/r/AskAnthropology

Photograph via snooOG

Have you ever wanted to know why humans have been so successful as a species? How societies function without governments, laws, or money? What life was like ten thousand years ago? This is the place to ask!

Rules

  1. Be nice

  2. Posts must be questions about anthropology. No overly general, hypothetical, or homework questions.

  3. All comments must be relevant and helpful

  4. Answers must be detailed, evidenced-based, and well contextualized

  5. No race realism

Find our complete rules here


Racism, "race realism" and "human biodiversity" are not science and will not be tolerated in this subreddit.


What is anthropology?

Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity as a whole: our nature and our culture, our past and our present.

Biological anthropology

Biological anthropology is the study of human evolution and physical diversity. It encompasses palaeoanthropology (the study of human fossils), primatology (the study of nonhuman primates), human population genetics and forensic anthropology.

Sociocultural anthropology

Sociocultural anthropology is the study of human cultural diversity. It originated in written accounts of non-European cultures in exotic locales (ethnography), but today sociocultural anthropologists use the ethnographic method to document and study societies all around the world.

Linguistic anthropology

Linguistic anthropology is the study of how language shapes cultural life. Linguistic anthropologists document language as it is spoken rather than approaching it as static and set. They also study language acquisition, body language, the symbolism of language, and language as performance.

Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of past peoples through the things they left behind. It is our main source of evidence about human societies before the existence of written records (prehistory), but can be used to study any period from the emergence of our species to the present day.

Resources

Flair

If you have expertise (i.e. postgraduate training and/or professional experience) in anthropology or a related discipline and would like a flair, see this thread.

List of flaired users.

AMAs

/r/AskAnthropology

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1

Common pop culture misunderstandings about anthropology?

I study biotech and lots of biology in general. Which means that in aware that approximately nine tenths of all the depictions of biology in sci fi and discussions are basically wrong. And if I'm feeling this it's likely that you guys feel the same way.

And since I'm not trained in anthropology, I've probably got the same problems too. So are there any good things to avoid believing, or at least a good beginners guide?

2 Comments
2024/03/22
07:54 UTC

0

do we have interviews with people who went from HG life to modern life and can tell us which they found better?

I read on here something about a chieftain from Guam who lamented the Europeans and said he was happier before they came.

I also read just now about Pinputi Nine. They were aboriginals who lived accidentally lost and split from their family and never knew white Aussies until 1984. They reunited with their family and most stayed with them and some became international artists. But one actually ran away from that life.

Annoyingly I could only track down one interview. WHY has nobody done more???

But anyway this would help us because we can speculate about would they be happier here or there but best source is surely someone who actually did it?

0 Comments
2024/03/22
07:52 UTC

30

A question about babies and crying

I’m a postpartum doula and sleep consultant and work with mothers who struggle with teaching their babies that their crib is their safe spot to sleep but having to wait and give their children time to fall asleep independently without parental involvement or help. We know that biologically babies cries will literally move mothers toward their offspring like a magnet and all of this for good reason - survival of the offspring is the goal and responding is crucial to survival.

Most of the clients I work with do NOT use “cry it out” methods - they are typically utilizing timed check ins at regular intervals. I also only would sleep train in these intervals past 4-6 months of age as responsiveness is so important to attachment bonds right away and the babies first priority is eating often so there is no point.

Anyways! This is the point! I have always been interested in Anthropology and why humans do things - and I’m curious if I’m wrong in my assumption.

If babies are operating from their primitive/survival brain and calling for a caregiver when put down - the assumption is that the baby doesn’t know if it is in danger or not. That baby could be on Earth 2,500 years ago and about to be attacked by a predictor for all it knows. The baby doesn’t know if it will succumb to weather or the elements or anything else - so of course it calls for a caregiver when it has been put down awake for any given amount of time. It doesn’t know that in many cases it is in a safe sleeping spot, in a safe home with parents in the next room.

As parents, we are operating for an executive level of brain functioning - but when babies cry it can hijack the brain into the same primitive/survival zone aka “stop the crying”.

BUT - my real question - what if the quick response and “saving” the baby just reinforced the babies cry? What if it signals to them “you WERE in danger and I am here to “save” you”.

When we teach babies they are safe in their cribs by allowing them to fall asleep and wake up alive (typically things get easier as nights progress and these babies get the sleep they are needing for growth and brain development) - they typically end up falling asleep quicker at sleep onset, and sleeping for longer durations, and able to go back into slumber between cycles without crying back out.

Is this analogy and thought pattern wrong? Human beings are carry and cuddle mammals - but in this modern world (esp in the west) where bed sharing is deemed unsafe and mothers are going to work and unable to be up all night with their babies, what is there to do? Would love an anthropologists insight!

