Cultural Anthropology
Ethnography
Ethnology
Social Anthropology
Linguistics
Ethnography
An attempt to give an accurate, objective, valid, reliable account of the way of life of a specific group of people.
(ethnos, a people+graphos, a writing)
This is the basic descriptive level of cultural anthropology.
Participant Observation is major feature.
Margaret Mead’s work with the Samoans is a good example.
Laura Tamakoshi’s (above) work in New Guinea is another.
(Margaret Mead also worked in New Guinea.)
Ethnology (ethnos, people+logos, word)
An attempt to give an accurate, objective, valid, reliable account of the way of life of a larger set of people.
A higher level of generalization….
The Science of Culture.
Ethnologists try to find patterns of behavior that are common to the various groups under investigation.
The Comparative Method is an important tool.
Cultural Universals…cultural traits manifest in some way in all cultures under study. languagekinship systemsreligion
E.B. Tylor
Social Anthropology
Area of anthropology most like sociology.
Differs mainly on areas of emphasis and the professional identification of the individual.
Kinship and Descent
Social Anthropology
Sociologists have been concerned mainly with own society.
Social anthropologists have been concerned mainly with traditional society.
Genealogical Space
– Space that contains all human beings.
Kinship and descent are Cultural Universals.
Social Anthropology
Genealogical Space
Social Anthropology
Males
Females
Marriageaffinal
Descentconsanguineal
Generationconsanguineal
The investigation of kinship terminology begins with a distinction between kin types and kin terms.
Kin types refer to the basic uncategorized relationships that anthropologists use to describe the actual contents of kinship categories. They are supposedly culture free, etic components.
Kin terms are the labels for categories of kin that include one or more kin types. They are emic structures and vary across cultures.
Social Anthropology
Kin Types Primary components and letter symbols
Mother [M]
Father [F]
Sister [Z]
Brother [B]
Daughter [D]
Son [S]
Husband [H]
Wife [W]
Social Anthropology
Social Anthropology
Social Anthropology
Rules of DescentBilineal (Bilateral)
Unilineal
Matrilineal
Patrilineal
Social Anthropology
Eskimo KinshipBilineal
Similar to “American” system
Social Anthropology
Matrilineal
Social Anthropology
Patrilineal
Social Anthropology
Social Anthropology
Comparison of Patrilineal with Matrilineal Descent
Patrilineal Matrilineal
Strong marriage Brittle marriage
Patrilocal residence Matrilocal residence
Strict sex rules Lax sex rules
No marriage rule X-cousin marriage
Prescribed
Proscribed
Rules of Residence
Neolocal
Matrilocal
Patrilocal
Ambilocal
Associated with bilineal descent
Associated with bilineal descent
Associated with matrilineal descent
Associated with patrilineal descent
Social Anthropology
Forms of Marriage
Monogamy
Polygamy
Polygyny
Polyandry
One spouse
Multiple husbands
Multiple spouses
Multiple wives
Rules of Marriage
Exogamy - Marriage outside group
Endogamy - Marriage within group
Social Anthropology
Family relatives
Four functions of families
Nuclear families Extended families
Nurturance
Economic foundationSex control
Enculturation
Social Anthropology
Linguistics
Study of Language
Language is a system of vocal symbols by means of which human beings interact in terms of their culture.
Linguistics
Study of Language
The three S’s of language:
Shape
Sound
Sense
Grammar; syntax - rules to put sounds together
No language uses all sounds humans can make.Phonology, Phonetics, PhonemicsPhonemes - “packets” of similar sounds recognized as same sound.
Morphology stydy of shape of language
Morpheme - basic unit of sound to which meaning has been attached.
Semantics - study of sense (meaning).All languages make sense to the people who use them…They are equal in this regard.
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
!Kung
Linguistics
Metalanguage/Vocalics
Olfactics
Haptics
Kinesics
Proxemics
Oculesics
Chronemics The study of meanings, usage
and communication of time.
In many other cultures, time istime is experienced polychronically
rather than sequentially.
Time in US is a sequence….a commodity to be spent, used, wasted….
Concerned with systems of smell
Communication through the skin….i.e.Touching by Ashley MontagueBodily movement, facial expression, etc.Ray Birdwhistell is pioneer
Communication by use of space….Edward T. Hall’s work, for example
Communication involving the eyes
Includes paralanguage…It’s not what you say, it’sthe way you say it.