anthropology essay example

Anthropology Essay Examples

10+ Anthropology Essay Examples & Topics to Kick-Start Your Writing

Published on: May 5, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 30, 2024

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Are you a student looking for inspiration for your next anthropology essay?

With so many subfields, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to focus on. You want to create an essay that is not only informative but also engaging and thought-provoking. You want to stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression on your readers.

But how do you achieve that when you're not even sure where to start from?

Don't worry, we've got you covered.

In this blog, we've compiled a collection of some of the best anthropology essay examples to help you get started. We will also provide you with a list of topics you can choose from!

So get ready to dive into the rich and complex world of anthropology through these essays.

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What is an Anthropology Essay?

Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures. An anthropology essay is an academic paper that explores various aspects of this field. 

The goal of an anthropology essay is to analyze the practices of human beings in different parts of the world. Check out this anthropology essay example for a better understanding:

Anthropology Essay Pdf

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Anthropology Essay Examples for Students 

Writing an anthropology essay can be a daunting task, especially if you're not sure where to start. 

Let’s explore these anthropology essay examples for some captivating ideas.

Anthropology College Essay Examples

Anthropology Research Paper Example

Anthropology Essay Examples on Different Subjects

Anthropology is a vast field with many subfields and topics to explore. As a student, it can be challenging to navigate this diverse landscape and find a subject that interests you.

In this section, we've compiled a list of anthropology paper examples for different subjects to help you get started.

What Makes Us Human Anthropology Essay

Social Anthropology Essay

Cultural Anthropology Essay

What I Learned In Anthropology Essay

Social And Cultural Anthropology Extended Essay Example

Anthropology Essay Format 

The format of an anthropology essay can vary depending on the assignment requirements. But generally, it follows a standard structure. 

Learn how to write an anthropology essay here:

Introduction

A catchy introduction provides background information on your topic and presents your thesis statement.

Check out this introduction example to help you craft yours!

Anthropology Introduction Essay Example

Body paragraphs

Body paragraphs help you develop your argument in a series of paragraphs. Each focuses on a specific idea or argument. 

Make sure to support each argument with evidence from your research.

Learn to write a body paragraph with the help of this example:

Anthropology Body Paragraph Essay Example

The conclusion of an essay summarizes the main points and restates your thesis statement. Always end your essay with a thought-provoking statement or call to action.

Want an example of how to conclude your anthropology essay? Here is an example:

Anthropology Conclusion Essay Example

Anthropology Essay Topics

It's essential to select a topic that interests you and is relevant to the field. 

Here are some anthropology essay topics to consider:

• The cultural significance of rituals and ceremonies
• The impact of globalization on traditional societies
• The evolution of human communication and language
• The social and cultural implications of technology
• The role of gender and sexuality in different cultures
• The relationship between culture and power
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures
• The cultural significance of food and cuisine
• The effects of climate change on human societies
• The ethics of anthropological research and representation.

All in all, anthropology essays require critical thinking , research, and an understanding of diverse cultures and societies. 

With the examples and the right AI essay writing tools , you can craft a compelling essay that showcases insights into the field of anthropology.

If you're feeling overwhelmed or need support, our anthropology essay writing service will ease the process for you. 

Don't let the challenges of writing an anthropology essay hold you back! Just ask us, “ write my college essay for me ” and we'll help you succeed!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing an anthropology essay.

Common mistakes to avoid when writing an anthropology essay include:

• Using jargon without defining it
• Neglecting to engage with relevant literature
• Failing to provide sufficient evidence to support your claims

Are there any ethical considerations to keep in mind when conducting anthropological research?

Yes, ethical considerations are crucial in anthropological research. Researchers must obtain informed consent from participants and ensure that their research does not cause harm.

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How to write an anthropology essay perfectly?

• Academic Writing Tips
• Essay Tips&Tricks

Stuck with an anthropology essay with no help in sight? Anthropology essay writing is not a simple task. Not many college students can handle such a paper. An anthropology essay is an academic paper that deals with the study of humans.

Anthropology is a scientific course program with many subtopics, including culture, human behaviors, and social relationships.

Writing an anthropology essay is quite challenging since it covers detailed analysis and interpretation of past historical events. It also entails predicting patterns of human behaviors while evaluating specific cultural aspects to reveal the occurrences at that particular period. Thus, such compositions need comprehensive research and a keen study of different cultures. Besides, you must identify a fascinating topic to compose a winning essay.

Due to the paper’s complexities, many students can’t craft anthropology papers. It could be because of poor writing skills or inadequate time to write. In such situations, you can seek professional help from our essay writing service . We hire top-rated experts who understand the entire writing process.

Let us help you get top grades without a hassle while you take an academic breather. You deserve well-articulated essays that will impress your professor. Don’t endure burnout from sleepless nights and missed deadlines. Talk to us and get flawless academic papers.

In this article, you will gain insightful tips on writing anthropology papers. We have also listed captivating topic ideas to help you jumpstart your essay.

Writing Assignments You Will Deal with on Anthropology Courses

College students pursuing Anthropology courses often have many assignments to work on as part of the program assessment. You will encounter several disciplines like linguistic anthropology, cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology. You will write many anthropology essays to measure your understanding of this subject’s subdisciplines.

To compose winning essays, you need to understand different cultures, evolutionary origins, and human distinctiveness, among other diverse social aspects. It is essential to be familiar with the subject you are writing on to avoid including inaccurate information.

Thus, you need to take time on the topic selection when writing such assignments. This entails an in-depth examination of historical records and information that will lead to a well-researched paper. Your preferred topic should neither be too broad nor too narrow. It helps you get acceptable content that will fit the required paper length.

Let us explore the approach you need when tackling anthropology papers. We have two effective strategies that can help you during essay compositions:

Writing depends on the target audience. You must follow the required academic standards to compose a comprehensible piece for your fellow students. Ensure your format is appropriate; incorporate proper grammar and no spelling errors. This is the personal approach for anthropology writing.

It is imperative to have flowing paragraphs and logical arguments for an exceptional essay. Pay extra attention to editing and proofreading to eliminate any mistakes that might result in poor grades. Not forgetting to cite renowned scientists in this field to make your paper more authoritative.

The general approach involves writing papers for the general audience. It does not cover a specific audience. For instance, you can take a general approach when composing an essay to lure students into studying anthropology.

Avoid technical jargon, complicated concepts, and citations. Instead, take a creative approach with compelling human experiences and less anthropological vocabularies that might scare them. But remember to use trusted sources for citations.

If you can’t find the best approach, hire one of our seasoned anthropologists to help you structure your paper flawlessly.

What Is Ethnography?

Ethnography is a discipline of the Anthropology course that deals with individual cultures. It deals with qualitative research that entails investigating a particular community to understand their life and interactions for a particular period.

Such types of anthropological writing require long-term research exercise. Your research can take up to three years to compose an excellent paper. This is because you live with the people to understand their culture and perspective towards life.

Today, most scientists use this approach to derive conclusive analysis about specific cultures. It can go beyond anthropology to other scientific fields of study.

Thus, you can get more insights from an anthropology essay example to format your paper appropriately.

How To Write An Anthropology Essay

Anthropological writing might seem simple, but many students get stuck due to the critical analysis of human life. The compositions will not be complicated if you have the correct format and guidance. First, you need to ensure you get an appropriate topic related to the research prompt. Therefore, take time to identify the best title for your paper before commencing the writing process.

First, make sure you read the prompt keenly to know what is expected from you. You will then brainstorm to identify the significant ideas relating to the topic that you will expound on your body.

Carry out a comprehensive research exercise to get reliable academic sources. This will help you when citing your work to avoid plagiarism claims.

Furthermore, it is imperative to note that the anthropological writing exercise follows the formal academic writing style. You must have the proper essay format that entails an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

The introduction should be attention-grabbing with the proper sentences and a compelling thesis statement. Let your readers know what your research paper entails by stating the main points. Proceed to explain the points in the main body. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence that reveals the main idea. You must articulate your ideas in detailed explanations with a supporting example. Make sure the paragraphs flow logically and transitionally to avoid confusing the readers.

Finally, conclude your essay by restating the main ideas and revealing the significance of the study. Stick to the relevant ideas you captured in the body. Do not include any new information about the research.

One way of improving your writing is to sample an anthropology essay example from a trusted site. Check out the writing style and the format used and incorporate them into your composition.

However, if you are still experiencing difficulties with the paper’s complexities, we can help you compose impeccable content that fits your research question. Let us boost your academic performance with top-notch essays.

Anthropology Essay Topics

Topic selection is a confusing section for many students. You must pick a relevant topic that relates to the research question. Our experts have listed a few topic ideas to inspire your writing.

Let us explore compelling anthropology essay topics to get your writing on the right track.

• Discuss the effect of culture on modern society.
• A comprehensive analysis of folklore in ancient times.
• Explore the history of indigenous societies.
• How do social media platforms impact modern culture?
• Compare and contrast forensic science and anthropology.
• Explore different gender roles in prehistoric times.
• Polyandry and polygamy: An in-depth analysis.
• Ethnic cleansing: The influence on contemporary society.
• Importance of rituals and pagan ceremonies.
• Causes and effect of cultural stereotyping in today’s society.

Here are cultural anthropology topic ideas to inspire your compositions:

• Explore the role of politics in anthropology.
• How does culture influence human practices?
• Analyze the impact of cultural anthropologists on society.
• Causes and effects of cultural conflicts.
• The significance of literature on human culture.
• How does religion impact culture?
• Analyze agricultural practices in ancient times.
• A comprehensive analysis of the Romans.
• Causes and effects of cultural behaviors on cultural anthropology.
• Analyze growth and development in cultural anthropology.

Below are physical anthropology essay topics to help you select the proper title:

• The impact of mythologies in physical anthropology.
• The effects of an aging society in a developing nation.
• Analyze the impact of ancient piercing cultural behavior.
• Explore the challenges of human migration in the 20 th
• Discuss human evolution: A comprehensive analysis.
• Eugenics: The pros and cons.
• Preservation of dead bodies: The influence in Ancient Egypt.
• The effect of the environment on skin color.
• Evaluate physical labor and its effect on humans.
• An analysis of death rituals in African societies.

Below are medical anthropology topic ideas for your perusal:

• Explore the upsides and downsides of alternative medicine.
• Analyze the impact of ethno zoology in medicine.
• Discuss the importance of medical anthropology.
• How medical anthropology can improve human health.
•  What is ethnobotany?
• Discuss the history of Chinese medicine.
• Impact of drugs on medical anthropology.
• A comprehensive analysis of marijuana legalization in developed countries.
• Explore the controversies of abortion in modern society.
• An analysis of the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

The above anthropology essay topics can help you craft remarkable papers that will score you top grades. Do not let fatigue and anxiety jeopardize your grades. We understand how demanding college life can get; that is why our service is at the forefront in ensuring we help needy students get top-quality papers.

Therefore, don’t hesitate to contact us if you need writing assistance.

Exsample #1

Endangered language in kundur and karez-i-mulla, southeast asia.

Southeast Asia present a number of endangered languages and one of such is what is found in the villages of Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla, Herat Province in Afghanistan. Mongolian language is the language that Moseley (2010) considers as ‘critically endangered.’ As a one of the three subfamilies of the Altaic language family, Mongol is considered critically endangered as it is currently spoken by almost 200 old men in the village.

From brief history, during the middle Mongolian period, history witnessed different dialects developing into separate language. The currently surviving language as Mongol in Afghanistan includes Santa (Dongxiang) and Bao’an (Bonan) in the south and Daur in the east. One key property of the language, specifically the aforementioned dialects is that they retained /h/ and /f/ from Proto-Altaic */p/ (this is an asterisk identifies that acts as a sound that is hypothetical or one which has been reconstructed). Furthermore, the language has unassimilated sequences of vowel. What Moseley (2010) gives as an example is the Middle Mongolian e’ü which can be regarded as classical Mongolian having a medial velar, egü. From the classical Mongolian, where other dialects of Mongolian have merged these vowels into a single, lengthy vowel referred to as ṻ.

In terms of the language demographics, this language is currently spoken by only the elderly totaling to about 200 people. Secondly, the 200 elderly speaking the language are among the handful ethnic Moghols found in Herāt in Afghanistan. Owing to the fact that the total numbers of families belonging to Moghols are just a few thousands justifies the language’s status of ‘critically endangered.’ One notable feature of the language that in fact separates it from other Afghanis languages is the fact that it is unique in the preservation of the high back unrounded vowel /ɯ/. The process of the language extinction has been termed as ‘rapid’ in the sense that it has lost its Proto-Altaic */p/ in as much it can be said to be preserving its unassimilated vowel sequences.

Additionally, the syntax and the phonology of the endangered language have been affected by Persian. Some of effects Persian has had on Mongol are that it has borrowed a large number of words from Persian, including some function words. For instance, there is the word ‘Daur’ which is not directly linked or related to those other extant Mongolian language.

Endangered Species in Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla, Southeast Asia

One of the species that has been marked endangered around Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla is the Tibetan Black Bear. This animal goes by several other names in the region including Moon Bear, Baluchistan Bear or Baluchistan Bear. One of the challenges facing the animal is habitat destruction as well as hunting for its paws, skin and gall bladder which has been found to be essential in Oriental medicine. Furthermore, people are Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla consider Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla to be nuisance and destructive because they feed on domestic livestock and crops. Unfortunately, there have been reports of the animal attacking people especially children and women in the regions bordering Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla.

On physical appearance the animal is black with distinctive white crescent marking on the chest. The species is smaller in size and appearance when compared with its better-known American black bear. One feature that makes that animal adaptive to its environment are its large and rounded ears, pointed snout, sharp claws and excellent swimmers and climbers making them feed on their prayers with a lot of ease.

At the moment, there are three distinctive activities that have threatened the continuity of the animal. First, Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla where Mongolian language is common is characterized by settlements in mountainous areas. This development has led to the increase in human caused or Mongolian caused mortality. That is, there have been increased human-caused rates of mortality for the species as a result of settlements in the forest. Secondly, Baluchistan Bear has been endangered by commercial trapping, livestock depredation control, unregulated hunting and habitat deterioration. The third concern for the continuously decreasing number of Baluchistan Bear has been the perception that Baluchistan Bear have been a threat to human life around Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla. As a matter of fact, this is the reason where the association between people and Baluchistan Bear has been minimal leading to its endangering.

How Specie and the Language are Endangered

On the other hand, Baluchistan Bear and Mongolian language have been endangered as a result of changes on human activities and migration. To conceptualise this point, recreational development, energy and mineral and road building are some of the issues that have been behind the decrease in number of Baluchistan Bear in Kundur and Karez-i-Mulla. Comparing the situation with the endangered Mongolian language the situation has been opposite. The spread of Mongolian language is going down as a result of the dying members of the family with little or no trace of documented or written language. This situation has brought the loss of essential ancestral knowledge that was once embedded in people’s culture.

Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. Paris, UNESCO Publishing. Online version: http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas

Assignment 2

Institution:

The minorities in South East Asia comprise of the non-indigenous minorities including immigrants as well as their descendants who have adapted into the local culture. Ethnic minorities across Southeast Asia continue to face very real clashes with their nation states regarding sociocultural and political differences. Some indigenous political representatives try to covert ethnic/cultural specificity into some special collective rights at the national level and international fora regarding indigenous people (Swearer, 2012). Minorities’ communities within Southeast Asia have found democratic space to express and represent their cultures and values. Immigrants have shaped the political landscape in Southeast Asia. Authoritarian regimes have not given much space to minorities within their population.

There is an amazing persistence of poverty despite the rapid economic expansion in Southeast Asia. Poverty has declined largely in the last 30 years in most regions of Southeast Asia. The reduction in poverty has happened despite growing inequality. Long-term economic growth was been consistent in most parts of Southeast Asia despite the setbacks such as the financial crisis of 1997-98. Economic growth has not led to total reduction of poverty due to inequality. Absolute poverty has reduced over time due to economic growth. The overall record in poverty reduction and growth has not been uniform in Southeast Asia as experiences in states like Philippines, East Timor, Indonesia, Lao, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Southeast Asia has performed well in poverty reduction and economic growth (Ananta & Barichello, 2012). The economic crisis in 1990s negatively affected the achievement of the Southeast Asia population. An obvious manifestation of poverty is malnutrition. Malnutrition reduces poverty alleviation efforts.

Southeast Asia concepts of kingship as well as traditional legitimacy were not incompatible with other autochthonous patterns that existed. Regarded as against their Buddhist and Brahmanic background, concepts of kingship in Southeast Asia are not separable cosmology of a man’s world. Kingship post 1800s is a thing of the past in the Southeast Asia as modern democracy and civilization takes place. Authoritarian regimes have transformed to democracies or allowed open economy. Monarchical tradition within Malaya presently indicates that even Islamization within Southeast Asia did not impact the Hindu vision of the King being the preserver of the balance system within the Universe (Swearer, 2012). Divinity intertwined with Kingship in Southeast Asia. The concepts of kingship are continually fading within the Southeast Asia region.

Development in Southeast Asia has been largely shaped by interaction with other more powerful regions. Southeast Asia has a long history of crucial economic and security ties with the United States and is a very good place of strategic interest. In the course of the Vietnam War, Southeast Asia countries were ideologically divided as well as feuding. There was a simmering feeling of reorganization that begun with economic development through forming a trading bloc. The United States has to maintain regional security through making sure it has a credible military presence, viable regional training as well as a support structure. The United States cannot ignore the region with its vast population and importance in regional balance and stability. The USA objective in the region is very complex and not merely balancing against China (Chou & Houben, 2006). The US alliances with Thailand and Philippines represent two outstanding stand of interest. The Philippines is important in the management of the downside risk while Thailand’s significance is in its potential in assisting in maximizing the upside of the order. Southeast Asia is very significant to the USA foreign policy.

Southeast Asia region represents an interesting as well as significant arena for democratization in the world. The transition from authoritarian rule within the region to democracy in some countries like the Philippines has attracted a lot of attention. Political systems within Southeast Asia range from democracies to single-party states as well as some societies controlled by the military. There are countries were democracy is established and state leadership is normally elected. Some democracy is still at its infancy stage but is gradually being established (Chou & Houben, 2006). Some countries in Southeast Asia have their government structure with combined characteristics from different societies and political structure operate between military rule and democracy. Some countries are single-party states but have opened up their economies like China and are undergoing economic reforms. Democracy in some countries is still a long way coming. They take strategic advantage regarding static ethnic stereotypes of the colonial kind as being part of the decolonization process.

Essay Question 1

Women within the Vietnamese culture are found in a disadvantaged position. The women do not have jobs outside of the house and up brought out more strictly as compared to men. Paradise for the Blind shows the resilience and power of women to be patient and ensure whatever they go through life. Mother to Hang lives in Hanoi for 10 years until the husbands shows up one day. Hang’s father kills himself out of shame since he cannot stand the repercussion of what he has done (Duong & McPherson, 2002). Women in Vietnamese culture structure to fend for their families by working hard. Hang mother despite the poverty level in Hanoi struggles to sell snacks to earn a living. Hang’s aunt does back-breaking work in rebuilding life for herself. She is much respected in the community since she has built herself a fortune through sheer hard work. Her uncle just wanted to take advantage of women and situation in life to make it but the women work hard to get what they have. In Re-branding Islam women’s resilience stands out despite the religious discrimination that they face. In both Re-branding Islam women play an important role in growing the economy of the country. Although women suffer because of how they are regarded in the society they play important part in bringing up their children and determining the destiny of men. In Indonesia where the Islam culture is prevalent, women are disadvantaged despite their struggles in everyday life. Family values play an important role in the two scenarios giving women the strong will to achieve in life (Hoesterey & Hoesterey, 2015). The family values make the women to be determined and sacrifice on behalf of their children and family. Family values bind the women to their goals and they struggle to make the family a success. The role of women as a bedrock of the society and family wellbeing cannot be disputed in both cases.

Ananta, A., & Barichello R.R. (2012), Poverty and Global Recession in Southeast Asia, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Chou, C., & Houben V. (2006), Southeast Asian Studies: Debates and New Directions Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Duong T.H., McPherson, N. (2002). Paradise of the Blind: A Novel, HarperCollins, 2002 Hoesterey, J.B., & Hoesterey, J. (2015) Rebranding Islam: Piety, Prosperity, and a Self-Help Guru, Stanford University Press. Swearer D.K. (2012). Buddhist World of Southeast Asia, The: Second Edition, SUNY Series in Religious Studies, Bangkok: SUNY Press.

The main finding in the subject chapter seems to indicate that reciprocity and exchange patterns in Japan are asymmetrical, while Americans showed more symmetrical exchange and reciprocity patterns. In other words, the old in Japan would accept gifts and/or help from family members and repay it in kind. However, their American counterparts could only accept gifts and/or help if they had the capacity to reciprocate the gesture with material resources, e.g. by re-gifting the giver or helper. The theme that emerges from Akiyama et al. (2009) however seems to indicate that reciprocity and exchange is a mechanism that the old people perceive as necessary in the creation of stable relationships.

The foregoing theme has been discussed elsewhere in literature where it is indicated that when old people become perennial receivers of gifts and help, they deem themselves as unbefitting of such handouts (Fyrand, 2010; Thompson, 2013). Specifically, the old people feel as if they owe people who help or give them material or moral support too much. Their inability to pay the material or moral debt to their younger givers or supporters leads to a situation where they (the old people), can no longer relate well with givers or helpers.

As Fyrand (2010) notes, the unbalanced relationship between the giver and the receiver (old people) can result in mental distress occasioned by feelings of unworthiness in the latter. Ultimately, the old recipients of gifts and/or help may discontinue the relationship. Interestingly, Akiyama et al. (2009) found out that while old people in Japan (especially women) readily accept support from their children, their counterparts in the US do not readily accept such support and/or gifts unless they are able to repay it in a similar manner.

For example, while the old in Japan accept the help offered by their daughters-in-law, they ‘repay’ the kindness through appreciation, affection, love, and elevating their supporter’s position in the society by talking positively about them.

In Jewish history for instance Abraham is the first recorded monotheist, but around him, other people were still at a magical/animistic/polytheistic stage. The same was still true in the time of Moses when Egypt worshipped many gods, and whose priests were often magicians, and even on into New Testament times when Jewish and Christian monotheism stood alongside Greek and Roman polytheism. The societies involved later moved to a scientific approach, especially in the Scientific Revolutionary period which began in the late medieval period and continued until the time of great thinkers such Isaac Newton, and of course in one sense has continued to the present day.

What Copernicus and others did was reject the then teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding astronomy etc, because by direct observation they were able to see that it was wrong. This did and does not necessarily mean that they rejected God. There are fundamentalists who believe in a literal 7 days creation story and other Christians who accept the scientific explanations of gradual evolution, but who still believe that God was the prime cause. For the latter, the two ‘stages’ of religion and science run in parallel with no apparent problem.

At what stage are they? In the late 1800s by Draper and White claimed religion and science are automatically enemies. Craig Rushbolt in his 2004 article ‘Relationships between Science and Religion: Conflict & Warfare?’ points out how their books:- Each painted a picture of history as a conflict between the rationality of science (earnestly searching for truth) opposed by the stubborn ignorance of religion (stubbornly trying to block scientific progress), with science fighting valiantly This he says is not a true picture because it is both over-simplistic and inaccurate.

It would perhaps be truer to say that there was a conflict between the authority of the church with its dogmatic ideas and those who thought independently.

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How to Write an Anthropology Essay

17 February, 2022

49 minutes read

Author:  Josh Carlyle

College years are a vibrant, exciting period of ardent studies and professional growth. Still, students often experience an overload with lectures, home tasks, and non-educational activities. So, they quickly get frustrated and fail to manage all their pressing duties and responsibilities. Anthropology studies are not an exception. No matter how attractive studying people and cultures […]

College years are a vibrant, exciting period of ardent studies and professional growth. Still, students often experience an overload with lectures, home tasks, and non-educational activities. So, they quickly get frustrated and fail to manage all their pressing duties and responsibilities. Anthropology studies are not an exception. No matter how attractive studying people and cultures is, the academic workload often gets too tough and non-manageable, pushing students to extremes.

When you’re confused about how to compose an assignment, it’s better to look for an anthropology essay example online to see how others have done that before you. Or you may look for anthropology essay topics when your inspiration abandons you and offers no fresh ideas to start with. In any of these cases, we have a solution. Our company has a large team of experts able to cover any topic and subject, be it cultural anthropology or some exotic anthropological assignment. We have you covered, and you can rest assured that all texts will be completed in line with the best academic writing standards.

Cultural anthropologists and students of other anthropology specialties can order their papers within minutes by using our handy calculator on the main page. There is no more need to go through the tedious study process on your own if you can receive our help and close your homework gaps quickly.

Common Types of Writing Assignments on Anthropology Courses

Throughout your study at the anthropology department, you will be asked to perform an anthropological writing exercise of various kinds now and then. Some anthropology essays may be assigned with a specific topic and subject, while others will be left to your discretion, urging you to develop a critical insight into the surrounding community and approaching social issues around you from the standpoint of an anthropologist.

The most common types of anthropological writing you will come across at any college or university include:

• Response papers . It’s a frequent assignment for students of all departments, but an anthropology essay requiring a student’s response will definitely possess its specifics. The purpose of such assignments is to show their serious engagement with the assigned readings and the provision of a balanced, critical summary and analysis of the studied content.
• Precis . A precis paper is a specific type of response task that requires students to provide a high-quality interpretative summary of the studied material. Students are required to identify the central issue of the author’s concern, dwell on the text’s development, and shape a competent critical analysis of the content to share their personal, subjective stand on the issue of interest.
• Term papers are another frequently assigned work type. Term papers are meant to check the students’ ability to synthesize the learned material, reflect on their learning progress during the term, and pick a relevant subject for an in-depth academic inquiry. It may be a task that cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and physical anthropology students alike can get.

What Is Ethnography?

When you study at an anthropology course, you should naturally be able to conduct competent, professional anthropological essay writing. Such assignments are typically based on a scholarly inquiry – a systematic approach to data available in the environment on the subject of the student’s interest.

This data is collected with the help of an anthropology-specific approach, ethnography. In a nutshell, ethnography stands for a research strategy that enables anthropologists to explore and examine the surrounding cultures and societies. As a rule, ethnographers come to the communities of their interest and observe them in the course of people’s natural interactions. The researcher also becomes a part of the community they research, trying to learn how to do things, interact with people, take interviews, and ask questions.

The basic premise of anthropology is that people’s cultural and social dimensions can be understood only in action. It is impossible to embrace any culture or way of doing things in theory. An anthropologist should get immersed into the community of focus and study their life in an uncontrolled, natural environment. With such specifics in mind, one can see that the primary focus of ethnography is to get a non-evaluative, first-hand impression of a specific social group as a result of in-depth, careful participant observation.

The primary precondition for an ethnographic study is the researcher’s presence in the site of interest and careful observation and recording of social interactions in the group of interest. In most cases, it presupposes fieldwork and takes the anthropologists to distant locations, such as Indigenous islands or communities of indigenous peoples in Canada and the USA. However, it is still possible to conduct high-quality ethnographic research even in your educational settings or neighborhood. 

Like any other kind of academic writing, anthropology essay writing follows a specific set of parameters and conventions. Be it cultural anthropology or physical anthropology task, your assignment should still include the essential elements of an academic composition, such as an introduction, a body, and a conclusion of the paper. 

Introduction

This part of your essay should clearly communicate the subject and its broad context, introducing the reader to the topic and helping them get all the information from your paper. It’s vital to introduce a problem statement in the form of a concise statement or statistics to show why your inquiry is important.

The body of your anthropology essay is the most significant part of the assignment. It should include all significant arguments you have about your topic. Organize the body logically and consistently, thus helping the readers follow through.

This is the final part of your assignment that contains a set of inferences and takeaways at which you arrive in the process of essay composition and research. Don’t repeat your arguments overall; just make it a logical continuation of your inquiry and a reference to the broader significance of this research.

Besides, the process of anthropological writing involves taking the following steps to make your work worth a high grade:

• Topic selection
• Research for arguments
• Draft composition
• Revision and editing

100 Anthropology Essay Topics

Are you looking for a well-written anthropology essay example to guide you through the writing process? You can find tons of valuable materials on this subject on our website.

Here we offer you something better – a list of exciting, thought-provoking anthropology essay topics to jumpstart your writing.

• The modern use of anthropological methods in forensic science.
• How have human beings evolved over time?
• What impact does technological progress have on people in developed and developing countries today?
• What are the implications of genetic engineering for the future of humankind?
• What is the best definition of culture in the modern globalized world?
• What beliefs about supernatural forces do modern communities still hold?
• How has literature affected human development?
• The social preconditions for the rise of terrorism in particular communities.
• Is the 21 st century the time for abandoning social ranks and chaste?
• How does the approach to clothing design in specific cultures reflect their deeper cultural traits and features?
• Is it possible to get familiar with a specific culture by watching films and reading books about it?
• How can the study of ancient cultures help us understand modern socio-cultural trends?
• What role do ancestors play in the lives of specific communities? Has the modern developed society lost its connection with ancestors?
• Cultural differences in approaches to death.
• The tradition of body modification across the globe.
• The concept of race in the global society. What gives rise to racism?
• The place of mythology in modern communities.
• What role does storytelling play in child education around the globe?
• Is the time of closed societies coming to an end? Or is the post-globalization era signaling the new rise of closed communities?
• How do the features of society affect the rise of specific political movements and structures in those communities?
• How do modern societies treat heroes? Who are the heroes of particular societies, and how do those heroes reflect the deeper cultural trends?
• What implications does social status have in the modern world?
• How does the modern developed society treat health and well-being?
• How do different communities incorporate feminism in the 21 st century?
• The impact of social traits on specific communities’ art.
• Does smoking produce a negative social effect?
• What impact did eugenics have on humanity in the 20 th and 21 st centuries?
• What are the popular theories of the human species’ emergence?
• The protective nature of cultural norms.
• The socially determined experiences of various illnesses.

