Be an Anthropologist - 825 Words

Be an Anthropologist (Essay Sample) Content: Be an Anthropologist Name: Institution: Be an Anthropologist Definition of Culture Studies have made discoveries about most anthropologists relying upon the culture concept. This is informed by the discoveries about anthropologists taking culture as a starting point to a means of gaining in-depth understanding to human experience without much regard to ones sub-discipline, specialization or the theoretical orientation (Burke, 1997). Due to this, anthropologists tend to define culture in a different manner from common usage; hence, the extension of both the meaning and the applicability that is beyond the perceived term, culture, to a paradigm that is comprehensive in its theoretical approach. Therefore, a perspective that is more historical gives clarifications about the significance of the culture concept and the development it has undergone mostly exemplified through the rapidly changing anthropological view of the world's people (Geertz, 1975). Culture is a description of human activity and the pattern appearing to exist within it. Other studies have defined culture as constantly changing; thus, forming the background of human understanding, which is also changing with the constant transformation in culture. Culture refers to the way of life of people in various different regions of the world and the different communities' cohabitating in the regions. Culture attempts to discuss the different manner in which people eat, dress, speak, and their actions in the society and generally every aspect of people's lives (Burke, 1997). Various studies on culture have consequently come to a conclusion that culture is not only learned, but shared in addition to being extremely dynamic. As a result, there is no standard definition of culture. Both the understanding and definition of culture is constantly expanding. However, culture has widely been referred to as the shared customs, beliefs, behaviors, values and artifacts, which members of a given society incorporate in their daily activities in a bid to ensure that they cope not only with one another, but also cope with their world and, which go through transmission from one generation to another through learning (Geertz, 1975). Thick description This refers to the description and interpretation of a behavior or social action within the particular context that it exists. For twenty five minutes, I lazy around in the balcony of the coffee house while keeping a keen eye on people coming in and going out of the coffee house, watching the bantering between the waitresses and the hangers on, the revelers horsing around amongst themselves while the others dancing to the juke-box. Most of the people seemed to be in their mid-twenties with most being men and most probably from middle class. No one knew me but some frequently sought out my attention. Analysis of themes and patterns in behavior you observed Amongst the patterns observed was the shaking of hands in greetings with some, mostly ladies embracing and giving each other a light peck on the cheek. This can be categorized under the learned behavior. Patterned behaviors were also observed with mostly realized from the different tastes of foods ordered by the different patroness. The cultural universal traits like wearing of clothes could also be identified. Analysis of observations, their themes and patterns using four anthropological concepts Cultural anthropology concept Also referred to as ethnology, cultural anthropology studies the various cultures of humans and how the cultures are either shaped or shape the world around which they exist. The concept mainly gives most focus on the differences existing between different people. Thus the main goal of the concept of cultural anthropology is to learn about other different cultures through the collection of data about how the new culture is being practiced. Biological anthropology concept Biological anthropology, aims at studying humanity mainly done through the body of human or alternatively using evolution, genetics, primates, human ancestry ...