Anthropological Theories Basic anthropological theories like evolutionism, diffusionism, culture and personality school, structuralism etc. are discussed in this class.
Anthropological Theories
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavior, while cultural anthropology studies cultural meaning, including norms and values.
A portmanteau term sociocultural anthropology is commonly used today. Linguistic anthropology studies how language influences social life. Biological or physical anthropology studies the biological development of humans.
Archaeology, often termed as “anthropology of the past,” studies human activity through investigation of physical evidence. It is considered a branch of anthropology in North America and Asia, while in Europe, archaeology is viewed as a discipline in its own right or grouped under other related disciplines, such as history and palaeontology.
Why is theory important in anthropology?
Theories are influential in determining how an anthropologist will organize their research study, interact with their research participants, and interpret their data. Anthropological theory is also a means of making broad and complex information more easily understandable to the general public.
What are the major anthropological theories?
There are many different theories in anthropology. Five influential anthropological theories are structuralism, social evolutionism, Marxist anthropology, Diffusionism, and Feminist anthropology.
What are the types of anthropology?
Anthropology involves the study of various dimensions of human life. Four major subfields of anthropology include cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology.
Anthropological Theories in details :