Re: No Anthropology here

Iain Walker (ngazidja@jolt.mpx.com.au)
9 Sep 1995 01:16:34 GMT

dfrederick1@vaxa.hofstra.edu wrote:
: I have spent many years studying anthropology. It was my understanding that
: anthropology was the unbiased study of cultures. What is this garbage that you
: people are talking about under the guise of anthropology.

: Cultural anthropology deals with the cultures of non western civilization

It's also American. In the Franco-Scottish tradition (in particular) we
don't speak of cultural anthropology but we do study social
anthropology. There is a difference: cultural anthropology could be
considered a part of social anthropology but not vice versa. The
paradigms are different, too, the American cultural anthropologists often
discuss things in terms that are at best irrelevant to social
anthropologists.

: Physical anthropology deals with the remains of once living creatures
: Archaeology deals with the material remains of once living creatures
: Linguistics deals with the history and make up of language.

: If I have confused anyone I'm sure you will share it with me.

: Are there any scholars here? I figure not, who would want to be caught dead on
: a system that uses Darwinian theory to justify racism. Or who use anthropology
: to speak of the struggle of blackwomen.

It's an unmoderated newsgroup, which means that anyone can discuss anything,
pretty much. There are plenty of anthropological mailing lists where
serious academics discuss serious things in serious language.

: Incredible

Ah, fact is often stranger than fiction

Iain Walker
ngazidja@jolt.mpx.com.au

"Zaffer mouton na pa zaffer kabri"