Anthropology For Dummies

Description

Study the science of all of us Anthropology is the organized study of what makes humans human. It takes an objective step back to view homo sapiens as a species and ask questions like: Given our common characteristics, why aren’t all of us exactly the same? Why do people across the world have variable skin and hair color and so many inventive ways to say hello? And how can knowing the reasons behind our differences―as well as our similarities―teach us useful lessons for the future? The updated edition of Anthropology For Dummies gives you a panoramic view of the fascinating fieldwork and theory that seeks to answer these questions―and helps you view the human world through impartial, anthropological eyes. Keeping the jargon to a minimum, Anthropology For Dummies explores the four main subdivisions of the discipline, from the adventurous Indiana Jones territory of archaeology and the hands-on biological insights provided by our physical nature to the studious book-cracking brainwork of cultural and linguistic investigation. Along the way, you’ll journey deep into our prehistory where we begin to differentiate ourselves from our primate relatives―and then fast forward into the possibilities of centuries yet to come. • Explore the history of anthropology and apply its methods • Get a deep, scientific take on contemporary debates such as identity • Excavate the human past through new fossil discoveries • Peer into humanity’s future in space Whether you’re studying anthropology for school or just want to know more about what makes us humans who we are, this is the perfect introduction to humanity’s past and present―and a clue to what we need to build a better future. Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 What Is Anthropology? Chapter 1 Human Beings and Being Human: An Overview of Anthropology Digging Into Anthropology’s History Getting Acquainted with Anthropology’s Subfields Physical anthropology Archaeology Cultural Anthropology Linguistics Making Sense of Anthropology’s Methods Applied Anthropology: Using the Science in Everyday Life Chapter 2 Looking Into Humanity’s Mirror: Anthropology’s History Getting to the Heart of Anthropology Dazed and Confused: What It Is to Be Human Two types of culture Two types of modernity -Isms and the Making of Anthropology Colonialism Antiquarianism Scientism Holism Anthropology Today Chapter 3 Actually, Four Mirrors: How Anthropology Is Studied Physical Anthropology and the Evolutionary Basis of Biology You say you want an evolution More facets of physical anthropology The biocultural animal Archaeology: The Study of Ancient Societies Archaeology and evolution More facets of archaeology Linguistic Anthropology Nonhuman animal communication Spoken language Gesture and body language Cultural Anthropology: The Study of Living Societies Putting the culture in cultural anthropology Attempting to explain why humans do what they do Participant observation Applied anthropology and global culture Part 2 Physical Anthropology and Archaeology Chapter 4 The Wildest Family Reunion: Meet the Primates Monkey Business: Primate Origins You Look Like an Ape: Primate Species What’s in a name? General primate characteristics Going ape (and prosimian): Primate subgroups Yes, We Have No Bananas: Primate Subsistence The indiscriminate-eaters: Omnivores The bug-eaters: Insectivores The leaf-eaters: Folivores The fruit-eaters: Frugivores Monkeying Around: Primate Locomotion Stand back, Tarzan: The brachiators Bug-bashers: The vertical-clingers-and-leapers In the trees: Arboreal quadrupeds Soldiers beware: Terrestrial quadrupeds A group of one: Bipeds Monkey See, Monkey Do: Primate Social Groups and Behavior Primates Today (But For How Long?) Chapter 5 My Career Is in Ruins: How Anthropologists Learn about the Past What, How Old, and Where: It’s All You Need to Know The significance of where The significance of when The significance of artifacts Keeping Time: How Archaeologists Date Finds The deeper, the older: Stratigraphy Before or after? Relative dating Absolutely probably 6,344 years old (plus or minus): Radiometric absolute dating Saving Space: How Archaeologists Keep Track of Where Artifacts Are Found Be there: Provenience Be square: Site grids Type Casting: How Archaeologists Classify Their Finds Types of types: The theory of classification Unearthing the most common artifact types Chapter 6 Bones of Contention: The Fossil Evidence for Early Human Evolution Great Africa: The Earliest Hominins Stand and Deliver: The Riddles of Bipedalism Walking upright: Pros and cons The complexities of early hominin evolution All the Same from the Neck Down: The Australopithecines The basic differences