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Since the beginning of the human species, humans have possessed an undying curiosity with their entire existence and surroundings. These curious obsessions, including that of their environments and other living organisms, have never been as strong, remarkable and lasting as the curiosity we’ve had about ourselves both collectively and individually. Two anthropologists offer the valid idea that “it is probably fair to say, wherever literate civilizations came into contact with members of different societies, something like ethnographic writing occurred” (McGee, Warms, 2012). It also seems to be plausible, even looking as far back into the human origin and history as Homo neanderthalensis, that the first glimmer of curiosity occur. Of course Homo neanderthalensis would not be writing ethnographies detailing the emic and etic perspectives within and about a culture, but since they are believed to have lived in complex groups and would occasionally pass another group or merge with another group in passing it would seem reasonable to assume that a base curiosity must have been piqued. All ideas, whether valid or not, begin with a thought. The field of anthropology is a rich transformation and amalgamation of ideas, thoughts and theories evolving throughout time. The purpose of this essay is to summarize the development of anthropological theory from the late nineteenth century to the present twenty-first century.
The concept of Degeneratism was a widely popular theory spanning from the Renaissance to the early nineteenth century. Degeneratism is “a biblical based explanation of cultural diversity… [where] prior to the destruction of the Tower of Babel, all people belonged to God. Whe...
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...to determine where the field of anthropology is headed in the future, but I don’t. A famous Greek philosopher once said, “the only constant is change” (Heraclitus). It is certain that he was correct, and that in the field of anthropology the only certainty we have of the field is that its concepts and methods will change with time. It is up to future anthropologists to discover and determine what anthropology will become, and what will be studied by future generations, beyond them, when they study the next link in the long chain of the history of anthropological theory.
Bibliography
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In a comprehensive summary and analyzation of the history of mankind’s record of affairs, Mark T. Gilderhus tackles the many aspects of the overall biography of human existence. Through scrutiny of the goals of past and present historians, a brief explanation of the origins of historiography, a thorough exploration of the philosophies behind history, and a review of the modern approach to past events, Gilderhus sums up the entirety of historical thought in one hundred and twenty-five pages. His superior knowledge is exemplified through his work which effectively conveys the full extent of historiography.
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The implementation of the NAGPRA has provoked a ranging conflict in interest between two groups, the scientists on one hand and the Native American tribes on the other. As expressed by Burt, scientists have held that the skeletal remains are a source of information that helps in relating the early and the new world (304). They argue that understanding the human evolution is beneficial to the modern communities as they are able to appreciate their history and origin. Conversely, the Native American tribes are of the views that preserving human remains prevents their spirits from resting. Unrest of the spirits may bring misfortune on the current and future generations. In terms of learning their history, the Native Americans bel...
Robbins Burling, David F. Armstrong, Ben G. Blount, Catherine A. Callaghan, Mary Lecron Foster, Barbara J. King, Sue Taylor Parker, Osamu Sakura, William C. Stokoe, Ron Wallace, Joel Wallman, A. Whiten, Sherman Wilcox and Thomas Wynn. Current Anthropology, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Feb., 1993), pp. 25-53
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Joseph-Marie Degerando was a revolutionary, French philosopher who transcribed one of the original guidelines for the study of anthropology in the year 1800 titled, I: Societe des Observateurs de l’Homme in French, and translated into English as, The Observations of Savage Peoples. According to the author of the introduction and translator of his work into English, F. C. T. Moore, Degerando’s guidelines were a “capital work of anthropology” (Moore, U of CA Press. p. 2). Whether Degerando provided the most accurate guidelines for the study of humans is argued; however, his work was certainly influential as it served as a foundation for the science of anthropology. In fact, Moore declares there are consistent similarities between the anthropological recommendations of Degerando and those practiced by modern day anthropologists (Moore, U of CA Press. p. 4-5).
The world of anthropology is tightly woven into research of humans and their cultures. One of the most important principles of the Code of Ethics of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) is found in Part III, Section A, Number 1: “Anthropological researchers have primary ethical obligations to the people, species, and materials they study and to the people with whom they work.” (American Anthropological Association, 2009) This main principle helps to guide social scientists through a maze of ethical dilemmas such as if and how the research itself may harm or otherwise impact those with whom they are studying. While the purpose of the research may be to gain knowledge of the plight of a certain individual or group of individuals, by the extension of the sharing of this knowledge the person or persons being studied may draw unwanted attention. By utilizing the Code of Ethics, the framework has been established so that the researcher is guided “to consult actively with...
Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge, 14th Edition William A. Havilland; Harald E. L. Prins; Bunny McBride; Dana Walrath Published by Wadsworth, Cengage Learning (2014)
In her book Around the World in 30 Years, Barbara Gallatin Anderson presents a convincing and precise representation of the many aspects that go into the being a cultural anthropologist. Her visually impacting story follows her around the world throughout her personal career. The attention to detail and thorough explanations make the reader feel as though they too are an anthropologist. Anderson uses a unique structure of information throughout the chapters of her book. An example of this is found towards the beginning: “In this, as in many other anthropological issues, fieldwork is to theory as air is to fire, illuminating the enticing scope of culture’s complexity.
The American Anthropological Association 's (AAA) aim is to offer guidelines and promote education and discussion. American anthropologists do this often by speaking and interacting with individuals living and experiencing the culture. Truly understanding, learning, and becoming accustomed to a new cultural environment takes a significantly long period of time, perhaps even years of exposure to the culture in order to truly understand traditions, morals, and customs. For instance in the Shostak`s study on the !Kung people, it was important for the researchers to say words correctly, at appropriate times, and in a culturally accepted manner, in addition, in order to interview individuals, specifically women, the anthropologist would ask one to “enter work” with her and they would talk for an hour or a day, or over a long period of time, perhaps two weeks. When studying another culture, American anthropologists include host country colleagues in their research planning and when requesting funding, establish true collaborative relationships, include host country colleagues in dissemination, including publication, and they also ensure that something is given back to the host. When studying other countries, the process is done carefully and thoughtfully, in order to end the study with new information on a culture and to establish new connections
Park, M.A. (2008). Introducing anthropology: An integrated approach, with PowerWeb, 4th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978–0-07-340525-4
Clifford Geertz is an American anthropologist who’s extensive contributions to the field of anthropology still influence how an anthropologist
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