Overview of and topical guide to anthropology
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to anthropology:
Anthropology – study of humankind. Anthropology has origins in the natural sciences – humanities – and the social sciences.[1] The term was first used by François Péron when discussing his encounters with Tasmanian Aborigines.[2]
What type of thing is anthropology?
Anthropology can be described as all of the following:[citation needed]
- Academic discipline – body of knowledge given to – or received by – a disciple (student); a branch or sphere of knowledge, or field of study, that an individual has chosen to specialise in.
- Field of science – widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. Such a field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer-reviewed research is published. There are many sociology-related scientific journals.
- Social science – field of academic scholarship that explores aspects of human society.
History of anthropology
History of anthropology
Fields of anthropology
- Archaeology – study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes.
- Biological anthropology – concerned with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings
- Linguistic anthropology – interdisciplinary study of how language influences social life
- Cultural anthropology – focused on the study of cultural variation
- Social anthropology – study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures
Archaeological subfields of anthropology
Archaeology – study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes.
- Biocultural anthropology – scientific exploration of the relationships between human biology and culture.
- Feminist archaeology – interprets past societies from a feminist perspective.
- Maritime archaeology – studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, shore-side facilities, port-related structures, cargoes, human remains and submerged landscapes.
Biological subfields of anthropology
Biological anthropology –
- Anthrozoology – subset of ethnobiology that deals with interactions between humans and other animals, such as quantifying the positive effects of human–animal relationships.
- Evolutionary anthropology – interdisciplinary study of the evolution of human physiology and human behavior, and of the relation between hominids and non-hominid primates.
- Forensic anthropology – application of the anatomical science of anthropology and its various subfields, including forensic archaeology and forensic taphonomy, in a legal setting.
- Paleoanthropology – study of the evolutionary development of ancient humans.
Linguistic subfields of anthropology
Linguistics –
Socio-cultural anthropology subfields
Other subfields
General anthropology concepts
Theories
Methods and frameworks
Anthropology organizations
Books, journals, and other literature
Anthropology scholars
Anthropology lists
See also
Related fields
References
- ^ Wolf, Eric (1994) Perilous Ideas: Race, Culture, People. Current Anthropology 35: 1-7. p.227
- ^ Flannery, T.F. (1994) The Future Eaters: An ecological history of the Australasian lands and people Chatswood: New South Wales ISBN 0-8021-3943-4
External links
- American Anthropological Association (AAA): What is Anthropology?
- National Association for the Practice of Anthropology (NAPA): The Profession of Anthropology