What I Learned in Anthropology: A Key to Unlocking Human Knowledge

Introduction 

Anthropology to my understanding would be the analysis of our beliefs, culture, religion, society, and many other factors that make us who we are. “As we will discuss in more detail, anthropology itself is a holistic discipline, comprised (in the United States) of four major areas of study called subdisciplines: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology. We need all four subdisciplines in order to understand the human experience”. This is what we research in the 'What I learned in anthropology' essay.

What I learned in anthropology

I think to say that anthropology іs the study of humans is accurate but it is way deeper than studying humans. I believe it is the study of our past through the remains of our ancestors (archaeology), to consider our economic and social class (cultural), what language we speak (linguistic), as well as studying how we evolved into humans and our biological relations towards non-living organisms. I feel that with my understanding in Anthropology, it just brings out more questions, such as how different cultures developed their language and when were the customs developed in populations. All in all, Anthropology is taking into consideration every aspect of humans to understand everything doing with us. 

Anthropology is still an important field of study because, like math or English, it is applied to life in things such as theories and other specialties. Explorations: an open invitation to biological anthropology states, “Sometimes considered a fifth subdiscipline, applied anthropology involves the practical application of anthropological theories, methods, and findings to solve real-world problems. Applied anthropologists are employed outside of academic settings, in both the public and private sectors, including business or consulting firms, advertising companies, city government, law enforcement, the medical field, nongovernmental organizations, and even the military.” Every person studies to become something whether it’s a doctor, lawyer, part of the government, or FBI. It doesn't matter what we end up studying to do because every job requires us to understand humans, where we come from, and what we believe. Analyzing DNA, forensics, human ancestors, skeletons, and even animals all need an understanding in Anthropology. Science and the world also include Anthropology as an important aspect. Observation and studying is the first important step of forming a hypothesis, then there are predictions of outcomes before it’s tested and proven or rejected. This is like anthropology.

Anthropology research can be useful to any discipline. Zhang Qian used Anthropology research to study cultural differences and Charles Lyell used it as a geologist to study rocks. Due to the diverse range of research Anthropology offers, I can think of many different disciplines. Cultural Anthropology is studying groups and individuals and how they behave, this research is good for the FBI behavioral analysis unit. Linguistic Anthropology is good for becoming better at communication and understanding more than one language. Archaeology can be used to find out more about the past, the way of life, tools, and art. Biological Anthropology focuses on where humans come from and genetics, which can be useful to forensic scientists. Communication skills can be used by social workers or some parts of Anthropology are helpful in the medical field. My point is in every discipline Anthropology research can be applied whether it’s used to look at bones or do modern-day surgery.                

Conclusion

In conclusion, anthropology is a multidimensional field that offers a deep understanding of human existence. It has practical applications in various disciplines and contributes to our knowledge of culture, language, biology, and more. By exploring our past and studying human behavior, anthropology enhances our understanding of ourselves and the world. It fosters critical thinking and is relevant across diverse professions. Ultimately, anthropology serves as a compass, guiding us to appreciate the complexity of human existence and inspiring further exploration.