Cultural Anthropology

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Cultural Anthropology
Ethnography
Ethnology
Social Anthropology
Linguistics
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Ethnography
(ethnos, a peoplegraphos, a writing)
An attempt to give an accurate, objective,
valid, reliable account of the way of life of
a specific group of people.
This is the basic descriptive level of cultural
anthropology.
Participant Observation is major feature.
Margaret Meads work with the Samoans is a good
example.
(Margaret Mead also worked in New Guinea.)
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Ethnology
(ethnos, peoplelogos, 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.
E.B. Tylor
Ethnologists try to find patterns of behavior
that are common to the various groups under
investigation.
The Comparative Method is an important tool.
Cultural Universalscultural traits manifest in
some way in all cultures under study.
kinship systems
religion
language
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Social Anthropology
Area of anthropology most like sociology.
Differs mainly on areas of emphasis and the
professional identification of the individual.
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Social Anthropology
Sociologists have been concerned mainly with
own society.
Social anthropologists have been concerned
mainly with traditional society.
Kinship and Descent
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Social Anthropology
Kinship and descent are Cultural Universals.
Genealogical Space
Space that contains all human beings.
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Social Anthropology
Genealogical Space
Descent consanguineal
Males
Females
Generation consanguineal
Marriage affinal
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Social Anthropology
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.
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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

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Social Anthropology
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Social Anthropology
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Social Anthropology
Rules of Descent
Bilineal (Bilateral)
Unilineal
Matrilineal
Patrilineal
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Social Anthropology
Bilineal
Eskimo Kinship
Similar to American system
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Social Anthropology
Matrilineal
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Social Anthropology
Patrilineal
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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
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Social Anthropology
Rules of Residence
Neolocal
Associated with bilineal descent
Matrilocal
Associated with matrilineal descent
Patrilocal
Associated with patrilineal descent
Ambilocal
Associated with bilineal descent
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Social Anthropology
Forms of Marriage
Rules of Marriage
Monogamy
Endogamy - Marriage within group
One spouse
Polygamy
Exogamy - Marriage outside group
Multiple spouses
Polygyny
Multiple wives
Polyandry
Multiple husbands
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Social Anthropology
Family
relatives
Extended families
Nuclear families
Four functions of families
Nurturance
Sex control
Economic foundation
Enculturation
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Linguistics
Study of Language
Language is a system of vocal symbols by means
of which human beings interact in terms of their
culture.
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Linguistics
!Kung
Study of Language
The three Ss of language
No language uses all sounds humans can make.
Phonology, Phonetics, Phonemics
Sound
Phonemes - packets of similar sounds recognized
as same sound.
Grammar syntax - rules to put sounds together
Shape
Morpheme - basic unit of sound to which meaning
has been attached.
Morphology stydy of shape of language
Sense
All languages make sense to the people who use
themThey are equal in this regard.
Semantics - study of sense (meaning).
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
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Linguistics
In many other cultures, time is time is
experienced polychronically rather than
sequentially.
The study of meanings, usage and communication
of time.
Time in US is a sequence.a commodity to be
spent, used, wasted.
Chronemics
Olfactics
Concerned with systems of smell
Communication through the skin.i.e. Touching by
Ashley Montague
Haptics
Bodily movement, facial expression, etc. Ray
Birdwhistell is pioneer
Kinesics
Proxemics
Communication by use of space. Edward T. Halls
work, for example
Oculesics
Communication involving the eyes
Includes paralanguage Its not what you say,
its the way you say it.
Metalanguage/Vocalics