ANTHROPOLOGYCH :1 MEANING AND SCOPE OF ANTHROPOLOGY

MEANING OF ANTHROPOLOGY :

ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING

SCIENTIFIC MEANING

EXPLANATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEANING

SUMMARY

SCOPE OF ANTHROPOLOGY :

INTRODUCTION

COVERAGE

BRANCHES

RESEARCH STRATAGY

SUMMARY

ANTHROPOLOGY AS A COMPOSITE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES :

INTRODUCTION

HOLISM

NEED OF ANTHROPLOGY

SUMMARY

VALUE OF ANTHROPLOGY :

INTRODUCTION

AS A DISCPLINE OF ACADEMIC VALUE

AS A SCIENCE OF PRACTICAL VALUE

AS A SCIENCE OF GENERAL VALUE SUMMARY

MEANING OF ANTHROPOLPOGY :ETYMOLOGICAL MEANING : "science of human kind "

Aristotle (328-322b.c) coined the term anthropology .the word "anthropology is from greek word :"anthropos" meaning man and logosmeaning science "

the etymological meaning of anthropology is the "science of man "

This etymological meaning has undergone a change in 1960 &1970.When the women liberation movement in USA rightly pointed out that anthroplogy is the" study of men "but not women.

Then anthropologists with tongue in cheek ;denied anthropology as the" study of man embracing women ".The women liberation movement found this revised definition inappropriate .Therefore anthropologists paid attention to the use of gender free nouns such as humans ,human beings human kind rather than mankind .He and His when referring to the generic category of human kind does not imply any quality of gender discrimination.The etymological meaning of the word anthropology has been changed from the science of man to the science of human kind .

SCIENTIFIC MEANING :

The etymological meaning itself provides an accurate basis for the scientific meaning of the word "anthropolgy".However,the scientific

meaning has undergone several changes before it came to have its present meaning.In its original sense at the time of aristotle "anthropology continued upto almost the middle of 16 th century AD and it had gone several changes later.Around the early 16th century AD the word ANTHROPOLOGY entered latin languages and in its latin form appeared as "anthropologism".further in the early 16th century the german and central eurpoean biologists employed the term anthropologic as equivalent to anthropology .The meaning they have given to the word anthropologic was different from the original meaning of anthropology.They defined anthropologyic as what much later came to be known as physical or biological anthroplogy.Supporting this meaning the book "ANTHROPOLOGIC DE HOMINIS " wriiten by "MAGNUS HUNDI" in th year 1501 tells that anthropology is the study of "human anatomy & human phisiology".

In other words to the german biologists and central european scholars anthropology means physical anthropology .On the other hand german philosophers and theologians defined the term anthropologic as the study of physical and moral aspects of man ."Where they equated the physical aspect with the biological aspect and the moral aspect of man with the cultural &social aspect of man".

The german philosophers and theologians and the practioners of anthropology in russia and austria defined the english word anthropology and the german word anthropologic as a "study of socio -cultural aspects of man ".

The meaning of anthropology has undergone several changes in the 17th century .In 1655 an anonymous english writer published a book called "ANTHROPOLOGIC ABSTRACTED".This text depicts anthropology as the study of human soul and human anatomy".This meaning of anthropology has gained ground throughout the next two centuries at the same time people from several feilds developed great intrest in thepropagation of anthropology.

Alexandar pope (1732)an english poet in his book "ESSAY ON MAN "wrote the proper study of mankind is man.Imanuel kant's book ANTHROPOLOGIC IN PRAMATISCHER ABGEFAST '(Anthropology composed from a pragmatic view )which appeared in the year 1789 highlights the meaning of anthropologic in terms of

"animalorgans,sociadevelopment&cultural progress" of humans.

In 19th century anthropology has acquired a meaning in terms of total undrestanding of biology ,cultural&social aspects of humans .In the year 1822 the word anthropology is enterd the "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BRITANICA"with regard to the meaning it is said "to be discourse upon human nature".While giving almost the same meaning to anthropologyin his inaugural lecture of ethnological society of london in the year 1863 ,james hunt defines anthropology as the study of human nature in its vitality.

Thirteen years later ,1876(PAUL TOPINARD)in his book "ANTHROPOLOGIC"restricted the meaning of anthropology to that of physical anthropology.This meaning became very much established in the contienental europe.

