Anthropology definitions

From KstructIB

Acculturation: Culture change brought about by contact between people with different cultures. Usually refers to the loss of traditional culture when the members of small-scale cultures adopt elements of global-scale cultures.

Cultural relativity: The view that culture should be evaluated relative to its own values instead of relative to the values of any other cultures.

Ethnocentrism: The idea that one’s own society, culture and beliefs are better than any others.

Norms: The behaviour which is considered acceptable by a society.

Culture: Everything that members of a certain society do, behave, like, think, say etc.

Society: A number of people who live within the same area and who have lives which are interdependent of each other.

Ethnography: A piece of written work which is produced after detailed study and research on a certain society/culture.

Theory: Different ways at looking and obtaining information from data. Fourth World- indigenous peoples and small-scale society

Enculturation: When, from ver early childhood, a person begins to learn and understand his/her culture from others.

Socialisation: Similar to enculturation, absorbing knowledge about aspects of one’s culture subconsciously from birth.

Nature/Nurture: When discussing how a person is raised, and what makes him/her what they are, nature refers to the genetic make-up of the individual, while nurture refers to the way in which they were raised.

Anthropology: The study of humans, especially of their customs, cultures, societies, beliefs etc.

Cultural Diffusion: The movement of technology, ideas and opinion between cultures.

Applied anthropology: The non-academic employment of anthropologists for government, commercial, or humanitarian purposes.

Artefact : Any material thing made by people.

Cultural evolution: The notion that cultures evolve, usually gradually and steadily, in the direction of greater efficiency and complexity.

Multi-lineal evolution: The notion that different cultures evolve along multiple, if similar lines, depending on their natural and cultural environments.

Historical Particularism: The idea that every culture, because it is the product of specific historical circumstances, is unique.

Complex Industrial Society (CIS): Western Society

Synchronic: Looking at a culture as it is now (in time)

Diachronic: Looking a culture how it was in the past