Anthropology: what does it mean to be human?

Cover......Page 1
Half Title Page......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Brief Contents......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
Boxes......Page 21
Preface......Page 22
CHAPTER 1: What Is Anthropology?......Page 30
 What Is Anthropology?......Page 32
 What Is the Concept of Culture?......Page 33
 What Makes Anthropology a Cross-Disciplinary Discipline?......Page 34
 Biological Anthropology......Page 35
 In Their Own Words: Anthropology as a Vocation: Listening to Voices......Page 36
 Cultural Anthropology......Page 38
 Linguistic Anthropology......Page 40
 Archaeology......Page 41
 Applied Anthropology......Page 42
 Medical Anthropology......Page 43
 The Uses of Anthropology......Page 44
 In Their Own Words: What Can You Learn from an Anthropology Major?......Page 45
 For Review......Page 46
 Suggested Readings......Page 47
 Scientific and Nonscientific Explanations......Page 48
 Some Key Scientific Concepts......Page 50
 Key Terms......Page 56
CHAPTER 2: Why Is Evolution Important to Anthropologists?......Page 58
 What Is Evolutionary Theory?......Page 59
  Essentialism......Page 60
  The Great Chain of Being......Page 61
  Catastrophism and Uniformitarianism......Page 62
  Transformational Evolution......Page 64
 What Is Natural Selection?......Page 65
  Population Thinking......Page 66
  Natural Selection in Action......Page 67
 How Did Biologists Learn about Genes?......Page 68
  Mendel’s Experiments......Page 69
 What Are the Basics of Contemporary Genetics?......Page 70
  Genes and Traits......Page 71
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Investigating Human-Rights Violations and Identifying Remains......Page 73
  Mutation......Page 75
  DNA and the Genome......Page 76
 Genotype, Phenotype, and the Norm of Reaction......Page 78
 In Their Own Words: How Living Organisms Construct Their Environments......Page 80
 What Does Evolution Mean?......Page 81
 Chapter Summary......Page 82
 For Review......Page 83
 Suggested Readings......Page 84
CHAPTER 3: What Can Evolutionary Theory Tell Us about Human Variation?......Page 86
  The Modern Evolutionary Synthesis and Its Legacy......Page 87
  The Molecularization of Race?......Page 90
  The Four Evolutionary Processes......Page 93
 In Their Own Words: DN A Tests Find Branches but Few Roots......Page 94
  Microevolution and Patterns of Human Variation......Page 97
  Adaptation and Human Variation......Page 99
  Phenotype, Environment, and Culture......Page 104
 What Is Macroevolution?......Page 105
 Can We Predict the Future of Human Evolution?......Page 109
 For Review......Page 110
 Suggested Readings......Page 111
 Relative Dating Methods......Page 112
 Numerical (or Absolute) Dating Methods......Page 115
 Modeling Prehistoric Climates......Page 120
 Key Terms......Page 122
CHAPTER 4: What Can the Study of Primates Tell Us about Human Beings?......Page 124
 How Do Biologists Classify Primates?......Page 125
  Strepsirrhines......Page 127
  Haplorhines......Page 128
 In Their Own Words: The Future of Primate Biodiversity......Page 133
 What Is Ethnoprimatology?......Page 135
 Are There Patterns in Primate Evolution?......Page 136
 In Their Own Words: Chimpanzee Tourism......Page 137
  Primates of the Eocene......Page 139
  Primates of the Oligocene......Page 140
  Primates of the Miocene......Page 141
 Chapter Summary......Page 142
 Suggested Readings......Page 143
CHAPTER 5: What Can the Fossil Record Tell Us about Human Origins?......Page 146
  The Origin of Bipedalism......Page 147
 In Their Own Words: Finding Fossils......Page 151
  Changes in Hominin Dentition......Page 153
  How Many Species of Australopith Were There?......Page 154
 How Can Anthropologists Explain the Human Transition?......Page 155
  Earliest Evidence of Culture: Stone Tools of the Oldowan Tradition......Page 157
 Who Was Homo erectus (1.8–1.7 mya to 0.5–0.4 mya)?......Page 160
  Morphological Traits of H. erectus......Page 161
  The Culture of H. erectus......Page 162
  H. erectus the Hunter?......Page 163
 What Happened to H. erectus?......Page 164
  What Is the Fossil Evidence for the Transition to Modern H. sapiens?......Page 165
  Where Did Modern H. sapiens Come From?......Page 166
 Who Were the Neandertals (130,000–35,000 Years Ago)?......Page 167
 What Do We Know about Middle Paleolithic/Middle Stone Age Culture?......Page 169
