Anthropology
Anthropology[1] is the holistic study of humankind. It studies all human life in all geographic regions of all time periods, from its evolution as Homo sapiens to its diverse manifestations within cultures and societies both past and present. Since recorded history, people have sought answers to such probing questions as Who are we? How have we come to be as we are? How can diverse peoples peaceably co-exist? and What might the past and present tell us about our future? Anthropology seeks to answer these and many other fundamentally humanistic questions.
Anthropology employs both qualitative and quantitative research methods within its numerous sub-disciplines. Common to all anthropologists is the method of fieldwork. A physical anthropologist may dig sites in Central Africa to discover clues about humankind's origins and early migration patterns, while an applied anthropologist plays games with inner-city Chicago schoolchildren to advise administrators on how to create conflict-reducing after-school programs. A socio-cultural anthropologist may live among Haitian peasants to learn the meanings of their unique rituals and political economy, while a linguistic anthropologist learns modern Chamorro language usage for clues about the people group's most ancient origins. Within each of these and the myriad of other areas in which anthropologists day-to-day research, they seek answers to benefit humankind. Anthropology has been described as "the reformer's science", and "the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities".
The development of anthropology
Although humans have probably always studied other humans, anthropology as an academic discipline found its roots in the Enlightenment and began to gain momentum during the first half of the 19th century.
The many facets of anthropology
Sub-disciplines
- Archeology
- Physical anthropology
- Socio-cultural anthropology
- Linguistics anthropology
- Applied anthropology