Anthropology has made a positive impact in our society. It has remarkably shaped our languages, architectural structures, beliefs, and traditions. Our past has most definitely shaped our future. Anthropology has allowed us to study past cultures in order to gain perspective and develop a stronger society. Anthropology has impacted my life significantly, its different fields have helped understand a new culture and remain open minded to a new set of values. There are many branches of anthropology such as physical anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and cultural anthropology. These fields have an immense impact on our daily lives and help us interact with others. Throughout the world, there are a plethora of different cultures …show more content…
In Ecuador, we generally spoke Spanish. However, when we immigrated to the United States, I learned English in school. Yet, I was still confused about certain terms. At times, there would be moments where an English word slightly resembled a Spanish word and I would assume it had the same definition when they did not. On the other hand, there were times where even though I lived in a predominantly Hispanic community some words in Spanish had a completely different meaning in their culture. I was very curious about the differences so once again I furthered my research. Linguistic anthropology allowed me to understand that there are a variety of different cultures throughout the world and each one of them has their own language or certain words that have a particular significance to them. Linguistic anthropology helped create communication skills in order to interact with everyone in …show more content…
Physical anthropology has uncovered the evolution humans and their development. Of course, this particular branch of anthropology applies to my life because I am able to see how much humanity has progressed. It is important to see how much humans have changed over time because it allows us not only to study our evolution but see how humans have adapted to different environments over time. The items that we used in the past to adapt to our environments are different from the ones that exist today in our society. The material culture of our society has significantly changed over the years. In my life, knowing our growth, development, and adaptation is vital because I migrated from Ecuador to the United States and it helps me see how I was able to adapt to the environment around me. It is important to further your knowledge in our evolution, development, and adaptation to be able to develop ideas and tools that can enhance our future in positive ways and help us progress. Anthropology itself and its different fields can change our lives
As anthropologists seek to understand the culture that they are studying they must overcome the language barrier. Similar to the concept of culture, “people use language to encode their experiences, to structure their understanding of the world and themselves, and engage with on...
Anthropology is the study of humans. This area of study is subdivided into three sections; cultural anthropology, archeology, and biological anthropology. Biological anthropologists study the anatomy, and evolution of the human body. Biological anthropologists are the ones who assess skeletal remains and determine where, when, and who, the person was. Human skeletal remains are the main component in Forensic Anthropology. Bones can reveal ancestral lineage, gender, height and age of a person.
Language is an important value for the nationalistic identity of a nation. Hispanic culture is the way of life of people from Latin America and Spain, and their main identifying factor is the fact that they speak Spanish as their main language. Therefore, Hispanics are not necessarily Spaniards but other groups like Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans who speak Spanish are also part of this group (Shaw and Dennison 207). American culture on the other hand is mainly comprised of the people who speak English as their main dialect. Therefore, the Spaniards have Spanish as their native language while the Americans use Englis...
Anthropology is the study of humans through the ages. It aims to understand different cultures and practices that have existed from the origins of mankind as well. It differs from sociology in that it takes into account humans and cultures that no longer exist.
Anthropologists have stumbled upon or discovered the world of anthropology in their own ways. Barbara Smutts decided that she would study anthropology at the age of 13 (Rosenthal, 23). After reading Jane Goodall's first article about chimpanzees and with her love of animals and science she knew that anthropology would be her career (23). Adrienne Zihhnan, like Smutts, stumbled upon anthropology after reading an article. She read a book by Margaret Mead for a course at Miami University (Shell, 38). After reading it she changed her major and transferred to a college with the major (38). Zihhnan has made Paleoanthropology her specialized area. The origination of the two­legged gait has been her focus (Shell, 40). Smutts has studied Primatology and observed olive baboons and the bottle­necked dolphin (Roshenthal, 24 & 26). The discovery of a career through reading an article makes a person wonder if all big decisions could be that simple.
