General
- Dear students your first quiz will be on 19 July, Sunday at 12 P.m.
Topic outline
- General
- Definition and meaning of Cultural Anthropology
Definition and meaning of Cultural Anthropology
Meaning and Definition of Cultural Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of various elements of humans including biology and culture in order to understand human origin and evolution of various believes and social customs.
It is the combination of two Greek and Latin words ANTHROPO and LOGOS which means study of HUMAN BEINGS.
In America this subject is called Cultural Anthropology, in France it is called study of Nations and in Great Britain this subject is known as Social Anthropology.
Cultural Anthropology is concerned with biological and physical characteristics of human beings, kinship and marriage system, family structure, customs, human evolution, cultural evolution, racial classification, group relationships and cultural history.
Definitions:
According to Kroeber "Anthropology is the science of group of men and their behaviour and production."
According to Geral Wiess " A study of the sum total of all human phenomena everywhere across the face of this planet and beyond through all times."
According to Conrad Phillip Kottak "Anthropology is the scientific and humanistic study of human species. it is exploration of human diversity in time and space."
According to Haviland "It is the study of human kind everywhere, throughout time, seeks to produce reliable knowledge about people and their behaviour."
According to Ember/Ember "it is the discipline of curiosity of human beings."
Nature Of Cultural Anthropology:
1. It is biological and natural science.
2. Social science.
3. Historical science.
$. Humanities.
- Historical background of Anthropology
Historical background of Anthropology
Anthropology in 19th century
Anthropology was introduced by Lewis Hennery Morgan in America and by Edward.B.Taylor in Britain.
According to Taylor culture is the basic concept of anthropology. In 1884 Taylor was the first professor of anthropology in Oxford University.
According to Morgan kinship and family system is the basic of society and if we want to study the society then. We should study the kinship system of related area.
Emile Durkheim, Marsal Moss and Van Gannep are those scholars who helped us to know about different theories and sights of anthropology in 19th century.
Anthropology in 20th century
In 20th century the research methadology of anthropology and many other theories were introduced by Levi-Strauss, Malinowski, Redcliff Brown, Adam Kupper, Margrate Mead and Morwin Harris.
- Sub fields of Anthropology
Sub fields of Anthropology
According to Britannica (encyclopedia) "Modern day anthropology consist of two major divisions Cultural anthropology which deals with the Study of human culture in all its aspects and Physical anthropology which is the study of Human physical character in both past and present."
There are major two sub fields of Anthropology
1.Physical anthropology.
2.Cultural anthropology.
Physical anthropology :
It is the Study of human physical characteristics of every Era.
According to Conrad Phillip Kottak "the subject matter of biological or physical anthropology is human biological diversity in time and space."
According to Elemer S. Miller "Physical anthropology is the study of physical aspects of human existence."
Conrad Phillip Kottak has divided the physical anthropology in five sub divisions and they are,
1. Human evolution.
2. Human genetics.
3.Human growth and development.
4.Human biological elasticity.
5. Primatology.
- Sub types of Physical anthropology
Sub types of Physical anthropology
Explanation of sub types of physical anthropology
1. Human Evolution:
It is also called Paleontongy. It is the Study of evolutionary process of human beings. Paleontologists are those experts who study fossils of different types of human beings of different eras. They also try to find. Out the real ancistors of human beings and also study the physical change of human and of different societies and times. According to their experts human was not a perfect human being when he was born actually he became perfect. He passed through many evolutionary stages till now.
2. Human genetics :
It is the Study of human genes. Genes is a heredity material which consist of human characteristics his nature, habits, height, weight, deseases and all the actual characteristics of particular family or population.
There are two types of genes one is recessive and the second is aggressive. If a child adopts many characteristics of his father then it means the father genes are aggressive and mothers are recessive. For example If a child adopts the skin color of his father then it means that his mother genes are recessive. But if he adobts the eye color of his mother then it means his mother eyes genes are aggressive but father was recessive.
3. Human growth and development:
Genes play a vital role in biological growth of every human being along with genes the environment and diet also play very important role in development of human body. Example for this is that in a population of particular area all the human beings are tall but if the deficiency of proper diet or environment happens then the genetic quality of tall height will be disturbed or weak.
4. Human biological plasticity:
The food and environment plays a vital role in human biological growth as well as physical activities play a major role. We shape our bodies with physical activities or exercises. If we adopt them then we can change our muscle shape, reduce our weight and become more active but if we do not follow those activities then we can gain weight and the body can be de-shaped. Human body is like a plastic and we can mould it like plastic sometime in shape or sometime in de-shaped.
