ANTHRO 2AC Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Relative Dating, Cognitive Model, Cultural Relativism
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§ Cultures Adapt to Changing Environments;
o Systems Approach Premise -
§ culture as an integrative set of systems
§ a change in one of theses systems could affect the other
§ led to systemic feedback cycles of evolutionary change
§ technology and environment tend to initiate these cycles
9.
Cultural Evolution
-
o Why do we see evolution from simple to complex societies?
o theory that human societies change via a process analogous to
evolution of biological species.
o Multilinear - societies have proceeded on many routes and at
different rates, that there is no universal path.
o Unilinear - idea of a single line or path of cultural development
10.
Cultural Ecology
- study of dynamic interaction between human societies
and their environment, viewing culture as the primary adaptive mechanism in
the relationship.
11.
Ethnographic analogy
- a method for inferring the use or meaning of an
ancient site or artifact based on observations and accounts of its use by living
people.
12.
Etic/Emic Perspective
o Part of Agency in Archaeology
o
Etic
= outside, perspective of observer
§ Described culture from the outside scientific perspective.
§ observe people’s behaviors.
§ consider development of cross-cultural elements
§ try to reconstruct past behaviors of people
o
Emic
= inside, perspective from within social group
§ understand culture as if you were participating in it.
§ understand WHY they are undertaking certain actions,
attempt to get at cultural meaning and the values
§ cultural relativism - Regarding the beliefs, values and
practices of the culture from the viewpoint of the culture.
Document Summary
Cultures adapt to changing environments: systems approach premise - Culture as an integrative set of systems. A change in one of theses systems could affect the other led to systemic feedback cycles of evolutionary change technology and environment tend to initiate these cycles. Described culture from the outside scientific perspective. Consider development of cross-cultural elements try to reconstruct past behaviors of people: emic = inside, perspective from within social group. Understand culture as if you were participating in it. Understand why they are undertaking certain actions, attempt to get at cultural meaning and the values. Cultural relativism - regarding the beliefs, values and practices of the culture from the viewpoint of the culture. Active agents: critical theory, mark leone, scholars recognize that in doing the research, they will be biased by their own individual sociocultural and political ideologies, there are multiple ways to interpret the past. E. g. relative dates for ceramics: research design (stages of research, ashmore and sharer textbook)
