What Exactly is Anthropology?

What exactly is anthropology? Most people are not aware of the scope of the field nor what it is that those involved in it do. Shortly put anthropology is the scientific study of man. It is the practice of holistically examining and studying humanity. What this means is that anthropology looks at humanity as a larger construct with each aspect of humanity affecting each other in context.

This is a rather broad field, the study of all things human, and so Anthropology is for the most part broken down into five varying sub-fields. These fields being Physical Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Applied Anthropology, Linguistics and Archaeology.

Physical Anthropologists examine human biology and the study of evolution. Their field is interested in genetics, evolutionary theory, the biology of behavior, primates and the study of the fossil record. What many Physical Anthropologists look at through their studies is how human biology influences human behaviors and cultural experiences.

Cultural Anthropology is the study of the structure and expression of culture within a society. Culture being defined as a whole body of human activity idea and concepts summarized best by anthropologist Edward B. Tylor whom stated that culture was the "Complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

Applied Anthropology is essentially the practice of applying anthropological knowledge to solve practical problems. This includes activities ranging from working for companies to study and determine a certain demographic's reactions to a product, to studying and developing solutions for racial/ethnic tension.

Linguistics is the study of language. Including how people talk and how language itself evolves and changes. Linguists study how language effects behavior and the relationship between the brain and language, as well as vice versa.

Archaeology is the study of the physical and cultural remains of a society. Archaeologists are what many people associate with anthropology, the archaeologist digging in the dirt. Contrary to popular belief archaeologists do not dig for dinosaurs, as that falls into the realm of paleontology, and they also do not for the most part live as exciting a life as Indiana Jones.

What Archaeologists do in reality is look for physical evidence of cultures. This includes pottery, paintings, buildings, tools, weapons and even trash that has survived the ages. They use this to analyze and draw conclusions regarding the behavior of individuals of that society as well as the society as a whole.

Sources

Introducing Cultural Anthropology (4th Edition) by Roberta Edwards Lenkeit

The Anthropology of Religion, Magic and Witchcraft (2nd Edition) by Rebecca L. Stein and Philip L. Stein

Professor Pamela Lindell