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Anthropology Glossary of Terms

Anthropology is the study of humans. It is a broad and complex field that covers everything from the physical characteristics of humans to their cultural, social, and linguistic practices.

Anthropology has many subfields, including archaeology, biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, and linguistic anthropology. Each of these subfields has its own specialized vocabulary.

This anthropology glossary of terms provides definitions for some of the most commonly used terms in anthropological research.

Glossary Terms starting with A

  • Acculturation
  • Action Theory
  • Adaptive Strategy
  • Alliance Theory 
  • Amoral Familism
  • Animism
  • Anomie
  • Anthropology of the Body
  • Anthropology of the City
  • Apartheid
  • Asiatic Mode of Production
  • Assimilation
  • Asymmetric / Symmetric Alliance
  • Auto-Ethnography
  • Avunculate
  • Avunculocal

Glossary Terms starting with B

  • Behaviourism
  • Benedict, Ruth
  • Big Man / Big Woman
  • Bilateral Kinship
  • Biological Anthropology
  • Black Economy
  • Black Power
  • Blood Feud
  • Boas, Franz
  • Bourgeoisie
  • Bride Capture
  • Brideprice, Bridewealth and Brideservice

Glossary Terms starting with C

  • Capital
  • Capitalism
  • Cargo Cult 
  • Cash Crops
  • Caste
  • Caudillismo
  • Class Consciousness
  • Cline
  • Cognatic Kinship
  • Cognitive Anthropology
  • Colonialism
  • Commensality
  • Commodity or Commodification
  • Concubinage
  • Consanguinity
  • Conscience Collective
  • Conspicuous Consumption
  • Contagious Magic
  • Creole Language
  • Cultural Baseline

Glossary Terms starting with D

  • Debt Slavery
  • Democracy
  • Demography
  • Despotism
  • Development
  • Developmental Cycle of the Domestic Group
  • Dialect
  • Discrimination
  • Divination
  • Division of Labour
  • Domestic Mode of Production
  • Duolocal Residence 
  • