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| What is anthropology? Ans: Anthropology is the scientific and humanistic study of human diversity through space and time. It concerns itself with all aspects of the human condition, past, present, and future, and with biology, society, language, and culture; and in that respect it is holistic, comparative, and cross-cultural. What is culture? Ans: Cultures are traditions and customs, transmitted through learning, that govern the beliefs and behaviors of the people exposed to them. All people have culture: there is no such thing as a person having more "culture" than another, because culture is the sum of human beliefs. How is anthropology different from the other social sciences? Ans: What distinguishes anthropology from the other social sciences is that it is holistic and comparative. It is holistic because anthropologists are interested in the whole of the human condition: past, present, and future; in biology, society, language, and culture. In contrast to other social sciences, for example, it studies how economics, religion, history, psychology, political science, and sociology all interact and are expressed in culture. It is comparative because it studies all human cultures, past and present, not just Western cultures or those with written histories. What do applied anthropologists do? Ans: Applied anthropologists take anthropological data, perspectives, theory, and techniques and use them to identify, assess, and solve contemporary social problems. This work might include forensic anthropology, which is the application of biological anthropology to the law; development anthropology, which helps assess the social and cultural dimensions of economic and social development; medical anthropology, which applies anthropological knowledge to health systems; or environmental archaeology, which studies culture and the environment. Applied anthropologists often go to work for international development agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development or the World Health Organization , but increasingly, applied anthropologists are being hired by many different organizations. Aren't health-care systems unique to Western societies? Ans: No, health-care systems are a cultural universal. All societies have a set of beliefs, customs, and specialists concerned with ensuring health and preventing and curing illness. In Western societies, health-care systems are centered on hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. However, just because a society lacks a Western-trained physician doesn't mean that it lacks a way of dealing with illness. In the textbook, Kottak argues that the world's oldest profession, after forager, is that of curer. All societies have someone, part- or full-time, who is responsible for treating illness in the community. In all societies, curers pass through a culturally defined process of selection and training. How they are selected and trained varies between cultures. Isn't Western medicine better than non-Western medicine? Ans: Answering questions like this is always difficult because when comparing things you need to be very explicit about what you are comparing. In many ways, Western medicine is better than non-Western medicine; however, it is not better in every way. Modern medications, surgical procedures, and treatments are safer and more effective than those of traditional societies. However, it is important to point out some of the problems of Western medicine. For example, some of the questionable features of Western medicine include an overprescription of tranquilizers and drugs, lots of unnecessary surgery, and the impersonality and inequality of the patient-doctor relationship. More importantly, traditional medicine does not distinguish between biological and psychological causation. Traditional curers focus on how poor health is due to the combination of physical, emotional, and social causes. As a result, traditional curers often succeed with health problems that Western medicine classifies as psychosomatic—not a disease, therefore not an illness—and dismisses as not requiring treatment. Non-Western medicine shows us that patients can be treated effectively as whole beings, using a combination of methods that prove beneficial. Why would somebody major in anthropology who wasn't planning on pursuing a career in it? Ans: College is not a trade school where you go to learn a specific expertise. Rather, college is a place to become a critical thinker and develop your skills as a creative problem solver. Anthropology is a cross-cultural discipline in which you can develop and hone those skills. Anthropology's breadth will not only expose you to different cultural groups from all over the world, it also requires you to draw on many of the other disciplines, such as history, political science, economics, religious studies, psychology, and sociology. As a result, anthropology is an excellent major for those students who want to explore, within the framework of understanding human diversity. Many people who major in anthropology go on to pursue careers in unrelated fields. For example, singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman majored in anthropology, as did Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park, Lost World, and Rising Sun. |