Anthropologists conduct participant observation by living with cultural groups for extended periods to become fully accepted and immerse themselves in the local way of life. They compile detailed field notes through ethnographic field work which includes conducting interviews and collecting statistics. Anthropologists aim to avoid ethnocentrism and instead understand other cultures based on their own cultural values and concepts like kinship, which is culturally defined by marriage, birth and adoption. They view cultures as constantly evolving and believe most changes are gradual, occurring through invention, discovery and diffusion of ideas between societies.

1. How Anthropologists Conduct
Their Work

2. Participant Observation
• When Anth. live for
extended periods with
the cultural group they
are studying.
– This is known as
participant –
observation.
• Believe they will be
totally accepted if they
live and participate in
village life.

3. Ethnography
• Anthropological field work - the scientific
study of human races and cultures.
•Includes:
–Taking /
compiling
detailed field
notes.
–Conducting
field interviews.
–Collecting
statistics.

4. Ethnocentrism
• Try to avoid
ethnocentrism – the
learned belief that
your own culture is
superior to others.
– judging another
culture according to
your own cultural
values.

5. Kinship is a cultural concept
• – a family relationship
based on what a culture
considers a family to be.
• Defined by:
– Mating (marriage)
– Birth (descent)
– Nurturance (adoption)
• WHY DOES THIS
MATTER?

6. Fictive kinship
• The practice of
acknowledging as
kin people who are
not biologically
related (ex.
godparents).

7. What is Social Change?
• Refers to changes in the
way society is organized,
and in the beliefs / practices
of the people who live in it.
• Further defined depending
on particular focus of the
social science disciple.

8. The Anthropological Questions
• Regard cultures as
constantly changing
organisms.
– Believe most cultural
change is gradual;
sudden changes
usually only occur if
destroyed by another
culture.

9. The Majority World
- Main focus area of
Anthropologists
- 180 nations of the
world are developing
countries (little or no
industry, most people
survive by farming the
land).

10. Sources of
Cultural Change
• Three main sources of
cultural change
1. Invention – New products,
ideas, and social patterns
that affect the way people
live.
2. Discovery – Finding
something new that was
previously unknown to a
culture.
3. Diffusion – Spreading of
ideas, methods, and tools
from one culture to
another.

11. Enculturation
• Process by which members of a culture
learn and internalize shared ideas, values,
and beliefs.

12. Classification of Cultures
Various aspects
of culture can be
classified as
follows:
1. Physical
Environment.
2. Level of
Technology
3. Social
Organization
4. Systems of
Symbols