 In Their Own Words: Bad Hair Days in the Paleolithic: Modern (Re)Constructions of the Cave Man......Page 170
 What Do We Know about Anatomically Modern Humans (200,000 Years Ago to Present)?......Page 172
  What Can Genetics Tell Us about Modern Human Origins?......Page 173
 What Do We Know about the Upper Paleolithic/Late Stone Age (40,000?–12,000 Years Ago)?......Page 175
 What Happened to the Neandertals?......Page 177
 How Many Kinds of Upper Paleolithic/Late Stone Age Cultures Were There?......Page 178
 Where Did Modern H. sapiens Migrate in Late Pleistocene Times?......Page 179
 In Their Own Words: Women’s Art in the Upper Paleolithic?......Page 180
  The Americas......Page 182
 Two Million Years of Human Evolution......Page 184
 Chapter Summary......Page 185
 For Review......Page 187
 Suggested Readings......Page 188
CHAPTER 6: How Do We Know about the Human Past?......Page 190
 What Is Archaeology?......Page 191
  Surveys......Page 193
  Archaeological Excavation......Page 196
  Archaeology and Digital Heritage......Page 198
  Subsistence Strategies......Page 199
  Bands, Tribes, Chiefdoms, and States......Page 200
 Whose Past Is It?......Page 203
 How Is the Past Being Plundered?......Page 206
 In Their Own Words: Rescue Archaeology in Europe......Page 208
  Archaeology and Gender......Page 210
  Collaborative Approaches to Studying the Past......Page 212
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Archaeology as a Tool of Civic Engagement......Page 213
  Cosmopolitan Archaeologies......Page 214
 Chapter Summary......Page 216
 For Review......Page 217
 Suggested Readings......Page 218
CHAPTER 7: Why Did Humans Settle Down, Build Cities, and Establish States?......Page 220
 How Is the Human Imagination Entangled with the Material World?......Page 221
 Is Plant Cultivation a Form of Niche Construction?......Page 223
 How Do Anthropologists Explain the Origins of Animal Domestication?......Page 226
 Was There Only One Motor of Domestication?......Page 230
  Natufian Social Organization......Page 231
  Natufian Subsistence......Page 232
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Çatalhöyük in the Twenty-First Century......Page 233
  Domestication Elsewhere in the World......Page 235
 What Were the Consequences of Domestication and Sedentism?......Page 237
 In Their Own Words: The Food Revolution......Page 239
 How Do Anthropologists Define Social Complexity?......Page 240
  Why Is It Incorrect to Describe Foraging Societies as “Simple”?......Page 241
 What Is the Archaeological Evidence for Social Complexity?......Page 242
  Why Did Stratification Begin?......Page 244
 How Can Anthropologists Explain the Rise of Complex Societies?......Page 245
 In Their Own Words: The Ecological Consequences of Social Complexity......Page 247
  Andean Civilization......Page 248
 Chapter Summary......Page 252
 Suggested Readings......Page 254
CHAPTER 8: Why Is the Concept of Culture Important?......Page 256
 How Do Anthropologists Define Culture?......Page 257
 In Their Own Words: The Paradox of Ethnocentrism......Page 258
 In Their Own Words: Culture and Freedom......Page 260
 Culture, History, and Human Agency......Page 261
 In Their Own Words: Human-Rights Law and the Demonization of Culture......Page 262
  What Is Ethnocentrism?......Page 264
  Is It Possible to Avoid Ethnocentric Bias?......Page 265
 How Can Cultural Relativity Improve Our Understanding of Controversial Cultural Practices?......Page 266
  Genital Cutting as a Valued Ritual......Page 267
  Culture and Moral Reasoning......Page 268
  Did Their Culture Make Them Do It?......Page 269
 Does Culture Explain Everything?......Page 270
  Culture Change and Cultural Authenticity......Page 271
 Chapter Summary......Page 272
 Suggested Readings......Page 273
 Single-Sited Fieldwork......Page 274
 Multisited Fieldwork......Page 276
 Collecting and Interpreting Data......Page 277
  Interpreting Actions and Ideas......Page 278
 The Dialectic of Fieldwork: An Example......Page 280
 The Effects of Fieldwork......Page 281
 The Production of Anthropological Knowledge......Page 283
 Anthropological Knowledge as Open-Ended......Page 284
 Key Terms......Page 285
 Suggested Readings......Page 286
CHAPTER 9: Why Is Understanding Human Language Important?......Page 288
 How Are Language and Culture Related?......Page 289
  How Do People Talk about Experience?......Page 290
 What Makes Human Language Distinctive?......Page 293
