What is social anthropology?

[Rustyshackleford08]

I find Anthropology interesting, as well as history, I am looking for a course or courses that teach how societies have been controlled going back to Rome. Types of political systems, corruption (history of corruption)I am also interested in the church during the dark ages (with the witches and the like), the kind of control they had and have over society. I am also interested in learning about the ignorance of the public to the corruption and the political views of the day going back to Rome.

[Rustyshackleford08]

@Rustyshackleford08

Was there always a left/right war? Did Rome's bread and circuses distract everyone? Who stood up to Hitler? Who funded Hitler? Who were the people behind the various rulers/dictators/Popes that kept them funded and in power..etc. These are the things I am interested in. I haven't been able to find a course that focuses on political anthropology, none in Canada anyway.

Suggested reading would be nice if what I want doesn't exist.

[audentish]

Thank you so, so, SO much! I've got my exam in Social Anthropology tomorrow. I've read quite a bit, but now after watching you and taking notes I find it much easier to understand. If I meet you somewhere, when we're both out exploring, I'll buy you a cup of tea, coffee, or whatever you prefer :) I think I would have enjoyed talking to you!

Have a good day, and thank you so much again :)

[ayabaya]

@audentish

Thanks very much - glad it helped. And I look forward to the cup of tea... Alan

[Katantunoro]

It's sad that I giggled all the way through because I kinda want to perform experiments based on this and make money from it and get a respectable house and a respectable family so I can call them things like "Twilight" and "Solar" so when they follow my zombie apocolypse plan they will make very nice mutants. Now I feel stupid that I spent my youth watching videos like this in the hope I wouldn't end up watching videos like this. It's now a shame that I am still youthful.

[Dath45556]

If it gives you a right to say something, and you demand that right, then you should, for reasons of equality, allow me to question and be rude to you. The fact that you brought in your religion just shows how much of what I'm going to say is true. Your an uneducated and ignorant hairball! Period! I didn't ask for excuse for why you were rude nor did I imply it! This may be a bit of a misunderstanding but you could have phrased it a lot better but more importantly nicer! Good Day to you sir!

[leonotron]

BORING!!!

P.S. Get a decent mic.

[Dath45556]

@leonotron Then (Excuse my language), FUCKING PISS OFF! I'm not overly interested in what this man has to say, but that dosen't give me the right to be rude and inconsiderate. Your lucky that this isn't a very popular video, because if it was there be a lot more people bashing you around saying your boring!

Please go away and don't even think about defiling us with you company, you insidious bubble of rotting anal wind!

Other than that I thought that what this guy said was quite interesting!

[leonotron]

@Dath45556

Chill out kid, the video is on the internet and it has a comments section so that gives me the right to say how I feel about it. Don't you know how the internets works? What's your excuse for being rude and threatening? Is it because I'm jewish? Get over it douche bag.

[Miskizaz]

Great lecture....I want to know further the social anthropology...would you please help me to find the resources....

[markierudd]

I'm been interested in taking a masters degree in social anthropology. But i'm uncertain as to the differences between sociology and social anthropology. It seems that both subjects now cover areas that perhaps used to be exclusive but are not any more: the west versus 'the other'; the contemporary versus the historical; the general/macro (using quantitive research methods) versus the specific/micro (using qualitative research methods). Would taking a sociology masters be better re a career?

[Golightly143]

ayabaya-- you must be a professor. Where do/did you teach? This is a great lecture

[captaindrywal123]

i wish they had a sound guy

[lyle67]

Generally, the fieldwork of a thesis will last a min 1 year. This is the "participant observation" technique unique to Anthropology, important for a number of reasons. You become part of the group you are trying to study & are treated differently to a stranger coming in and gathering data. You learn the language and can therefore get a larger, more diverse sample.If you are living with a family group you will have an insight into family dynamics and intimate details, births deaths & marriage etc

[jenshine]

@lyle67 This is a pretty Malinowskian view of socio-cultural anthropology. Especially considering many people are doing research within the communities they live. Anthropologists are also rarely trying to understand the "totality" of communities (mentioned in the clip). This kind of anthropology is historically situated in studying the Other and it would be a mistake to assume that would be possible partly because it assumes a lack of dynamism or change. I say this as a current anth MA student.

[Kingaoe]

I'm beginning to become really interested in the study of anthropology. Generally, is there a lot of field work that goes on with jobs that are based on anthropology? Or is it: get in there, record observations, then come back and analyze it for an extended period of time? Because the field work part of the job is very appealing to me. If nobody can answer the question in a general manner maybe they could suggest a job or branch of the study?

Thanks for the help, Calvin.

[LeaTelamon]

@Kingaoe The length of the fieldwork varies depending on what you work with. Usually though, a majority of the time will be spent on fieldwork simply because this is your data-gathering stage, and without sufficient data you will not be able to write any proper material about your observations. 6 months is usually considered minimum though,but again, it highly depends on your project.