3 Comments
2024/03/21
22:05 UTC

17

Is geology or earth science better for an anthropology major?

I'm currently a first year anthropology student, and I need help deciding on which science to take. My only options are geology and earth science. I know both are similar, but which one is more beneficial for an anthropology major? I'm supposed to take geology but none of the classes fit within my schedule. There's an earth science class offered at my college that fits within my schedule, but I'm unsure whether earth science is better than geology in regards to anthropology. Thanks!!

6 Comments
2024/03/21
18:04 UTC

2

is cultural heritage and cultural properties the same?

hiii, can I ask your opinion about this?

1 Comment
2024/03/21
15:37 UTC

3

Magic vs. Withcraft

These two may not even relate, but for some reason I’m curious. If in some cultures it is believed that individuals each carry their own, uncontrollable magic (good and bad), why was there much more concern over the practices of Witchcraft? I know that most of the persecution of Witches happened before the anthropological theories of magic came to be, but around the time, Witchcraft was still slightly looked down on and punishable. I guess what I’m asking is why was there not as much focus on this “uncontrollable magic” as there was on the practices of Withcraft?

5 Comments
2024/03/21
09:06 UTC

2

What are the best studies on Maya mathematics and astronomy?

I was looking for a study, preferably book-length, going into detail about the astronomical and mathematical knowledge of the classic Maya. I came across the book Calculating Brilliance by Gerardo Aldana which seemed to fit the bill, but I saw that it has received mixed academic reviews. I still might check it out, but does anyone else have any recommendations?

0 Comments
2024/03/21
05:08 UTC

5

What was the significance of solar eclipses in ancient cultures?

2 Comments
2024/03/20
23:22 UTC

3

Difference between a Therianthrope and Anthropomorphic Figure?

Basically the title. What is the difference (in the context of Palaeolithic/Neolithic art)?

2 Comments
2024/03/20
22:14 UTC

22

Why is lunch earlier in Northern Europe while it happens later in Southern Europe?

My first guess was it has to do with the climate. Mostly centered around the hottest time of the day which is around 3 PM. Digestion and heavy work creates a lot of body heat and stress. The effect is amplified in hotter regions. Maybe having lunch later in hotter climates is more ideal for well being because you have to do less work after lunch and you avoid more of the hotter parts of the day?

Southern European countries also tend to have longer lunch breaks. I was surprised to find out Italy has a 2 hour long lunch break.

Here’s the map: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/s/JKAGny3b2r

3 Comments
2024/03/20
20:36 UTC

3

Paleolaplanders, Paleolakelanders and the Fenni/Skriqifinoi from classical historiography

Ancient historians, especially Tacitus, wrote about a wild people of hunter gatherers living in modern Finland, the Fenni, primitive hunter gatherers from no more than 1,500 - 2,000 years ago. While they are often identified with the Saami, the Saami are reinder herders for the most part, or at least were until a few centuries ago.

Could the Fenni, also known as Skriqifinoi, be rather the Paleolaplanders, ancestors of the Saami who got Uralicized by mixing with Uralic speaking Siberian migrants, got into herding and became the Saami themselves, but in some areas stayed the same as they were until about 500 AD, or the Paleolakelanders ?

0 Comments
2024/03/20
18:33 UTC

11

Modern anthropological theory/theories:

I'm researching financial anthropology (more specifically, financialization and the strive toward corporate work) and am trying to approach it with a more relevant theoretical framework (I originally began with structural-functionalism)!

I've looked at using pheneomenology, Actor-network theory, embodiment etc... But was wondering if I've missed some more modern theories that would help with my analysis that contributes towards/ participates in a conversation that is taking place right now and over recent years within the discipline.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thank you!

3 Comments
2024/03/20
12:47 UTC

2

Looking for recommendations on lit on girl second generation Indian Americans navigating family and modern teenage-hood in the US or Britain?

I've realized that I really like TV shows featuring second generation Indian teenage girl immigrants. I especially like the way they focus on the lofty dreams and how some of these teenagers seem to want to be pretty kick ass, for lack of a more academic term. This is just an interest, so something basic is fine, I just want to read some research on it.

1 Comment
2024/03/20
06:17 UTC

4

When and why did humans start using animals as mascots?

Not as pets or subject matter for art but as a name to call certain groups of humans

3 Comments
2024/03/20
02:58 UTC

21

If according to some anthropologists HG height being an indicator for their superior health, where does that leave pygmies?

I hear people say things like HG groups were taller then height crashed after agriculture so this shows, health wise, agriculture was a mistake (until it recovered).

