Anthropology includes, but is much broader than, archaeology, yet the two often
are confused in everyday talk. Anthropology is the scientific and humanistic
study of the human species. It is the exploration of human diversity in time
and space. Anthropology confronts basic questions of human existence. Where
and when did we originate? How has our species changed? What are we now? Where
are we going? Anthropology is holistic. Holism refers to the study of the whole of the human
condition: past, present, and future; biology, society, language, and culture.
Anthropology is also comparative and cross-cultural. It systematically compares
data from different populations and time periods. Anthropology's four subfields
are cultural, archaeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology. Culture is a key aspect of human adaptability and success. Cultures are traditions
and customs, transmitted through learning, that guide the beliefs and behavior
of the people exposed to them. Cultural forces constantly mold and shape human
biology and behavior. Cultural anthropology examines cultural diversity of the
present and recent past. Archaeology reconstructs behavior by studying material
remains. Biological anthropologists study human fossils, genetics, and bodily
growth. They also study nonhuman primates (monkeys and apes). Linguistic anthropology
considers how speech varies with social factors and over time. Anthropology's
two dimensions are academic and applied. Applied anthropology uses anthropological
knowledge to identify and solve social problems. Anthropology is related to many other fields, including the sciences and the
humanities. There are links to both the natural sciences (e.g., biology) and
the social sciences (e.g., sociology). Anthropologists bring their distinctive
cross-cultural perspective to the study of economics, politics, psychology,
art, music, literature--and society in general. |
2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education