INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY

Core, 5 credits, fall semester

You will study the subject of Cultural Anthropology as a science, methods, links with other
social and human sciences, the most important stages and moments in the evolution of
Anthropology; you will accustom to the anthropological vision of the unity in diversity of human
culture, with highlights on the role of anthropology in the democratization of international relations.
Also, Anthropology is a science that tries to help us understand culture.

Next topics:

Cultural anthropology: concepts, sub-fields

The interdisciplinary vocation of cultural anthropology
Research methods and techniques in cultural anthorpology
Evolution of cultural anthropology
What is culture?

What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present.
From the Greek anthropos (human) and logia (study), the word anthropology itself tells us it
is the field that seeks to understand humankind, from the beginnings millions of years ago up to the
present day. Anthropology considers how people's behaviors change over time, and how people and
seemingly dissimilar cultures are different and the same.
To understand the full sweep and complexity of cultures across all of human history,
anthropology draws and builds upon knowledge from the social and biological sciences as well as
the humanities and physical sciences.
A central concern of anthropologists is the application of knowledge to the solution of
human problems.
Anthropology tries to answer to some questions like:
- What does it mean to be human?
- Why do people behave in particular ways?
- What are the historical and environmental pressures that helped shape the experience
and behavior of a specific group of people?
- What are universal facts of human life?

International relations and Anthropology/ Cultural Anthropology

International Studies degree is an eclectic one that uses classes from different fields.
International relations studies are basically political science with a global focus. You will have
courses that deal with world history, geography, economy, a lot of political science classes and a
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certain number of units of foreign languages. You will learn some things about different cultures,
but this will be through a political lens and won't be your main focus. You may be able to focus on
one particular region (Middle East, South America etc.), though you still won't get too deep into
cultural studies.
Anthropology is quite different, though no less challenging and very interesting due to the
variety of this field. Take a look at the subfields of anthropology: biological anthropology, cultural
anthropology, linguistics, ethnology, archaeology. You can learn a little about human evolution,
pre-history, genetics and diversity, archaeology. There is also historical anthropology. So, the
possibilities are almost endless from the anthropological perspective. Each of these fields teaches
distinctive skills, such as applying theories, employing research methodologies, formulating and
testing hypotheses, and developing extensive sets of data.
The two (International Relations and Anthropology) must go hand in hand. International
Relations Studies do tend toward a political science focus, however, which does draw a lot on
theories which you may find dry and devoid of a humanistic and cultural element. While a few
political theorists do pay strong attention to culture, like Samuel Huntington (The Clash of
Civilizations is a theory, proposed by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, that people's cultural
and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world), they are
often put on the backburner (secund) by the mainstream consensus, which favors class differences
and economic differences as being stronger forces than cultural ones on the global system.
Anthropological study provides training particularly well suited to the 21st century. The
economy will be increasingly international; workforces and markets, increasingly diverse;
participatory management and decision making, increasingly important; communication skills,
increasingly in demand.
Anthropologists might contribute to a preventive foreign policy, provide context to political
conflicts around the world, and engage diplomats and other foreign policy elites. Also,
anthropologists might increase anthropology’s profile on foreign and security policy, by conducting
more ethnographic studies of diplomats and other foreign policy elites, and by examining the many
ways in which the inter-state system is constituted against the messiness of globalization rather than
eroded by it.

Culture and Globalisation: Perspectives from Anthropology

Globalisation is one of the most important dynamics of contemporary social life and it is so
often a concern with culture that animates the debates about globalisation. The world is
increasingly interconnected, and some specialists even talk of life in a 'global village'. But what
does globalisation really entail (produce, determina)? And what are the cultural forces that shape
it? Is a 'clash of civilizations' inevitable in our globalised world? Does the emergence of a 'global
village' spell the end of cultural difference? Can we answer to these questions from an
anthropological point of view?

What do Anthropologists do?

Addressing complex questions, such as human origins, the past and contemporary spread
and treatment of infectious disease, or globalization, requires synthesizing information from all
subfields. Anthropologists are highly specialized in their research interests, yet we remain
generalists in our observations of the human condition. Anthropologists collaborate closely with
people whose cultural patterns and processes we seek to understand or whose living conditions
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require amelioration. Collaboration helps bridge social distances and gives greater voice to the
people whose cultures and behaviors anthropologists study, enabling them to represent themselves
in their own words.
An engaged anthropology is committed to supporting social change efforts that arise from
the interaction between community goals and anthropological research. Because the study of
people, past and present, requires respect for the diversity of individuals, cultures, societies, and
knowledge systems, anthropologists are expected to adhere to a strong code of professional ethics.
Today's anthropologists do not just work in exotic locations.
Anthropologists are employed in a number of different sectors, from colleges and
universities to government agencies, NGOs, businesses, and health and human services.
Anthropologists contribute significantly to interdisciplinary fields such as international studies and
ethnic and gender studies, and some work in academic research centers. Also anthropologists can
work in government agencies, private businesses, community organizations, museums, independent
research institutes, service organizations, the media; and others work as independent consultants
and research staff for agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, UNESCO, the World Health
Organization, and the World Bank. Their work may involve building research partnerships,
assessing economic needs, evaluating policies, developing new educational programs, recording
little-known community histories, providing health services, and other socially relevant activities.
(American Anthropological Association).

Anthropologists want to know why things happen. For example, we know how AIDS is
spreading but do we know why? Anthropologists tackle big human problems, such as
overpopulation, warfare, and poverty.

Anthropological study and training provide the knowledge, skills and tools to work with
people, study the past, and shape the future (American Anthropological Association).

What Does Anthropology Teach That Is Useful Outside the University Setting?
Careful record-keeping, attention to details, analytical reading, clear and critical thinking,
strong skills in oral and written expression are cultivated by anthropological courses = analysis
skills that lead to a wide variety of options. Using a range of scientific research methods,
anthropology learns to supplement statistical findings with descriptive data gathered through
participant observation, interviewing, and ethnographic study.
An anthropologist is a trained observer who knows the importance of collecting data, in
listening and watching what others are doing, in reflecting on what has actually as well as
apparently occurred, in researching the context, in applying various explanatory models, and in
adopting a broad perspective for framing an understanding. Whatever the topic of research,
anthropologists share a particular holistic vision that requires using a repertoire of methods in order
to forge a deeper understanding of situations. This holism characterizes the best anthropology and
imparts the perspective for which the profession is valued.

What will you achieve?

Anthropology is a career that embraces people of all kinds. It is a discipline that confronts
with heterogeneity – in people, ideas and research methods. Anthropologists know the wisdom of
listening to multiple voices and linking the work coming from researchers who bring different
backgrounds and apply various approaches to their endeavors.
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 a wide understanding of contemporary cultures and societies and an ability to understand

processes of change in the modern world
 the ability to relate anthropology to a broad range of practical contexts
 an understanding of the nature of cultural and social differences and how to approach these
differences in the contemporary world
 competence and confidence in presenting your own ideas as well as those of others
 analytical skills, useful in a wide range of contexts.