I can buy that but my issue is that surely HG heights differed across different cultures and pygmy peoples were tiny so by that logic agriculture would have been good for them. No?

9 Comments
2024/03/19
21:54 UTC

2

Anthropology of Law/Legality

I recently completed a period of fieldwork amongst a white settler community in Namibia. It consists of both the descendants of colonial forces and newer immigrants from the former colonial power.

Without diving too far into the details, the law and legality were central themes in my research (which was very unexpected). Members of this community chastised black Namibians and "policed" their "illegal" behaviors all while breaking the law themselves and justifying it. They also pointed to legal issues and failings as the reason they struggle to succeed in Namibia, among other things. Ultimately, the law, as they imagine it, and adherence to it (or lack thereof) is a focal point around which they build their identities, construct claims of belonging, and produce racial difference.

As an environmental anthropologist, theories relating to law, particularly its function as a symbol and rallying point, are very much not in my wheelhouse. I've begun diving into the literature, but much of it focuses on criminality rhetoric in the US (which makes sense).

Does anyone have any reading suggestions? Ideally ones related to (post)colonial contexts and/or white European settlers? While I have a lot of thoughts and can prepare an analysis of my findings, I lack an overarching framework through which to tackle how the law and legality are functioning within the community. I am already looking at it through the literature on conservation policy as a neocolonial tool, but would like to step back and engage with broader ideas.

5 Comments
2024/03/19
20:47 UTC

11

what are your own experiences doing research?

Hi, i am an anthropology student in Latin America, this semester i am taking a course about research methods and techniques in social anthropology and i need to do research as a final project, i am interested in basing my project around social patterns in latin american queer communities but rather than asking for ideas, i would like to know about the community's own experiences in this type of college projects, what type of research have you carried out? what themes do you tend to consider? are there any “tips” you learned during the process or anything that you would do differently?

If there are any recommendations or suggestions you think i should keep in mind, let me know! PS: english is not my first language, I'm sorry if i wasn't clear enough);

3 Comments
2024/03/19
20:09 UTC

13

Why do we say mm-hmm?

Why are we in the west culturally driven to make a sound while listening to someone? And, why when we are talking does the absence feel bizzare?

3 Comments
2024/03/19
10:41 UTC

1

First Contact

Are there any first hand accounts of how explorers gained the trust of tibesmen? I'm thinking of explorers more like Wade Davis vs. Conquistadors. Various hostile tribes have been well documented by outsiders, the cannibals of Papua New Guinea for instance. Amazonian exploration surely was more complicated than it was in One River. Can anyone suggest some interesting material?

0 Comments
2024/03/18
23:13 UTC

342

How come the bare buttocks of woman have become socially acceptable to display in public* and lost its taboo but a woman's bare breasts is still taboo and causes a moral uproar if shown in public?

(* at least in public in a secular western culture)

Just fifty to sixty years ago showing a woman's bare butt in public would have caused the same uproar as showing a woman's bare breasts.

And while both have become more acceptable these days the bare beasts of women are still restricted to specific areas, edgy cable shows, strip-clubs, pornos, etc, but their bare buttocks have become mostly accepted to display in public. You see female athletes compete in sports wear that is close to thongs. String and thong bikinis and swimsuits has become a normal occurrence on beaches and at pools. Female underwear commercials and ads routinely show models in thongs and g-strings. In fact, a telling example is shown on the catwalk where in recent years the trend has gone towards covering the models nipples with skin-colored patches yet thongs and g-strings makes up the large majority of underwear types being modeled putting the models bare behinds on display.

Why the different attitudes towards nude female breasts and buttocks?

How did we go from any public nudity causing a moral panic to one where only the bare breast of a woman cause the same panic while the bare buttocks doesn't?

When did those different attitudes diverge?

60 Comments
2024/03/18
21:22 UTC

26

Is it fine to judge the actions of past societies such as child marriage as immoral?

When we read the past and see people did stuff such as child marriage, is it alright to call it immoral or do we say product of its time?

17 Comments
2024/03/18
18:27 UTC

13

Best talks/videos/TV shows that explain early human migration?

For whatever the reason, the wife and I are fascinated by how mankind spread across the world, be it globally or here in North America. From the early hominids in Africa to tribes crossing in from Russia and down the coast. (Sorry, only pretending to be smart there.) And apart from the rare and random PBS Nova episode, there are few things we know of that discuss the subject in depth and in an entertaining way. Do you know of any recco's? Thanks!

2 Comments
2024/03/18
16:41 UTC

7

Maternal Mortality Rate of Hadza?

