Anthropology | Scientific Study

Running head: ANTHROPOLOGY
ANTHROPOLOGY
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ANTHROPOLOGY1
Introduction
The scientific study regarding human behavior, societies, and humans are known as
anthropology. A broad approach is applied by the anthropologists for understanding different
aspects of human experiences (Hann 2018). There are four categories of anthropology,
including archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic
anthropology (Sanjek 2019). The systematic study regarding humanity by understanding the
evolutionary origins, great diversity, and distinctiveness of species in the usual form of social
existence all across the globe depicts the concept of anthropology (Rosaldo, Lavie and
Narayan 2018). Anthropology demonstrates the area of study in which people evolve from
historical practices, lifestyle and influences by adapting to the varied environment,
socializing and communicating with people (Blum 2019). The purpose of the paper is to
discuss culture through the conception of anthropology. The paper will project a picture of
enculturation from childhood to a growing life span with the experience of the newer cultural
paradigm. The paper will be concluded by summarizing the evolution of human and human
behavior through the reflection of anthropological events.
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Definition of culture within anthropology
Culture is a concept that encircles all the norms and social behavior experienced
within human societies and the reflection of arts, customs, laws, beliefs, habits, capabilities,
and knowledge in individuals. According to the anthropological study, culture is organized
along with the two areas of change and diversity. The upbringing of individuals and the
environment in which they are the part in, otherwise also termed as culture, stimulates the
diverse traits of the individuals from other various cultures. The meaning of culture depicts
the need for people to adapt and transform into biological, cultural and physical selves for
surviving by experiencing change (Bennett 2017). Culture usually changes due to one of the

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two alternatives, accomplishing the changing needs and selective transmission. Culture is a
concept that includes practices such as learning through passive habitus and active teaching,
sharing meaning, which demonstrates a group by accomplishing common needs. Culture is
also a patterned form of meaning, which demonstrates the recourse of the same ideas and
thoughts (Handwerker 2019). Culture is adaptive that assists the individuals in accomplishing
needs all across the variable environment. Culture is symbolic, which helps in reflecting upon
various practices, values, and rituals. Culture is defined as the sets of human behavior, which
passes through one generation to another. Culture is considered under the purview of
anthropology, for which it also has a separate category, cultural anthropology (Handwerker
2019). Cultural anthropology depicts the branch in anthropology, which concentrates on the
study and practice of cultural variation in humans. Cultural anthropology depicts a rich
methodology involving surveys, interviews, and participant observation. In culture,
behavioral patterns are similar in a specific group of population. The meaning and conception
of culture are defined significantly differently from the perspective of anthropology.
According to anthropologists, the culture will be defined as shared values, concepts, rules,
and ideas that are allowed in a social group for functioning itself. Culture in anthropological
perspective can be categorized as dynamic with ever-evolving socially framed reality, which
exists under the cognition of the members of social groups.
Anthropologically describing the enculturation of childhood
Enculturation is a structured procedure dedicated to the learning of individuals in a
dynamic environment or culture for the purpose of acquiring norms and acquired values. This
process is shaped when the behavior and learning of a child are developed through various
influencing factors or agents such as peers, parents, and young adults. Successful
enculturation leads to the state of the capability of speaking a certain language, practicing
certain rituals, and believing specific values (Whitt and Hoey 2016). Human beings
experience the procedure involved in enculturation from childhood until the phase of growing