ANTH10001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Tijaniyyah, Chav, British National Party
29 May 2018
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ANTH10001
THE FOUR FIELDS OF ANTHROPOLOY:
1. ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: the study of human activity in the past, primarily
through the recovery and analysis of historical material.
2. LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY: the study of language and use in context.
3. PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY: the study of relationships between human biology and behavior.
4. SOCIO-CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: the study of those aspects of human behavior that are
outcomes of relations with other humans.
5. APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY (argued): The application of method and theory of anthropology
for analysis and solution of practical problems.
SOCIO-CULTURAL ANTROPOLOGY – DISTINCTIONS FROM OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCES
THE TH‘EE C“ OF ANTH‘OPOLOGY:
CULTURE – the commonsense knowledge one must know to function in a context.
• Whatever it is one has to know or believe in order to operate in a manner acceptable to the
ees of the goup ho shae that ultue.
COMPARISON – analysis across boundaries.
• Cultural Anthropology: the study of social variations and human diversity and difference.
• Social Anthropology: the study of human commonality.
Socio-cultural anthropology combines the two aspects – we understand the differences in order to
understand human commonality.
CONTEXT – Human experience should be studied in context (not abstraction) as no aspect of social
life (e.g. economy, polity, geography, psychology) is separable from any other aspect of social life –
therefore must be studied in relation to one another. Therefore anthropology uses ethnography.
ETHNOGRAPHY: a particular mode of analysis and research that appreciates human behavior in
context and holistically.
• Mode of aalsis: the ethogaphi oogaph.
• Mode of research: the deployment of a range of research techniques, from interview through
to observation, that are deployed according to their contextual appropriateness. However,
most commonly deployed technique: Participant Observation – research is involved directly.
KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY
Both emerged in the 19th Century as ways of understanding how societies work. However, the
historical developments they were linked to and, thereby, their geographical and substantive concerns
were different. – stem from different historical event.
• Sociology: (industrialization and urbanization), social change & the ode of thigs – the west.
• Anthropology: colonialism and tradition – the rest.
How can we benefit from anthropological study of the West?
Hoae Mios faous stud of the Naiea is illustatie. The strange mouth rituals of the
Nacirema that he describes are merely the oral hygiene practices of Americans. At one level his essay
is a cautionary tale about the dangers of over-eotiizig othes. At aothe leel, it is a eide
that soeties ouseles ae, to othes at least, ore exotic than we often assume.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
WEEK 2: EVALUATING OTHER CULTURES
THE RATIONALITY DEBATE
Is it possible or more so appropriate to evaluate other cultures?
Is it possible to understand other cultures?
RELATIVISM: the idea that cultures can only understood in their own terms – e.g. you cant truly
understand (hence evaluate) other cultures based on your own understanding of the world.
ETHNOCENTRISM: the practice of attempting to evaluate and understand cultures according to
criteria from beyond those cultures themselves – e.g. evaluating cultures based on western forms of
logic.
CASE STUDY: WITCHCRAFT AMONST THE AZANDE (1937)
The Azande have a worldview governed by the faith in witchcraft – able to recognise the alleged causes
of events however ultimately identify witchcraft to be the underlying cause. Witchcraft is the
foundation of their judicial system – decisions based not on evidence rather oracular consultation.
Thee is the elief that those ho possess eil ithaft i thei od ae ot aae of it. I““UE:
How can differing oracular outcomes be explained or accounted for? – Azande have no problem with
this. ISSUE: Witchcraft substance is inherited – Azande is a clan and therefore related – how can some
be guilty and some not/ everyone is simultaneously both guilty and not guilty of possessing the
witchcraft substance.
- the footage egs the uestio is it appopiate to ealuate a culture such as the Azande as
eig illogial ad og? oe geeall hat ostitutes udestadig ad ee i ases
like this ee ehaiou sees opletel iatioal a e judge the as eig og o
ot ased o ou este peeptio of logic and knowledge.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ANTROPOLOGICAL INQUIRY?
- Is it to udestad othe ultues/a e ee udestad othe ultues/If e at
understand other cultures then how are we able to make evaluations/ even if we can
understand other cultures, is it appropriate to evaluate other cultures.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
IS IT POSSIBLE TO EVALUATE
OTHER CULTURES
IT IS APPROPRIATE TO
EVALUATE OTHER CULUTRES
WHAT SHOULD THE
ANTROPOLOGY CONSIST OF
LEVY BRUHL
Yes – on the basis of logic &
scientism because this accords
with objective reality.
Yes it is – we can conclude that
illogical & unscientific beliefs of
other cultures do not accord
with objective reality and
therefore are wrong. – thus we
may also regard these beliefs to
be inferior to our own.
Evaluation.
EVANS PRITCHARD
Yes – on the basis of logic &
scientism because this accords
with objective reality.
No it is not – although we can
conclude that illogical &
unscientific beliefs of other
cultures which do not accord
with objective reality therefore
are wrong.
It is however, not appropriate to
regard these beliefs as inferior
to our own. - that our own
beliefs which accord with
objective reality is not an
outcome of our superior
intelligence but rather an
outcome of received
knowledge.
e.g. individuals explaining rain in
different cultures -you are not
superior in explaining rain due
to metrological systems than
someone who explains rain
through witchcraft – both rely
on received knowledge living in
contexts governed by
science/witchcraft.
Anthropological endeavour
should consist not to point out
how certain belief systems are
mistaken but rather to
understand them and how they
persist.
e.g. not to critique the Azambe
but rather to explore how their
flawed understandings persist
through time. – understand
how these systems although
flawed work for these
people/how they live with the
contradictions.
THEY NEED FOR SOMETHING
TO GOVERN THEIR LIVES IS
GREATER THAN THE NEED FOR
TRUTH
WINCH
No – because reality only
reveals itself through
language. Just as in the
language of magic witchcraft is
possible, in the language of
scientism it is not.
(There is no object reality at all
– just the realities constructed
through particular linguistic
systems).
e.g.
No.
Understanding.
Winch suggests that
understanding must come
about via a process involving the
extension of ones mode of
intelligently such that it
encompasses that of the other.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Socio-cultural antropology distinctions from other social sciences. Comparison analysis across boundaries: cultural anthropology: the study of social variations and human diversity and difference, social anthropology: the study of human commonality. Socio-cultural anthropology combines the two aspects we understand the differences in order to understand human commonality. However, most commonly deployed technique: participant observation research is involved directly. Both emerged in the 19th century as ways of understanding how societies work. However, the historical developments they were linked to and, thereby, their geographical and substantive concerns were different. Stem from different historical event: sociology: (industrialization and urbanization), social change & the (cid:858)o(cid:396)de(cid:396) of thi(cid:374)gs(cid:859) the west, anthropology: colonialism and tradition the rest. Ho(cid:396)a(cid:272)e mi(cid:374)o(cid:396)(cid:859)s fa(cid:373)ous stud(cid:455) of the (cid:858)na(cid:272)i(cid:396)e(cid:373)a(cid:859) is illust(cid:396)ati(cid:448)e. the strange mouth rituals of the. Nacirema that he describes are merely the oral hygiene practices of americans. At one level his essay is a cautionary tale about the dangers of over-e(cid:396)oti(cid:272)izi(cid:374)g (cid:858)othe(cid:396)s(cid:859).
