Identity, Race and Power

The focus of this class is a lot social and cultural anthro

what is anthro
-talks about similarities and differences of humans past and present
-popular perception of anthro is that it is the study of past civilizations in other countries, non-
west countries
-anthropologists have spent a vast amount of time studying in areas that are not Canada (west)
-they now do research “on themselves"

How is Anthropology different from other fields?

-Anthropologists study all cultures including themselves
-initially began in the west but many non westerners have contributed
-you go out in the field and live there for a while (like jane goodall)
-compare and contrast

Anthropological Perspectives

Holistic
-looking at all aspects of a culture or society
-most other disciplines are not holistic to the same degree that anthro is
-the history of an event, how society works, how the economy is working, the people
-anthropologists study all of it, how each of it moves

Comparative Perspective
-Involves general theories or ideas scholars might have about humans
-For example: human nature, sexuality, warfare, family, relationships
-More of a historical perspective
-looking at a particular topic in a moment of time
-Must take into account information from a wide range of societies

Self-Reflexive
-Looking at ourselves
-Unlike many other social sciences, anthropology went through a movement whereby it looked
within itself to understand how it was representing the people who were involved in their studies
-in the 1970s
-we’re all subjective

Cultural Relativism
-The view that every culture and they should all be studied in their own context
-No culture is inherently superior or inferior to any other

Ethnocentrism
-The belief that the moral standards, manners ,attitudes, and forth of ones’ own culture are
superior to those of other cultures
 -For example we think Canada is better than the US, etc
-Extreme ethnocentricism - in which people believe their values are the only correct ones and
that all people everywhere should be judged - leads to attitudes of intolerance and
misunderstandings that anthropologists find objectionable

example - western culture sees other cultures as primitive, exotic or strange

This is only relative because our own daily lives may seem strange

Methodology - Fieldwork
-Fieldwork: collecting information about particular cultures by living in their communities so
that research can be conducted in close contact with the people

-Fieldworkers communicate in the local language

-Field studies by physical anthropologists overturned earlier ideas about our origins as a
species, or the belief that humans are the only species to use and make tools

Value of Anthropology
-Teaches the importance of understanding the nature of cultural difference
-Helps us understand biological, technological, and cultural development of humanity over long
time spans.