ANTH 1150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Emic And Etic, Adam Kadmon
2 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Draws and build upon knowledge from the social and biological
sciences as well as the humanities and physical sciences
•
Anthropology: the study of humans, past and present
Cultural
○
Biological
○
Linguistics
○
Archaeology
○
Four major divisions:
•
Anthropologists combine a scientific perspective with the outlook of
the humanities
•
Must empathize with they people with whom they interact with
and learn how to think like the people that they study
○
Emic = insider
!
Etic = outsider
!
Perspectives:
○
Socio-cultural anthropologists are also known as ethnographers
•
Ethnology -emphasizes comparison and analysis of different
cultures
○
Ethnography -refers to writing an account of life in another culture
•
Anthropologists try to determine what makes people similar and different
They abhor war and avoid violent behaviour (e.g. Semai man
of Malaysia)
○
We have "funny" notions about primitive cultures but most are
peaceful
•
E.g. hunting and gathering traditions
○
Some cultures reflect our ancestors (200,000 years ago)
•
Some are monogamous while others practice polygyny
○
Marriage:
•
Most economies are built on gift exchange = reciprocity
○
Other societies rely on open air markets
○
Economics:
•
Most non-Western societies manage social control without
government
○
Often, mediation fails leading to warfare
○
Revenge is often obligatory out of fear of vengeful spirits
○
Politics, Law and War:
•
Different people perceive the unseen world in different ways
○
Both call for the triumph of good over evil
!
Islam and Christianity have the same prophets: Adam,
Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ
○
Gods are the forces of creation
!
Demons are the forces of decay and destruction
!
The human role is to keep the forces in balance (or else
the world will come to an end)
!
Hindu/Buddist Balinese see the concepts as forces cancelling
each other out
○
The Supernatural:
•
Explaining diversity and similarities
○
Why do some practice monogamy and others polygyny?
○
Why do some cultures have governments and their codified
laws while others manage without them?
○
Why do some people share their resources while others do not?
○
Role of Anthropologists:
•
Anthropos: "man" (or human)
○
Logos: "study of" (or science of)
○
Can be defined as the holistic and comparative study of
humankind and its culture
○
Observe people's behaviour of a culture in the field
!
Reconstruct their behaviour in archeological sites
!
Study people's language that carries their culture
!
Study their biological capacity for culture
!
Anthropologists…
○
What is Anthropology?
•
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology:
Introduction to Anthropology
Tuesday,* January* 9,*2018
12:30*PM
Document Summary
Anthropology: the study of humans, past and present. Draws and build upon knowledge from the social and biological sciences as well as the humanities and physical sciences. Anthropologists try to determine what makes people similar and different. Anthropologists combine a scientific perspective with the outlook of the humanities. Must empathize with they people with whom they interact with and learn how to think like the people that they study. Ethnography - refers to writing an account of life in another culture. Ethnology - emphasizes comparison and analysis of different cultures. We have funny notions about primitive cultures but most are peaceful. They abhor war and avoid violent behaviour (e. g. semai man of malaysia) Some cultures reflect our ancestors (200,000 years ago) Most economies are built on gift exchange = reciprocity. Most non-western societies manage social control without government. Revenge is often obligatory out of fear of vengeful spirits. Different people perceive the unseen world in different ways.
