WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY; DEFINING CULTURE
Time required: 2-3 hours
A. Overview: This module is taught as a combination of lecture and student participation. The instructor will explain the four subfields of anthropology and provide examples of each. Students will participate in a definition of culture and identifying the different groups involved in anthropological research. At the beginning of class, discuss recent news articles on anthropology—use this time to discuss how anthropology/archaeology is conveyed in the media (examples: cultural issues [marriage patterns, justice systems, religious organization], archaeology [recent finds; research results]).
B. Objectives:
1. Define the four subfields of anthropology.
2. Explain the concept of culture through use of examples.
3. Describe ways in which anthropology helps understand human behavior.
4. Identify diverse interests involved in anthropological research.
5. Identify principles of stewardship, diverse interests, and real-world problem solving.
C. Matrix Principles:
1. Stewardship: importance of conservation to understand past cultures (we have recovered information as a result of protecting sites that now give us that evidence [e.g., archaeological parks, preserves]); nonrenewable resource.
2. Diverse interests: descendant communities have a vested interest in archaeological resources; protection of heritage; non-vanishing indigenous people (e.g., Maya, Hopi, Zuni, O'odham).
3. Real-world problem solving: archaeologists and descendant communities work together to preserve the past and tie it to the present (Ozette example).
D. Instructional Procedures: This module is primarily lecture and student activity. The current events portion is introduced to tie in archaeology to today's world. Throughout the lecture, students are asked questions to ensure they are grasping the concepts introduced. It is important to tie in real-world experiences to the content, so the questions ask the students to think of some of the concepts in the context of today's world. PowerPoint is useful to help identify concepts, but the lecture can be taught with traditional technology (whiteboard, etc.).
E. Lecture Outline:
1. Define anthropology (study of humankind; understand social and cultural behavior).
2. Describe each of four subfields (biological, cultural, linguistic, archaeology). Provide examples of how each is applied in the real world. Can use the Web area to assist in this section.
a. Activity: Define the four subfields (branches) of anthropology. In what way are they linked together to form the discipline of anthropology? Define and discuss three key elements of culture and how each helps us better understand human behavior.
What is Culture (Miraglia et al. 1999)(note: if you are redirected to the WSU General Education page, click on "Learning Modules," then "What is Culture").
3. Define culture; have students assist in definition, providing examples.
a. Activity: Each student has to think of two ways in which he or she defines him/herself. Most will choose an ethnicity and will find it hard to go beyond that, but others will manage to add class, status (e.g., single mother), sport participation, music participation, sexuality, etc. It is useful in demonstrating that culture is socially constructed.
b. Alternative Activity: In small groups, students define "American culture." If they had to explain it to someone from another country, how would they do so? What characteristics would they define? Do material traits help define a culture? What about social behaviors? How might this be related to what we can learn from archaeology?
4. Discuss the holistic approach to the study of humanity through anthropology.
5. Have students discuss ways in which the four branches of anthropology are linked and how anthropology helps us better understand human behavior.
F. Video: Indian America: A Gift From the Past (Cutler and Thomas 1994) (Ozette; discussion of connection to past and present; how is anthropology applied in real world; which subfields apply; non-vanishing indigenous people). Read Price and Feinman, pages 296-299.
a. Activity: (Joe Watkins) Descendant communities in the city: Make a list of some of the descendant communities in the area. Choose one group and discuss: origin of the group (geographical, social, religious); history of group in the area; social structure (if any) retained from their original culture, including religious or other social organizations, governmental/social leadership, language; and what continues to bind the group together in this area (religion, economy, other). If you were to conduct a project of any sort on this group, how would you convey your results to them?
G. Goal of anthropology: systematic understanding of cultural aspects of human behavior; tries to account for cultural differences and similarities and seeks to understand how cultural institutions operate. Have students summarize what they have learned about anthropology and culture.