Affinity: relationship
that links two groups
by marriage
Acculturation: exchange
of cultural features
Ethnocentrism: judging
other cultures using own
cultural standars
Otherness: notions of
other as interpersonal
phenomena
Cultural ecology
Society
Man
Magic: hidden
powes in nature
Myth: stories that fulfill
the aim of recreating the
origins of cultures
Religion
Profane: ordinary events
of daily life
Sacrade: beliefs that
create a relationship
with thte divine
Cults
Ecclesiastical: full-time
commitment and
professionalization of the activity
Community: individuals
grouped, carry out activities to
ensure the common good
Shamanist: character who
carries out their activity from
time to time
Individualist: only
following socially
established instructions
Family
Types of family
Nuclear
Father, mother and children
Extended
Sum of all nuclear families
linked by blood ties.
Monogamy:
exclusive coupe
Polygamy
Polyandry
1 woman - several men
Polygyny
1 man - several women
Exagamous family:
marriage outside with
ones is directly related
Social group
Areas of application
Urban
Medical
Cultural Marketing
Education
Sub-disciplines
Physical: physical
characteristics of humans
through the fossils
Archaeology: material
remains of past cultures
Cultural: analysis
and description of
cultures
Linguistics:
diversity of
languages
spoken by the
existing humans
Theories
French
Structuralism:
universal structure
for all cultures.
Neoevolutionsm:
Cultural
evolution is due
to the amount of
energy captured
and put into
execution
Culture and
personality:
Linking cultural
practices and
beliefs of the
individuals with
his personality
Diffusionism:
cultures adopted
their elemnts by
imitation
Functionalism:
describes the
functions of the
customs and
institutions to
understand their
origin
Structural
functionalism:
way society is
organized as a
whole and add
a place to it
Historical
particularism: Race,
language and culture
are elements
independent from
human conditions.
It's possible to find
societies that share
some of those
elements.
Evoluniolism:
Story of human
societies has
developed
progressivelly
and continously.
Stages
Description of
other cultures
and reflection
on the
transformation
of their
practices
Search for
scientific
laws of
evolution of
societies
and their
institutions
Search for
scientific laws
of the
functioning of
societies, from
divergent
approaches
Qualitative method
Ethnography
Fieldwork
Ethnography techniques
Direct observation
Participant observation
Conversation
Genealogical method
Key
informants
Life story
Team investigation
Longitudinal investigation
Semi-structured interview
Testimony
Focus group
Field diary
Documents
Investigation
oriented to
problems
Etic: outside
perception
Emic: local/native
perception
Conclusion: Through this entire course learned that
humans are very complex beings, not just physically but
socially and emotionally. Culture and people are two very
related concepts, because we create the strings that
forms culture and society but at the same time we are
attached to them, there is a mutual relationship.
Anthropology is a very complicated study because at the
end we all are different but there are some common
characteristics that define us and we take parts from
others to create our own identity. Sometimes it was a
little difficult to understand some concepts or theories
because its complexity but there were just trying to
explains what we are, how we interact and understand all
the aspects in human life.
With all those news reports and documents that we
read in class, that were a very interesting dynamic
because at the same time you relate the topics with the
reading but learn what is happening outside our little
environment, I understand that sometimes we don’t
realize or know what is happening in other parts of the
country or in the world, because there are some other
“important” news for the tv programs or they just don’t
want you to know about them but is very important to
be informed. I did realize that everything we watch
affects us, even if we don’t want to, this learning
modifies the culture for good or bad, therefore we are
constantly changing.
Maybe studying anthropology sometimes may
be overwhelming for some people, but is
important to know our history in order to know
where we come from, who we are nowadays,
and where we are going.