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#1 The Neanderthals and Denisovans are practical case studies for determining whether a species is fully “human.”

The focus of this essay is on the characteristics that make a species fully “human”. In connection to this, the essay will discuss what is known about Neanderthals and Denisovans, which are practical case studies used in establishing if a species is fully human. The essay will focus more on Neanderthals and finally the paper will argue if Neanderthals were fully humans. Physical characteristics that make a human ancestor “fully human” include being more lightly built and showing extremely robust traits. Long bones of the limbs and distal bones being longer than the proximal bones, a larger fore-brain and having a chin, smaller teeth, fewer jaw muscles and smaller lower faces are atypical to fully human. Intellectual characteristics encompass ability to abstract thought, expressing cultural creativity and using language to communicate (Hawks, 2014).

Neanderthals are extinct species of human within the genus Homo. The species evolved within the last 300,000 years. In regard to the anatomy of Neanderthal, it is essentially within human scope, with the equivalent number of bones as modern humans and they also function in the same way. The anatomical differences include that Neanderthals had more robust build and distinguishing morphological features. They had shorter limbs, barrel shaped rib cage and bigger nose as compared to the modern humans. According toTrinkaus & Shipman (1992) they were much stronger when compared to modern humans with extremely strong arms and hands and had comparative height and weight with modern humans. They had bigger sockets and bigger brain sections controlling vision, the reason there are perceived to have had better eyesight than modern humans. They had a big brain capacity; approximately 1200-1750 ml and hence about 100 ml bigger than modern humans (Gibbons, 2011). In regard to culture, Neanderthal buried the dead, had controlled fire use, performed religious rituals and utilized complex sentence structure within their spoken language (Trinkaus & Shipman, 1992). Neanderthals and modern human inhabited the same cave though at different times, used similar tools and hunted same animals. Comparison of Neanderthal genomes and that of modern humans indicated only 78 new nucleotide substitutions. They also interbred with modern humans indicating some compatibility (Gibbons, 2011). Denisovans are extinct human species and were much different from modern humans. They live about 1,000,000 years ago. The finger bone that has been discovered so far was abnormally wide and robust. Denisovans lived in a caved that Neanderthals and modern humans lived. Their DNA has been found to be genetically different from that of Neanderthals and modern humans (Gibbons, 2011).

Neanderthals are fully human. They engaged in cultural habits that modern humans practice such as burying their dead, using tools, had an intricate social structure and used language. Neanderthal anatomy it is essentially within human scope and with differences that are very minor and can attributed to genetic adjustments because they were isolated individuals who lived a rigorous life within a harsh, cold climate. Their genome components also indicate similarity with that of humans where there have been only78 nucleotide substitutions within the last 78 years and such few changes indicate human lineage where only genetic modifications and mutations have occurred (Gibbons, 2011).

Characteristics atypical to a fully human consist of the ability to use language, intellectual ability, formation of social structure, and ability to perform cultural activities such as burying the dead and religious rituals. The anatomical characteristics are similar to the anatomical features found in the modern humans. In this view, Denisovans are not fully humans but Neanderthals are fully humans because they had almost all characteristics found in modern humans.

Gibbons, A. (2011). Who Were the Denisovans? Science. Vol.26 (333). Gibbons, A. (2011). Close Encounters of the Prehistoric Kind. Science. Vol.7 (328). Hawks, J. (2014). Still Evolving. Scientific American. Trinkaus, E & Shipman, P. (1992). The Neanderthals: Changing the Images of Mankind. New York: Knophf.

#2 Evolution- Summary of Learning Outcomes

Name Institutional Affiliation Instructor Course Date

Over many decades, evolution of human being has been a subjected of research and discussion among many scholars, scientists and anthropologist. However, there is no single answer to that addresses the questions surrounding evolution as new discoveries are made every other time. This paper will review the learning outcomes of the previous units by looking what was striking the most and how adds value to my understanding of human evolution.

The most striking thing in chapter four is the fact that human beings are related to gorillas and chimpanzees but not their descendants. Most interesting is the fact that chimps and humans share 98.4% of the DNA. Also, the number of primate species is very significant. Despite the fact that the number is estimated to be between 250 and 300, only six of the species are apes while humans have only one species. Monkeys comprise the largest group of the species. Therefore, studying primates does not only help us understand the evolutionary lineage of human beings but also the behavioural traits that accompanied the primates in the evolutionary process. Africa is considered the cradle of mankind. This means that apes evolved first in Africa before its continuation in Europe and Asia. It is interesting to also learn that evolution can be dated back to as many years as 22 million years ago. The Proconsul was the first apes to be discovered in Africa while Sivapithecus appeared first in Europe. It is worthy to note that not all apes evolved the present day but some became extinct in the later Miocene. The few that survived gave rise to the current apes and humans, with monkeys undergoing substantial adaptive radiation hence forming a basis for the evolutionary characteristics of the modern species.

Also, different have different view of the world. There are those who view the world as a single entity while there are those whole hold on to the notion of double existence of the word. The varied views imply that different philosophies of knowledge about the world and how human beings came into existence exist. Conflicts are bound to arise given that religion believes in one supernatural being who is responsible for the creation of mankind. On the other hand, the scientist does not acknowledge this idea as they believe in evolution of human being from primitive forms to the modern being. The conclusion arrived at by the scientists is based on tangible evidence and scientific researches.

In summary, the existence of modern human beings triggers more enquiries and the need for more knowledge about the process of evolution. Different philosophies have emerged with each philosopher trying to give a justification of his or her view on human life. As far as early anthropologists like Mary Leaky and Charles Darwin believed that modern man was once an ape, it is important to note that the size of the brain or rather the level of intelligence was not the only trait that distinguished human being from apes. Other distinguishing characteristics emerged with time, thus generating other questions as to whether evolution is an endless process.

Parker, S. T., & Jaffe, K. E. (2008). Darwin’s legacy: Scenarios in human evolution. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press. Susan G., and Francis E., (2014). Early Pliocene Bipedal Apes. Online lecture.

Article Summary Your name: Institution name:

1.Representing Islam: Orientalism and its Discontents

This article is about classic orientalism about Western conceptions of “the Orient,” in particular the Islamic and Arab world. Most colonial an post colonial studies have emerged from engagements with, and elaboration of, Said’s literature. This article has criticized Said for the gender-blindness of Orientalism. This blindness refers not only to a literal blindness to the centrality of gender an sexuality in orientalist discourse, but also to Said’s assertation that orientalism has been an exclusively male province. Abu-Lughod (2001) has undermined this view by documenting and exploring the ways in which women historically have participate in the development of Orientalism. Said’s work has not only contributed to numerous debates about women’s role in orientalism and the ways in which orientalism is/was gendered, orientalism has been part and parcel of the inspiration behind important new scholarship about gender and women in Islam and Middle East, work that is sensitive to women’s experiences.

2.Islamophobia & Islamophilia

The relationship between terrorism and Islam has become a central concern following 9/11, and this has created a new round of culture argument (Mamdani, 2002). This argument has turned religious especially Islam into a political category. Differentiating a “good Muslim” from a “bad Muslim,” rather than civilians from terrorists. This article by Mamdani (2002) has suggested that people should lift the quarantine and turn the cultural theory of politics on its head. Beyond simple but radical suggestion that if there is a bad Muslim and a good Muslim, there is bad Westerners and a good Westerners. What is problematic about Islamophobia is its universalizing and essentializing quality, which has cast Islam religion and all followers of Islam as potential and real enemies of the world (Mamdani, 2002). What has been harder to assess is the challenge of countering Islamophobia impulses in ways that do not simply reinforce or invert them by cultivating their opposite: the image of the Muslim as “friend,” as a figure identified with the Self, characterized as familiar, and with whom legitimate conflict is not possible.

3. Kemalism, a Global Mode of Politics

Over the years, commentators on Middle Eastern politics have been surprised, seduced and scandalized by the contradictory and unexpected relationship between popular politics and secularism. By contrast, social movement that have been committed to the reintroduction of religion into political and public life have been made use of the media of popular politics, including the vote and mass demonstration. In Turkey, self-described Islamic movements have asserted political demands against a secularized elite or secularizing by claiming the will of the person often through democratic channels. The effort at refashioning secularism, as a form of popular rather than elitist politics, has not continued primarily through the critical discourse, self-conscious of politicians or public intellectuals. The reflections and arguments of the latter frequently reinscribe the demonstration in the regnant narrative of popular politics in Turkey.

4. Islamization, Gender and Islamic Feminism

The article by Navaro-Yashin (1999) has examined the developments in ‘Islamic feminism’. Focusing on Turkey theocracy, it can be argued that Islamization of gender relations has develop an oppressive patriarchy that cannot be replaced in a legal reforms. While a lot of women in turkey resist this patriarchal and religious regime, an increasing number of turkey activists and intellectuals have called for separations of religion and state, feminists of a cultural relativist an post-modernist persuasion don’t acknowledge the failure of the Islamic projects. The Islamization of gender relations for a long time has received strong resistance. Over the years , the Islamic regime has experienced a serious crisis; it had failed to control workers, women, students, dissident nationalities and secular intellectuals. Over the past years, some supporters of ‘Islamic feminism’ have equated it with liberation theology in the west.

5. Islam and the City

There have been a resurgence of Islamic beliefs, and once again the questions of the Islamic cities have once again come to the fore (Abu-Lughod, 1987). In many parts of the Arab world, especially in the Middle East, urban planners are searching for the way to reproduce in today’s cities patterns of city building that have been identified as Islamic. According to Marcais, Islam is an urban religion, and in support of this contention, Marcais argued that prophet Muhammad was an urbanite suspicious of nomads (Abu-Lughod, 1987). Marcais has been able to use the earlier chain of orientalism that, the mosque, like the church and synagogue are essentially urban (citadine). It is important to criticize these approaches because most Arab nations planners are trying to recreate Islamic cities- but by means which are inappropriate because these planners focus more on the outcomes, rather than the processes (Abu-Lughod, 1987). They hope, by ordinance and edict, to preserve and to build new cities on an Islamic pattern, because cities are processes and not products. The elements that catalyzed the process that give rise to Islamic cities were: a distinction between the outsiders and members of the Umma (Abu-Lughod, 1987), which led to spatial and juridical distinction by neighborhoods; the segregation of gender which gave rise to a particular solution to the question of spatial organization.

6. Islam and Fiction

Sociology of literature is more like a field of flowers than a field of battle. In the past, sociology of literature has produce impressive theoretical assertions, brilliant, but isolated insights, and rich veins of research findings, but has not been organized around key debates or questions the way a proper field ought to be organized (Griswold, 1993). The sociology of literature has not been a favorite son of organized social science. Since the emancipation of literature study from the rigid research dicta historically entitled to offer aesthetic, historical and sociological generalization and criticism (Griswold, 1993). The academic disciplines that have been charged with the analysis and history of literature have been caught unaware by the impact of best seller, mass literature, the comics, popular magazines, and so forth. Academicians have maintained an attitude of indifference to the lower depths of imagination print. A challenge and a field have been left open and the sociologists are required to do something about it. Almost all scholars who have contributed to the collection of essays are in agreement that a “scientific” approach or method to the history of literature would lead to nowhere (Griswold, 1993). Not only do they believe that each literature work contains in them some non-rational elements, scholars also consider any approach inadequate with regard to the very nature of the work under investigation (Griswold, 1993). Consequently, sociology of literature as it was developed ten decade ago is rejected and condemned as “historicizing psychologism,” as “historical pragmatism” and as “positivistic method.”

Abu-Lughod, L. (2001) ‘Orientalism and Middle East Feminist Studies’, in Feminist Studies 27, 1. Abu-Lughod, J. (1987) ‘The Islamic City: Historic Myth, Islamic Essence and Contemporary Relevance’, in International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 19, 2. Mamdani, M. (2002) ‘Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: A Political Perspective on Culture and Terrorism’, in American Anthropologist 104: 3. Navaro-Yashin, Y. (1999) ‘The Historical Construction of Local Culture: Gender and Identity in the Politics of Secularism versus Islam’, in C. Keyder (ed.) Istanbul between the Global and the Local. Rowman and Littlefield, Boulder. Seufert, G. (1999) ‘The Faculties of Divinity in the Current Tug-of-War’, in Les Annales de l’Autre Islam, No.6, 353-369. W. Griswold (1993) ‘Recent Moves in the Sociology of Literature’, in Annual Review of Sociology 19.

#4 Rights as culture

Name Tutor Course Date

Culture is one of the most important social aspects that have been guiding humans for centuries. Different people have always followed different cultures. It is through culture that people are diverse and this influences their perception of different issues. The relationship between people in the society is mainly governed by culture. Culture also influences the beliefs of the people in the society. The human rights issues are also influence by culture. Human right is considered the basic fundamental rights that should be enjoyed by all the humans regardless of their culture (Hood, 97). Some aspects of culture have been identified as the stumbling block for implementing the human rights. However human right is also a concept of culture. This creates some challenges in terms of addressing the human rights issues without considering the cultural issues and aspects. The paper thus discusses the concept of rights as a culture.

According to Cowan, right as culture is one of the conjunctions between rights and culture (10). The anthropologists consider law as culture as it is aimed at governing the daily lives of the people. The law is usually applied to certain group of people who may be diverse in nature. The citizens are required to abide by the law in all their activities. This is similar to culture where the people are required to abide by their cultural practices and beliefs. The concept of human rights is derived from the law. In most countries, the national laws have clearly defined the rights of the people. This is also the same for the international laws that have been developed by the bodies such as the United Nations. Rights are, therefore, a culture as it is derived from the laws which in itself is considered a culture. The relationship between the law and culture makes rights a cultural issue. Since the law is an object of analysis in terms of the cultural issues, the rights is also part of culture. Most of the rights that have been outlined in the laws are derived from the culture of the people. This plays an essential role in linking rights to culture. The rights in most cases are not informed by the philosophical assumptions. It is instead informed by the ideas of self and sociality. The ideals of self and sociality are closely related to the cultural aspects. In some instances, some of the rights issues have ended up being misinterpreted and misrepresented after leaving out the cultural aspects. According to Abu-Lughod, (p 784), the issues of rights and culture was misunderstood in the Afghan War. The American government insisted that it was freeing the women from the oppressive culture and upholding their rights. However, this failed to achieve any success as the culture was considered different from the rights. Most of the women still preferred their cultural practices as compared to the rights issues. The wearing of burqa which was seen as oppressive by the Americans did not stop even after the fall of the Taliban. This is a further indication that rights cannot be separated from culture. It is through culture that the people are able to understand the issues of rights. Most of the law makers are increasingly considering rights as culture. This has led to the development of a concept that is commonly referred to as human rights culture.