[LeaTelamon]

@Kingaoe If you would for example be employed at a help organization, you might just have a couple of weeks to solve a problem and then file a report. The reason why 6 months is considered minimum is because it simply takes that much time to get immersed in a different cultural context. Many anthropologists do however feel that not even 6 months or a year is enough to understand some ideas or customs very foreign to ourselves and might take a lifetime.

[datohisham]

The lectures are great but the volume very low.....can damage your car radio if it switches mode from USB to TUNER. Please dear Prof...put up the volume. HMS from Malaysia

[ale848]

im considering studying anthropology at uni but i dont relli kno were it can take me... any help? haha

[mak2cute4u11]

lots of places, the government uses anthropologists in lots of fields including policy making, national security, etc. also, a lot of businesses employ anthropologists to help build their company internationally and in human resources in order to solve problems, and you can also do "traditional" anthropology jobs... they are out there!

[ThreeTheNever]

@mak2... In any particular field when people say "governments will hire you to solve problems" yet nobody questions the efficacy of capitalism itself? centralized power; censorship, legal/illegalization of matter without the public's consent, assumed to be democratic is nothing but a guise of corporatization which, academics inevitably serve after graduation?

what makes us believe our ever-changing culture should be sustained and perpetuated by us without considering the current state of things?

[magiagalani]

@mak2cute4u11

I have graduated on September and still looking for a job as a social anthropologist..

[dwefoster1]

talking of humans as constantly "comparing", (10:00), c.f.

plato's 'Phaedo' and his argument claiming that our only concepts derive from 'opposites', e.g. white/black, slow/fast. Interesting parallels...

[Jackisblack3]

Thank you!

[brennanmoriarty]

PERHAPS the northern light is less than direct/clear, warm/hot edible... CONSUME INTELigence!

[brennanmoriarty]

at 2:00 min recording is bad!

the accent is a little fickle, the message is great!

imagine a true-left-hander like sire Paul McCartney or Phil Collins ,Charlie Chaplin, Bruce Willis, Michael Landon.. "growing up" in west america!!! this blue-eyed alien situation is toxic to the british psychy and self esteem SOCIOLOGICALLY and NORMATIVE-LY [lies are drug abuse! like lefties kurt cobain, jimi hendrix ..west america! RAISED, but Chaplin and Collins hit it big!!! AFTER visiting west amer A.N.N.Y.T

[inferno0020]

It is sad that social anthropology becomes a useless major in the United States. Thanks for Clifford Geertz for getting rid of scientific methods.

I don't know about British anthropology...can British anthropologists find job easily?

[Kerla]

I really did enjoy the video, I'm planing on coming to the Uk to study anthropology and the speach made me want to fly out right away

[jcas0167]

Those interested in the social sciences should read Steven Pinker's 'The Blank Slate'.

[ewanmac]

First year undergrad at Edinburgh University in Archaeology and Social Anthropology, interesting subject.

[Jiles782]

what is culture?

[kaixoananaiz]

culture is anything that is learned. we are highly social beings, and are born helpless with our instincts to guide us.. everything else we know of the world is learned.. our culture

[PeterAliha]

In short, culture is a set of acquired ways of living in a particular time-space.

[indielabelfan]

Culture is the division of suffering between different classes and the spreading of illness V. Das

[einherjergreat]

culture is human being's capacity of simbolizing

[mrtube99999999]

Thanks!

[FartheadOgre]

your brain is wise.

[cromperu]

This is a very useful video about anthropology. I just think English subtitles would be fine. Thanks for sharing the video.

[vhpachas]

Spanish subtiles would be great! Thanx

[manminusblood]

I am in my second year of University (studying in Canada). I am currently studying Sociology and Cultural Anthropology and found your lecture wonderful. If only the whole world could understand the gaps between cultures and societies and appreciate the other relativistically. This world would, then, be a place of peace. To understand that a specific symbol in one culture can, and often does mean something entirely different to another culture is an important distinction.

[corinapaz]

I am from Buenos Aires, Argentina and I am thinking in studying anthropology and I was looking for information and I found this incredible video!!!

Thank you so much Sr. You've been really inspiring and I think this talk is just what I needed.

A big kiss,

Corina!

[tibg95]

I got the point Social Anthropology study field is wide.thanks I enroled in a class and I was surprise to find that I had to read about African tribes that I didn't have any idea were are they located in the map.

[slimejocke]

Thank you for posting this, I was thinking about majoring in Anthropology and was discouraged by my google findings on exactly what they do, but this really cleared it up.

[lilginger31]

I love you Alan!

[Radulka79]

Thank you for your video!

[jhvirring]

Thank you so much!

[threeheadedbaby]

so very glad this has been posted...thank you...