Anthropology

Anthropology is generally broken down into three subdisciplines: biological anthropology,cultural anthropology and archeology. Biological anthropology is defined as the scientific study of physical characteristics, variability and evolution of the human organism. Cultural anthropology is concerned with the non biological, behavioural aspects of society i.e., linguistic, and technological components underlying human behaviour. Two important branches of cultural anthropology are ethnography( the study of living cultures)and ethnology ( which attempts to compare cultures using ethnographic evidence. Archaeology is a subdiscipline of anthropology involving the study of the human past through its material remains. Other divisions of anthropology include economic anthropology, forensic anthropology, lingustic anthropology, Marxist anthropology, psychological anthropology, socio cultural anthropology and palaeontology.

This branch of science is concerned with man in time and space. Here ‘time’ means the stages of development of man in the process of evolution (socio-cultural) during different periods of time, while ‘space’ refers to the differentiation of physical and cultural types in modern man living in different environs all over the globe. Thus, Anthropology has two principal focuses, human evolution and variation (physical as well as cultural).

Anthropology is the study of humanity - our physical characteristics as animals and our unique non biological characteristics. Applied anthropolgy is a growing branch of the anthropological sciences devoted to applying anthropological language to the solution of human problems. Applied Anthropologists are professional consultants and onboard problem solvers in many fields that require a theoretical and practical understanding of human cultural behaviour or human biology.

Nature of Work

Study of anthropology tells us about man’s behaviour from different angles in order to generate authentic theoretical knowledge about man. In its attempt of studying various dimensions of man’s existence and behaviour, Anthropologists pursue specialised branches. Some of the elementary branches are:

* Physical Anthropology

* Archaeological Anthropology

* Socio - Cultural Anthropology

* Linguistic Anthropology

* Applied Anthropology

Physical anthropology

The Physical anthropologist is concerned with man as a physical organism, with his place in the scheme of biological evolution. He deals with the classification of early forms of man, the physical difference between the races of the species, Homo species, human genetics, modes of physiological adaptation and reaction to different physical environments.

Archaeological anthropologist

Archaeological anthropologists investigate and analyse the various remains of early human activity. These remains consist either of bones or of material objects shaped by people. Prehistoric archaeologists’ main task is to dig up, identify and classify these relics to compare them with material from other areas and to determine the chronological sequences in which they occurred. This is the historical construction based on non literary evidences.

Socio-cultural anthropologist

They deal with the associations, bands, tribes, communities or the manner in which people collect themselves and form groups. They study about people and their ways of life.

Linguistic anthropologist

This branch of Anthropology deals with language. While linguistics are mainly concerned with the study of how language, particularly written, is constructed and structured the linguistic anthropologists study both unwritten and written languages.

Applied anthropologist

Anthropologists have helped governmental agencies in the areas of birth control, malnutrition, growth, medicine, juvenile delinquency, agricultural methods and practices, tribal welfare and rehabilitation and above all in solving industrial problems of labour unrest.

Study and Training

To study anthropology any graduate is eligible for a postgraduate (MA) Course in Anthropology. The entrance requirement may be a specified aggregate and a written test. Students pursuing science can do a B.Sc./M.Sc. course in Anthropology .

Courses and Institutions

BA/MA courses in anthropology

Visva Bharati, P.O. Shantiniketan 731235

Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh 825301

Ranchi University, Ranchi 834001

University of Rajasthan, Gandhi Nagar, Jaipur 302004

Punjab University, Patiala 147002 Punjab

Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur 492010, Madhya Pradesh

University of Pune, Ganesh Khind, Pune 411007

North Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022

University of Mysore, Mysore 570005, Karnataka

Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati 517502, Chitoor Distt.

University of Madras, Centenary Buildings, Chennai 600005

University of Lucknow, Badshah Bagh, Lucknow 226007 U.P.

Karnatak University, Dharwad 580003

Kanpur University, Kalyanpur, Kanpur 208024

University of Hyderabad, P O Central University, Hyderabad 500134

Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, Garhwal University, Srinagar 246174 (UP)

Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar 470003 (MP)

Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530003

University of Allahabad, Allahabad 211002 (UP)

Utkal University, PO Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar 751004

Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla 768017, Sambalpur (Orissa)

Punjab University, Sector-14, Chandigarh 160014