Human Origins
Human Origins Exam 2: Lecture Notes
E.B. Tylor (1832-1917)
Founding father of anthropology
Founder of British anthropology
Approach = arm chair anthropology
Did most of his studies at Oxford
Primitive Culture (book)
Uniformitaranism
Thinks people around the world have the same brain (mind)
Survivals
Example: Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe (still here and happening from past)
Aborigines
Tahitians
Aztecs
Chinese
Italians
Lewis H. Morgan (1818-1881)
Starts in New York as a lawyer then enters anthropology scene
1851 – published Leagues of Iroquois
1871 – published Systems of Consanguity
About kinship (family and how families are organized)
Iroquois’ families are maternal – all moms side of family, if boy born, sent out to marry into some other girls family
1877 – published Ancient Society
Savagery – (pottery)
Barbarism – (iron working)
Civilization – (Written language)
3 False Starts
1. Racial Physical Anthropologist
a. Sorting people into racial groups
a.i. Problem was starting to get to many racial groups, too many differences between all people
b. Anthropologists today say race does not exist
2. Social Darwinism
a. Political things
b. Survival of the fittest (Not Darwin’s term – Spencer’s – was made popular by social Darwinism)
3. Eugenics
a. Applied social Darwinism
b. Attempt to control human gene pool
b.i. Example: Holocaust
Leslie White
Cultural Evolution
Cultural Determinism
Culture determines your world
Culture serves a function
Culture serves a purpose: to meet needs of species
Subsystems
1. Technological ***
a. Material culture – stuff
2. Sociological
a. Kinship
3. Ideological
a. Your ideas, beliefs, and knowledge
***Energy + technology = culture change (E+X=T)***
Julian Steward
Thinks about environment as relates to humans
1. Cultural Ecology – environment shapes adaptation
a. Environment and Material Culture (tools)
b. Social Behaviors (hunting groups vs. alone)
c. Rest of Culture
E.B. Tylor (1832-1917)
Founding father of anthropology
Founder of British anthropology
Approach = arm chair anthropology
Did most of his studies at Oxford
Primitive Culture (book)
Uniformitaranism
Thinks people around the world have the same brain (mind)
Survivals
Example: Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe (still here and happening from past)
Aborigines
Tahitians
Aztecs
Chinese
Italians
Lewis H. Morgan (1818-1881)
Starts in New York as a lawyer then enters anthropology scene
1851 – published Leagues of Iroquois
1871 – published Systems of Consanguity
About kinship (family and how families are organized)
Iroquois’ families are maternal – all moms side of family, if boy born, sent out to marry into some other girls family
1877 – published Ancient Society
Savagery – (pottery)
Barbarism – (iron working)
Civilization – (Written language)
3 False Starts
1. Racial Physical Anthropologist
a. Sorting people into racial groups
a.i. Problem was starting to get to many racial groups, too many differences between all people
b. Anthropologists today say race does not exist
2. Social Darwinism
a. Political things
b. Survival of the fittest (Not Darwin’s term – Spencer’s – was made popular by social Darwinism)
3. Eugenics
a. Applied social Darwinism
b. Attempt to control human gene pool
b.i. Example: Holocaust
Leslie White
Cultural Evolution
Cultural Determinism
Culture determines your world
Culture serves a function
Culture serves a purpose: to meet needs of species
Subsystems
1. Technological ***
a. Material culture – stuff
2. Sociological
a. Kinship
3. Ideological
a. Your ideas, beliefs, and knowledge
***Energy + technology = culture change (E+X=T)***
Julian Steward
Thinks about environment as relates to humans
1. Cultural Ecology – environment shapes adaptation
a. Environment and Material Culture (tools)
b. Social Behaviors (hunting groups vs. alone)
c. Rest of Culture