ANTH 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Participant Observation, Social Darwinism, Unilineal Evolution

• School: UConn
• Department: Anthropology
• Course: ANTH 1000
• Professor: Megan Stamey Mc Alvain( T A)

Document Summary

What are the two reasons why it is so important for us to understand social darwinism: this is the foundation of early anthropology. So many mistakes were made and it is now thoroughly rejected: these ideas were still believed despite lacking scientific credibility. We need to be able to look beyond what it means. Character/ culture/existence of the other is a construction of western culture. Depending on the needs of the western world, how the other is constructed will change. We are creating the other under the influence of social darwinism. We recognize that all humans aren"t the same. The more you are like me, the closer you are to being human. Be able to duplicate the us/other dichotomy and explain why it is a form of boundary. What two developments in the west helped construct/redefine the "other" in the 19th century: 19th century colonialism: foundation of political, economic, and social world.