Cultural anthropology
Cultural anthropology is a field of anthropology whose ultimate goal is to understand human culture. It deals with both the theoretical and the applied aspects of the human condition, and it is an anthropologist's means for understanding the cultural influences that shape human life. Cultural anthropologists study the cultural aspects of human societies. They investigate how culture is created, maintained, and understood, often using a theoretical framework called cultural semiotics.
Cultural anthropology is a type of applied anthropology that differs from other anthropological methodologies in that it focuses on understanding human culture in its own context, and not on the study of peoples in other parts of the world. Culture for cultural anthropologists is defined as a dynamic, changing, and cumulative form of information that affects the lives of individuals, organizations, and entire societies. The study of culture is distinguished from the historical study of its development. Although cultures can be viewed as dynamic, they cannot be conceived of as entirely independent from their present contexts. Culture is a unique and essential element of the human condition that shapes human relationships, but it is not simply the sum of the biological, psychological, and social elements of any specific culture.
General problems
Cultural anthropology deals with a specific subject that may be presented in many different ways, depending on the field. Cultural anthropology can be studied in a number of ways: by examining the evolutionary history of cultures, by examining specific cultures as they change, by examining culture from a historical perspective, or by studying the causes and consequences of culture.
History and historiography
Early cultural anthropologists were fascinated by the history of cultures, which is one of the main fields of research for the discipline. Cultural anthropologists have long been interested in explaining the human condition by examining the historical causes and effects of culture. In this regard, cultural anthropology is similar to disciplines such as history and historiography.
Cultural anthropology is a hybrid discipline with an aim that can be considered both an investigation of the past and an examination of the present. The study of history requires a knowledge of written sources, and the information that can be gained from such sources is often limited to the ideology of the people who created the texts and information. Although historians have acknowledged the importance of culture to the formation and maintenance of social identities, they generally do not consider that social identities are the exclusive province of culture. Thus, the present is not always reflected in written sources, and archaeological evidence is an essential part of the study of past societies. Archaeology is ac619d1d87
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