Anthropology

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ANTHROPOLOGY
CH :1 MEANING AND SCOPE
OF ANTHROPOLOGY
MEANING OF ANTHROPOLOGY :
ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING
SCIENTIFIC MEANING
EXPLANATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEANING
SUMMARY

SCOPE OF ANTHROPOLOGY :
INTRODUCTION
COVERAGE
BRANCHES
RESEARCH STRATAGY
SUMMARY

ANTHROPOLOGY AS A COMPOSITE OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES :
INTRODUCTION
HOLISM
NEED OF ANTHROPLOGY
SUMMARY

VALUE OF ANTHROPLOGY :
INTRODUCTION
AS A DISCPLINE OF ACADEMIC VALUE
AS A SCIENCE OF PRACTICAL VALUE
AS A SCIENCE OF GENERAL VALUE SUMMARY

MEANING OF ANTHROPOLPOGY :
ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING : "science of human kind "
Aristotle (328-322b.c) coined the term anthropology .the word
"anthropology is from greek word :"anthropos" meaning man and logos
meaning science "
the etymological meaning of anthropology is the "science of man "
This etymological meaning has undergone a change in 1960
&1970.When the women liberation movement in USA rightly pointed
out that anthroplogy is the" study of men "but not women.
Then anthropologists with tongue in cheek ;denied anthropology as
the" study of man embracing women ".The women liberation
movement found this revised definition inappropriate .Therefore
anthropologists paid attention to the use of gender free nouns such as
humans ,human beings human kind rather than mankind .He and His
when referring to the generic category of human kind does not imply
any quality of gender discrimination.The etymological meaning of the
word anthropology has been changed from the science of man to the
science of human kind .
SCIENTIFIC MEANING :
The etymological meaning itself provides an accurate basis for the
scientific meaning of the word "anthropolgy".However,the scientific

meaning has undergone several changes before it came to have its
present meaning.In its original sense at the time of aristotle
"anthropology continued upto almost the middle of 16 th century AD
and it had gone several changes later.Around the early 16th century
AD the word ANTHROPOLOGY entered latin languages and in its latin
form appeared as "anthropologism".further in the early 16th century
the german and central eurpoean biologists employed the term
anthropologic as equivalent to anthropology .The meaning they have
given to the word anthropologic was different from the original
meaning of anthropology.They defined anthropologyic as what much
later came to be known as physical or biological
anthroplogy.Supporting this meaning the book "ANTHROPOLOGIC DE
HOMINIS " wriiten by "MAGNUS HUNDI" in th year 1501 tells that
anthropology is the study of "human anatomy & human phisiology".
In other words to the german biologists and central european
scholars anthropology means physical anthropology .On the other
hand german philosophers and theologians defined the term
anthropologic as the study of physical and moral aspects of
man ."Where they equated the physical aspect with the biological
aspect and the moral aspect of man with the cultural &social aspect of
man".
The german philosophers and theologians and the practioners of
anthropology in russia and austria defined the english word
anthropology and the german word anthropologic as a "study of socio
-cultural aspects of man ".
The meaning of anthropology has undergone several changes in the 17
th century .In 1655 an anonymous english writer published a book
called "ANTHROPOLOGIC ABSTRACTED".This text depicts anthropology
as the study of human soul and human anatomy".This meaning of
anthropology has gained ground throughout the next two centuries at
the same time people from several feilds developed great intrest in the
propagation of anthropology.
Alexandar pope (1732)an english poet in his book "ESSAY ON MAN
"wrote the proper study of mankind is man.Imanuel kant's book
ANTHROPOLOGIC IN PRAMATISCHER ABGEFAST '(Anthropology
composed from a pragmatic view )which appeared in the year 1789
highlights the meaning of anthropologic in terms of