5. Primatology:
It is the study of apes and monkeys and their relationships with human beings. Primatologists are the experts who try to find out the characteristics of human beings which are related to apes and monkeys and also those characteristics which are not related to them.According to these experts humans are the neareat relatives of apes and monkeys because their similar characteristics. e.g. Size of skull, size of skull, physical deseases and social life style.
- Second type of Anthropology
Second type of Anthropology
2.Cultural anthropology:
It is the study of different cultures of different times. It also study the cultural history, evolutionary process of culture, growth structure and characteriatics of different cultures.
According to Conrad Phillip Kottak " Cultural anthropology is the Study of human society in culture."
According to Haviland " Cultural anthropology is concerned with human cultures or the ways of life in different societies."
Sub types of cultural anthropology :
There are three types of cultural anthropology.
1. Ethanology.
2. Linguistics.
3. Archeology.
1. Ethanology :
It is the comparative study of different cultures of different times. These cultures may belong from past or might be from present times.
According to Amber/Amber " it is the Study of relationship between believes and practices within culture."
Ethanologist are interested in comparative study of family structure, art, kinship, laws, music, economic and political activities, values, education, attitudes and behaviors of different people from different cultures.
2. Linguistic:
It is the study of different languages from literate and Ill-literate people from ancient and modern societies. There are almost 6900 languages in the world.
According to Conrad Phillip Kottak " it studies language in its social. And cultural contacts across space and overtime."
The languages which are present in written form can survive for a long time, according to language experts.
3. Archeology:
According to Elmer S.Miller " it can be defined as the study of the history, life styles and processea of change in pre-historic human cultures.
Archeologists are those experts which try to find out and study the fossils in form of jewellery, weapons, paintings, ancient carving on stones, ancient maps and buildings, human and animal bones, age and cause of their death and ancient trees. They also try to find out stages of physical and cultural evolutionary process of different times.
- The Scope of Anthropology
The Scope of Anthropology
The scope of Anthropology is very vast because it not only studies the social life of human beings but it also studies the cultural evolution, social history and physical characteristics of human beings of different times.
1. Study of different times:
Anthropology is the study of historic and pre-historic times. This subject try to find out the social and physical evolution of human beings in different times in past, present and future.
2. Study of Culture:
Culture is very important topic for Anthropologist. According to them culture is the basic root of social life. They study the culture of different societies in pat, present and future societies.
3. Comparative study of social and cultural life :
It is the comparative study of different types of people of different societies. They may belong from any time or Era.
4. Study of Physical characteristics of human beings:
It is the study of physical or biological characteristics of human beings of historic and pre-historic times. Their experts try to find out the changes in physical characteristics of humans and the creatures less than human beings. They also study the physical changesoccur in people loving in different societies of past, present and future.
5. Study of Kinship system:
According to Morgan "kinship system is basic element to understand about socio-cultural life of any society.
Kinship is a network of relatives and everyember of society is a part of kinship group. It provides us identification, support and status in out society.
6. Study of marriage life and family system:
Family is a basic institution of any society and marriage is an agreement to make a family. Anthropologist study the family life of different societies and marriage system of people belonging to different cultures.
7.Study of Language:
Language is very important element to transfer our culture from one generation to the next. There experts study about the language of different people of different societies and belong to different cultures of different times.
8. Study of religion :
It studies the religious characteristics, impact of religion on human life, an importance of religion in different cultures in the world of past, present and future times.
9. Study of different institutions:
There are five basic institutions in every society and the anthropologist try to find out the importance , impact and the changes occur in these institutiona time by time.
10. Study of social system :
It is study of social system in different societies in historic and pre-historic times. It also study the evolutionary stages of different social systems in the world.
- Culture
Culture
According to Taylor " Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, moral, law, custom and any other capabilitiea and habits accuired by man as a member of society."
Culture is social heridity which is transmitted from one generation to other. It is the learning process which help us to survive behave and act in society.
According to Lowie" Culture is the whole of social tradition."
According to Malinowski" Culture is an instrument for fulfilling human psychological and biological needs such as reproduction, nutritian, comfort and safety. "
According to Elmer S Miller" Culture is something shared by everyone in a particular society learned from one another and from past generations. "
The Components of Culture:
1. Material Culture.
2. Non-material Culture.
Characteristics of Culture:
1. Culture is social.
2. Culture is shared.
3. Culture is continuous process.
4. Culture is transmitted.
5. Culture is learned.
6. Culture is symbolic.
7. Culture is flexible.
8. Culture is patterned.
9. Culture is created.
10. Culture is universal.
11. Culture varies from society to society.
12. Culture is identical.
Universal aspects of culture:
There are few aspects which are fine in every culture in every society. These are very importants aspets of any culture. And if we study any society or culture we can find them every where.
