Anthropology and Social Work Essay - 2685 Words

Anthropology and Social Work Anthropologists like myself try to figure out why present day humans are the way they are. Meredith F. Small Female Choices Who are we? How old is the human species? Where did we come from? What do we believe and why? Is our own culture the epitome of civilization? What is reality? How have we arrived at a position where destroying the earth doesnt bother us very much? These, and many, many more are the questions that drive anthropologists to study human beings and our interactions. In fact, the presence of a driving question is the seed that creates anthropologists, as we will soon see. Anthropology is the study of humanity. As one might suspect, given the scope of the questions in the previous paragraph,†¦show more content†¦It is quite startling (and exhilarating) to realize that not all people view reality the same way we do, and the only way to fully understand anothers reality is to live it. As Spradley so eloquently puts it: Ethnography offers all of us the chance to step outside our narrow cultural backgrounds, to set aside our socially inherited ethnocentrism, if only for a brief period, and to apprehend the world from the viewpoint of other human beings who live by different meaning systems. (pg. v) There are good reasons to go to all this trouble to learn about different cultures other than for the sake of pure knowledge. By studying other cultures, we can very possibly create innovative solutions to problems that plague our own cultureSHY;SHY;not the least of which is our intense feelings of separation. David Mayberry Lewis (in his film for the PBS Millennium series entitled Inventing Reality) speaks of the Australian aborigines belief that everything in the universe is spiritually connected, which he compares to Western cultural beliefs: Our way is to objectify realitySHY; define it in cut and dried termsSHY; and in so doing we distance ourselves from everything else in the universe. It is a dangerous and sad position. The danger is being certain. Weve all seen the cruelty that proceeds from certainty. Dogma. The sadness is losing our sense of being connected toShow MoreRelatedAsdfghjkl894 Words   |  4 PagesBehavior and Social Movements * Community and Urban Sociology * Comparative and Historical Sociology * Sociology and Computers * Crime, Law amp; Deviance * Economic Sociology * Environment amp; Technology * Family amp; Marriage * History of Sociology * International Migration * Latino/a Sociology * Marxist Sociology * Mathematical Sociology * Medical Sociology * Organizations, Occupations, amp; Work * PeaceRead MoreCultural Anthropology Of Humans Living And Dead Anthropology938 Words   |  4 Pagessame ideals as them. This lack of communication is a major barrier in advancement of our world. Anthropology, in short, is the study of humans living and dead Anthropology is divided into five main categories: applied, linguistic, medical, biological, archaeological, and cultural. Each of these five divisions teaches a different aspect of human life. Cultural anthropology teaches acceptance. There are social norms that can be found in every culture, the difference from culture to culture is socialization-Read MoreThe Anthropology Of Cultural Anthropology1370 Words   |  6 Pagescultural anthropology, which seeks to understand the purpose and place of the humans in this world. It will include anthropology as a social science, the concept of culture, and it would also introduction the human evolution and to archaeology, ethnographic field methods. The importance of human language, human development, patterns, global economy, marriage and the family, gender issues, global politics and local political organization, social stratification, medical anthropology, ethnicityRead MoreThree Disciplines1097 Words   |  5 PagesThe Three Disciplines all appeal to me in some ways, but if I had to choose between anthropology, psychology, and sociology, I would have to choose psychology. The reasoning behind it will be explained in detail but it can be broken down to three main reasons; being the first discipline with verified results and facts rather than unproven theories, having more post-high school opportunities considering that I wish to pursue a career in business, and being the most in-depth discipline. PsychologyRead MoreWhat I Learned About Anthropology And Learned Valuable Lessons846 Words   |  4 Pagesbut also because they work in my fields of interest. The first interview I conducted was anthropologist Dr. Jason Lind, he is currently a qualitative health researcher for the prestigious Veterans Association. The second interview I had was with anthropologist Dr. Kathryn Kozaiti s, she is currently a professor and chair at Georgia State University. Throughout the process of both interviews Dr. Jason Lind and Dr. Kathryn Kozaitis give me an inside look at applied anthropology and provide me with adviceRead MoreAnthropology Is The Study Of Humanity1576 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropology is the study of humanity. Being an anthropologist is not just about digging up artifacts and studying other people. It becomes more when one takes that information and puts it to good use. However, how this knowledge is used is be up to the anthropologist and results in the occupation being very broad with many different opportunities. During my research, I discovered the basics about the career, how students can prepare for it, the advantages, and the disadvantages of being an anthropologistRead MoreAnthropology : A Study Of Humanity1202 Words   |  5 PagesGenerally, anthropology can be defined as the study of humanity. This includes every aspect of the human condition: la nguage, history, culture, biology, past and present. Anthropology is all encompassing and due to its breadth, it can be considered both a study in humanities and science. However, anthropology is easily distinguishable from both hard sciences and humanities. The aspects that distinguish anthropology lie mostly in the methodology that anthropologists use to study human beings. MethodologyRead MoreAnthropology Essay : The Importance Of Anthropology1622 Words   |  7 PagesThe Importance of Anthropology Anthropology is a scientific field that seems to be largely misunderstood by the general public. Many people hear the word â€Å"anthropology† and think of an old man with a magnifying glass looking at some dusty old fossils. In reality, anthropology is much more broad than archaeology, which people normally associate with it. Forms of anthropology are used in many aspects of daily life from advertising to law enforcement. Anthropology is difficult to define, as it is extremelyRead MoreHow Technology has Changed Anthropology872 Words   |  4 PagesHow technology has changed Anthropology â€Å"Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities† – Alfred L. Kroeber Anthropology is holistic. Humans are social beings more than anything, but with underlying psychological, biological and cultural connotations. The field of anthropology encompasses everything and anything having to do with humankind throughout history. Anthropology attempts to answer the tough questions about the human condition. What influencesRead MoreWhat Is Human Nature?1735 Words   |  7 Pages1. By observing and analyzing the context of previous time periods, anthropology was certainly not created by accident or mistake. At the end of the 18th century, the Enlightenment period was occurring. This produced two products during the time period. First, humans were able to possess a newfound understanding of general principals in which the world works. They wanted to know all about universal human nature, such as why all human beings are alike. Secondly, out of the Enlightenment, we have an