ANTH100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Edward Burnett Tylor, Linguistic Anthropology, Participant Observation

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH100
• Professor: Robert Park

Document Summary

Anthropology is distinctive from other disciplines because. Holistic - looks at humans as a whole. Seeks to make generalizations about human nature, society and history. Comparative (cannot be experimental ethically, need to seek out situations in order to formulate comparisons - cannot create experiments, you have to nd them) 2: biological/physical anthropology, archaeological anthropology linguistic anthropology. Culture is the main reason for our success as animals. Edward tylor - human systems of thought are not random but driven by culture. How we are is not instinct but comes from being raised in a certain society and culture: a shared way of life that includes technology, values, beliefs and norms transmitted within a. Cultured (in media) = liking opera, ballet and classy things. Give descriptions, provide explanations and make generalizations about their ndings. Anthropologists need to be careful not to let their own beliefs cloud their judgement. Need to examine the societies they study in a holistic, unbiased way.