Human beings in all times and places think about their world and wonder at their place in it. Humans are thoughtful and creative, possessed of insatiable curiosity.1) Furthermore, humans have the ability to modify the environment in which they live, thus subjecting all other life forms to their own peculiar ideas and fancies.Therefore, it is important to study humans in all their richness and diversity in a calm and systematic manner, with the hope that the knowledge resulting from such studies can lead humans to a more harmonious way of living with themselves and with all other life forms on this planet Earth.
“Anthropology” derives from the Greek words anthropos “human” and logos “the study of.” By its very name, anthropology encompasses the study of all humankind.
Anthropology is one of the social sciences.2) Social science is that branch of intellectual enquiry which seeks to study humans and their endeavors in the same reasoned, orderly, systematic, and dispassioned manner that natural scientists use for the study of natural phenomena.
Social science disciplines include geography, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Each of these social sciences has a subfield or specialization which lies particularly close to anthropology.
All the social sciences focus upon the study of humanity. Anthropology is a field-study oriented discipline which makes extensive use of the comparative method in analysis.3)The emphasis on data gathered first-hand, combined with a cross-cultural perspective brought to the analysis of cultures past and present, makes this study a unique and distinctly important social science.
Anthropological analyses rest heavily upon the concept of culture. Sir Edward Tylor’s formulation of the concept of culture was one of the great intellectual achievements of 19th century science. 4) Tylor defined culture as “… that complex whole which includes belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”This insight, so profound in its simplicity, opened up an entirely new way of perceiving and understanding human life. Implicit within Tylor’s definition is the concept that culture is learned, shared, and patterned behavior.
5) Thus, the anthropological concept of “culture,” like the concept of “set” in mathematics, is an abstract concept which makes possible immense amounts of concrete research and understanding.
Practice 2
The destiny of wild places in the 21 century can be read in the numbers. The pressure to exploit the world’ s remaining wilderness for natural resources, food and human habitation will become overwhelming. But bulldozers and chain saws aren’t the only threats. A new menace has emerged from the least likely quarter; in many cases, the very people who care most passionately about empty places are hastening their demise.
Backcountry activities have become extremely trendy in the U. S., a fad that has been eagerly abetted by Madison Avenue. These days it’s impossible to turn on a television or open a magazine without being assaulted by a barrage of ads that use skillfully packaged images of wilderness activities to rev the engine of consumerism. Disconcerting though this development may be, it happens to come with a substantial upside; because wilderness is now esteemed as something precious and/or fashionable, wild places are more often being rescued from commercial exploitation. But if the wilderness fad has made it easier to protect wild country from development, it has made it harder to protect wild country from the exploding ranks of wilderness enthusiasts. Increasingly, places once considered enduringly back of beyond are now crowded with solitude seekers. As wilderness dwindles and disappears, more is at stake than the fate of endangered species. Other, less tangible things stand to be lost as well. Empty places have long served as a repository for a host of complicated yearnings and desires. As an antidote to the alienation and pervasive softness that plague modern society, there is no substitute for a trip to an untrammeled patch of backcountry, with its attendant wonders, privation and physical trials.
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There are several ways you can find out about the countries and places you wish to visit. You can talk to friends who have travelled to the places. Or you can go and see a colour film. Or you can read travel books.
It would seem that there are three kinds of travel books. The first are those that give a personal, subjective (主观的) account of travels which the author has actually made himself, if they are informative and have a good index (索引), then they can be useful to you when you are planning your travels. The second kind are those books whose purpose is to give a purely objective (客观的)description of things to be done and seen. If a well-read, cultured person has written such a book, then it is even more useful. It can be sorted as a selected guide book. The third kind are those books which are called "a guide" to some place or other. If they are good, they will, in addition to their factual information, give an analysis or an explanation. Like the first kind they can be inspiring and interesting. But their basic purpose is to help the reader who wishes to plan in the most practical way.
Whatever kind of travel book you choose you must make sure that it does not describe everything as "wonderful", "excellent" or "magical". You must also note its date of publication because travel is a very practical affair and many things change quickly in the twenty-first century. Finally, you should make sure that the contents are well presented and easy to find.The date of the publication must be noticed because ().
The defective places in the furnace () with fire bricks.
The defective places in the furnace () with fire bricks.
In which of the following places is it BEST to put the paging system file?()
The only places in Australia that experience regular winter snowfall and icy conditions are()
In a series circuit, which value will remain unchanged at all places in the circuit?()
A line on a weather chart connecting places which have the same barometric pressure is called an().