Anthropology, also referred to as the science of humanity is the study of humankind from a comparative approach that is focused on the diversity of behavior of humans, as well as, the significance of culture in describing the diversity (Barrett 1). Just like other disciplines related to anthropology such as sociology, the study of anthropology uses theoretical perspectives to explain past and present events related to human cultures of different regions across the world. Anthropologists across regions are interested in studying anthropological topics including population migrations, origins of domestication, linguistics, morality in society, religion, rites of passage, cultural kinship and other forms of human behavior. The study enables individuals to learn essential aspects about different people and learn to appreciate in other in society. Understanding the discipline enables scholars to think anthropologically.
Thinking anthropologically is a concept used in anthropology, which means approaching a given event, situation, or circumstance without making any pre-judgments (Salzman 12). This implies that one has to look at a situation in the context of where it is coming from rather than basing on individual beliefs, ideas, and experiences. It may refer to using data from the four sub-disciplines of anthropology (cultural, physical, archaeological, and linguistic) to gather a comprehension of the situation. Thinking anthropologically may assist in the fundamental understanding of social conventions, information, cultural assumptions, and the concept of culture (Salzman 13). This degree of crucial conception and thinking creates the attitudes and skills required in living and working in diverse social contexts.
As mentioned, anthropologists are interested in a wide variety of topics on humankind. With this in mind and one thing for sure is that anthropology can open doors to a variety of great careers for me, in the future. Anthropological studies have sub-disciplines, which include archeological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, physical, and cultural anthropology. Archeological anthropology is defined as the study of the remains of humans from the past to the present. Linguistic anthropology is the study of the language of human beings in its context and taking into consideration the impact it has on the entire human experience. Physical anthropology, also termed as biological anthropology is the study of human beings as biological, physical beings. For instance, this may involve the evolution of humankind. On the other hand, cultural anthropology is the study of human lived experiences across various regions of the world (Fedorak 25). It involves ethnography. From these four sub-disciplines, I believe that I have a variety of careers to choose from, in the future.
Anthropology is useful to me in my future careers because of a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is that in society, people will always interact. There is no way that an individual can survive on his or her own without interacting with other people in society. Understanding how these relations occur in human life is exceptionally essential. This is because it is from this comprehension that people understand the values, norms, customs, language, religious views, and other socio-cultural aspects that are crucial in developing ways to appreciate each other in society. A second reason is because I have always been determined to understand the cultures of various regions across the world. This being the case, therefore, anthropology is useful in future careers as it provides a basis of understanding on what I wish to pursue in the future.
Humanity as a concept may sound a narrow concept, but in the real sense, it is broadly. From the study of anthropology, I have gained knowledge on the complexity of cultures across regions of the world. On this, I have learnt so much on the various cultural aspects that are valued by some cultures while not upheld by other cultures. This shows that cultures are varied for different societies. Human behaviors form part of culture, and has enabled me understand what causes different people to behave the way they do given different situations. In addition, I have also gained knowledge on humanity and religion, as well as, how they get to influence each other in society this shows that the study of humanity is a broader one and this is the reason why studies on humanity have existed and will continue to exist over generations.
I have learned much about myself as an individual as a result of developing an anthropological way of thinking. As stated, developing an anthropological way of thinking anthropologically assists in the fundamental understanding of social conventions, information, cultural assumptions, and the concept of culture. This degree of crucial conception and thinking creates the attitudes and skills required in living and working in diverse social contexts. I have understood that in order for me to live peacefully with others in society, I must not pre-judge actions of others and should learn to appreciate every person. In addition, I have learnt that using personal ideas and concepts on various issues may create conflicts in society. Thus, anthropology has improved my attitudes and skills of relating to other people. This is what thinking anthropologically is all about.
Works Cited
Barrett, Stanley R. Anthropology: A Student's Guide to Theory and Method. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009. Print.
Fedorak, Shirley. Anthropology Matters. North York, Ont: University of Toronto Press, 2013. Print.
Salzman, Philip C, and Patricia C. Rice. Thinking Anthropologically: A Practical Guide for Students. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.