Cultural issues are considered as a tool for expanding legal and political apparatus. The culture of the people has to be respected in order for the aspects of rights to be successful. According to Hood, (p 102), there has been attempts to secure human rights while preserving the cultural identities of the people. This has been successful when dealing with the aspects of nature as well as political issues. The Islam world has faced some challenges in terms of maintaining the culture while securing the human rights. Most of the rights issues that have led to theses challenges are mainly associated with the western world which has totally different culture. This has led confusions and hence making it difficult to implement some of the human rights aspects. It is therefore an indication that rights is a cultural aspect. Any attempts to implement or enforce the rights issues on a particular group of people is bound to fail when culture is ignored (Calhoun, 870). However, it is also important to note that culture is not static and it undergoes changes over time. It is through the changes in the cultural aspects that the some of the countries have been able to fully embrace the rights issues that were not initially part of their culture.

The changes in culture has made is possible for some of the rights issues to be addressed. In the Arab world as well as Africa, the culture restricted some of the practices such as education of girls. However, with the changes in culture, the education for girls is currently acceptable. The concepts of equality are currently being embraced in most parts of the world as a result of culture changes. Most societies are striving to improve on the equality between men and women. There have been calls for positive cultural aspects to be maintained in order to ensure that the rights are promoted. According to Brown, (p 196), there have been calls to ensure that the culture is copyrighted. This can also play an important role in ensuring that the cultures of a particular group of people are not exploited. The rights of the sex workers have also been one of the contentious issues in most parts of the world. According to Kotiswaran, (p 582), there has been attempts to eliminate the sex trade through the implementation of strict legislations. This is as a result of how culture perceives the issues of sex trade. Most cultures have negative perceptions with regards to the sex trade and prostitution. As a result of this, it has become difficult for the rights of the sex workers to be protected. This is however practiced in the cultures that are less conservative.

In conclusion, it is evident rights can be considered as a culture. This can be attributed to the link between culture, law and rights. It is evident that the cultural issues are usually considered when developing the law which has a direct impact on the rights. The practical examples of the Afghan war indicate that rights laws and issues cannot be implemented when culture is not considered.

Works Cited

Kotiswaran, Prabha. Born unto Brothels-Toward a Legal Ethnography of Sex Work in an Indian Red-Light Area. Law & Social Inquiry Volume 33 (2008), Issue 3, 579–629. Brown, Michael. Born unto Brothels-Toward a Legal Ethnography of Sex Work in an Indian Red-Light Area. Current Anthropology Volume 39 (1998), Number 2, Cowan, Jane. Culture and Rights after Culture and Rights. American Anthropologist, Vol.108 (2006), No. 1. Calhoun, Craig. The Class Consciousness of Frequent Travelers: Toward a Critique of Actually Existing Cosmopolitanism. The South Atlantic Quarterly 101:4 (2002). Abu-Lughod, Lila. Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and its Others. American Anthropologist, 104:3 (2002), 783-790. Hood Steven. Rights Hunting in Non-Western Traditions. Human Rights Law. 1997

#5 My Soul Journey in South East Asia

[Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees] [Institutional Affiliation(s)] Author Note Abstract

The essays below will focus on Southeast Asian geography, focusing on religious pilgrimages and reasons beyond. The paper will follow and explore four individuals as they embark on personal journeys on the holistic landscape of South East Asia. Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia to Makam Sunan Drajat [the tomb of Sunan Drajat] Java, Indonesia.  An 18-year-old boy takes a journey after he discovers a letter from his mother who abandoned him at the doorstep of expat residents in Laos. Pakxe, Laos to Wat Xieng Thong, Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos” A student at the National University of Laos. architecture faculty undertakes the journey to complete his thesis and re-link with his roots. Manila, Philippines to Kamay Ni Hesus, Lucban, Quezo A recent Social Science graduate embarks on a journey back to her homeland on a pilgrimage for mass prayer for slums in her land of origin. Mandalay, Myanmar” to Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, Mon State, Myanmar” An academic in the music field embarks on a journey to convert to Buddhism after he is drawn to subject matter of his studies.

My Soul Journey in South East Asia

My name is Widji Widodo. I was born in August 1998.I just turned 18 years old. The journey of my story began when my laminated school badge fell off my bag one day. It was picked up by a young girl. I heard someone running toward me and muttered to myself ‘I do not have extra lunch left’. Her voice droned in my ear. she shouted out in echoes. Poverty around me made me want to throw up my slices of well packed lunch box that I chewed on. The sounds and sights of poverty lingered all around me. She uttered my full name. I was surprises and numb, slowing down in my strides. Then I saw her waving my badge. I latched onto it sacredly. “Hey, are you related to…Widji Thukul, his real name was Widji Widodo! she uttered excitedly.

I was raised in the home of expats living in Indonesia in a place called ‘Solo.’ More formally known as Surakarta located in the middle of the island known as Java. The expat community in Solo retirees living mainly in the countryside and some foreign academics studying Javanese culture, language,culture and tradition was a mere distant observation, with a bundle of material in literature, video and audio all in my parents’ library. They were academics. I never questioned my original roots and succumbed to convenient sustainability. It was a life a step ahead of the contrast of daily life in Solo. My expat adoptive parents shunned off any airs of curiosity.

But that day I questioned my name. I sat in the library and found an enclosed cabinet full off publications. Who was this? I read more. Widji Widodo, he was born in Solo in 1963. He was a poet with a voice of activism in the social and political sphere. He was one of the activists Widji Thukul including who disappeared during the black period 1997-1998 when many activists were either missing or abducted, and some were even killed mysteriously. His poems are political, often critical of the Indonesian government (under Suharto) and the social conditions of the country. It’s suspected that he’s one of many anti-government protesters abducted by government forces. Vaguely I knew I was taken into this home from birth, after I was left at the doorstep of my academic and theatre inclined parents, they named me and chose that name. Why? I dug deeper. I was born in a neighbourhood close by shortly after Widjy Thukul that I was named after, went missing after a protest and there was no trace of him. My roots? Nobody really knew. I was left in their care. I questioned holding the books authored by Widji Thukul in my hand.

My first names, I was told, was given to them in a package with the books and a letter. My parents gave me the letter. The envelope italised “I leave you apart from the trenches of poverty and continue on my mission” When you are 18, take the pilgrimage to Makam Sunan Drajat.My journey to heal had sparked off. My point of departure was a pilgrimage.

I left at Surakarta and stopped at Solo Blalpan after almost four hours. Then walked for six minutes to Plaza Surabaya Gubeng and another bus from Plaza Surabaya for forty minutes. We reached the masjid Tamiriya Indrapura after one and a half hour on bus we got to the terminal Bunder and then another long ride for two hours at Pasar Waga. After a thirteen minute walk I reached my destination Makam Sunan Drajat. The tomb of Sonan Drajat is in Drajat, Lomongan. Sunan Drajat spread Islam in the island of Java. Born in 1470 AD by the name of Raden Qasim. Sunan Drajat was known for his philosophy and social awareness spirit. The Sunan Drajat philosophy of reducing poverty is enshrined in stairs to the he seventh level of the Tomb.

Memangun tyasing Sasoma recipe (we always make other people happy) Jroning like kudu Eling lan alert (in a jovial mood we should be aware and alert) Laksmitaning subrata tan nyipta marang pringgabayaning lampah (on the way to achieving the goal – a lofty we are not concerned with any form of obstacle) Mèpèr Hardaning Pancadriya (we should always suppress a surge of passions) Heneng – Hening – Henung (at rest we will get in a state of stillness and silence that we will achieve the goal – noble) Mulya to Panca Time (an inner and outer happiness can only be achieved with prayers five times a day) Mènèhana signed marang wong kang Wuta, Mènèhana manganese marang wong kang luwé, Mènèhana fashion marang wong kang Wuda, Mènèhana ngiyup marang wong kang kodanan (Give science for people to be clever, Teach morality in people who have no shame, and give the protection of people who suffer) [Article] Sunan Drajat also became known as a saint of songs of Java. Mocopat is a pickaxe that is played using a gamelan set “Singo Mengkok”. The gamelan set Sunan Drajat Kuno is stored in the museum of the Sunan Drajat complex that is located Sunan Drajat tomb. Clutching mother’s letter in my hand, I whispered out…My son…. Widji Wadoto.by the time you read this letter, arise, take a pilgrimage to Makam………hear the sounds, feel the words……. Pakxe, Laos to Wat Xieng Thong to Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos My name is ……………………….. I am an architecture student at the National University of Laos (NUOL), a university located in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. I am originally from Pakse, which is predominantly Buddhist. I decided to embarked on a journey to Khem Khong, for an assignment of a thesis on architect sites in Laos. Laos had multiple architecture sites to choose from. I chose this as a particular combination as a journey of my soul. I initiated the journey with a short family visit in Pakxe. Tourists take the journey to Laos for many reasons but Laos Architecture is an exciting stimuli with the attachment to animism and Buddhism. Animal shapes and Buddha images are usually featured in Laos. Some historical constructions were damaged as a result of war but there are several remnants that wins the interest of architects, tourists, archaeologists and adventurers worldwide.

Significant attractions in Laos are influenced by the French colonial era. The city of Pakxe was founded by French administration. It was formerly a residence of King Ratsadanay (1874-1945), the father of Prince Boun Oum who became the Prime Minister between 1948–1950 and also from 1960–1962. He eventually retired from the political sphere and pursued business ventures from Pakxe and Chapassak until he went into exile, when communist forces came into power in 1975. The route northeast toward the No.38 Road, from there I was on route 13 to Vientiane where my University is based. Eventually it was Route 4 to Luang Prabang, Kingkitsarath Rd to Khem Khong. The destination was on the left of Khem Khong.

Wat Xieng Thong is at the tip of the peninsula in Luang Prabang, Laos. It is richly decorated and attractive. This royal temple was built in 1559 on the Mekong River Banks. It was one of the few temples that survived in the 1887 invasion of the Black flag army. The most attractive building is the congregation hall of the Wat Xieng Thong temple. Extensive decoration of gold stenciling on a black lacquer background covers the interior and exterior of the areas. A tree of life mosaic on a red background was created in the 1960’s with a standing Buddha picture and images of a tiger and two peacocks and a man walking. The mosaic has an entrance door intricately carved on either side. The interior consists of pillars of teak wood supporting the roof. The walls are stenciled in gold with animals, floral motifs and daily life scenes. r. Chariot Hall Tree of life Manila, Philippines to Kamay Ni Hesus, Lucban, Quezon The journey began with a traveler, Angelika Kei. She was born and raised in the Philippines but eventually moved to the USA with her parents and continued schooling there. During her last semester in Philippines college she was designated on an outreach programs in the Smokey Mountains. A slum area in the Manila, Philippines. Smokey Mountains is the largest dumpsite and impoverished area where garbage is gathered by over 250,000 people, who make a living this way. Several years have passed and she had achieved her academic levels in social sciences. She decides to embark back on a trip in a venture to take a pilgrimage of healing for the slums of Manilla. The bus journey was a three hour route. It passed Sariava and Tiaong Candelaria. There are mini buses and jeepeys that travel to Lucban. Kamay ni Hesus Shrine Kamay ni Hesus Shrine located in in Lucban Quezon is a destination for all those who seek to be part of the chapel healing mass. The journey involves climbing 305 steps to statue of Ascending Christ which is 50ft tall. The property has various sites inclusive of Noah’s Ark, Luklukan ni Maria, Resurrected Christ, Garden of Eden, The Angels Hill, Gallery of Saints, the religious Murals and The Marian Park. Noah’s Ark was intended to be spiritual retreat, for families and individuals in need of spiritual renewal. Mandalay, Myanmar” b. to “Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, Mon State, Myanmar” My Journey in Myanmar Myanmar is a country that is known for Buddhist Pagodas, natural landscapes and ancient cities with remarkable traditional ways. In an academic discourse in my music major I got drawn into an assignment. Shortly after I discovered my original heritage was linked to Myanmar. I made a bold decision to undertake a conversion to Buddhism as the insight and philosophy entered every segment of my soul, through my personal and academic journey. My Thesis was on Nandashay Sayar Tin, the composer of the national anthem. I eventually took on the initiative to name myself w Sayar, Burmese meaning “Teacher’, to link with my Mandalay roots. After high school, Tin worked at a private school and also established himself in traditional Burmese Sounds. The “young men Buddhist private school was founded by him in 1918. In 1930 the school was closed and Tin relocated to Yangon, where he had recorded music recorded, Tin joined a political movement. He composed the anthem ‘Kaba Ma Kyei’, the national Burmese anthem. “Till the end of the world’. Tin was imprisoned after patriotic lyrics of the song he composed after a ceremony rendition and accused of inciting activism by the British officers. He was eventually releases in 1946 and the song became a national anthem and he was awarded on the Independence Day on January the fourth in 1950. After I completed my thesis of Sayar Tin I undertook my journey of conversion to Buddhism. Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is perched on the edge of a cliff. It is a giant rock that is gravity defying and plastered with gold leaf. Also known as Golden Rock, it is a site of sacred pilgrimage site located in Mon State. According to legend folklore it is maintained that rock defies gravity and keeps balance as it contains a strand of Buddha’s hair that is meticulously placed. It was the day I converted to Buddhism

Evans, G (1998) The Politics of Ritual and Remembrance: Laos Since 1975 . Quin,G, Throwing money at the holy door: Commercial aspects of popular pilgrimage in Java, Fealy and Sally White (eds.) , Expressing Islam: Religious Life and Politics in Indonesia . Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies ( 2007), p 63-7 Usa International Business Publications , Laos Business Law Handbook Wilkinson,G(2015)Golden Rock, Myanmar: Asia’s mysterious giant rock defying the rules of gravity http://kamaynihesus.ph/about-us/ Jovino, S , Smokey Mountain: A walk through the slums of Manila,Philippines ,justonewayticket.com  Renown Travel ( 2010 – 2016), Wat Xieng Thong,One of Laos’ most beautiful and richly decorated temples Yampolsky,T,R,(2003) Wiji Thuku: People’s poet , Lontar Foundation, Jakarta. Article: , (Last Name, Article Title, Year),ture and Rights. American Anthropologist, Vol.108 (2006), No. 1. Calhoun, Craig. The Class Consciousness of Frequent Travelers: Toward a Critique of Actually Existing Cosmopolitanism. The South Atlantic Quarterly 101:4 (2002). Abu-Lughod, Lila. Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and its Others. American Anthropologist, 104:3 (2002), 783-790. Hood Steven. Rights Hunting in Non-Western Traditions. Human Rights Law. 1997

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

Cultural anthropology - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

Cultural anthropology is the study of human cultures, their development, and their variance across different communities. Essays on cultural anthropology might delve into methodologies of studying cultures, the insights it offers into human societies, or the ethical considerations inherent in anthropological work. Discussions could also explore the findings of cultural anthropology in understanding human behavior, societal norms, and the diverse ways of life across the globe. This topic invites a broad exploration of human societies and the forces that shape them. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Cultural Anthropology you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

George Washington Gomez: a Mexicotexan Novel – Summary

AMÉRICO PAREDES (1915-1999), the renowned Chicano folklorist who passed on at 84 years old, is broadly considered to have been at the front line of the development that saw the introduction of Chicana/o abstract and social examinations as a scholastic order during the 1970s and 1980s. He was educator emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin and the creator of various weighty works, including With a Pistol in His Hand: A Border Ballad and Its Hero (University of Texas Press, 1970), […]