and similarities The crusher: Robust australopithecines The omnivore: Gracile australopithecines The Cracked Mirror: Early Homo Exploring characteristics of early Homo Dalmatians and cigar smoke: Finds at Olduvai Gorge Out of Africa: Early dispersals of early Homo Tool time: The decoupling of behavior from anatomy The Traveler: The Accomplishments of Homo erectus Characteristics of Homo erectus From confrontational scavenging to ambush hunting The use of fire Symmetry, watercraft, and the “15-minute culture” Chapter 7 It’s Good to Be Home: Homo sapiens sapiens, Our Biological Species Distinguishing Modern Homo sapiens sapiens (That’s You!) Anatomical modernity Behavioral modernity Africa: The Cradle of Humanity Discovering the first AMHss Exploring behavioral modernity Out of Africa: An Epic Dispersal Taking a closer look at Neanderthals Getting Neanderthals and AMHss together The Origins of Language: The Social Grooming Theory The Origins of the Modern Mind The evolution of consciousness: Two models The roots of myth The roots of ritual The roots of symbolism Chapter 8 Hunting, Fishing, Sailing, and Sledding: The Dispersal of Humanity Worldwide Dispersal and Survival: The Decoupling of Behavior from Biology The Earliest Settlement of Australasia Another Grand Exploration: The Colonization of the New World Dueling hypotheses: A couple of migration theories Just the facts, ma’am Igloos, Dogs, and Whalebone Knives: The Colonization of the Arctic First arrivals The Thule expansion The Voyage of Ru and Hina: The Colonization of the Pacific The tools of the explorers The society of the explorers High Altitude People: Early Settlement of the Tibetan Plateau Big-River People: Early Settlement of the Amazon and Congo Basins Desert People: Early Settlement of the Sahara Chapter 9 Old, Old McDonald: The Origins of Farming The Principle of Domestication Cultural selection Effects of farming on society Plant domestication Animal domestication Principles of Horticulture Distinctive characteristics of horticulture Garden horticulture Slashing and burning Limited storage Principles of Farming Distinguishing state farming from horticulture Water control Animal domestication, farming-style Massive storage Farming facilities and tools Secondary products Looking Back on the Origins of Farming Why farm in the first place? In the Near East In Africa In East Asia In the Western Pacific In the Americas The Early Farming Village The Making of Man’s Best Friend: the Early Domestication of Dogs Chapter 10 The Development of Civilization Human Subsistence and Social Organization Human subsistence Human social organization The Characteristics of Civilization Urbanization Long-distance trade Social stratification Durable record-keeping/writing Standing armies and extended warfare Money Slavery Territorial sovereignty Vassal tribute Non-food production specialists Astronomy and/or mathematics Monumental architecture State religion Taxes Charting the Rise and Fall of the First Civilizations Egypt Inca Civilization Today: Will It Fall, Too? Part 3 Cultural Anthropology and Linguistics Chapter 11 The Spice of Life: Human Culture Demystifying the Definition of Culture What Culture Is and What Culture Isn’t Culture versus cultured Why cultures differ Cultural Universals Having an Out-of-Body Experience Adaptation and its implications Behaviors Values Objects Language: Passing the baton of culture Opening Your Human Behavior Owner’s Manual Culture = software, brain = hardware Problems with the software/hardware analogy Getting Your Cultural Education Life stages Stages of human learning From Mop-Tops to Mötley Crüe: What Is Cultural Change? Diffusion versus assimilation Innovation Cultural Evolution How culture evolves What cultural evolution doesn’t mean Chapter 12 From Kalahari to Minneapolis: How Cultural Anthropologists Work Watching Cultural Anthropology Grow Up Battling ethnocentrism Getting scientific Embodying the etic modernist approach: Bronislaw Malinowski A More Personal Approach: Emic Research Recognizing how a researcher’s choices influence the results Realizing that the act of observing affects the results Considering Recent Developments Exploring postmodernism Keeping pace with cultural change Striving for Accuracy Recognizing potential research pitfalls Watching cultural anthropology in action Going into the Field: Getting Prepared for Less-Than-Ideal Conditions Chapter 13 Can We Talk? Communication, Symbols, and Language Exploring the Complexity of Human Language Screeching and howling: Non-human animal communications Contrasting non-human and human symbolism Identifying characteristics of human spoken language Linking language to the mind: Tapping its true power Ready