ANTH 206 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Gust Co. Ltd., Cultural Relativism, Environmental Determinism
8 Jun 2016
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Document Summary
Culture is what one must know to act effectively in one"s environment. (hunn) (who is to point out that this is or isn"t effective?) Culture: that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. (e. p. tylor) Environmental determinism is the view that environmental and material (sometimes including technological) conditions determine culture (just as a stimulus prompts a response in behaviourist theories) Ex: climate determining clothing, if you do something it is because of a stimulus in the environment. Determinism still exists in development studies as well. Developers look at poverty and explain it in different ways (a nation could be land-locked or not have a lot of resources so they are caught into poverty. ) Certain countries are more prone to epidemics depending on what skills or technologies that have.
