This page and the resources linked from it are Open Educational Resources (OER).
"It is imperative that I learn the differences in these different sub-cultures if I am to effectively reach them with the gospel." -- Donald S., Northwest Nazarene University student
Cultural anthropology is the study of the people groups and cultures of our world. It can provide tools for better intercultural communication as well as give us a mirror through which to see ourselves more clearly. One key assumption of those who study cultural anthropology is that we absorb cultural concepts best through exposure to ethnographic description as well as actual fieldwork.
A course in cultural anthropology will help people:
Cultural anthropology can help you acquire or hone some basic research skills, such as observation and interviewing. By studying other cultures, we can better understand our own culture. Cultural anthropology can also help us to understand our own individual behavior and thereby gain insight into how to exert influence over our future.
A -- Analyzing human culture and history,
N -- Nurturing understanding of human diversity,
T -- Tracing evolutionary changes in humankind,
H -- Honoring diverse traditions and beliefs,
R -- Researching languages, customs, and norms,
O -- Observing rituals, myths, and social bonds,
P -- Piecing together ancient artifacts,
O -- Opening minds to different worldviews,
L -- Linking biology, society, and behavior,
O -- Ongoing studies of what makes us human,
G -- Gathering insights into civilizations,
Y -- Yearning to understand our shared humanity.
"I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" -- Revelation 7:9
This course will use various learning resources, including videos and case studies.
"The musical Fiddler on the Roof made much more sense after reading chapter 7 of our cultural anthropology textbook." — Professional Studies student
Anthropology is the broad study of human beings, their origins, cultures, and development. It has several branches, including cultural anthropology. Ethnography is the detailed study and description of a particular cultural group, while ethnology compares and analyzes cultures using ethnographic findings.
An anthropologist who devotes an entire career to an in-depth study of a tribal group in the Amazon rainforest is concentrating on ethnographic research. A Bible translator who spends two decades learning a language, developing a writing system for it, and eventually producing a New Testament in that language is also engaged in a form of ethnographic work. On the other hand, cultural anthropologists hired by the Bureau of Indian Affairs might work with a wide range of tribal groups and draw upon both ethnographic and ethnological research.
If we were dealing with automobiles, anthropology would be the study of everything about them (history, mechanics, styling, sales, repair, effects on human beings, and so on). Ethnography would be an in-depth study of Jeeps, while ethnology would compare Jeeps with other kinds of vehicles.
Their eyes and ears are among their main tools. Anthropologists do a great deal of fieldwork. Physical anthropologists may study human skeletal remains, while archaeologists excavate and analyze artifacts and other evidence from past societies. Cultural anthropologists spend considerable time observing and interviewing people. Linguistic anthropologists work with languages.
Print and video materials produced by National Geographic are very user-friendly resources. Museums that focus on cultures are also excellent. Here in Oklahoma, for instance, we have good Native American tribal museums as well as the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum that details the life of cattle raisers. In Haiti, there are two small but good anthropological museums that missionaries have founded and maintain.
| Writing Standards Most courses at SNU contain a writing component. I expect students to produce written work that is focused, well-developed, organized, and relatively free of grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors. Papers falling short of this standard will not be graded. That work will be returned to students for further revision and resubmission. See my writing checklist. |
| Have you played cultural bingo? [ more ] |
Before you do, read Southern Nazarene University's academic integrity policy.
"I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" -- Revelation 7:9
See the above list of case studies.
See the above list of resources.
See the above list.
See the above list of articles.
"And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God." -- Luke 13:29, New Living Translation
-- Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu
Studying cultural anthropology can benefit us for several reasons. Here are seven of them:
Simply put, cultural anthropology can equip us with skills and insights that are very useful in our diverse and interconnected world. Whether we are interested in understanding human behavior, pursuing a career in a related field, or simply broadening our horizons, studying cultural anthropology can enrich our lives.
