Cultural anthropology

Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant.

Overview

Cultural anthropology has a rich methodology, including participant observation (often called fieldwork because it requires the anthropologist spending an extended period of time at the research location), interviews, and surveys.

History

Cultural anthropology was developed around the same time as modernism, and it was influenced by it. Modernism is about finding the truth, and cultural anthropology is about finding the truth of other cultures.

Theoretical foundations

The theoretical foundations of cultural anthropology can be traced back to the works of pioneers like Franz Boas, Bronislaw Malinowski, Alfred Radcliffe-Brown, and Claude Levi-Strauss. Their theories have shaped the discipline and continue to be influential.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is one of the most important methods used in cultural anthropology. This involves living among the people being studied, participating in their culture, and observing their behavior.

Ethnography

Ethnography is a core component of cultural anthropology. Ethnographers often live with the people they are studying, or spend a significant amount of time with them.

See also

• Social anthropology
• Ethnography
• Franz Boas
• Bronislaw Malinowski
• Alfred Radcliffe-Brown
• Claude Levi-Strauss

References

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