Anthropology Assignment

Anthropology Assignment

1. Explain anthropological fieldwork in terms of qualitative and quantitative research. Which approach might use the scientific method? Which might use a more humanistic approach?

Anthropology represents a summation of the most diverse theoretical points of view and efficient technologies for studying human beings. This field balances disciplines such as biology and humanities such as sociology and ethnography. This feature allowed it to develop universal approaches to studying various communities and cultures successfully. Anthropological fieldwork can be approached through qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is typically descriptive and seeks to understand why something happens the way it does. In anthropology, it involves participating as well as observing. The qualitative approach uses a more humanistic approach as the researchers interact directly with the participants.

On the other hand, quantitative research is interested in the data collected in surveys, polls, and censuses. Therefore, it concerns hard evidence from statistics and recorded happenings, locations, and participants. To conclude using this approach, scientific methods are used. 

2. How could an anthropological perspective on diversity be used to explain social change in your community?

In understanding diversity in cultures, the anthropological view can help humanity understand and appreciate the complexity of diverse cultures. Anthropology has addressed the structure of cultures, how people interact, and what is involved when new elements are introduced into a culture. For instance, the functionalism theory where anthropology views any culture as an integrated whole or an integrated system (Kinsky). This theory views any culture as an integrated system. Individual institutions and customs are not isolated phenomena. They cannot be fully appreciated except in the context of the whole culture. Therefore, social change in the community can result from integrating many different cultures, leading to adopting different practices.

3. How would you use anthropology’s holistic perspective to understand the effects of low-fat diets in American lives?

The holistic anthropological perspective integrates all that is known about human beings and their activities. This perspective assumes that mind, body, individuals, society, and the environment define one another. Using the holistic perspective, the effect of a low-fat diet on American lives can be understood by considering many different factors to generate a picture of the culture as a whole.

4. How did colonialism and the industrial revolution influence anthropology, and what are the lasting consequences of those influences?

According to (Forte) colonialism structured the relationship between anthropologists and the people they studied and affected methodological and conceptual formulations in the disciplines. Anthropologists found themselves partners in the colonial system, which governed relations between non-westerners and westerners, as anthropology developed with the expansion of Europe and the colonization of the non-western world. Furthermore, colonialism helped anthropologists study both the westerners and the non-westerners hence gaining a clear understanding of how the two related.

The industrial revolution marked the fundamental shift from an agrarian, manual, and handicraft economy to a fully mechanized, modern one dominated by technology between 1970 and 1830. This revolution significantly altered society and people’s lives. Because people’s means of subsistence changed, anthropology was impacted and needed to be updated. The industrial revolution affected people’s lives and led to many social reforms. Consequently, the revolution brought about many negative impacts on society, such as increased child labor as profit-seeking owners started employing children. Additionally, (Meera) the revolution changed women’s lives as many women started entering the workforce where they were overworked. Colonialism and the industrial revolution triggered a lot of changes in society.

Works Cited

Forte, Maxilimilian C. “Anthropology and Colonialism: More from Diane Lewis (1973).” ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY, 18 Feb. 2009, zeroanthropology.net/2007/10/15/anthropology-and-colonialism-more-from-diane-lewis-1973/.

Kinsky, Lynn. “403 Forbidden.” Reason Magazine - Free Minds and Free Markets, 1 June 1971, reason.com/1971/06/01/an-anthropological-perspective/.

Meera. “Industrial Revolution: Causes, Impact and Overview.” Sociology Group: Sociology and Other Social Sciences Blog, 22 Apr. 2020, www.sociologygroup.com/industrial-revolution/.