There are a few things I’d like to tackle in the next couple of weeks regarding some thorny definitions and their role in anthropology. Including the definition of the field itself. This is a debate that pops up constantly, all over.
Defining anthropology is a key task in my life, as I often find myself assigned the task of describing 150 years of scholarship in a 30 second elevator pitch to an audience who only has a vague idea about something to do with evolution and digging up stuff. Some of these people are students. So it becomes increasingly clear to me that I need to have a solid definition that goes beyond a catchy phrase like “anthropology is the study of humanity.” Because let’s face it: that doesn’t say much.
So coming up are some exciting posts on semantics, meaning, fallacies of defintion, and the essence of culture, anthropology and religion.
