Anthropology

Anthropology ( /ænθrɵˈpɒlədʒi/) is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος), "human being", and -logia (-λογία), "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German philosopher Magnus Hundt.

Anthropology's basic concerns are "What defines Homo sapiens?", "Who are the ancestors of modern Homo sapiens?", "What are humans' physical traits?", "How do humans behave?", "Why are there variations and differences among different groups of humans?", "How has the evolution Anthropology ( /ænθrɵˈpɒlədʒi/) is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos (ἄνθρωπος), "human being", and -logia (-λογία), "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German philosopher Magnus Hundt.

Anthropology's basic concerns are "What defines Homo sapiens?", "Who are the ancestors of modern Homo sapiens?", "What are humans' physical traits?", "How do humans behave?", "Why are there variations and differences among different groups of humans?", "How has the evolutionary past of Homo sapiens influenced its social organization and culture?" and so forth.

In the United States, contemporary anthropology is typically divided into four sub-fields: cultural anthropology also known as social anthropology, archaeology, linguistic anthropology, and physical (or biological) anthropology. The four-field approach to anthropology is reflected in many undergraduate textbooks as well as anthropology programs (e.g. Michigan, Berkeley, Penn). At universities in the United Kingdom, and much of Europe, these "sub-fields" are frequently housed in separate departments and are seen as distinct disciplines.

The social and cultural sub-field has been heavily influenced by structuralist and post-modern theories, as well as a shift toward the analysis of modern societies (an arena more typically in the remit of sociologists). During the 1970s and 1990s there was an epistemological shift away from the positivist traditions that had largely informed the discipline.During this shift, enduring questions about the nature and production of knowledge came to occupy a central place in cultural and social anthropology. In contrast, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology remained largely positivist. Due to this difference in epistemology, anthropology as a discipline has lacked cohesion over the last several decades. This has even led to departments diverging, for example in the 1998–9 academic year at Stanford University, where the "scientists" and "non-scientists" divided into two departments: anthropological sciences and cultural & social anthropology; these departments later reunified in the 2008–9 academic year. ...more

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Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies

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1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

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Lists

The Ghost of the Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin

Mystery of the Ghost Ship by Philip Pullman

Ghost Ships, Abandoned Lighthouses and Other Eerie Vanishings in Fiction Part I

100 books — 1 voter

Ambedkar's Preamble by Aakash Singh Rathore

The Social Context of an Ideology by M S Gore

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26 books — 3 voters

Ghost Ships, Abandoned Lighthouses and Other Eerie Vanishings in Fiction Part II

100 books — 1 voter

Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker

The Birth of the Clinic by Michel Foucault

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The Creation of Psychopharmacology by David Healy

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201 books — 47 voters

The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkins

Curious Minds

176 books — 152 voters

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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1,306 books — 1,560 voters

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Quotes Tagged “Anthropology”

“ I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt it in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life. ”
― Leo Tolstoy, Семейное счастие

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