  How Does Context Affect Language?......Page 295
  How Does Language Affect How We See the World?......Page 296
  Ethnopragmatics......Page 298
 What Happens When Languages Come into Contact?......Page 299
  How Is Meaning Negotiated?......Page 300
  What Are Language Habits of African Americans?......Page 301
 In Their Own Words: Varieties of African American English......Page 302
  What Is Language Ideology?......Page 303
 What Is Lost If a Language Dies?......Page 304
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Language Revitalization......Page 306
 How Are Language and Truth Connected?......Page 308
 Chapter Summary......Page 309
 Key Terms......Page 310
 Suggested Readings......Page 311
 Morphology: Word Structure......Page 312
 Syntax: Sentence Structure......Page 313
 Key Terms......Page 314
CHAPTER 10: How Do We Make Meaning?......Page 316
  What Are Some Effects of Play?......Page 317
  Is There a Definition of Art?......Page 318
  “But Is It Art?”......Page 322
 In Their Own Words: Tango......Page 324
  “She’s Fake”: Art and Authenticity......Page 325
 How Does Hip-Hop Become Japanese?......Page 326
 What Is Myth?......Page 327
  How Does Myth Reflect—and Shape—Society?......Page 328
  Do Myths Help Us Think?......Page 329
  How Is Ritual Expressed in Action?......Page 330
  What Are Rites of Passage?......Page 331
 In Their Own Words: Video in the Villages......Page 332
  How Are Play and Ritual Complementary?......Page 333
 What Are Symbols?......Page 334
 What Is Religion?......Page 335
  How Are Religion and Social Organization Related?......Page 338
  Coping with Misfortune: Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic among the Azande......Page 339
  Are There Patterns of Witchcraft Accusation?......Page 341
 In Their Own Words: For All Those Who Were Indian in a Former Life......Page 342
 Maintaining and Changing a Worldview......Page 343
  How Do People Cope with Change?......Page 344
 How Are Worldviews Used as Instruments of Power?......Page 345
 Chapter Summary......Page 347
 Suggested Readings......Page 348
CHAPTER 11: Why Do Anthropologists Study Economic Relations?......Page 350
  Self-Interest, Institutions, and Morals......Page 351
 How Do Anthropologists Study Production, Distribution, and Consumption?......Page 352
  What Are Modes of Exchange?......Page 356
 Does Production Drive Economic Activities?......Page 358
  Modes of Production......Page 359
 In Their Own Words: Solidarity Forever......Page 361
 Why Do People Consume What They Do?......Page 362
 In Their Own Words: Questioning Collapse......Page 363
  How Is Consumption Culturally Patterned?......Page 365
 In Their Own Words: Fake Masks and Faux Modernity......Page 368
  How Is Consumption Being Studied Today?......Page 369
 The Anthropology of Food and Nutrition......Page 370
 Chapter Summary......Page 372
 Suggested Readings......Page 373
CHAPTER 12: How Do Anthropologists Study Political Relations?......Page 376
 How Are Culture and Politics Related?......Page 377
  Coercion......Page 379
  Power and National Identity: A Case Study......Page 381
  Can Governmentality Be Eluded?......Page 383
 In Their Own Words: Reforming the Crow Constitution......Page 384
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Anthropology and Advertising......Page 385
 How Are Politics, Gender, and Kinship Related?......Page 386
 How Are Immigration and Politics Related in the New Europe?......Page 387
 Hidden Transcripts and the Power of Reflection......Page 391
 In Their Own Words: Protesters Gird for Long Fight over Opening Peru’s Amazon......Page 392
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Human Terrain Teams and Anthropological Ethics......Page 395
 Chapter Summary......Page 396
 Sugested Readings......Page 397
CHAPTER 13: Where Do Our Relatives Come From and Why Do They Matter?......Page 400
 What Is Kinship?......Page 401
  Sex, Gender, and Kinship......Page 402
 What Is the Role of Descent in Kinship?......Page 405
  Lineage Membership......Page 406
  Patrilineages......Page 407
  What Are Matrilineages?......Page 409
 In Their Own Words: Outside Work, Women, and Bridewealth......Page 410
  What Criteria Are Used for Making Kinship Distinctions?......Page 411
  Adoption in Highland Ecuador......Page 412
  European American Kinship and New Reproductive Technologies......Page 413
 Marriage......Page 415
  Woman Marriage and Ghost Marriage among the Nuer......Page 416
