Republic of the Philippines

CITY COLLEGE OF TAGAYTAY

Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
General Education Department/Physical Education Department

Anthropological Perspective of the Self

Anthropology is a field of the social sciences that focuses on the study of the man.
This does not pertain only to one aspect of the man (i.e. his mind or his environment) but
rather on the totality of what it means to be human. The filed looks like into man’s
physical/biological characteristics, his social relationships and the influences of his culture
from the dawn of civilization up to the present.
It is not enough for these scientist to just focus on the study of the present day man,
for what man is now is a product of his past. Everything in anthropology is an
interconnected and complete understanding is necessary to achieve the goal of man
understanding himself better.

I. Anthropology and Its Subdisciplines

The academic discipline of anthropology, or “four-field” anthropology, studies

human species and its immediate ancestors includes four main sub disciplines or subfields
- sociocultural, archeological, biological and linguistic anthropology. According to
anthropology human beings are similar and very different at the same time. For instance
people have the same need for food, water, shelter, but they differ in the means/ways of
how to acquire these for their satisfaction. It is through this studies that people learn about
themselves and about others around them. Lately, people have come to realize that the
similarities and diversities among them is what makes life so interesting.

The Subdisciplines of Anthropology

Archeological Anthropology
Archeological anthropology reconstructs, describes and interprets human behavior and
cultural patterns through material remains. These materials remain such as plant, animal
and ancient garbage provides stories about utilization and actions. Archeologists a scientist
who studies artifacts (tools and objects past people have made) in order to discover how
these people lived their lives. Archeologists focus is the past and how may have contributed
 Republic of the Philippines
CITY COLLEGE OF TAGAYTAY
Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
General Education Department/Physical Education Department

to the present ways of how people conduct their daily lives. Indeed , people are so similar
yet so different. Archeology like the other fields of knowledge are so continuously
searching for answers to this human dilemma. In contemporary society, people still aim for
survival, for their basic needs to be met and needs that would enable them to live a
mark/legacy in their society.
Biological Anthropology
Biological, or Physical Anthropology focuses on these special interest, human
evolution as revealed by the fossil, human genetics, human growth and development,
human biological plasticity and the biology, evolution, behavior and social life of monkeys,
apes and other nonhuman primates. Biological anthropologists focus primarily on how the
human body adapts to the different earth environments. They look at the probable causes
of disease, physical mutation and death. They also want to know how human beings might
have evolved from their early forms (based on discovered fossilized remains). Biological
anthropologists also do comparative studies on human beings both dead ang living and
other primates (apes and monkeys). These scientist interested in explaining how the
biological characteristics of human beings affect how they lived their lives. By studying
people in different places around the globe, these scientists have discovered that while
human beings do vary in their biological make-up and behavior, there are a lot more
similarities among them than there are differences. Biological characteristics human beings
share may earn for them complete dominion over all earth creatures and at the same time
be the cause of their extinction.

Linguistic Anthropology
Linguistic anthropology studies language in its social and cultural context across
space and over time. Universal features of language are analyzed and association between
language and culture are evaluated.. It also studies how speech changes in social situations
and over time.
 Republic of the Philippines
CITY COLLEGE OF TAGAYTAY
Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
General Education Department/Physical Education Department

Human survival is primarily linked to their ability to communicate. This is another

capability that resulted from big human brains. The brains comes equipped with
specialized areas specifically for the purpose of communication is language. Language
identifies a group of people. The words, sounds, symbols, writings and signs that are used
are reflections of a group’s culture. Linguistic anthropologists interest focuses on using
language as a means to discover groups manner of social interaction and his worldview.
These scientists want to discover how language is used to create and share meanings, to
form ideas and concepts and to promote social change. Linguistic anthropologists also
study how language and modes of communication change over time. As societies change
and technologies develop so do the symbols and meaning people attach to objects and
events as expressed through the language that hey use and their manner of communicating.
Cultural Anthropology
Culture is described as a group of peoples way of life. It includes their behaviors,
beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept (usually unconscious) that are socially
transmitted through communication and limitation from generation to generation.
Cultural anthropology is the study of human society and culture which describes, analyzes,
interprets and explains social and cultural similarities and differences. It explores the
diversity of the present and the past. Ethnography and ethnology are two different
activities which can study and interpret cultural diversity.

