Overview: This chapter introduces students to the textbook by discussing how anthropology is defined and how it relates to other academic fields. It also discusses the different subfields and dimensions that exist within anthropology.

I. You need to know the different ways in which humans can adapt to different settings.

II. You should be familiar with how culture interacts with human biology.

III. You need to be able to identify and distinguish between the four subdisciplines of anthropology. You need to know what unites them into a single discipline and what makes them different from each other.

IV. You should know what applied anthropology is and understand its relationship with academic anthropology.

V. You need to know what distinguishes anthropology from other academic fields.