Deculturation
Deculturation, a term often mistaken for acculturation, refers to the process where a person, group, or society loses their original culture due to oppression, colonization, or other factors that lead to cultural disruption.
Social/Cultural Anthropology
Social and Cultural Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures, including their beliefs, practices, and social organization. This category covers topics such as religion, economics, politics, and family, as well as the study of cultural diversity and globalization. From exploring the rich diversity of human cultures to understanding the complex social and cultural systems that shape our world, learn about the fascinating field of social and cultural anthropology.
Female Headed Households
The increase in female-headed households represents a shift in the global family structure with significant socio-cultural and economic implications. From a cultural anthropology perspective, the rise underscores the necessity of interrogating traditional gender roles and addressing the gender wage gap.
Unilineal Descent
Unilineal descent is a system of tracing kinship through one gender, i.e., either through the male or the female line. It is subdivided into patrilineal descent, where lineage is traced through males, and matrilineal descent, where lineage is traced through females.
Ways of Acquiring Spouse
The ways of acquiring a spouse are numerous and deeply rooted in cultural, economic, and social contexts. Understanding these practices helps anthropologists and sociologists comprehend the complex nature of human societies and their evolving norms and traditions.
Honor Killing
Honor killings, a deeply disturbing cultural phenomenon, are murders committed under the pretext of preserving the perceived honor of a family or community. They occur when the victim, usually a female, is believed to have brought
Customary Law
Customary law is a fascinating subject in anthropology, as it offers insight into the structures of societies and cultures. This type of law, though not formally codified like statutory law, holds significant sway over local practices and behaviors.
Primitive Law and Modern Law
The human legal framework's evolution is a fascinating journey from rudimentary principles of "primitive law" to complex edifices of "modern law". A grasp of this transformation is not just about understanding legal systems but also appreciating human evolution, culture, and society.
Shamanism
Shamanism, often characterized as the earliest form of spirituality, offers unique insights into the human quest for meaning, health, and connection with the natural world. This primal belief system, prevalent among hunter-gatherer societies and indigenous cultures, focuses on the Shaman—a spiritual mediator with the ability to traverse the physical and spiritual realms.
Dispute Settlement in Pre-Literate Societies
The study of dispute resolution mechanisms in pre-literate societies offers an important window into the complexity of these societies and their sophisticated approach to maintaining social order. Despite their lack of written laws or formal institutions, these societies developed effective systems for resolving disputes, preventing conflicts, and upholding social norms.
Cultural Evolution
Cultural evolution is a concept that attempts to explain the way societies develop over time, emphasizing how cultural practices, ideas, and technologies change and spread across generations. This understanding of cultural evolution provides a lens through which we can comprehend the broad outlines of prehistoric cultures.
Cultural Materialism
Cultural Materialism, a theoretical framework originally coined by anthropologist Marvin Harris, provides an insightful perspective for examining socio-cultural phenomena. As a research strategy, it uses the material conditions of life, specifically the production and reproduction of life, to illuminate cultural practices and beliefs.
Ethnic Group
An ethnic group represents a category of people who identify with each other, usually on the basis of presumed similarities such as common ancestry, language, history, society, culture or nation. Ethnicity is often an inherited status, but it can also be adopted, shed, and renegotiated over time.