  Patterns of Residence after Marriage......Page 417
  Single and Plural Spouses......Page 418
 In Their Own Words: Two Cheers for Gay Marriage......Page 419
 How Is Marriage an Economic Exchange?......Page 422
 What Is a Family?......Page 423
 In Their Own Words: Dowry Too High. Lose Bride and Go to Jail......Page 424
  What Is the Polygynous Family?......Page 425
  Extended and Joint Families......Page 426
  Divorce and Remarriage......Page 427
 How Does International Migration Affect the Family?......Page 428
  Families by Choice......Page 429
 In Their Own Words: Why Migrant Women Feed Their Husbands Tamales......Page 430
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Caring for Infibulated Women Giving Birth in Norway......Page 431
 How Are Sexual Practices Organized?......Page 433
  Other Sexual Practices......Page 434
 Chapter Summary......Page 438
 For Review......Page 439
 Suggested Readings......Page 440
CHAPTER 14: What Can Anthropology Tell Us about Social Inequality?......Page 442
 Gender......Page 443
 In Their Own Words: The Consequences of Being a Woman......Page 444
 Class......Page 446
  Class and Caste in the United States?......Page 447
 Caste......Page 448
 In Their Own Words: Burakumin: Overcoming Hidden Discrimination in Japan......Page 449
 In Their Own Words: As Economic Turmoil Mounts, So Do Attacks on Hungary’s Gypsies......Page 451
 Race......Page 453
  Colorism in Nicaragua......Page 455
 In Their Own Words: On the Butt Size of Barbie and Shani: Dolls and Race in the United States......Page 456
 Ethnicity......Page 457
 In Their Own Words: The Politics of Ethnicity......Page 458
 Nation and Nationalism......Page 461
  Australian Nationalism......Page 462
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Anthropology and Democracy......Page 463
  The Paradox of Essentialized Identities......Page 466
  Nation Building in a Postcolonial World: The Example of Fiji......Page 467
  Nationalism and Its Dangers......Page 469
 Chapter Summary......Page 470
 Key Terms......Page 471
 Suggested Readings......Page 472
CHAPTER 15: How Is Anthropology Applied in the Field of Medicine?......Page 474
 What Makes Medical Anthropology “Biocultural”?......Page 475
 In Their Own Words: American Premenstrual Syndrome......Page 476
 In Their Own Words: The Madness of Hunger......Page 478
  Kinds of Selves......Page 479
  Decentered Selves on the Internet......Page 480
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Lead Poisoning among Mexican American Children......Page 481
  Self and Subjectivity......Page 482
  Subjectivity, Trauma, and Structural Violence......Page 484
 How Are Human Sickness and Health Shaped by the Global Capitalist Economy?......Page 487
 In Their Own Words: Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions......Page 488
  Health, Human Reproduction, and Global Capitalism......Page 491
  Medical Anthropology and HIV/AIDS......Page 493
 CHAPTER SUMMARY......Page 497
 SUGGESTED READINGS......Page 500
 What Happened to the Global Economy after the Cold War?......Page 502
 Cultural Processes in a Global World......Page 503
CHAPTER 16: What Can Anthropology Tell Us about Globalization?......Page 506
  What Is Cultural Imperialism?......Page 507
  What Is Cultural Hybridity?......Page 508
  Are There Limits to Cultural Hybridity?......Page 509
  Are Global Flows Undermining Nation-States?......Page 510
 In Their Own Words: Slumdog Tourism......Page 511
  Migration, Transborder Identities, and Long-Distance Nationalism......Page 512
  How Can Citizenship Be Flexible?......Page 514
  What Is Territorial Citizenship?......Page 516
  Human-Rights Discourse as the Global Language of Social Justice......Page 517
  Rights versus Culture?......Page 518
  Rights to Culture?......Page 519
  How Can Culture Help in Thinking about Rights?......Page 520
 Anthropology in Everyday Life: Anthropology and Indigenous Rights......Page 521
  What Is the Relationship between Human Rights and Humanitarianism?......Page 525
 In Their Own Words: How Sushi Went Global......Page 526
  What Is Friction?......Page 528
 In Their Own Words: Cofan: Story of the Forest People and the Outsiders......Page 530
  What Is Border Thinking?......Page 532
 In Their Own Words: The Anthropological Voice......Page 533
 Chapter Summary......Page 534
 Suggested Readings......Page 536
Glossary......Page 537
References......Page 546
Credits......Page 559
Index......Page 564