1) Laws
2) Norms
3) Values
4) Language
5) Religion
6) Social system
7) Social institutions
8) Taboos
9) Kinship system
10) Rituals
Dear students your quiz will be on 19th July at 12 A.m
- Social and cultural change
Social and cultural change
Social and cultural changes are essential for every society… And it is ever present phenomena in the world. In Every society cultural changes are seen because society is not static and it changes with time.
According to Abdul Hameed Taga” A cultural change become social change. First there is cultural change which becomes social change in social life.”
According to Dawson” it is a nature of culture which directs social change.”
According to Jones “ social change is a term used to describe variations or modifications of any aspect of social process, social patterns , social interactions or social organizations.”
The speed of socio cultural change may be different in different societies.
PROCESS OF SOCIAL CHANGE
1. INVENTION
2. DISCOVERY
3. DIFFUSION
4. EDUCATION
5. MIGRATION
6. WAR
7. TECHNOLOGY
8. POLITICAL CHANGE
9. MEDIA
10. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
11. ECONOMIC GROWTH
12. RELIGIOUS LEADERS
- Magic
Magic
Magic is a concept used to describe a mode of rationality or way of thinking that looks to invisible forces to influence events,effect change in material conditions or present the illusion of change.
The purpose of magic is to acquire knowledge, power, love or wealth, to heal illness, success, to cause harm to an enemy, to reveal information, to trick or to entertain. According to the dictionary of anthropology “ magic is the power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or super natural force.
The effectiveness of magic is often determined by the condition and performance of the magician who is taught to have access to unseen force and special knowledge of the appropriate words and actions to manipulate those forces.
According to the dictionary of MERRIAN WEBSTER “ the use of means such as charms or spells believe to have super natural power over natural force”.
There are two types of magic.
1. White magic.
2. Black magic.
White magic:
It is traditionally refer to the use of super natural powers or magic for beneficial use. Practitioners of this magic have been given title such as wise men or women.
Black magic:
It refers to the use of super natural powers or magic for evil and selfish purpose. Diety is a god of super natural power in this magic. There are two elements used by the magician in this magic.
Sympathetic magic is based on the principle that "like produces like." For instance, whatever happens to an image of someone will also happen to them. This is the basis for use of Voodoo dolls in the folk tradition of Haiti. If someone sticks a pin into the stomach of the doll, the person of whom it is a likeness will be expected to experience a simultaneous pain in his or her stomach. Sympathetic magic is also referred to as imitative magic. Contagious magic is based on the principle that things or persons once in contact can afterward influence each other. In other words, it is believed that there is a permanent relationship between an individual and any part of his or her body. As a consequence, believers must take special precautions with their hair, fingernails, teeth, clothes, and feces. If anyone obtained these objects, magic could be performed on them which would cause the person they came from to be affected. For instance, someone could use your fingernail clippings in a magical ritual that would cause you to love them or to fall ill and die.
Types of practitioner:
1:Shaman is someone who has both ability and training/knowledge to both perceive the spirits and their effects and how to contact and manipulate them, either by bargaining, tricking, or forcing them to abide by the shaman's will. Thus the users main ability is how to contact the spirits and how to send their spirits outside to roam the world or enter other levels of existence. By manipulating the spirit-world, shamans can direct the spirits use of their abilities and powers for their behalf in a vast variety of ways.
2: Mediumship is the practice of purportedly mediating communication between spirits of the dead and living human beings. Practitioners are known as "mediums" or "spirit mediums". to pay the price.
3:Witch the term is commonly associated with those who use supernatural means to communicate with spirits, deities or ancestors.[
4:Sorcery the art, practices, or spells of a person who is supposed to exercise supernatural powers through the aid of evil spirits; black magic; witchery.
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Religion
Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence.
According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world.
Many religions may have organized behaviors, clergy, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, holy places, and scriptures.
According to Conrad Phillip Kottak, “ Religion is a cultural universal . It consists of believes and behavior concerned with supernatural beings , powers and forces. “
According to Britannica “ Religion is commonly regarded as consisting of a person’ s relation to God or to gods or sprits.”
Elements of Religion.
Religion is a universal phenomena. It is present almost in every society of human history in different form but there are many believes and practices which are common in every culture. There are few elements present in every religion of world.
1. Concept of supernatural power
2. Specific timing
3. Scared places and things
4. Belief in many things and events
5. Rituals
6. Hope and desire
7. Organization
8. Symbols
9. Sects
10. Religious leaders
11. Written literature
- Topic 10