The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World Magical Realism

Latin American Magical Realism Enchanted authenticity is a kind of fiction that portrays mystical or fantastical things happening in a sensible setting. It regularly takes after purposeful anecdote or tale, yet rather than send an obvious exercise or good, it leaves its understanding vague. Fantastical and powerful occasions are frequently transferred by the story's storyteller in similar tone as more practical occasions, recommending that in the realm of the story, there is no differentiation between what's genuine and what's otherworldly. […]

Influential Movements and Revolutions : the Renaissance Era

Throughout history there have been many influential movements and revolutions that have shaped the world today. In the world of art there have been some that were more memorable than others. The Renaissance Era that occurred in Europe is an example of this. Out of this new movement came a variety of skills and techniques that artist in this modern age continue to use in their own pieces. Many elements that had been absent from works prior to this period […]

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The Worlds of Christendom

Contraction, Expansion, and Division Yao Hong is a chinese women who is one of many millions who has made christianity a very rapidly growing faith in China, along with many other Asian and European countries. The earliest teachings of jesus were outside of the european region. Christian Contraction in Asia and Africa In the Early 1500 Christianity, which was a largely known European faith had become defeated, dissolved and also diminished in places like Asia and Africa because of Islam. […]

Mexican Culture – Religion, Family, Language, and Mexican Arts

"In this article, everything is important to the Mexican culture such as religion, family, language, and Mexican arts. Most of Mexico is dependent on church. About 82% of Mexicans consider themselves as catholic. Unlike other countries, parents are treated with respect. The largest event that a Mexican family celebrate is the quinceanera. A quinceanera is the celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday and is followed by a party. Mexican arts usually consist of clay pottery and colorful baskets. The style […]

Forced Marriage

The result of forced marriages has been traditionally treated with hesitation by governments, for fear of offending cultural sensitive. Many people think forced marriage and arranged marriage the same. But both are not the same . An arranged marriage is performed with the complete and free assent of both parties and is still the chosen practise for numerous individuals all over the world. Forced marriages are a result of social factors, and no major religion within the world advocates forced […]

The American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World

America has always been a diverse society in was such as racially, culturally, and regionally. To start off, racially, in 1492 when Christopher Columbus sailed to the new world he encountered the native American people that were living here previously to him “discovering” the new world, as stated in the reading The American Holocaust: Columbus and the Conquest of the New World (Stannard, nd). While Columbus was exploring the new world, the native people were captured and taken away from […]

Exploring Cultural Perspectives: Emic Vs. Etic Approaches

In the realm of anthropology, sociology, and related fields, two distinct perspectives provide essential tools for researchers to understand and interpret cultural phenomena: the emic and etic approaches. Though they sound similar, these terms reflect very different viewpoints, guiding researchers in their approach to studying cultures. Understanding the distinction between these two can significantly influence the depth, breadth, and integrity of cultural research. The emic approach, derived from the word "phonemic," which pertains to linguistic sounds understood by native speakers, […]

Greek and Roman Mythology Comparison

Greek and Roman folklore has existed for more than we can envision and are so different. These legends are one more perspective on world. There is a great deal in like manner between the two folklores, Even however they are from various time spans. The two of them began more than 500 years prior and still Greek and Roman folklore are altogether different from one another. Greek folklore approached 1000 years before Roman Mythology even existed and "the beginnings of […]

Swahili People Group

The people group I decided to chose was the Swahili people group. The Arabic culture has proved to have had the biggest influence in determining Swahili traditions. A major component of the Arabic culture is the Islamic religion. Islamic traditions have been adopted by the Swahili people and take part in almost every aspect of the Swahili tribe’s daily life. It affects the food they eat, the clothes they wear, and their general lifestyle. Swahili children are required to attend […]

INST 2801 Midterm Paper

Part One: One aspect of power and culture that remains prevalent in our society today from the middle ages is religion. Religion today is much more diverse than it was in the middle ages. In modern society, people groups can attend varying branches of the church or practice differing faiths in the same cities as others. Religion remains a driving force for how people make decisions about their relationships and morals, much like individuals in the middle ages did. Religion […]

Reasons why Kids Needs a Family

There are several reasons why kids needs a family. Children need supporters and someone to love them. Adopting is not about feeling an emotional void in adults it is about their lives being accepting to other parents home, but offering a stable home to unfortunate children.” -Leanne Currie McGhee there are children out there in the world who needs supporters and homes. We need good adopting parents. There are many kids that succeed because they are adopted. For example, Faith […]

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17 Anthropology Examples

Anthropology, originating from the Greek words “anthropos”, meaning human, and “logos”, meaning study, is the scholarly investigation of human beings and their societies, with a focus on differences and commonalities, both within and among societies (Pountney & Maric, 2021).

An anthropologist might, for example, conduct ethnographic fieldwork to examine how a unique culture teaches their young which, in turn, might be able to inform our own society’s educational practices and help us improve our own education systems.

Similarly, anthropologists could study past cultures to understand why they collapsed, giving us important insights into how to bolster our own democratic and political systems to avoid the same fate.

Anthropology branches out into multiple sub-disciplines and niches. Within each sub-discipline, we have a range of approaches and ways of studying human cultures past and present. Below are 15 examples.

Anthropology Examples

1. socio-cultural anthropology.

Socio-cultural anthropology involves the study of contemporary societies and cultures through ethnographic fieldwork, analyzing systems of social structure , kinship, religious beliefs, and economic practices (Smith, 2010). These anthropologists may undertake participant observation – immersing in the life of a community for an extended period – to glean first-hand insights. They might live with a family in a rural Nepalese village to understand the impact of seasonal migration on community dynamics, for example.

Example In a study conducted by Gershon (2017), an anthropologist lived among the newly-emerged digital nomads of Southeast Asia, observing first-hand the impact of technology on work patterns and societal relations.

2. Archeological Anthropology

Archeological anthropologists examine past societies by analyzing remains like tools, pottery, and other artifacts (Wilk & Cliggett, 2013). By reconstructing past ways of life, archaeologists contribute to broader anthropological knowledge about human diversity and change. Consider the revelation of ancient Mesopotamian civilizations through the discovery of cuneiform tablets and the ruins of Ur.

Example A team of archaeologists unearthed a series of cave paintings in southern France that offer significant insights into the collective ways of life and basic societal institutions of our Paleolithic ancestors (Clottes, 2010).

3. Biological Anthropology

Biological or physical anthropology focuses on the biological dimensions of humans (Holmes, 2017). This includes the study of the evolution of humans, human variation, and the relationships of humans to other primates. For instance, the discovery of Australopithecus Afarensis, more known as ‘Lucy’, has provided crucial evidence concerning human evolution.

Example Green et al. (2010) sequenced the genome of a Neanderthal – a crucial discovery in biological anthropology that deepened our understanding of the genetic links and distinctions between modern humans and our closest extinct relatives.

4. Linguistic Anthropology

Linguistic anthropology investigates the ways language shapes social identities , interacts, and worldviews (Duranti, 2010). Thus, linguistic anthropologists might study language variation and change, language and gender, or language in relation to social class . For instance, the transformation of the Spanish language in California as a response to increasing bilingualism.

Example A linguistic anthropologist observed the pidgin language developed by immigrant communities in Hawaii, deciphering how languages diversify and blend in multicultural contexts (Siegel, 2010).

5. Ethnographic Anthropology

Ethnographic anthropology is a method and genre within anthropology committed to the detailed and descriptive study of people’s lives as shaped by social relations, cultural meanings, and historical forces (Crate & Nuttall, 2016). This approach requires anthropologists to engage for long periods with the community they are studying, producing comprehensive accounts of their social practices and cultural beliefs. A poignant example is an ethnographer studying the nuances of Inuit communities’ relationships with their environment in the face of climate change.

Example Hastrup (2013) conducted an immersive study into the lives of the Icelandic fishing community, exploring their relationship with unpredictable oceanic elements and the constant transformation of nature.

6. Paleoanthropology

Paleoanthropology, a subdiscipline of biological anthropology, focuses on the study of human and primate evolution, as well as the social and cultural changes that drove human development (Kimbel & Delezene, 2019). Paleoanthropologists examine fossil evidence, using techniques such as comparative anatomy, radiometric dating, and biochemistry to sketch an understanding of human evolution. An excellent example is the ongoing study of the Laetoli footprints, which have contributed significantly to our understanding of early hominid locomotion.

Example In 2022, research on the Red Deer Cave People revealed that they were anatomically modern humans with unique regional variations, challenging previous beliefs of them being a separate species. Their remains, found in a cave in China, exhibited distinct morphological features and cultural practices, providing valuable insights into human evolution and variation (Zhang et al., 2022).

7. Forensic Anthropology

Forensic Anthropology applies principles of biological anthropology in a legal context, primarily to identify human remains and determine the cause of death (Dirkmaat, 2012). Forensic anthropologists aid in solving crimes by analyzing bones to ascertain factors such as age, sex, height, and potential traumatic injuries. A prime example is the forensic anthropological work in identifying victims of the 2004 South Asian Tsunami.

Example William Ross Maples was a prominent American forensic anthropologist known for his expertise in studying bones. His key contributions include his work on high-profile criminal investigations involving historical figures such as Francisco Pizarro, the Romanov family, Joseph Merrick, President Zachary Taylor, and Medgar Evers, providing valuable insights that helped solve previously unsolved cases.

8. Cultural Anthropology

Cultural anthropology is the study of human cultures, beliefs, practices, values, ideas, technologies, economies and other domains of social and cognitive organization (Lewellen, 2015). The main methodological approach in cultural anthropology is participant observation enabling detailed documentation of everyday life. For instance, studying the coming of age rituals in vanishing indigenous tribes.

Example Ruth Benedict (2005/1946) made several key contributions to cultural anthropology. Notably, she progressed the idea of cultural relativism , which argued that anthropologists should study the internal logic of a cultural’s values and morals without judgment from your own value set. She did this by examining, for example, the internal logic of the Japanese honor system during WWII which, while objectionable to the west, had internal logic within Japanese culture at the time.

9. Urban Anthropology

Urban anthropology studies urban societies and the city life (Low, 2011). Urban anthropologists investigate issues like urban poverty, community formation in the cities, and urban housing policies. Notably, the study of informal economies in bustling, crowded mega-cities like Mumbai or Lagos epitomizes the scope of this sub-field.

Example The “Street Corner Society” study by William Foote Whyte (2012/1943) explored the Italian-American slum of “Cornerville” (a pseudonym for Boston’s North End) in the 1930s. Whyte lived among the community for four years, observing and documenting social interactions , informal economies, and gang structures, which significantly contributed to our understanding of urban social structures and the importance of participant observation in anthropology.

10. Environmental Anthropology

Environmental anthropology studies the relationships between human societies and their environments (Dove, 2011). It views culture as a tool which humans use to adapt to the complex dynamics of their physical and sociocultural environments. Investigations in this subfield include how indigenous people interact and manage the Amazon rainforest.

Example Weston’s (2012) acclaimed work “The Political Ecology of Disease in Tanzania” investigates how environmental and social conditions contribute to the spread of disease, demonstrating the significance of environment to the health of human communities.

11. Visual Anthropology

Visual anthropology is a subfield dedicated to the study of the production, use, and interpretation of images and their role in representing social and cultural reality (Pink, 2011). It includes study themes like indigenous media, art, and the anthropology of the senses. For instance, one might study how photography was used historically to document and understand remote tribes.

Example In the seminal work “Chronicle of a Summer” by Jean Rouch (2013), a pioneering example of cine-ethnography, everyday life in Paris in the summer of 1960 was recorded on film as a basis for understanding the intricacies of urban life.

12. Economic Anthropology

Economic anthropology is a subfield that explores economic phenomena in a comparative perspective, focusing on issues like consumption, production, exchange and labor from ethnographic and theoretical standpoints (Carrier, 2012). Research might include how cultural perceptions of value influence exchange practices among traditional societies.

Example Mauss’s (2011) groundbreaking work, “The Gift” explores the gift-giving practices among various cultures, demonstrating how economic activities are deeply embedded in social relationships and cultural values.

13. Political Anthropology

Political anthropology is concerned with the politico-legal institutions, systems of governance, and power relationships in various societies (Vincent, 2010). Political anthropologists examine how power is distributed, contested, and used within societies. One could, for instance, analyze how traditional councils operate in rural African societies.

Example In “The Art of Not Being Governed” by Scott (2009), the study of hill tribes in South East Asia represents an enlightening exploration of state resistance strategies, establishing how marginal communities negotiate political landscapes.

14. Cognitive Anthropology

Cognitive Anthropology explores how mind, culture, and society interact (D’Andrade, 2017). It emphasizes that human cultural knowledge is organized, and such organization influences how people perceive and interpret the world around them. A practical example would be studying how the Tzeltal speakers of Mexico perceive and verbalize spatial orientations differently due to their language.

Example In “The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life”, Goffman (2017) delved into the symbolic and communicative aspects of social action , showing how people present themselves and their activities to others.

15. Feminist Anthropology

Feminist anthropology links anthropological theory and practice to the history of feminism, focused predominantly on issues of gender, construction of female identity, and the roles of women in society (Moore, 2011). Feminist anthropologists study, for instance, how gender shapes power relations and behaviors within different cultures.

Example Margaret Mead was a pioneering cultural anthropologist who significantly contributed to the understanding of human behavior , particularly in relation to cultural variation, through her extensive fieldwork in the South Pacific and Bali. Her work, most notably her book “Coming of Age in Samoa,” challenged Western societal norms and assumptions about adolescence and gender roles, thereby influencing the cultural relativism movement in anthropology (Mead, Sieben & Straub, 1943).

16. Cyber Anthropology

Cyber anthropology is a subfield that investigates the relationships between human beings and their digital technologies, focusing on cultural change and the globe-spanning reach of the internet (Boellstorff, 2012). Cyber anthropologists might study how online communities in social media platforms forge new cultural dynamics or impact society.

Example Boellstorff’s (2012) book “Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist Explores the Virtually Human” maps out the issues of selfhood, identity, and society within the context of the digital world, using the virtual world of Second Life as an ethnographic site.

17. Postcolonial Anthropology

Postcolonial anthropology refers to an approach that critically examines the impact of colonialism and imperialism on societies, cultures, and the discipline of anthropology itself (Asad, 2017). Postcolonial anthropologists might examine the continuing effects of colonialism on Indigenous societies or deconstruct enduring stereotypes.

Example In “Provincializing Europe”, Dipesh Chakrabarty (2018) urges a reconsideration of the Eurocentric grand narratives of history and their impact on societies, thereby questioning the universality of western norms and concepts.

Asad, T. (2017). Afterword: An anthropology of the secular? In Anthropology and the secular (pp. 235-245). Routledge.

Benedict, R. (2005). The chrysanthemum and the sword: Patterns of Japanese culture . London: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Boellstorff, T. (2012). Coming of age in Second Life: an anthropologist explores the virtually human . Princeton University Press.

Boneva, N., & Frieberg, A. (2014). Urban development and place attachment in Berlin’s Wrangelkiez . Urban Anthropology , 45 (2), 101-132.