"animalorgans,sociadevelopment&cultural progress" of humans.
In 19th century anthropology has acquired a meaning in terms of total
undrestanding of biology ,cultural&social aspects of humans .In the
year 1822 the word anthropology is enterd the "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
BRITANICA"with regard to the meaning it is said "to be discourse upon
human nature".While giving almost the same meaning to anthropology
in his inaugural lecture of ethnological society of london in the year
1863 ,james hunt defines anthropology as the study of human nature
in its vitality.
Thirteen years later ,1876(PAUL TOPINARD)in his book
"ANTHROPOLOGIC"restricted the meaning of anthropology to that of
physical anthropology.This meaning became very much established in
the contienental europe.
Towards the end of 19th century anthropology"entered the hall of
academics in several universities".In the year 1884 it was introduced
as a feild of study in oxford university in london .Edward brunette
taylor (1832-1917AD)headed the department of anthropology .In his
book "an introduction to the study of man & civilisation"(1881)gives
the word anthropology the meaning in terms of "science of man
revealing the biological and cultural evolution and variation of mankind
all over the world .
In the year 1888,"anthropology "found a place in clarke university in
the USA.The chairman of this new department was FRANZ BOAS
(1858-1942)AD.In his book "THE CENTRAL ESKIMO (1881) "he writes
that anthropology is the science of man and it deals with the
biological,cultural and social aspects of mankind.
The 20th century has witnessed a progressive endevour of
anthropologists to provide an appropriate scientific meaning to the
word anthropology.By the beggining of the 20th century ,anthropology
became established in several universities in
ENGLAND,FRANCE,AMERICA &GERMANY.
In 1923 A.L KROEBER in his book "anthropology "tells that
anthropology means the science of man his works and behaviour .
In 1948 M.J HERKOVIS in his book "MAN &HIS WORKS "depicts the
meaning of anthropology as the study of man and his works .On the
other hand CLYDE KLUCHLENN in his book "MIRROR OF MAN"tells that

anthropology is the science of man in tata ".Thus in the first half of
past century a foundation was for providing a sceintific meaning to the
term anthropology .
In the second half of 20th century ,the term anthropology has acquird
the complete scientific meaning .Lexicologists in the 2nd half of 20th
century used to call anthropology as the study of mankind especially
allsocieties and customs ,study of structure and evolution of man as an
animal.
Anthropologists call anthropology as the scientific study of
physical,social&cultural development and behaviour of human beings
since their appearance on earth(JACOBS &STERN1952).(or) science of
all aspects of man in their totality.But the women liberationmovement
in USA was critical of the bias of the meaning of anthropology in favour
of men.For this reason the anthropologists have changed the meaning
of the anthropology as the "science of human kind".
Hithertho the meaning of the term anthropology "was not explicit
about the time dimension &spatial dimension of the study of human
kind.Since 1970's it was quite explicit about the temporal and spatial
dimension of the study of human kind .thus JOHN FRIED &JOHN E P
FEIFFER in their work "anthropology "the study of people "(1977) tells
that anthropology "studies all the aspects of human behaviour in all
places and all times .
similarly E.A HOEBEL and T.WERNER in their book "ANTHROPOLOGY
&EXPERIENCE "(1979),gives the meaning of the word anthropology as
the study of people at all places and at all times.Recently KONARD
PHILIP KOTTAK in his book "CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY"(1991)
presents the meaning of the word anthropology as in terms of study of
biology ,society,language and culture of humankind in time and
space .Four years ago MARVIN HARIS in his book "THEORIES OF
CULTURE IN POST-MODERN TIMES (1999)"draws attention to the
sceintific meaning of term "anthropology with refernce to the study of
all aspects of the whole human kind in all places and at all times.
.................................................................................................................
...............................
EXPLAINATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEANING :
As a science of human kind in its totality,anthropology tries to

describe,analyse,synthesise all aspects of human beings .What are all
the aspects of human beings?First of all there is a biological
aspect.human beings are apart of living world .They are organisms
,animals,more specifically they are primates and they evolved as part
of the living world like other organisms human beings are a part of
biological evolution.Human species is the highest product of biological
evolution.Human beings are habitually erect and their hands with
opposable thumbs are free to hold and manipulate objects .They have
large complex brains that provid thm with great sense of
perception,high intelligence and good memories and their brain
equipped them with the capacity to create symbols and use them in
highly efficient communication system known as language. As a result
what has become peculiar to human beings is the level of biological
developmentthat has given uniquness in the living world .
Secondly,there is the cultural aspect. Human species is a culture
creating and culture bearing animal.Culture refers to the means by
which human beings come to terms with the environment and one
another.
Culture is a design for living the ability to create and maintain culture
lies in the human brain.Since brain is a product of evolutionery
development ,culture is to be thougt as a product of human
biology.Culture rests on human biology but not biological .Culture is not
innate ,it is not inborn but the ability to create is innate.Culture is the
result of the biological development of humans that enabled human to
invent many ways of behaving which were not in their genetic codes
.These new many ways allowed human beings to adapt to their
environment in a unique way.human behaviour thus has been
biological and cultural.
Thirdly,there is a social aspect.society is the organisation of life in
groups like human beings other animals also live in organised
groups.However human beings are the only species that lead the group
life according to the design for living,namely culture.In other
words,human society is an aggregate of persons whose interrelationships and inter-actions are expressed and continued through
cullture

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