Forensic anthropology is adapted from forensic science and anthropology. Anthropology studies how an entire culture lived its life. It also pertains to the skeletal remains of a person, in order to obtain historical data on the individual
In order to understand Forensic Anthropology we must break it down into the components. According to Oxford American Dictionary the term Forensic is significant to the use of scientific methods to investigate a crime. Anthropology is defined by Oxford American Dictionary as the study of societies, cultures, and human origins. The combination of both, Forensic and Anthropology, consists of applying the principles which are introduced by Anthropologists to solving a crime. Forensic Anthropology is currently a small field but is expected to grow in the upcoming years due how it is being portrayed in books, television shows, classes, and many other resources. The usage of this field is becoming crucial because of how gruesome the crimes being committed by criminals are becoming. Although Forensic Anthropology is currently a small field it requires a lot of education, carries plenty of job responsibilities, and continues to aid in the solving of crimes.
Anthropological researchers have considerable moral and ethical standards by which their work must be conducted in order to preserve the accuracy and the posterity of the information gathered during the study and also to the persons or cultures of which they study. These two important parts of anthropology – the research and those being researched – can be conflicting. The Code of Ethics of the American Anthropological Association presents itself as a body of guidelines for discussing these ethical and moral conflicts. This allows for researchers in the field of anthropology to have a foundation for understanding what decisions must be made regarding these ethical and moral conflicts and to whom the disclosures of those decisions should be made.
Forensics Anthropology is the study that goes beyond the human skeleton. A forensics anthropologist can find out. How a person lived, the food that person ate, and the overall make-up of a human. The use of forensics has grown in recent years, it is used to solve crimes and locate missing persons. Snow, (1982) Forensics anthropology is not a new science. The first case forensics anthropology was used on was the Jezebel case, dating back to the nineteenth century. This case involved a person, who was thrown from a window. Snow, (1982) The remains found in this case were the skull, feet, and the palm of the victim’s hands.
Anthropology is the study of the full scope of human diversity and the application of that knowledge to the help of people of different backgrounds understanding one another (K. Guest). Anthropology comes from the root word Anthropos meaning “human” and the suffix –logos meaning “thought.” Both parts of Anthropology are both taken from Greek words. Anthropology focuses on the holistic approach of culture (or the big picture) (K. Guest). Anthropology began in the last century and arose from the need to identify modern cases of unidentified human remains (University of Tennessee). Most Anthropologists focus on applied anthropology.
There is a lot of conflict to the question “is anthropology a science?” A lot of this conflict leads from defining what a science is, in the dictionary science is, “a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws.” (Dictionary.com, 2011) Anything that can be studied is considered a science. Without science anthropology would be nearly impossible to study, science makes everything quantifiable. Anthropology should continue along its current path of being a science. Anthropology is quantifiable; by using science you can determine information much more precisely. Anthropology is absolutely 100 percent a science in every way shape and form, and should also be considered one.
When an anthropologist does fieldwork there are many advantages and disadvantages. One thing an anthropologist must do in order to gain a rewarding experience during his trip to visit another civilization in figuring out the best was to proceed into the certain field he or she is studying. The anthropologist must at first be somewhat familiar with the culture of the area or civilization. (Culture-The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought.) They must be somewhat familiar with the language of a particular area as well. If one is very unfamiliar with ...
Franz Boas has been considered by many as the "Father of American Anthropology", as he was a pioneer in breaking down the American isolationism, intolerance and misinformation about and biological diversity and linguistics.
One cannot generalize or predict all human behaviors, thought processes, morals, and customs. Because human nature is dominated by different types of cultures and societies in various parts of the world, this can often lead to misunderstanding which ultimately leads to the illusion of cultural superiority, and in most cases this can lead to genocide - the systematic murder or annihilation of a group of people or culture. Anthropology is the study of humans, our immediate ancestors and their cultural environments this study stems from the science of holism - the study of the human condition. Culture is crucial in determining the state of the human condition, as the cultures are traditions and customs that are learned throughout an individual
Cultural anthropology has taught me a lot in such a short time. This class has been very eye opening to me and has made me think more about the different cultures around me and just how important it is to learn about them. One of the things I have learned is how religion is related to culture. Culture is behaviors of a community such as the food they make, the music they listen to, and the rituals they take part in. This can be very similar to religion because a culture is based off of their religious beliefs. Some cultures do not eat pig because it is against their religious beliefs. Some cultures listen to particular songs because it is based off of their religious beliefs. Another thing cultures relate closely to is languages. Without language