Carrier, J. G., & Berking, H. (Eds.). (2012). Economic Anthropology . Edward Elgar Publishing.

Chakrabarty, D. (2018). Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial thought and historical difference . Princeton University Press.

Clottes, J. (2010). What Is Paleolithic Art?: Cave Paintings and the Dawn of Human Creativity . University Of Chicago Press.

Crate, S., & Nuttall, M. (Eds.). (2016). Anthropology and climate change: From encounters to actions . Routledge.

D’Andrade, R. (2017). A cognitive view of society . In Cognitive Anthropology (pp. 32-46). Routledge.

Dirkmaat, D. C. (Ed.). (2012). A companion to forensic anthropology . John Wiley & Sons.

Dove, M. (2011). The banana tree at the gate: A history of marginal peoples and global markets in Borneo . Yale University Press.

Duranti, A. (2010). Linguistic Anthropology . Cambridge University Press.

Gershon, I. (2017). Down and Out in the New Economy: How People Find (or Don’t Find) Work Today . University Of Chicago Press.

Goffman, E. (2017). The presentation of self in everyday life . In Interaction Ritual (pp. 45-76). Routledge.

Green, R. E., et al. (2010). A Draft Sequence of the Neandertal Genome . Science, 328 (5979), 710-722. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1188021

Hastrup, K. (2013). Anthropology and Nature . Routledge.

Holmes, S. B. (2017). Bioarchaeology: Interpreting behavior from the human skeleton . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Kimbel, W. H., & Delezene, L. K. (2019). “Lucy” redux: A review of research on Australopithecus afarensis . American journal of physical anthropology, 168 , 167-194.

Lewellen, T. (2015). The concept of culture . In Understanding Cultural Globalization , Polity.

Low, S. (2011). The edge and the center: Gated communities and the discourse of urban fear . American Anthropologist, 103 (1), 45-58.

Mauss, M. (2011). The Gift: the form and reason for exchange in archaic societies . Routledge.

Mead, M., Sieben, A., & Straub, J. (1943). Coming of age in Samoa . Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin books.

Moore, H. L. (2011). Feminism and anthropology . In The Gender Sexuality Reader (pp. 68-79). Routledge.

Pink, S. (2011). Visual Anthropology . The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology .

Pountney, L., & Maric, T. (2021). Introducing anthropology: what makes us human? . New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Scott, J. (2009). The art of not being governed: An anarchist history of upland Southeast Asia . Yale University Press.

Siegel, J. (2010). Second Dialect Acquisition . Cambridge University Press.

Smith, J. H. (2010). Cultural anthropology: Adaptations, structures, meanings . Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Vincent, J. (2010). Anthropology and politics . In Visions of Culture (pp. 417-429). Routledge.

Weston, K. (2012). The political ecology of disease in Tanzania . Rutgers University Press.

Whyte, W. F. (2012/1943). Street corner society: The social structure of an Italian slum . University of Chicago Press.

Wilk, R., & Cliggett, L. (2013). Economies and cultures: Foundations of economic anthropology . Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Zhang, X., Ji, X., Li, C., Yang, T., Huang, J., Zhao, Y., … & Su, B. (2022). A late Pleistocene human genome from Southwest China . Current Biology, 32 (14), 3095-3109.

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Various Subsections of Anthropology Essay

Studying humanity journey, archaeology and palaeo-anthropology, works cited, introduction.

Anthropology is the study of human beings in time and space. The central theme of anthropology is to trace the development that has occurred to the human race from the past to the present in different geographical locations. In fact, it uses both scientific and humanistic means for its data analysis that is gotten from various studies and researches that are conducted on the human race and its close relatives.

Anthropology explores various issues that pertain to the existence of life for humans and the physical, biological as well as geographical differences exhibited by the human race. From time in memorial, humans have evolved to display the differences that they have among themselves and other animals which share the same ancestral origin.

For ease of study, anthropology as a discipline is divided into various study categories such as physical or biological anthropology, cultural anthropology and forensic anthropology among other sub-sections.

Each of these sectors studies a certain aspect of human life aimed at bringing a clear and concise understanding of the human race. This paper aims at explaining the various subsections of anthropology and the role they play in enhancing the understanding of the value of anthropology.

The value of studying human evolutionary sequence

Of interest to anthropology is the idea of evolution which is pivotal to the explanation of emergence of different forms of life. Evolution theory can be traced back to the work of Charles Darwin who introduced it to modern biological and evolutionary thought. Physical anthropology as a branch deals with evolution of biological characteristics observed in human beings.

Evolution can be described as the process by which living organisms have developed mostly through adaptation, natural selection and survival for the fittest to be what they are today. This theory uses genetical adaptation and inheritance to explain why some organisms have survived while others have become extinct (Thompson 1).

The study of anthropology has helped in many ways both in understanding human beings and solving various problems that persistently arise. Physical anthropology understanding is crucial in the field of medicine.

Most scientists believe that biological evolution can help in preventing and inventing cures as well as getting the local population to change their attitude towards medication. It is evident that many problematic diseases have their roots from the genetical inheritance that has occurred from the past. Medical researchers in this field need to study evolutionary biology to trace and get the cure of these early diseases.

Evolution has played a key role in shaping the current anatomy, physiology and behavior that either exposes us to diseases or provides an immune system against the infections. Natural selection has acted through nature to eliminate mal-adapted organisms through diseases and other natural calamities.

In the process, various organisms might have either survived or passed on defective genes. Major emphasis is laid on diseases and conditions that are passed through genes, from parents to offsprings which may need inference from biological evolution (Downie 3).

Through studying humankind journey via evolution, we are able to understand the position of man in the current world of organisms. It sheds light on why humans are more developed than other organisms although origin of life seems to have been at similar interval. Past human activities that are recorded by archaeological undertakings help to explain the current changes in both humans and the environment we live.

It is apparent that through beings evolution, archeologists have had great impacts on the natural environment by altering it to suit them (Brunet et al 146). Archaeology brings forth information from the ancient life and helps to reconstruct the extent to which human beings have changed. Adaptation to environment is a major tool used by human beings to survive and propagate.

Humans globally exhibit different characteristics and behavior as per their geographical regions. These perceived differences are due to the influence of the geographical regions and cultural differences. Human variation (HV) studies the various differences exhibited by human beings namely behavior, color, genetical differences and adaptation measures.

HV has evolved from the past through adaptive means to what is currently perceived. Through it, scientists are able to deduce whether humans have the ability to continue adapting successfully to the fluctuating environmental conditions or not. From this kind of data obtained from genetic pools of various past and present humans, scientists are able to advise human beings on potential dangers (Becks et al 989).

Further, HV helps to explain disease prevalence in certain communities or geographical regions as opposed to others. For example, where the malarial disease has high prevalence, certain genetic traits are also prevalent.

The study of HV shows that it is important in maintaining adaptive populations, biological variance for the functioning individual communities and ecological systems. Loss of HV may cause instability in human communities, negative effects in innate systems and genus viability (Becks et al 995).

Archaeology is an anthropological discipline that is concerned with the history of people and their extinct cultures. It relies on the remains of left objects and materials called artifacts for the study and analysis. Archaeology is devoted to the search and excavation of the material remains to reveal the history of people and reconstruct their early life.

It produces visible evidence to support the evolution theory. Historical archeology also relies on material culture and its exploitation but combines it with perspectives in anthropological field to bring an understanding of early lives of various groups of people whose material culture has been excavated (Paynter 169).

Archaeology provides vital information on various issues that pertain to the extinct population. Information on diseases, cultural way of life, eating habits and other important aspects of human life can be gotten from archaeological analysis.

Importance of understanding anthropological sub-fields

Understanding the various sub-fields of anthropology has great importance in the life of individuals and that of the complete society. It is a common phenomenon for people to have a biased approach on others due to their differences in culture, color, eating, dressing habits and various aspects of community life.

Countless conflicts occur due to the misunderstanding generated by difference in cultures (Brunet et al 148). Through understanding various topics, the prevention of such conflicts is possible. Besides, it prepares an individual for any occurrences that require great understanding of human dynamics.

Anthropology offers important scientific and humanistic knowledge on human beings.

Anthropological information traces the descent of mankind from primitive forms to the developed forms that offers insight into the unobserved and observable characteristics which are helpful in a wide-range of scientific and humanistic application. Despite curricula importance, anthropological knowledge has wide individual application in real life.

Archaeology is the humanistic and scientific study of ancient form of human beings through the use of material culture obtained via recovery and analysis. Material culture are the remains of environmental objects left by the ancient form of human beings including artifacts, building remains, biological remains namely plants, bones, ashes and other archaeological records.

Archaeology traces human descent from the first primitive form of human life up the evolution ladder to the present form of human life which takes several million years ago. From paleolithic era to the development of complex human life, archaeology provides information on human evolutionary journey (Renfrew and Bahn 13).

Palaeo-anthropology is the study of human fossils in support of evolutionary theory of human beings. However, fossil are the hardened parts of a human body that have been preserved for a long time through the action of nature such as in snow, burrows and in caves. It incorporates intelligible cultural practices like burial practices that man acquired in the process of evolution.

Palaeo-anthropology uses both paleontology and physical anthropology to study human fossils. Indeed, physical anthropology is concerned with evolution based on biological inherited characteristics that are essential in the maintenance of human evolution path.

Paleontology conversely studies the prehistoric life to determine the evolution and the interactions that occurred among early human beings which might have resulted into the exchange of cultural practices evident in excavated human remains. Paleontology provides an extensive evolution view of the primary forms of life which are found within the context of early human life (Laudan 58).

Human evolution

Existing human beings are as a result of a long chain of evolutionary processes that has seen them develop from primitive forms to complex form. The study of their evolution is attributed to palaeo-anthropological studies that get their raw data from archaeological excavations. In the evolution sequence, human beings have adapted biologically to changing environmental conditions.

Humans are believed to share a common ancestry with the apes but developed and adapted differently resulting to the differences observed between the ape family and human beings. Mutually, these species share various common and similar characteristics both genetically and cultural although apes display primitive form of human behavior (Laudan 59).

The earliest form of human life is traced back to the appearance on the face of earth of an upright walking ape, approximately 6 million years ago. The human species were named hominid and was differentiated from that of the close human like apes named the chimpanzee on traits of uprightness and the use of opposable thumb.

This difference is attributed to the use of tools that required the big finger to move constantly to allow for the gripping of the tool. These fossils are dated 7 million years ago. Further excavations yielded other fossils closer to human beings and were classified under the genera Australopithecus and Homo (Renfrew and Bahn 16).

Through biological evolution initiated largely from the effects of environmental fluctuations, the general homo developed to Homo sapiens which are associated with the current day human beings.

Fossils have been excavated all over the world bearing characteristics that have enabled archaeologists and palaeo-anthropologists to rank them accordingly in the human evolution sequence. From the earliest sahelanthropus species, humans have evolved through various stages each with different adaptations that have helped it to survive the torrid natural environment which has been changing from time to time.

Natural selection in these species has determined which species were to prosper and propagate while others perished. Through nature, environment chose the best adapted forms of species to pass on to the next level to human evolution. The earliest fossils that had resemblance to human beings were discovered at Taung, near Kimberley in South Africa and were assigned to the genus Australopithecus (Dart 196).

This hominid form was more like a chimpanzee and lacked the ability to create tools. Recent discoveries of Kenyanthropus hominid in Kenya that date 3.5 to 7 million years ago reinstated the idea of accepting a separate genera and species for the human beings.

Palaeo-anthropologists cite that the separation between the chimpanzee family and the human family ideally took place nearly 3.5-7 million years ago but each family developed on its own (Dart 197).

Biological differences such as teeth pattern and bi-pedalism have been used extensively by palaeo-anthropologists to differentiate human beings forms and other close relatives. The evolution of hominid family was later followed by the excavation of the hominid ardipithecus from the Middle awash region in Ethiopia.

This hominid displayed characteristics of terrestrial bi-pedalism which was linked to early human forms. This fossil similarly contained dental system that was close to hominids.

The excavation of further hominid forms in Rift Valley also strengthened the argument of evolution (Brunet et al 147). Dentition was used to differentiate the extent of hominid resemblance. The following summary provides a detailed evolutionary sequence of man.

The first fossils attributed to the genus Homo was the Australopithecine found in 1924 at Taung in South Africa by Raymond Dart. The hominid walked erect, lived on the ground and probably used stones as weapons to hunt small animals. It was dated to be 3.5-7 million years old.

The first evidence of the Homo species believed to have walked upright was discovered in Java in 1891. It was named Pithecanthropus Erectus meaning the erect ape man. Another kind of identical hominid was made in China; south-west of Peking called Peking man. The hominid had larger cranial capacity than Australopithecus yet lived in communal existence and used fire.

The Acheulean tool making era is associated with this hominid. These tools were made of stone, wood and bone. The hominid is also said to have hunted big games in a communal way and lived in caves. The Home erectus gradually evolved into the Neanderthal man.

This primitive man used stone flakes as tools, spears for hunting and is seen to have lived in cave (Renfrew and Bahn 15). The Neanderthals were capable of big game hunting including elephants, rhino et cetera. The final stage of man evolution is the appearance of the Homo sapiens hominid that represents the modern day man with all the capabilities to live complex lifestyles.

It is to be noted that the evolution of man has taken millions of years and various reshaping of man by natural occurrences. Numerous factors have contributed to this evolutionary sequence.

Evolution has been marred by struggle for survival. It included where only the fit survived, variations in both biological and physical traits, survival for the fittest which eliminated the mal-adapted organisms and denied them the chance to pass on their defective genes, hence natural selection (Dart, 198).

Through natural selection, nature chooses organisms to propagate based on their ability to adapt to the changing natural conditions. Biological adaptation through genetic variance, mutation and propagation has played a key role in the evolution of man. Genes have enabled organisms that are better adapted to evolve further and deny those which are not the chance to evolve and therefore die away.

The emergence of current day man has been as a result of a long series of evolutionary stages that has been documented by palaeo-anthropologists using archaeological evidence of material remains left by early life forms.

This trend has passed through several stages each characterized by different traits that brought closer the emergence of modern day man. Biological evolution through the role played by genetic inheritance has been pivotal in this sequence.

Becks, Lutz, Ellner Stephen, Jones Laura and Hairston Nelson. “Reduction of adaptive genetic diversity radically alters eco-evolutionary community dynamics”. Ecology letters 13(2010).

Brunet, Michel, et al. “A new hominid from the Upper Miocene of Chad, Central Africa”. Nature 418.6894 (2002): 145–151.

Dart, Raymond. “Australopithecus africanus: The Man-Ape of South Africa”. Nature 115.2884 (1925):195-199.

Downie, John, R. Evolution in health and disease: The role of evolutionary biological in the medical curriculum , May 1994. Web.

Laudan, Ronald. (1992). “What’s so Special about the Past?” Nitecki, Harman and Nitecki, David. History and Evolution, 2010.

Paynter, Ray. “Historical Archaeology and the Post-Columbian World of North America”. Journal of Archaeological Research 8.3 (2000).

