Introduction

1. What is anthropology?

1.1. It is a broad field of inquiry covering almost all aspects of human life.

1.2. It is not its subject-matter makes anthropology distinct.

1.3. Its unique-ness is derived from its particular history.

1.4. It emerged out of the encounter between the West (colonists) and the "Others" (natives).

1.5. Anthropology is a set of knowledge generated from the colonial experience of westerners.

2. The sub-fields of anthropology

2.1. Physical anthropology
-It is concerned with the biological evolution of human beings, particularly the physical features of ancient people and other primates.

2.2. Archaeology
-It is the investigation of the human past by excavating and analyzing material remains.

2.3. Linguistic anthropology
-The study of human language and its relations with various social and cultural contexts.

2.4. Applied anthropology
-The application of anthropological knowlege to varied social problems.
-Example: forensic anthropologist and human right

2.5. Cultural anthropology/ Social anthropology
-The study of contemporary or historically recent human societies.
-It is an attempt to understand the diversity of culture.
-Field work and ethnography are the usual methods

3. The basic orientations of anthropology

3.1. Holism
-Understanding an aspect of a community by relating it to other aspects.
Example: Ancestral hall (-patriarchal family-clan organization-land inheritance system-political authority... ...)

3.2. Comparativism
-Studying a place or a custom by comparing it to others.
-Exploring the Other-->self-understanding
Example: The ways of eating sushi and sashimi in Hong Kong and Japan

3.3. Relativism
-No culture is inherently superior or inferior to any other.
Example: Cannibal tribe and headhunting tribe

4. The value of anthropology
-It provides plenty of knowlege about the complexity and diversity of human world.
-It corrects our cultural bias.
-It provides a useful method for understanding the "Others".