What is Anthropology, and Why Care?
In a nutshell, anthropology is essentially humans studying humans. It encompasses how humans have evolved over thousands of years and how cultures evolved alongside us. Not only is anthropology a scientific study of the past, but also of the present.
Like most sciences, new discoveries are constantly made that often result in further questions, especially when considering our origin story.
For instance, there was a long-standing belief that the Clovis people were the first to inhabit North America…at least until the early 2000s, when studies found evidence of a culture before Clovis.
A better understanding of where we come from helps visualize where we might be headed as a species. Since the archaeological record is far from complete, each discovery is like a piece of an ever-expanding puzzle of how humans evolved and developed various cultures on Earth.
Disciplines of Anthropology
There are four primary disciplines of anthropology:
- Cultural: Studying the living cultures of the world, behaviors of those people, and how belief systems are established.
- Biological: Studying the past to understand human evolution, genetic variation, and primate development.
- Linguistic: Studying the development and use of language and how it affects social interaction and behaviors.
- Archaeological: Studying the stuff an ancient culture left behind to better understand its people. This is often through analysis of artifacts, structures, and landscapes.
Most undergraduate programs will follow the four-field layout, including all of the disciplines. However, graduate programs and certain career paths will focus more on a specific field that caters to your interest.
Because, let’s face it, that would be a whole lot of school to constantly understand and practice all four disciplines simultaneously.
One of the nice things about getting a degree in anthropology is how many career paths it actually affects. Yes, you can focus purely on your study of choice. However, anthropologists are useful in fields like city planning, public health, and the environmental fields.
There are all kinds of ways you can use all four disciplines of anthropology. It all depends on what sparks your interest the most and who needs a certain set of skills.
Outside of the Box Uses for Anthropology
Obviously, the primary function of an anthropologist is to study humans, their cultures, and the developments thereof.
But what about some unorthodox reasons for studying anthropology?
Worldbuilding for Authors
Initially, I began taking anthropology as a way to influence my fantasy and sci-fi novels to make them feel more realistic. The best part is that you don’t necessarily need a degree to benefit from anthropology as an author.
There are plenty of sources online, including this blog, that can provide a variety of information to help strengthen the realism of your stories. Just make sure you’re getting your information from a credible source.
In any case, there are a lot of ways anthropology can influence your writing for the better. From developing languages to creating an ancient alien species, there is a wealth of knowledge at your disposal. Whether you’re writing non-fiction or fiction, there are 130,000 years of reference materials.
Speculation of Alien Worlds
Could understanding how humans and various cultures developed on Earth fuel speculation about other planets? Absolutely. By examining how evolution happened to humans, we can formulate a hypothesis about how life may advance among the stars.
Of course, you’ll want to be careful with speculations. You wouldn’t want to inadvertently lump yourself in with pseudoscientists. It’s a bit of a slippery slope, but it could lead to a variety of fun theories regarding extraterrestrial life.
Realistically, though, there are a lot of variables that dictate evolution. And since you’re not visiting planets outside of Earth any time soon, there is really no way to test your hypothesis. Still, it may be a lot of fun, especially around a campfire at night with a blanket of stars above your head.
Politics…Really?
Can you really utilize anthropology in politics? Absolutely! Knowing and understanding a culture can help you relate to those individuals. While this would center more around current anthropological studies, there’s no denying the impact of knowledge when dealing with other people and governments.
Now, I highly doubt that a president would have the time to dive into anthropological studies concerning every country across the globe. But it would probably be in the president’s best interest to hire someone to do it.
Regardless, understanding current cultures and behaviors would offer a distinct advantage to political leaders, especially in times of negotiations.
Humans Are More Interesting Than You May Think…
Anthropology isn’t for everyone. But so far, I’ve found that history of humanity to be far more interesting than most movies today. The more information we uncover, the more interesting life becomes.
Can you imagine what it must have been like to travel across a frozen tundra from Russia to Alaska and then make your way into what is today known as the United States? What were the Vikings like who landed on L’Anse aux Meadows in North America, half a millennium before Christopher Columbus?
There is more than 100,000 years of history to explore for humanity, and that’s not including the cultures that exist today.
Better yet, understanding each other may lead to a greater peace than we ever thought possible.