Ethnography
(based on field work) Ethnology
(based on cross-cultural comparison)

Ethnography requires fieldwork to collect data, often descriptive and specific to group. On
the other hand, ethnology uses data collected by a series of researches, usually synthetic
and comparative.
 Republic of the Philippines
CITY COLLEGE OF TAGAYTAY
Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
General Education Department/Physical Education Department

The Self Embedded in the Culture

Culture refers to customary behavior and beliefs that are passed on through
enculturation (Kottak, 2008), wherein enculturation is the social process which culture is
learned and transmitted.
Culture is a social process that is learned and passes from generation to the next.
Culture depends on images, which have a specific significance and incentive for individuals
who share a culture. Cultural traditions take regular marvels, including organic desires, and
transforming them specifically headings. Everybody is cultured. Social orders are
coordinated and designed through predominant monetary powers, social examples, key
images and core values. Cultural mean of adjustment have been urgent in human evolution.
Cultures oblige people, yet the activities of people can change cultures

Shared

Adaptive and
Symbolic
Maladaptive

Culture
Encompassing
Natural

Integrated Learned

Cultural anthropologist are interested in knowing what makes one group’s manner
of living particular to that group and forms an essential part of the members of personal
and social identity. Whether the individual admits it or not he is a product of his culture.
Theory of cultural determinism human nature is determined by the ideas, meanings,
beliefs and values learned as members of society. This a tantamount to saying that who or
 Republic of the Philippines
CITY COLLEGE OF TAGAYTAY
Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
General Education Department/Physical Education Department

what a person is may be determined by the kind of culture he is born into and grew up in.
With the different cultures that exist not only in a society but all over the world,
anthropologist suggested that there is no universal or right way of being a human.
The following are the ways in which culture may manifest itself in people:
1. Symbols are the words, gestures, pictures or objects that have a recognized/accepted
meaning in a particular culture. Symbols can be shared or copied who find them also fitting
for their own culture.
Example: Rings signify commitment which may also be copied/imitated by other cultures.
Colors have meanings that are similar in many cultures.
2. Heroes are persons from the past or present who have characteristics that are important
in a culture. They may be real or fictitious and are models for behavior.
Example: Real – Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio
Fictitious: Spiderman, Darna
3. Rituals are activities (may be religious or social) participated in by a group of people for
the fulfillment of desired objectives and are considered to be socially essential.
Example: Religious ceremonies like baptisms and weddings.
Social ceremonies like birthday and graduations
4. Values are considered to the core of every culture. Values are unconscious and can
neither be discussed nor be directly observed but can only be inferred from the way people
act and react to circumstances and situations. Values involve human
tendencies/preferences towards good or right or wrong.
Example: respect for elders, hospitality and nationalism

Culture defined: Culture is shared, symbolic, natural, learned, integrated,

encompassing and maladaptive and adaptive. Csordas (1999) elaborated that the human
body is not essential for anthropological study but the paradigm of embodiment can be
explored in the understanding culture and the self. The body is not an object to be studied
in relation to culture, but is to be considered as the subject of culture, or in other words as
 Republic of the Philippines
CITY COLLEGE OF TAGAYTAY
Akle St., Kaybagal South, Tagaytay City
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
General Education Department/Physical Education Department

the existential ground of culture. On the other hand, Geertz (1973) described culture as "a
system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men
communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life".
The interpretation of the symbols in each culture is essential which gives meaning
to one’s action. Each culture has its own symbols and has its own meaning; one must need
to comprehend those meanings keeping in mind the end goal to understand the culture.
One must disconnect the components of culture, discover the relationship among those
components, and portray the entire framework in some broad way.
In summary, the field of anthropology is yet another way by which a person can view
himself. To be added to his repertoire of perspectives, anthropology makes the person
aware that what he is may be determined by his past and present condition, his biological
characteristics, the way he communicates, the language that he uses and the manner in
which he chooses to live his life.

Required Reading/s:

Csordas, T. (1999). Self and person. In bode (Ed.),Psychological Anthropology (pp. 331 –
350).
Praeger. 331 – 350.

Geertz, C. (1973). The Impact of the Concept of Culture and Concept of Man. In the
interpretation of culture(pp. 33 – 54). Basic Book.

Geertz, C. (1973). Person, time and conduct in Bali. In the interpretation of culture(pp.
360 – 411).
Basic Book.