Definition of Culture in Anthropology
Anthropology is the generalized study of human beings. In anthropology, culture is a principal subject of investigation as well as a term whose meaning is the matter of some dispute. Generally, culture refers to the nonbiological aspects of human phenomena. In the field of cultural anthropology, culture refers to the dynamic whole of belief, knowledge, art, technology, morals, customs and sometimes even languages that are inculcated in members of a society.
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Culture as Civilization
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Some early anthropological definitions of culture treat it as a term that is virtually synonymous with the word "civilization." However, the word civilization is considered troublesome for its political and historical implications. The word was used to distinguish between colonized indigenous societies, which were considered "uncivilized," from "civilized" Western societies.
Ethnography
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Cultural anthropologists try to learn about foreign cultures through ethnographic research. Ethnography is the term used to describe one of the most popular methods of cultural anthropology, whereby anthropologists study societies and cultures through observation and fieldwork.
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Culture in Archaeology
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In the branch of anthropology known as archaeology, culture is primarily studied through the excavation and study of artifacts. Archaeologists try to reconstruct the culture of past societies through an examination and interpretation of such artifacts, which can range from written texts to household objects.
Cultural Relativism
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Cultural relativism is the attitude assumed by anthropologists when conducting ethnographic research. It assumes that no cultures are inherently better or worse than others, merely different. A focus on cultural relativism as a means of maintaining objectivity is agreed to be essential for academic honesty and to avoid slipping into ethnocentric biases.
Society vs. Culture Debate
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Some anthropologists favor separating the term society from culture, using them to designate different aspects of human phenomena. They view culture as a matter of a society's symbols and values, whereas the use of the word society is considered more appropriate to describe the institutions, hierarchies and other social structures.
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References
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Anthropology is the science of learning people, their ways of life and style also. But anthropology has also a bad reputation for its close collaboration with the wester colonizers. Only in the last decade the world has witnessed three western millitary occupation which took thousands of people´s life. Anthropollogical knowledge and anthropologists were also used in these destructi-e wars of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. MY question is how we can keep our knowledge and perspecti-e free from the intruders and mlitary musclemen. We must think twice about the anthropological strength and we need a social mo-ement aiming to compell western colonial and neocolonial notnot to use our anthropological knowledge in wars and conflicts.