I've always been very interested in fertility, birth, and child-rearing as it relates to hunter gatherers. I am curious to know how many mothers die during birth in hunter-gatherer societies. I specified Hadza because they seem the easiest to observe in our western world, and it's hard to find research on it without being a part of some school. If anyone has any research or insight I can read, that would be amazing! I know practices vary among groups (ex. some have a few kids, some have a lot), but I'd love to get a clue into how they handle labor, birth, and how they minimize issues.

Thanks!

0 Comments
2024/03/18
13:21 UTC

10

How much is Muslim practice is directly influenced by Judaism vs General Middle Eastern culture?

I know that there are some things that Islam directly got from Judaism (praying multiple times in a day, belief in a day of judgement etc) but there are also shared aspects that are just part of ancient middle eastern culture (ritualistic slaughter). To what extent was Islam directly influenced by Judaism? To what extent are some of the similar or shared practices just things that existed in Middle Eastern culture in general?

5 Comments
2024/03/18
00:33 UTC

103

What caused the decline in Black American Birthrates?

As far as I can recall, the African American birth rate was historically been higher than that of white American.

Yet in the last twenty years the birth rate has basically dropped below replacement to a level that’s only fractionally higher than that of white american. Where in 2018 it sunk to 1.89 birth per woman as opposed to whites who had it at 1.82.

30 Comments
2024/03/18
00:16 UTC

33

How should you approach the work of James C. Scott?

I finished The Art of Not Being Governed by Scott, and being part of one of the oppressor culture outlined in it, I've been able to systematize and even counter a lot of the really messed up rhetoric that's spouted by people I otherwise respect and think are respectful. Art is an incredibly lucid and well-written book (completely counter to the dense and boring reputation that his work has) that I think is amazing at convincing dumbass laypeople like me.

So Scott is a tenured professor at Yale and I just got back into reading like, a year ago. He's also somebody who has authored a book titled Two Cheers for Anarchism, while making clear his opinions and the viewpoint with which he approach issues with, I'm not able to take that into objective consideration. There's ample criticism against Scott and his politics, but all the valid ones make the point of his work being need to be read, just with the framing of 'the author is an anarchist.'

Problem is, how do you do that?? I'm nowhere nearly well-read enough to even know what 'anarchism' really means, let alone the centuries of ink that have spilled over it. How do you approach the historical and anthropological methodology? I guess there's no quick fix to not actually knowing the literature, but how would you keep Scott's biases in mind? Seeing Like a State and Against the Grain both seem like super interesting books and I want to read them as objectively, analytically, and critically as possible.

3 Comments
2024/03/17
17:13 UTC

25

Are there any cultures or civilizations that didn't use force and violence to establish themselves ?

It seems like violemt enforcement is a cultural universal but is that really so ? Have there been any civilizations or cultures without enforcement?

4 Comments
2024/03/17
14:07 UTC

6

Looking for book recs on “corporate”/office culture and capitalism

I realize this is a broad topic, but wondering what literature out there exists on this topic. I’ve read a few David Graeber books (including Bullshit Jobs), and enjoyed it. I took an Anthropology of Work class while in university and while we touched on capitalism it was more traditional factory, farming jobs and I’m interested to see what’s out there for office settings.

Especially since the alienation of offices and office work are such a common media trope, I’m sure there must be something in this vein!

When I Google I’m finding more Human Resources style “culture building” marketing stuff which is, not what I’m after clearly.

TIA for any suggestions.

2 Comments
2024/03/17
04:04 UTC

1

What happened to the Indus valley civilization

Where did the Indus Valley civilization disappear to???

0 Comments
2024/03/17
03:14 UTC

248

Are introverts a modern cultural construction?

For most of human history, it seems like being a reclusive, shy person would be very difficult if not downright impossible.

For most hunter gatherers, I can’t imagine it would be easy to hide in the tent all day and hunting or gathering alone was dangerous. So much so, that exile usually meant death.

And even through the Bronze Age, classical era, medieval, etc privacy seemed to be exceptionally hard to come by.

Alone time in general seems rare until quite recently.

As someone who is quite extroverted, but surrounded by a contingent of introverts (that seems to be growing every year), I’m trying to better understand introversion in general. I’m grappling with two possibilities:

  1. Humans are just like this and we finally have the unprecedented material conditions to retreat from society.
  2. Humans are naturally more extroverted and communal but have been turned into introverts at a higher rate due to capitalism/individualism/pandemic/internet.

I know this is really just a nature vs nurture thing, but I guess my question is this: “Is introversion more of an intrinsic human quality, or a modern cultural construct of avoiding social friction that was impossible in the past?”

73 Comments
2024/03/16
19:59 UTC

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