Anthropology

"Anthropology": from the Greek anthropos for "human" and logos for "study".

Anthropology is the study of human cultural and biological diversity and change.  It tries to answer such questions as:

• how do different cultures interact with and influence one another in a global society?
• how do cultures in the past and present change?
• what circumstances predictably generate similar cultural responses?
• why and how do cultures vary around the world?
• what is common among all humans?
• where and how did humans evolve?
• how are humans continuing to evolve?

Anthropologists also apply the field's methods and accumulated knowledge on cultures (past and present) to help people address important social issues. In the past, many anthropologists studied only non-western cultures. Today, anthropologists work in all social and global contexts, both rural and urban.

Anthropology is distinctive for its unique comparative and holistic perspectives. A comparative perspective allows us to appreciate the sheer diversity in human cultures and to better understand what is "natural" and what is "cultural" among humans. This perspective also allows us to seek generalizations on culture and cultural change. As a holistic and integrative discipline, anthropology examines the entirety of the human experience.

Most anthropologists specialize in one or more subfields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, archaeology, physical anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and applied anthropology. Please see the link to the anthropology subfields for individual descriptions of each subfield, career opportunities, and courses at EMU.

Culture: the Subject of Anthropology

"Culture," the subject of anthropology, has been defined in numerous ways. However, anthropologists agree that culture includes peoples' adaptations, behaviours, beliefs, and values and that these are shared, learned, symbolic, and integrated.

Culture is shared.  It is a set of adaptations, behaviours, beliefs, and values that are commonly practiced and expected within a definable population or group in a society.

Culture is learned. It is transmitted from one generation to the next through socialization and by providing the contexts in which people experience each other and the world around them.

Culture is symbolic. It provides linguistic and other symbols through which people communicate ideas and lend meaning to their world. Culture is also integrated, generally adaptive, and constantly changing.

Culture then, is a core constellation of adaptations, behaviors, beliefs and values which are part of any given cultural system, and these cannot be seen as separate from other aspects of the cultural system.