Cultural Anthropology, a subfield of Anthropology, the study of the variation of human cultures. Cultural anthropology is defined as; “anthropology that deals with human culture especially with respect to social structure, language, law, politics, religion, magic, art, and technology”[1]. Cultural anthropologists study a broad range of topics, including but not limited to language, material culture, rituals, kinship and institutions (link to Rebeckah’s article).
Cultural Anthropology is widely known as beginning due to colonialism. Scientists read accounts of missionaries and soldiers about cultures, and decided that they themselves wanted to study the cultures[2]. Throughout history anthropology has evolved and changed to become a more experience based field of study. Out of this, fieldwork was born. Scientists aimed to go out and take their own detailed accounts of a culture. Fieldwork is conducted to, through mostly observational studying, discover the ins and outs of a culture and it’s people. Fieldwork is not the only method of experimentation in Anthropology. Scientists can also study a culture through interviews and surveys. Surveys are a popular method of collecting data but they also have many downsides. Surveys can be altered by a person’s bias and other many conscious and subconscious influences. However, fieldwork, also called participant observation, is most common.
One way of writing and presenting an ethnographic experience is through the ethnographic present. The ethnographic present, while common, is a widely contested method of reporting, "The use of the ethnographic present in anthropological writings has been seriously criticized as reflecting a particular relationship of observation and distancing to the object (Fabian 1983:86)"[3]. Ethnography is defined as, “the study and systematic recording of human cultures; also:a descriptive work produced from such research” [4]. While the ethnographic present is defined as, “That point in time when a traditional culture came into contact with individuals from literate cultures, and was documented by them” [5]. Most anthropological studies discuss the ethnography of a culture and present it through the writing in the ethnographic present.
One of the most famous anthropologists known for her writing in the ethnographic present is Margaret Mead. Margaret Mead is a very famous anthropologist who studied attitudes toward sex in South Pacific and Southeast Asian[6]. She was the student of the “father of American anthropology”[7], Franz Boa. Franz Boa believed that culture could explain differences between humans[8]. He coined the term “scientific racism” which is the idea that race is a biological concept[9]. Boa, Mead, and many other anthropologists have worked to push the field to where it is today. While new studies are conducted and released all the time, which challenge past ideas and theories, the field of Cultural Anthropology is ever expanding.
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- ^ "Definition of CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ John, Monaghan (2000). Social and Cultural Anthropology. New York: Oxford. ISBN 0192853465.
- ^ Hastrup, Kirsten (2013-04-10). "The Ethnographic Present: A Reinvention". Cultural Anthropology. 5 (1). ISSN 0886-7356.
- ^ "Definition of ETHNOGRAPHY". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Archaeology Wordsmith". www.archaeologywordsmith.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
- ^ "Margaret Mead". Wikipedia. 2017-03-21.
- ^ "Margaret Mead". Wikipedia. 2017-03-21.
- ^ "Franz Boas". Wikipedia. 2017-04-07.
- ^ "Franz Boas". Wikipedia. 2017-04-07.