ANTHROP 1AA3 Lecture Notes - Anthropology Today, Cultural Relativism, Ethnocentrism
8 Jun 2013
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Studies areas involving politics, marriage, economy and justice. An intense fieldwork experience distinguishes anthropology from other disciplines dealing with humans. Anthropology remains more comparative and global in its scope and interests that the other social science and humanities. Holistic perspective: no single aspect of a human culture can be understood unless its relationships to other aspects of the culture are explored. Comparative perspective: involves general theories or ideas scholars might have about humans. Must take into account information from a wide range of societies. For example: human nature, sexuality, warfare, family relationships. No culture is inherently superior or inferior to any other. These ideas require judgements about the relative worthiness of behaviours, beliefs, and other characteristics of a culture. The belief that the moral standards, manners, attitudes, and so forth of one"s own culture are superior to those of other cultures.
