of material remains
- Artifacts (tools), art, writing, food - Biological
- Us !! woohoo
Biological vs. Physical Anthropology
• Biological is the modern, preferred term
• Reflects a broader focus of research
• Genetics and molecular biochemistry
• The study of humankind, past and present, with a focus on biological processes
- Scientific
- Variation
- Comparative
-Cross-cultural
- Multi and Interdisciplinary
- Holistic: biological, cultural, historical, environmental
Adaptationalistm Framework
Criteria:
- The trait is a variation of an earlier form
- The trait is heritable through the transmission of genes
- The trait enhances reproductive success
Subfields/ Places of work
- Osteology
- Paleoanthropology
- Primatology
- Human Biology
- Nutritional
- Molecular Anthropology
- Bioarchaeology
- Paleopathology
- Forensic
• Universities (anthropology, archaeology, anatomy and cell biology departments)
• Museums
• Non- government organizations
• Independent consultants
The Canadian Ice Man
- Named Kwäday Dän Ts’ínchi found by Champagne and Aishihik First Nations
- Found with clothing and hunting implements
- The biological and cultural remains offered a unique window into the life of one of our First Nations ancestors
Hypothesis Testing
“Provisional explanation of phenomena”
• Testing provides verification or falsification
• Any proposition that is stated as absolute or does not allow the possibility of falsification is not a scientific hypothesis and should not be considered as one
Science
• A body of knowledge gained about natural phenomena through observation and experimentation
Scientific Method
- A Problem is identified
- A hypothesis is stated
- Hypothesis is tested
• If a hypothesis stands up to repeated and rigorous testing it may become a theory (or part of a theory)
• Falsification doesn’t mean the whole hypothesis is wrong, may just be partially incorrect
A Theory
- In the scientific method, is NOT just a hunch or even educated guess
- It a well-tested explanation of facts
- Both theory and hypothesis can be altered over time, but more likely to see large changes in hypotheses
The Anthropological Perspective
- To understand humans, we need to view through both space and time
- Interested in how humans are both different from and similar to other animals, *specifically non-human primates
