What is anthropology? DEFINITION AND STUDY OBJECTS

What is the first image that comes to mind when you hear about anthropology? Maybe ... Is that of a person belonging to modern society living with an indigenous tribe of the Amazon? Or perhaps that of a student person who tries to describe the grammar of a language that is only spoken in a remote village of the world? The truth is that if you think that both are possible options, you will be hitting.

This aspect responds to transverse character of this discipline, that I would also explain Why it remains a confusing concept for many people today. Continue reading to learn more about this fascinating science!

Content

• Concept
• History
• Branches of anthropology
  • Resources

Concept

The term of anthropology finds its origin in the Greek language: Anthropos ("Man" or "human") and Logos ("knowledge"). In this way, it is defined Like science that is responsible for studying the reality of the human being through A holistic approach, that is, the one in which the whole determines the behavior of each of the parties.

Anthropology is the science that studies the human being holistically, combining in a single discipline methodologies and approaches of natural, social and human sciences.

In addition, perform a analysis of the origin and evolution of social behaviors through space and time, In all its dimensions, therefore, the linguistics and the archeology They are disciplines closely related to anthropology.

The ethnography It is a related concept, but that should not be confused. It could be defined as The descriptive study of the customs and traditions of a certain social group, either an association, a community or a rural or urban core

History

The story goes back to 1747, recognizing Georges-Louis Leclerc, as The first scholar to apply to anthropology as an independent discipline. Its development settled on two positions:

• The study of the various physical characteristics of the human being;
• The descriptive comparison of the different peoples.

Herbert Spencer It was also a very respectable figure within the scientific field, since he presented his theories relying on concepts such as Natural laws, adaptation of being to the environment or transmission of certain generation factors to generation.

Besides, Lewis Henry Morgan, It is considered as One of the authentic parents of modern anthropology. This author presented advances and theories in the field of kinship relationships, something that considered a fundamental to ensure that a group would strengthen ties and that those formed feeling a vital part of that.

Marvin Harris, Another outstanding author is known worldwide for being the key piece of the so -called cultural materialism, whose theory is based primarily on materials of material type to determine the differences or the similarities of the sociocultural type that exist between various groups.

Finally, w.H.R. Rivers, Edith Turner, Clifford Geertz, Sherry Ortner or Ulf Hannerz are other anthropologists who during history have played a fundamental role in the study of the human being, their individual characteristics and their social relationships.

Anthropology analyzes the origin of the human being, its development as a social species and the changes in their behaviors as time passes.

Although there are descriptions about the way of life of previous peoples even to our era (for example, those of the Greek Herodotus), it is considered that the Anthropology was constituted as an independent discipline during the second half of the nineteenth century, augated by the dissemination of evolutionary theories of the figure of Charles Darwin, that passed from the field of natural sciences to the social sciences.

Branches of anthropology

It is possible to distinguish Two major categories within anthropology. On the one hand, the so -called Social and cultural anthropology, that studies human beings as groups that live in society and that, therefore they produce culture and, at the same time, are a product of it. And on the other hand, the biological or physical anthropology, that studies the biological variability of human groups throughout their history, without taking into account cultural aspects.

Finally, It is taken into account in many and diverse areas of work, So much so that, for example, today the so -called forensic anthropology It is a branch of physical anthropology in charge of identification of human bone remains or that still retain soft parts.

Resources

• Flowers, j. (2015, April 19). Google Earth basic for anthropology. Very interesting.is.
• History, anthropology and curiosities about Neanderthals. (2014, May 21). Very interesting.is. 
• Interesting, m. (2015, April 20). Marvin Harris: "Sex is an irresistible instinct; war, no". Very interesting.is. 
• N. (2021). Reports and photographs of anthropology in National Geographic History. history.Nationalgeographic.com.is.
• Romero, s. (2020, November 20). How much do you know about archeology? Very interesting.is.