Renfrew, Colin and Bahn, Paul. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice . High Holborn, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2004. Print.

Thompson, Paul. Biological evolution . Montgomery, AL. Apologetics Press Inc, 1994.

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IvyPanda. (2023, December 26). Various Subsections of Anthropology. https://ivypanda.com/essays/general-anthropology-essay/

"Various Subsections of Anthropology." IvyPanda , 26 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/general-anthropology-essay/.

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IvyPanda . 2023. "Various Subsections of Anthropology." December 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/general-anthropology-essay/.

1. IvyPanda . "Various Subsections of Anthropology." December 26, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/general-anthropology-essay/.

Bibliography

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100 Anthropology Essay Topics

Table of Contents

Anthropology Essay Topics: A Comprehensive Guide

Essay writing is pivotal in every student’s academic journey. In particular, anthropology students will encounter numerous essays throughout their educational journey. It’s essential to master the art of crafting outstanding essays to secure top grades. Contrary to common misconceptions, essay writing isn’t confined to language or linguistics courses. Every discipline, including anthropology, demands this skill. Thus, students must refine their essay writing abilities to produce stellar content.

Selecting the Ideal Anthropology Essay Topic

The essence of an exceptional anthropology essay often lies in the topic chosen. Selecting a broad topic might overwhelm you, preventing you from addressing it thoroughly. Conversely, an overly narrow topic might lack adequate content, making it challenging to meet word count requirements. The ideal topic should be of personal interest and fall between these extremes.

Anthropology Essay Topics to Consider

At times, professors might provide topics. But often, the onus is on students to choose. To aid in this selection, here’s a list of ten anthropology essay topics:

• Anthropology’s role in forensic science
• Varied marriage customs across global cultures
• Human evolution traced through time
• Native American cultures and anthropology
• Literature’s contribution to human evolution
• The increasing threat of terrorism
• Anthropology’s influence on art
• Supernatural beliefs across different cultures
• The effect of social media on global cultures
• The interplay between anthropology and genetic engineering

Cultural Anthropology Essay Topics

Delving deeper into cultural anthropology, here are ten more topic suggestions:

• Defining ‘culture’ across societies
• Supernatural beliefs and their cultural implications
• Diverse cultural perceptions of death
• Rituals associated with death globally
• Marriage customs across various cultures
• Societal hierarchies and caste systems
• The pivotal role of ancestors in culture
• Unique clothing designs across the world
• Body modification views in different cultures
• A deep dive into ancient Roman culture

Evolution-centric Anthropology Essay Topics

For those interested in evolution, consider these topics:

• The development of human intelligence
• The fascinating evolution of the human eye
• Sexual selection among humans
• An exploration of the Red Queen hypothesis
• Comparing human brains to other species
• Chromosomal evolution in plants
• Bird evolution mysteries
• Climate change and its evolutionary repercussions
• The earliest known life forms on Earth
• Natural selection in the animal kingdom

Ritual-based Anthropology Essay Topics

Rituals form the backbone of many cultures. Delve into these topics:

• The essence of ritual efficacy
• The intersection of magic and science
• The linkage between myths and rites
• Global variations in marriage rituals
• Childbirth rituals across cultures
• Death ceremonies worldwide
• The historical evolution of rituals
• The societal significance of rituals
• The intricate web of myths, rituals, and religion
• The interrelation of rituals, myths, and faith across societies

Physical Anthropology Topics:

• The mystery of Neanderthals and their relationship with modern humans.
• Human bipedalism: Why did we start walking on two legs?
• The role of nutrition in human evolution.
• Cranial capacity and its relation to intelligence.
• The significance of lactose tolerance in human evolution.

Cultural Anthropology Topics:

• Indigenous communities and their relationship with the modern world.
• Cultural adaptations to extreme environments.
• Tattoos and body piercings: Cultural significance and global variations.
• The cultural impact of globalization.
• Migration and its effect on cultural identity.

Medical Anthropology Topics:

• Traditional medicine vs. Western medicine.
• The cultural basis of certain illnesses.
• Global health issues and cultural perceptions.
• The role of rituals in healing.
• Mental health awareness in various cultures.

Linguistic Anthropology Topics:

• The dying languages of indigenous tribes.
• The role of language in shaping thought.
• Bilingualism and its effects on cognitive functions.
• The evolution of slang and colloquialisms.
• The cultural implications of language loss.

Archaeological Topics:

• The significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
• Unearthing ancient civilizations: Lessons from Pompeii.
• The mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids.
• Megalithic structures around the world.
• The societal structure of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Religious Anthropology Topics:

• The origins of world religions.
• Shamanism across different cultures.
• Religious rites and their social implications.
• The anthropology of atheism.
• Comparative study of creation myths.

Gender and Sexuality Topics:

• Gender roles in matrilineal societies.
• The third gender in various cultures.
• Cultural perceptions of homosexuality.
• Transgenderism across history.
• The social construction of femininity.

Economic Anthropology Topics:

• The cultural basis of consumerism.
• Barter systems and their societal implications.
• The anthropological study of modern-day capitalism.
• The rise and fall of ancient economies.
• Gift economies and their societal significance.

Political Anthropology Topics:

• The rise of nation-states.
• Ancient political structures and their relevance today.
• The role of leaders in tribal communities.
• The anthropology of revolutions.
• The cultural basis of political ideologies.

Technological Anthropology Topics:

• The impact of the Internet on societal structures.
• Mobile phones and their influence on culture.
• The anthropological perspective on AI.
• Social media and its role in shaping modern identities.
• Technology adoption rates across various cultures.

Environmental Anthropology Topics:

• Indigenous knowledge and environmental conservation.
• Cultural adaptation to climate change.
• Rituals related to agriculture and harvesting.
• The anthropological study of urban landscapes.
• Human-animal relationships in different societies.

Art and Anthropology Topics:

• Indigenous art forms and their significance.
• The evolution of music across cultures.
• Dance forms and their cultural roots.
• The anthropology of film and cinema.
• The cultural implications of fashion and clothing.

Migration and Diaspora Topics:

• The anthropology of refugee communities.
• Cultural assimilation vs. preservation in immigrant communities.
• The impact of remittances on home communities.
• The evolution of diaspora identities.
• The role of food in migrant communities.

Kinship and Family Topics:

• The evolution of the nuclear family.
• Kinship structures in patrilineal societies.
• The role of elders in family structures.
• Marriage customs and their evolution.
• The anthropology of adoption.

Unique Anthropology Essay Ideas

For those seeking distinctiveness, here are some unique topics:

• Gift-giving customs in diverse societies
• Global agricultural practices
• The practice of polygamy across cultures
• The rich tapestry of folklore
• Traditional healing across cultures
• Gender roles in various societies
• Religious convictions and customs
• Clothing preferences and designs across cultures
• Societal social networks

Students aim for top grades in pursuit of academic excellence. However, various challenges might hinder this quest. That’s where our institution can assist, from topic selection to complete essay writing. Reach out today, and let us guide you through your anthropology essay journey.

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Cultural Anthropology, Essay Example

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Introduction

Cultural anthropology relates to the study of different people and their culture, beliefs and economies.  Researchers have focused studies on both industrial and post-industrial societies. The study also embraces areas of politics and religion.  Recent studies have focused upon the political unrest in both North Africa and the Middle East.  The particular focus upon the demands of youth in these regions has had a profound impact on long held values of religion, politics, sociology and economics of the regions affected.  (Allison).

Cultural Anthropology – Influence of Youth

Youth culture has formed an important part of 20 th century anthropological research but before this time it was largely ignored.  Recent events has illustrated how modern communications like computers, cell phones, and social media sites have had a profound effect on developing youth education, awareness and forums for debate on a truly global scale.  Modernity and globalization has placed youth culture into a new sociological context as such it has increased their visibility and opinion in a modern capitalistic society.  This has resulted in the demand for increased equity and more accountability for Government actions. (Bucholtz).

The recent riots being experienced in England are a result of a disenchanted youth structure that has rallied against unemployment, lack of education and a government they feel has forsaken them in times of a severe economic downturn.  This stems beyond the social classification of hooliganism to carefully orchestrated campaigns using technology as a means to organise a sustained citizen revolt. (Mitchell).

Globalization has increased the interest in concepts of cultural anthropology.  The concepts of a more integrated and diverse set of cultures has resulted in close examination of the interaction between peoples beliefs, religions, politics and tolerances in understanding one another and ability to create international trading relationships.

Works Cited

Allison, C. Piot and A. “Cultural Anthropology & Youth.” Cultural Anthropology Vol 26 Iss 3 (2011): 1360-1548.

Bucholtz, Mary. “Youth and Cultural Practice.” Annual Review of Anthropology, Vol 31 (2002): 525-552.

Mitchell, Dan. Riots in England Are another Sign of the Looming Collapse of Europe’s Welfare States. 10 12 2010. 9 8 2011 <http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/riots-in-england-are-another-sign-of-the-looming-collapse-of-europes-welfare-states/>.

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Anthropology Essays (Examples)

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Anthropology the fundamental social science anthropology is.

Anthropology: The Fundamental Social Science Anthropology is, according the American Anthropological Association, "the study of humans, past and present" (AAA, 2011). Anthropology looks at what it means to be human; it is "a field of inquiry that studies human culture and evolutionary aspects of human biology, including cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and biological anthropology" (Jurmain, Kilgore, & Trevathan 2006: 6). It, therefore, is the fundamental social (and behavioral) science discipline that is concerned with humans. To understand Anthropology, one must understand social science, which is "a branch of science that deals with the institutions and functioning of human society and with the interpersonal relationships of individuals as members of sociality" (ebster's, 2011). hile other social sciences describe and explain aspects of humanity, anthropology looks at humanity holistically. Anthropology Anthropology is, at its heart, a discipline concerned with both the biological and sociocultural aspects of humanity. As such, it sets the stage for all….

Works Cited

Anthropology (n.d.) American Anthropological Association (AAA). Retrieved May 6, 2011 from  http://www.aaanet.org/about/WhatisAnthropology.cfm .

Jurmain, R., Kilgore, L, & Trevathan, W. (2006). Introduction to Physical Anthropology. Belmont: Thomas.

Social Science (n.d.). In Webster's Dictionary. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20science .

Anthropology as a Career

Anthropology Career: Anthropology can broadly be defined as the study of humanity based on its evolutionary origins in the past millions of years and its current global diversity. Unlike other disciplines that focus on one or another aspect of humanity, anthropology focuses on how people plan their lives and relate to each other in interacting, interconnected groups or societies with similar beliefs and practices. Anthropologists share many interests with other disciplines such as economics, sociology, political science, psychology, and biological science. However, this discipline distinguishes itself from the others based on three major characteristics i.e. A holistic view, a comparative perspective, and focus on the concept of culture (Bonvillain, p.4). I am interested in becoming an anthropologist because of the focus of this discipline in studying humanity. A career in this field will provide me with knowledge, skills, and tools that will enable me to study the past, work with people, and….

Works Cited:

Bonvillain, Nancy. "Chapter 1 - What Is Anthropology?" Cultural Anthropology. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. 1-18. Print.

Anthropology for Me Is Synonymous

Religion is an inherent part or element of a culture or society, and this must be viewed in the context of the society/culture in which this religion developed and thrived. It must be considered that all religions give credit to humanity's existence through a certain god / goddess (or in the case of polytheistic religions, gods/goddesses). Differences across religions lie only on the traditions observed, roles assumed by each member, and worldview and perspectives about specific issues, understood from the context of the society's/culture's religion. However, the central idea of having a creator/creators that govern all living and non-living things in the world remains constant across religions, therefore making it possible for anthropologists to consider and explain the concept of universality of religion. 10. How and why do cultures change? Cultures change because of changes in the peoples' interactions or geographical phenomena. Changes in the social actors and their interactions with….

Anthropology Letter Evaluation the First

Although the writer explained his honest opinion, he still showed respect to the people concerned and his reasons sound fair enough for the Yanomami and other indigenous people. The fourth letter indicated some direct criticisms to the AAA organization. The writer explained facts based from his study and in turn explained his comments and criticisms which are also based from factual information that he had researhed on. As compared to the first three letters where the writer showed deep concern for the Yanomami and other indigenous people, the writer in this letter showed concern on the credibility of the AAA organization. This is apparent in his suggestions that can prevent Yanomami from failures and from having criticisms from others. The fifth letter sounds suggestive and yet reprimanding. In the first paragraph of the letter, the writer explained the purpose of the AAA. This is perhaps to generally indicate to the reader….

Anthropology -- Short and Long

Cultural Construction -- Fundamental beliefs, definitions, behaviors, and relationships that are attributable to social learning and culture-specific expectations rather than to biology. What is participant observation and what are the advantages of it (please use the virtual reality game (econd Life) as an example. Participant observation is a type of anthropological, sociological, and other research-based disciplines in which the researcher can become directly and intimately involved with specific populations of research subjects. In its traditional format, researchers from one culture live with foreign societies as a method of increasing their understanding of their cultures through direct first-hand, face-to-face experiences as temporary members of those cultures. In the context of the study of virtual-reality-game societies such as econd Life, participant observation takes the form of participating in the virtual reality game and interacting exclusively with econd Life characters within that virtual context. The advantage of this type of research is that it reduces the….

Sources Consulted

Boellstorff, T. (2008). Coming of Age in Second Life: An Anthropologist

Explores the Virtually Human. Princeton: New Jersey: Princeton University

Robbins, R., and Larkin, S. (2007). Cultural anthropology: A Problem-Based Approach.

Anthropology in the Broadest Sense of the

Anthropology, in the broadest sense of the term, is concerned with the whole history of mankind: man in the context of evolution. Yet this is a difficult position to take because being concerned with man as he occurs and as he has occurred means that the body and the soul must be taken into consideration together and the differences in man associated with time and location must be investigated. Still, there is a fundamental difference between the work of an anthropologist and that of an anatomist or a psychologist who deal, primarily, with the common functioning of the human mind and body. Accordingly, "Minor differences such as appear in any series of individuals are either disregarded or considered as peculiarities without particular significance for the type, although sometimes suggestive of its rise from lower forms." To the anthropologist, on the other hand, each individual human must be seen through the lens….

1. Boas, Franz. Anthropology and Modern Life. New York: Dover Publications, 1960.

2. Cain, M.J. Fodor: Language, Mind and Philosophy. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2002.

3. Cowen, Richard. History of Life: Third Edition. Malden: Blackwell Science, 2000.

4. Davidson, Donald. Subjective, Inter-Subjective, Objective. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.

Anthropology How an Anthropologist Knows There Are

Anthropology How an Anthropologist Knows There are many different ways anthropologists can gather information and draw conclusions about the artifacts they encounter. Even when confronted with two very similar female skeletons from the same period, a skilled anthropologist will likely be able to make certain determinations about the people that these skeletons belonged to back when they were animated and covered in softer tissues. Features of the skeletons themselves as well as other artifacts found on or near the skeletons can also provide clues as to their identity -- not their names or other highly specific information (at least, not in most cases), but possibly their occupation familial role(s), station in society, and especially their socioeconomic status. The next few paragraphs will outline several ways in which an anthropologist can come to these and other conclusions about a skeleton from a simple examination. There are three main types of forensic anthropology that can….