Towards the end of 19th century anthropology"entered the hall of academics in several universities".In the year 1884 it was introduced as a feild of study in oxford university in london .Edward brunette taylor (1832-1917AD)headed the department of anthropology .In his book "an introduction to the study of man & civilisation"(1881)gives the word anthropology the meaning in terms of "science of man revealing the biological and cultural evolution and variation of mankindall over the world .

In the year 1888,"anthropology "found a place in clarke university in the USA.The chairman of this new department was FRANZ BOAS (1858-1942)AD.In his book "THE CENTRAL ESKIMO (1881) "he writes that anthropology is the science of man and it deals with the biological,cultural and social aspects of mankind.

The 20th century has witnessed a progressive endevour of anthropologists to provide an appropriate scientific meaning to the word anthropology.By the beggining of the 20th century ,anthropology became established in several universities in ENGLAND,FRANCE,AMERICA &GERMANY.

In 1923 A.L KROEBER in his book "anthropology "tells that anthropology means the science of man his works and behaviour .

In 1948 M.J HERKOVIS in his book "MAN &HIS WORKS "depicts the meaning of anthropology as the study of man and his works .On the other hand CLYDE KLUCHLENN in his book "MIRROR OF MAN"tells that

anthropology is the science of man in tata ".Thus in the first half of past century a foundation was for providing a sceintific meaning to theterm anthropology .

In the second half of 20th century ,the term anthropology has acquird the complete scientific meaning .Lexicologists in the 2nd half of 20th century used to call anthropology as the study of mankind especially allsocieties and customs ,study of structure and evolution of man as ananimal.

Anthropologists call anthropology as the scientific study of physical,social&cultural development and behaviour of human beings since their appearance on earth(JACOBS &STERN1952).(or) science of all aspects of man in their totality.But the women liberationmovement in USA was critical of the bias of the meaning of anthropology in favourof men.For this reason the anthropologists have changed the meaning of the anthropology as the "science of human kind".

Hithertho the meaning of the term anthropology "was not explicit about the time dimension &spatial dimension of the study of human kind.Since 1970's it was quite explicit about the temporal and spatial dimension of the study of human kind .thus JOHN FRIED &JOHN E P FEIFFER in their work "anthropology "the study of people "(1977) tells that anthropology "studies all the aspects of human behaviour in all places and all times .

similarly E.A HOEBEL and T.WERNER in their book "ANTHROPOLOGY &EXPERIENCE "(1979),gives the meaning of the word anthropology as the study of people at all places and at all times.Recently KONARD PHILIP KOTTAK in his book "CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY"(1991) presents the meaning of the word anthropology as in terms of study of biology ,society,language and culture of humankind in time and space .Four years ago MARVIN HARIS in his book "THEORIES OF CULTURE IN POST-MODERN TIMES (1999)"draws attention to the sceintific meaning of term "anthropology with refernce to the study of all aspects of the whole human kind in all places and at all times.

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EXPLAINATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEANING :

As a science of human kind in its totality,anthropology tries to

describe,analyse,synthesise all aspects of human beings .What are all the aspects of human beings?First of all there is a biological aspect.human beings are apart of living world .They are organisms ,animals,more specifically they are primates and they evolved as part of the living world like other organisms human beings are a part of biological evolution.Human species is the highest product of biological evolution.Human beings are habitually erect and their hands with opposable thumbs are free to hold and manipulate objects .They have large complex brains that provid thm with great sense of perception,high intelligence and good memories and their brain equipped them with the capacity to create symbols and use them in highly efficient communication system known as language. As a result what has become peculiar to human beings is the level of biological developmentthat has given uniquness in the living world .

Secondly,there is the cultural aspect. Human species is a culture creating and culture bearing animal.Culture refers to the means by which human beings come to terms with the environment and one another.

Culture is a design for living the ability to create and maintain culture lies in the human brain.Since brain is a product of evolutionery development ,culture is to be thougt as a product of human biology.Culture rests on human biology but not biological .Culture is notinnate ,it is not inborn but the ability to create is innate.Culture is the result of the biological development of humans that enabled human to invent many ways of behaving which were not in their genetic codes .These new many ways allowed human beings to adapt to their environment in a unique way.human behaviour thus has been biological and cultural.

Thirdly,there is a social aspect.society is the organisation of life in groups like human beings other animals also live in organised groups.However human beings are the only species that lead the grouplife according to the design for living,namely culture.In other words,human society is an aggregate of persons whose inter-relationships and inter-actions are expressed and continued through cullture