Approaches to Anthropology

Only physical anthropologists study the human skeleton.

Anthropology is the study of human beings and the history of humans. The field also covers those primates that are closely related to humans. Anthropologists can either concentrate on the physical aspects of humans or may be interested in the more abstract characteristics such as language and culture. The field has a variety of specializations.

Cultural Anthropology

A cultural anthropologist focuses his efforts on the abstract concepts of humans and individual cultures. For example, he could study political systems, important life rituals, religious beliefs or economic systems. A cultural anthropologist does not just study extinct tribes or isolated groups but may also choose to study a group of people in a modern cultural setting.

Forensic Anthropology

A forensic anthropologist studies human remains and uses her findings to help in legal cases. Forensic anthropology aims to identify a skeleton or a person who is badly decomposed. The scientific techniques of anthropologists can find out how old a person is, whether the skeleton is male or female, what racial group he or she belonged to and sometimes how he or she died. Forensic anthropology is a type of physical anthropology.

Physical Anthropology

A physical anthropologist usually works in a university setting. He studies the physical aspects of a skeleton. He may have a role teaching anthropology and anatomy to medical students or he could be involved in research in the field. This research may also cover the field of human evolution and he may help identify links in the evolutionary chain. He may also work in a museum curating human remains or as part of an archaeological project.

Applied Anthropology

Instead of collecting data as a research specialist or in the cultural or physical fields, an anthropologist may specialize instead in the potential applications of that data to modern problems that face humans. For example, car manufacturers can use an applied anthropologist's expertise to perfect a car design that is more suitable or comfortable for people to use. An applied cultural anthropologist may be able to show foreign corporations the best way of interacting with a new culture in order to maximize profits.

Linguistic Anthropology

A linguistic anthropologist studies the language of different people and how various languages are related to each other. She also studies other forms of communication apart from verbal speech such as writing. Her work may show how groups of people are related and how long ago the groups diverged.

References

• Study Anthropology: What is Applied Anthropology
• American Board of Forensic Anthropology: Home
• American Association of Physical Anthropologists: Careers in Physical Anthropology
• Palomar Community College: Fields of Anthropology