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Anthropology (from the Greek word άνθρωπος, "human" or "person") consists of the study of humanity (see genus Homo). It is holistic in two senses: it is concerned with all humans at all times and with all dimensions of humanity. Anthropology is traditionally distinguished from other disciplines by its emphasis on cultural relativity, in-depth examination of context, and cross-cultural comparisons.
Historical and institutional context
- Main Article: History of anthropology
Institutionally, anthropology emerged from the development of natural history (expounded by authors such as Buffon) that occurred during the European colonization of the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Programs of ethnographic study have their origins in this era as the study of the "human primitives" overseen by colonial administrations. There was a tendency in late 18th century Enlightenment thought to understand human society as natural phenomena that behaved in accordance with certain principles and that could be observed empirically.see, for instance, the writing of Auguste Comte In some ways, studying the language, culture, physiology, and artifacts of European colonies was not unlike studying the flora and fauna of those places. Some critics point to the fact that the material culture of "civilized" nations such as China have historically been displayed in fine-art museums alongside European art, while artifacts from African and Native North American cultures were displayed in Natural History Museums, alongside dinosaur bones and nature dioramas. The British Museum or the Parisian Musée de l'Homme are examples of such museums—the Musée de l'Homme held the "Hottentot Venus" remains until the 1970s. Saartje Baartman, a Namaqua woman, was examined by anatomist Georges Cuvier. This being said, curatorial practice has changed dramatically in recent years, and it would be inaccurate to see anthropology as merely an extension of colonial rule and European chauvinism, since its relationship to imperialism was and is complex. Museums weren't the only site of anthropological studies: with the New Imperialism period, starting in the 1870s, zoos became unattended "laboratories," especially the so-called "ethnological exhibitions" or "Negro villages." Thus, "savages" from the colonies were displayed, often nudes, in cages, in what has been called "human zoos." For example, in 1906, anthropologist Madison Grant put a Congolese pygmy named Ota Benga in a cage in the Bronx Zoo, and labelled him "the missing link" between an orangutan and the "white race" (Grant, a renowned eugenicist, was the author of The Passing of the Great Race (1916). Such exhibitions were attempts to illustrate and prove in the same movement the validity of scientific racism, the first formulation of which may be found in Arthur de Gobineau's An Essay on the Inequality of Human Races (1853-55). In 1931, the Colonial Exhibition in Paris still displayed Kanaks from New Caledonia in the "indigenous village"; it received 24 million visitors in six months, thus demonstrating the popularity of such "human zoos."
More on [ Anthropology ]
Human :: Evolution
Human Geography :: Geography
Sociology :: Social Sciences
Indigenous People :: Ethnicity
Editorial: The First 50 Years
help@www.journals.uchicago.edu (Mark Aldenderfer) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:06:14 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 753, December 2009.
Anthropological Currents
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:03:29 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 755-756, December 2009.
Current Applications
help@www.journals.uchicago.edu (M. N. Gemein) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:06:21 -0000
Current Anthropology, Volume 50, Issue 6, Page 757, December 2009.
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Anthro.Net Research Engine - Search engine of web sites and bibliographic references for anthropology, archaeology, linguistics and related social sciences.
Meta Description: [ Anthro.Net is a Free Professional Research Service for Anthropologists and Archaeologists. ]
Anthropological Center for Training - A research group at Indiana University, Bloomington that focuses on the human dimensions of global environment change. Features information on training, an online newsletter, and provides a list of publications.
Anthropological Studies Center - A non-profit center at Sonoma State University dedicated to cultural resources management, education, research, and public service.
Meta Description: [ Anthropological Studies Center Home Page ]
Anthropology Tutorials - Lessons on various topics in cultural and physical anthropology. Includes glossaries, practice quizzes, and lists of related links.
Meta Description: [ Cultural and Physical Anthropology tutorials ]
California Academy of Sciences - Offers educational exhibits and events. Features research and publications, collection highlights, on-line database of artifacts and information on the Academy's Traditional Arts Program. Located in San Francisco, California.
Meta Description: [ The Department of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences researches the evolution of primates, presents traditional ethnic arts, and houses ethnographic collections from all over the world, with a focus on North American Indians and the Pacific Rim. ]
Center for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity - An outreach program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis that offers instruction to people of all ages in both cultural and physical anthropology. Site features lesson plans and educational resources.
Council for the Preservation of Anthropological Records - An organization that encourages the preservation and use of research records. Features information on grants and workshops and provides access to the National Guide to Anthropological Records database.
FAQs for Sci.Anthropology - Frequently asked questions for the Usenet newsgroup. Offers basic information on the field.
Human Relations Area Files, Inc. - A non-profit consortium of schools and research institutions collecting and compiling information to facilitate cross-cultural studies in ethnography and archaeology. Features list of publications and subscription information.
Institute for Anthropological Research - Features current research, an overview of the department and faculty profiles. Also offers links to related sites. Located in Zagreb, Croatia
National Anthropological Archives - The NAA collects and preserves historical and contemporary anthropological materials that document the world's cultures and the history of anthropology.
Meta Description: [ The NAA collects and preserves historical and contemporary anthropological materials that document the world's cultures and the history of anthropology ]
NSF Anthropology Program - The National Science Foundation's research initiative to promote basic scientific research on the causes and consequences of human social and cultural variation. Features grants and awards information, staff directory, and history of the program.
Smithsonian Institution Anthropology Outreach Office - Provides leaflets, bibliographies, and instructor's packets for teaching a variety of topics.
Meta Description: [ The Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology is home to more than 3 million ethnological, archaeological and physical anthropology collections ]
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