to Swear: How the Human Mind Is Hard-Wired for Language First four months Six to twelve months 12 to 18 months 18 to 24 months 36 months and later Watching Human Language Evolve Admitting our uncertainty Explaining language diversity Making room for new theories Chapter 14 Types of Types: Race and Ethnicity The Kinds of Humanity: Human Physical Variation The race card: Racial types and physical anthropology The lowdown: What anthropologists can say for sure about human races The history of racial typing The grand illusion: Race, turns out, is arbitrary Why Is Everyone Different? Human Cultural Variation Distinguishing ethnicity from race A common horror: Ethnic cleansing A common delight: Ethnic identity Ethnic group interactions Chapter 15 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Identity, Family, Kinship, and Gender Am I “Cameron” or “a Smith”? The Scales of Human Identity Know thyself: Identity What’s in a name? A Family Affair Families of origin versus families of procreation Incest Marriage Kinship Sex and Gender The differences between sex and gender Common gender roles Kinship and Gender Worldwide and through Time Among foragers Among horticulturalists Among agriculturalists Age and Stage of Life Chapter 16 Not at the Dinner Table! Religion and Politics What Is Religion? Functions of religion Why religion is so powerful The Material and Supernatural Worlds Ritual and Religion The Organization of Supernatural Knowledge Shamans Priests The Origins of Religion Types of Religions The Relations of Power: Politics I’ve got the power (and I know how to use it) Power plays: How various societies apply power The Politics of Polarization Part 4 So What? Anthropology, the Modern World, and You Chapter 17 Kiss or Kill? Diversity, Conflict, and Culture The Anthropology of Conflict and Conflict Resolution Scales and consequences of conflict Cultural conflict among small-scale societies Cultural conflict in larger-scale societies Humanity and justice Globalization and Human Culture Globalization and ecological justice Globalization and cultural assimilation Globalization and nativistic movements Globalization and forced migration Chapter 18 Looming Disasters? From Overpopulation to Space Debris The Only Constant Is Change Overpopulation The road to overpopulation Hope on the horizon Climate Change Say What? The Loss of Linguistic Diversity Food and Water Availability/Famine Disease Space Debris Your New Home on Mars! Issues of Space Settlement Chapter 19 Eve and the Iceman: The Cutting Edge of Physical Anthropology Molecular Anthropology How it works How anthropologists use it Some complications with the molecular clock DNA and the Mitochondrial Eve Out of Africa: African diversity and extra-African similarity The inevitable debates Neanderthals and You: The Neanderthal Genome The Iceman Chapter 20 Stonehenge and You: Why Archaeology Matters History Is Written by the Winners: The Importance of Archaeology Historical archaeology and written history Commoners of ancient Egypt The archaeology of American slaves Other important historical archaeology sites Conversation Stoppers? Archaeology and the Unknown Why did humanity take up farming? How did humans go from having leaders to having rulers? Does history repeat itself? Part 5 The Part of Tens Chapter 21 Ten Things to Remember About Anthropology, Whatever Else You Forget The Use of Tools Separated Behavior from Anatomy We’re Not Just Like Apes, We ARE Apes Nobody Knows Why Hominids First Walked Upright (Yet) Everyone Is in the Human Race Civilization is Brand-New There Are Many Ways to be Human Culture Doesn’t Ride on Genes Language and Metaphor Are the Keys to Human Success Absolutely, There Are No Absolutes There is No Ladder of Progress Chapter 22 Ten Great Careers for Anthropology Majors Academic Anthropology Cultural/Human Resources Forensic Anthropology Crime Scene Investigation Primate Biology Primate Ethology Diplomacy Museum Work Library Science Contract Archaeology Chapter 23 Ten (Or So) Great Anthropologically Themed Movies and Books Cave of Forgotten Dreams Once We Were Warriors The Places in Between Gorillas in the Mist Neanderthal Quest for Fire Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors Maps and Dreams Dances of Life Chapter 24 The Top Ten Myths about the Human Past All Human Societies Evolved in the Same Direction Prehistoric Life Was Nasty, Brutish, and Short Ancient People Were Perfectly in Balance with Nature Farming Is Easier and Better than Foraging Ancient Monuments Had Just One Purpose “Primitive Technology” Was Limited Cave Art Was about Men Hunting Animals It’s Nature or Nurture History Repeats Itself Having Reached a Peak, Human Evolution Has Ended Index EULA