7-1 Cultural Anthropology Explained

Key Concepts

• Cultural Anthropology
• Cultural Relativism
• Ethnography
• Cultural Universals
• Cultural Change

Cultural Anthropology

Cultural anthropology is the study of human cultures, their beliefs, practices, values, and social structures. It seeks to understand how different societies organize themselves and how cultural practices evolve over time.

Cultural Relativism

Cultural relativism is the principle that one should understand and evaluate a culture based on its own standards and values, rather than applying external judgments. This approach recognizes that cultural practices can vary widely and that no single culture is superior to another.

Ethnography

Ethnography is a research method used in cultural anthropology where researchers immerse themselves in a community to study its culture from within. This involves participant observation, interviews, and detailed documentation to gain an in-depth understanding of the community's way of life.

Cultural Universals

Cultural universals are traits or practices that are found in all human cultures. These include basic needs such as food, shelter, and clothing, as well as social structures like marriage and family. Understanding cultural universals helps anthropologists identify commonalities across diverse cultures.

Cultural Change

Cultural change refers to the transformation of cultural practices and beliefs over time. This can be driven by various factors such as technological advancements, contact with other cultures, and internal social dynamics. Anthropologists study how and why cultures change to understand the broader patterns of human society.

Examples and Analogies

Think of cultural anthropology as a journey through a vast, diverse forest where each tree represents a different culture. Cultural relativism is like respecting each tree's unique shape and leaves, without comparing them to a standard model. Ethnography is like becoming part of the forest, living among the trees to understand their growth and interactions. Cultural universals are like the basic elements that all trees need to survive, such as sunlight and water. Cultural change is like the seasons, where the forest's appearance and behavior shift over time due to external and internal influences.

For example, consider the practice of marriage. In some cultures, it is a religious ceremony with elaborate rituals, while in others, it is a simple legal contract. An anthropologist using cultural relativism would study each practice without judging one as better than the other, understanding that both fulfill the universal need for social bonding and family structure.