Discovering anthropology revision resource

Discovering Anthropology RevisionMonkeys, Sex, and Death Dr. Nick Pearce n.a.pearce@durham.ac.uk

other resources reading pack (available in duo) YouTube playlist

What is anthropology?• The study of mankind – Evolution – History – Cross-Cultural – Observation & Participation

Four major sub-fields• Biological• Archaeological• Linguistic• Culturalhow are evolution and observation important in each?

Evolution• Evolution is fact• How evolution works is theory• What do we mean by theory? – Tentative, subject of argument – Based on evidence – Falsifiable

Darwin’s 3 postulates– The struggle for existence– Variation in fitness– Inheritance of variation

Natural Selection is result of adaptation to changing environment

Artificialselection iscontrolled byhumans and canbe unadaptive

not all artificialselection is bad…Green Revolution

Primate Mating Strategies

• We are mammals• Takes a lot of resources to reproduce next generation• Variety of strategies in primates – Monogamy/ Non-monogamy – Infanticide

intersexual selection

intrasexual selection

linguistic anthropology5-6,000 languages spoken todayMany disappearinga global language?

Properties of language• Multimedia potential• Discreteness• Arbitrariness• Productivity• Displacement

language has shapedus physically

Language reflects our view of the world Cattle Horses Swine Cow Mare Sow Female Bull Stallion Boar Male Steer Gelding Barrow Male - Mature - Neutered Calf Foal Piglet Newborn – Regardless of sex Heifer calf Filly Gilt Female - Immature Bull calf Colt shoat Male - Immature

how we speak can reflect our position in societyaccent - howdialect - what

CultureLearnedSharedSymbolicdifferent but related to naturedifferent for different groups

ethnocentrism orcultural relativism?

Ethnographyparticular to anthropologyoriginally used to study ‘simple’ societiesnow a method to study any cultural setting

emic – within the culture etic – culturally neutral

lots we can learn from bonessex – hips, skullage – skull, teethdiet – teethstatus – grave goods, treatment of body

Birth, Coming of Age, Deathlook at your reading packdraw on your wider knowledgedraw on your personal experience

testworth 60%3 sections – multiple choice (20 marks) – short definitions (40) – essay (40)

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Discovering anthropology revision resource

by Nick Pearce on Dec 09, 2011

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