Gale. (2006). Skeletal analysis. Accessed 8 December 2011.  http://www.enotes.com/skeletal-analysis-reference/skeletal-analysis 

Jones, K., Katzenberg, M. & Saunders, S. (2008). Biological Anthropology of the Human Skeleton. New York: Wiley.

Penn. (2011). Applied forensic anthropology. Accessed 8 December 2011.  http://www.penn.museum/physical-anthropology/453-applied-forensic-anthropology-video-surveillance-and-skeletal-analysis.html 

Warrne, M. (2008). The Forensic Anthropology Laboratory. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

Anthropology An Analysis of Two Articles the

Anthropology: An Analysis of Two Articles The Gender and Labor Politics of Postmodernity" by Aihwa Ong and "Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Community" by Arjun Appadurai both offer perspectives on the impact of the changing global economy. These two articles will now be analysed in turn. This involves describing the main argument of each article, considering how each article is persuasive, considering how each article is confusing, and finally, considering how each author either agrees or disagrees with the ideas of other scholars. In "The Gender and Labor Politics of Postmodernity" Aihwa Ong discusses the situation in the modern industrial work environment, also focusing on the role of women in this environment. Ong argues that there is a gap between what the literature says is happening and what the real experiences of workers are. In the essay, Ong attempts to show what the real situation is by looking at the….

Appadurai, Arjun. "Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Community." Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1996.

Ong, Aihwa. "The Gender and Labor Politics of Postmodernity." The Politics of Culture in the Shadow of Capital. Ed. Lisa Lowe and David Lloyd. Durham: Duke University Press, 1997.

Sahlins, Marshall. "Cosmologies of Capitalism: The Trans-Pacific Sector of The World System." Culture/Power/History: A Reader in Contemporary Social Theory. Ed. Nicholas B. Dirks, Geoff Eley, and Sherry B. Ortner. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994. 412-455.

Anthropology - Culture According to White's Energy

Anthropology - Culture According to White's "Energy and the Evolution of Culture," culture is a multifaceted dynamic which operates on a few different levels. Quite literally, the author proposes the notion that there are three primary facets of culture and its expression. These are the technological, sociological, and the ideological parts of culture. However, the writer makes a point of noting that despite the fact that these different modes of culture are interrelated and both act upon and react to the forces of one another, they do not do so equally. White believes that the technological aspect of culture is the most dominant one, and effectively asserts its influence on the other two realms the most. Consequently, the author believes that culture evolves in accordance to technology and the technological aspect of culture. Essentially, culture evolves because of technology's effect upon it. At the core of this notion advocated by White is….

If one were to base the evolution of United States culture since the 1950's strictly on the point-of-view advanced by White in "Energy and the evolution of culture," it has become much more sophisticated due to its increasing reliance on technology. Its applications of technology have diversified and become increasingly more pervasive. For instance, communication is much more effective now than it was during the 1950s when landline telephones and mail carriers were still the most advanced form of technology. Today's reliance on mobile devices and the internet certainly trump those, regardless of the fact that the instant connectivity and accessibility enabled by such contemporary technologies have devalued facets of communication and replaced long-awaited, heartfelt sentiment with catch phrases and tweets.

Furthermore, such technological innovations that have cause culture to evolve have also altered it ideologically. Virtues such as patience seem to have been replaced by a culture of instant gratification. Delays are less tolerated, and attention spans (especially among the young) are seemingly shorter than ever. There are also prominent social consequences affected by technology's influence. The technological revolution created in the wake of the internet and globalization has created wealth disparities that have effectively shrunk America's middle class. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing. Militia and the world's armies are able to kill more effectively and in greater amounts with much more ease than they could in the 1950's (since atomic warfare would eventually demolish the planet).

In summary, American culture has evolved since the 1950's by becoming much more reliant on technology than it previously was. Technology has occupied a central pace in the social and ideological spheres of most Americans' lives.

Anthropology Historical Foundations of Anthropology

Gift giving creates a bond between the giver and the receiver. Mauss felt that to reject a gift, was to reject the social bond attached to it. Likewise, to fail to reciprocate is viewed as a dishonorable act in some cultures. Gift giving is a means to create social cohesion among the group. What Distinctive contributions did Weber make to social theory? Weber used his work to attempt to understand the differences between traditional cultures and modern western society. He disagrees with organic theories and placed more emphasis on the individual's contribution to the whole (Weber, in Anthropological Theory, 1922: 112-113). Weber contributed the idea that religion changes the motives of the individual. Therefore, religion played a constructive role in the development of society. Weber felt that individuals in traditional societies selected and followed leaders based on their personalities, or out of tradition. He felt that individuals in Western society follow….

Boas, Franz. 1920. The Methods of Ethnology. In Anthropological Theory: An Introductory Theory. Fourth Edition. R. McGee and Richard Warms. McGraw Hill.

Douglas, Mary. 1966. External Boundaries. In Anthropological Theory: An Introductory Theory. Fourth Edition. R. McGee and Richard Warms. McGraw Hill.

Durkheim, Emile. 1895. What is a Social Fact? In Anthropological Theory: An Introductory Theory. Fourth Edition. R. McGee and Richard Warms. McGraw Hill.

Durkheim, Emilie. 1893. The Division of Labour in Society, the Free Press reprint 1997

Anthropology Behavioral Implications of Developmental

Technological innovations were common as mankind learned to communicate with one another. Working in social groups early humans discovered tools, methods for controlling fire and using the wheel and eventual begin developing methods for "recording and communicating message" to one another, resulting in "the creation of larger societal units, hierarchical differentiation and specialized division of labor" (Laszlo, 2001: 654). Language communication and development have made possible faster growth, more complexity within society and higher levels of socialization and interaction. Through increased communication and interaction humans were able to develop and work together to discover technological innovation that further changed the way humans behave. Organization within human communities and territorial expansion continued to rise and homosapiens continued on a path of socio-cultural evolution stemming from language developments (Gibson, 1987). Current Behavioral Implications Modern Humans Laszlo (2001) suggests we are at a "critical juncture in the history of our species" when "a mode of….

1973. Evolution and Human Behavior: An Introduction to Darwinian Anthropology. New York: Anchor Press.

1999. "Evolutionary Obstetrics." In W.R. Trevathan, E.O. Smith & J.J. McKenna, Evolutionary Medicine. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999: 183-207.

Anthropology Andrew Bank's Evolution and

Many of the poems produced by the Bushmen are written in this manner, which does not rhyme and can seem disjointed. However, it is also possible to sense the deep communion with nature that the Bushmen have in the way they express themselves through poetry and other writings. They want to show the beauty of the land they live on, and provide others with a way to see the value in it, as well. The flowers, trees, grass, and even the animals they hunt and kill for food and other needs are all revered by them, much more so than most people do today. They also see themselves in nature, and want to express that experience of everything being connected to everything else. This is not always an easy thing to express, but it Bushmen found a way to do so. Both Bank and Krog, in their discussions of Bleek and….

Bank, Andrew. Evolution and Racial Theory: The Hidden Side of Wilhelm Bleek. South African Historical Journal, 43(1): 163-178. 2000. Print.

Krog, Antjie. The stars say 'tsau': / Xam Poetry of Dia!Kwain. Roggebaai, South Africa: Kwela Books. 2004. Print.

Anthropology in Turkey Changing Role

The other positive is that I will be travelling and meeting new people in my life as well as trying out new ways of life there. How do you anticipate your field experience might change your initial plans and expectations? The field work will definitely change my plans as well as expectations since from the American view, Turkey happens to be another society that is not fully democratized ad needs to adapt to democratic leadership. The thing no one is talking about is the type of community exists at the grassroots especially the youth and the changes they might be undergoing and only concentrates on the older generation. These are the perceptions that will be shaped about the Turkey community and the youth community in particular. eflect on what you think distinguishes an anthropological approach and anthropological research from other types of research through your specific imagined case study. Anthropological research has a….

Euro-Mediterranean Youth Platform, (2010). Testimonials: Turkey. Retrieved June 11, 2012 from http://www.euromedp.org/testimonies/turkey/

Anthropology of Power and Maoism by Andrew

Anthropology of Power and Maoism by Andrew Kipnis China in the 20th century had been under the reformist political system of Communism, where Mao Zedong, its first leader, led to country towards Cultural Revolution. Under Mao's leadership, Chinese society has been transformed into a Socialist society, which became possible through the peasant revolution, since Socialism decrees that social changes include the rise of peasant leadership (the proletariat class) over the elite (bourgeoisie class). Indeed, Mao's influence as the great Communist leader of one of the biggest and most powerful Communist countries in the world had permeated the lives of every Chinese of the 20th century. That is why anthropologists, seeking to understand the anthropology of power under Mao's leadership, conducted research that looked into power relations and dynamics during and after Mao's reign as leader of China. In Kipnis' study on the anthropology of power and Maoism in China, he analyzes five….

Kipnis, A. (June 2003). The anthropology of power and Maoism. American Anthropologist, Vol. 105, Issue 2. p. 278. (ProQuest Document ID: 374854301).

Anthropology and Total Institutions the Presence of

Anthropology and Total Institutions The presence of total institutions within our overall societal structure provides a unique opportunity for anthropologic inquiry through the standardization of individual behaviors. First introduced by sociologist Erving Goffman in his 1957 essay On the Characteristics of Total Institutions, the concept of total institution is used to describe "social arrangements which regulate, under one roof and according to one rational plan, all spheres of individuals' lives -- sleeping, eating, playing and working" (Goffman, Lemert and Branaman, 1997, p. 54). While total institutions exist in multiple forms throughout society, ranging from orphanages and nursing homes to army barracks and mental hospitals, perhaps no other organizational establishment embodies Goffman's conception of a total institution better than the modern prison. The intensely structured and overtly authoritarian environment fostered inside a prison system epitomizes a total institution because its "total character is symbolized by the barrier to social intercourse with the….

Bartels, D, (1990), "From black dutchmen to white moluccans: ethnic metamorphosis of an east-indonesian minority in the netherlands ," Center for Southwest Asian Studies

Bateson, G, (Dec. 1935), "Culture contact and schismogenesis," Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 35. pp.178-183.

Goffman, E. Lemert, C. Branaman, A, (1997), The Goffman Reader, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Malden, MA.

Goffman, E, (1959), The presentation of self in everyday life, Edition of book, Doubleday, New York.

Need some topics for mixed method research in social sciences.

The social sciences refer to any academic discipline that deals with human behavior.  The fields that generally fall under this rubric include economics, anthropology, psychology , sociology, political science, historiography, as well as certain types of culture-specific studies.  Mixed method research refers to a research methodology that mixes traditional quantitative and qualitative research designs and discussing both types of evidence or data while considering the takeaways or conclusions of the research. 

Some topics for mixed method research in social sciences are:

Research Paper Help: What is the history of nursing in Ghana?

What is the history of nursing in Ghana ?

Many articles that explore the history of nursing are very focused on the evolution and history of nursing in the Western world, which leads people to mistakenly conclude that nursing evolved in the West and then was transported to other parts of the world, including Ghana.  On the contrary, Ghana has a rich tradition of nurses as healthcare practitioners and the profession evolved in Ghana alongside developments in other parts of the world. The history of nursing in Ghana may not contain any figures as....

Need help generating essay topics related to Genetics / Heredity. Can you help?

Genetic Determinants of Complex Traits The Role of Gene-Environment Interactions in the Development of Multifactorial Disorders The Complexity of Polygenic Traits: Unraveling the Contribution of Multiple Genetic Variants Epigenetics and Gene Expression: How Environmental Factors Influence Genetic Inheritance Advancements in Genetic Technologies The Impact of Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies on Genetic Research CRISPR-Cas9 and Gene Editing: Ethical Considerations and Therapeutic Applications Precision Medicine: Tailoring Treatments Based on Individual Genetic Profiles Hereditary Diseases and Treatment Genetic Testing for Hereditary Diseases: Implications for Prevention and Management Gene Therapy: Current Challenges and Future Prospects The Role of Pharmacogenomics in Personalized Treatment for Genetic Disorders Genetic Diversity and....

Could you help me draft an essay outline about zora neale hurston

I. Introduction A. Background information on Zora Neale Hurston B. Thesis statement on the significance of her work II. Early Life and Education A. Birth and childhood in Notasulga, Alabama B. Move to Eatonville, Florida and sense of community C. Education at Howard University and Barnard College III. Career as a Writer A. Work as a folklorist and anthropologist B. Publication of her first short story and novel C. Success as a playwright and essayist IV. Literary Contributions and Themes A. Exploration of race, gender, and identity in the African-American experience B. Use of vernacular language and folk traditions in her writing C.....

Anthropology

Anthropology: The Fundamental Social Science Anthropology is, according the American Anthropological Association, "the study of humans, past and present" (AAA, 2011). Anthropology looks at what it means to be human;…

Anthropology Career: Anthropology can broadly be defined as the study of humanity based on its evolutionary origins in the past millions of years and its current global diversity. Unlike other…

Religion is an inherent part or element of a culture or society, and this must be viewed in the context of the society/culture in which this religion developed…

Although the writer explained his honest opinion, he still showed respect to the people concerned and his reasons sound fair enough for the Yanomami and other indigenous people. The…

Cultural Construction -- Fundamental beliefs, definitions, behaviors, and relationships that are attributable to social learning and culture-specific expectations rather than to biology. What is participant observation and what are the…

Anthropology, in the broadest sense of the term, is concerned with the whole history of mankind: man in the context of evolution. Yet this is a difficult position to…

Anthropology How an Anthropologist Knows There are many different ways anthropologists can gather information and draw conclusions about the artifacts they encounter. Even when confronted with two very similar female skeletons…

Anthropology: An Analysis of Two Articles The Gender and Labor Politics of Postmodernity" by Aihwa Ong and "Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Community" by Arjun Appadurai both offer…

Anthropology - Culture According to White's "Energy and the Evolution of Culture," culture is a multifaceted dynamic which operates on a few different levels. Quite literally, the author proposes the…

Gift giving creates a bond between the giver and the receiver. Mauss felt that to reject a gift, was to reject the social bond attached to it. Likewise,…

Technological innovations were common as mankind learned to communicate with one another. Working in social groups early humans discovered tools, methods for controlling fire and using the wheel…

Communication - Language

Many of the poems produced by the Bushmen are written in this manner, which does not rhyme and can seem disjointed. However, it is also possible to sense the…

Education - Computers

The other positive is that I will be travelling and meeting new people in my life as well as trying out new ways of life there. How do you…

Anthropology of Power and Maoism by Andrew Kipnis China in the 20th century had been under the reformist political system of Communism, where Mao Zedong, its first leader, led to…

Criminal Justice

Anthropology and Total Institutions The presence of total institutions within our overall societal structure provides a unique opportunity for anthropologic inquiry through the standardization of individual behaviors. First introduced by…

Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Cultural Anthropology — The Holistic Approach to Anthropology

The Holistic Approach to Anthropology

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Historical background, key concepts, methodological implications, contemporary relevance.

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