Essay Sample on The Role of Anthropology in Culture
Every person is part of a culture that may be the same and different from other cultures. Each culture is unique in their own way, based on cultural backgrounds, traditions, and a number of things that tells a person’s culture. Anthropology is an important topic that gives an explanation of human experiences, their history, developmental, and artifacts that holds significance to one’s culture. Therefore, anthropology is monumental to my culture as an individual and collectively as being an African American female.
My culture and cultural anthropology play a role in my life as my culture is being exhibited every day. The same as all cultures and mine is viewed as an ethnography of a detailed description of my culture’s daily lifestyle (Haviland 6). My cultural anthropology can be a range of things being based on my family, and as being a minority dealing with hardships than other individuals. My culture is recognized as a story for all witness and understand.
Not all cultures are viewed as the same, and they shouldn’t. Whereas, cultures have their own attributes that distinguishes them from others. This is where biological anthropology takes place that focus on the physical, genes and genetics, and other important entities of human evolution. It all starts with paleoanthropology, as all humans as known as Homo sapiens, being the largest known primate (12). As being an African American female, I am different mentally and physically, with a certain mindset on the way I perceive and conduct myself in way my cultures will consider as appropriate. I am a reflection on of my culture and family, inside and out in this society today.
In this society, there are many cultures of different backgrounds that has their own way of communicating and expressing themselves to others. A person’s dialect sounds different from other cultures; however, its meaning can sometimes be similar. When thinking about a culture’s language, we have to think of their historical linguistics that makes them who and their culture are in the past and present. Our native language is passed onto us from our ancestor’s ancestral tongue that can still be heard today, and modernized to society’s understanding (9).
When learning about someone’s culture, I can see anthropology as part of my life as what is past down from one generation to the next generation that hold a significant meaning within cultures. As archaeologist are able to recovery and analyze material remains and environmental data, it is historical artifacts and landmarks shows the history of cultures (10). It can be an item or a place that can be worth nothing, but at the same time can have so much meaning to it. From my perspective in the African American culture, there are historical information that are important to African Americans based on the struggles, and fight endured to obtain freedom and equality. Historical information of written documents, interviews, recorded materials, and objects recovered that gives an explanation of historical events.
Anthropology is a powerful topic that gives you insight about one’s culture, and other cultures. It is an eye opener in knowing about my culture, the history, where I come from, and in knowing about myself. My culture and history is what makes me who I am today with the assistance of archeologists who continue to obtain and recovery more historical information. Anthropology is an intriguing topic to continue in learning about my cultures and other cultures.
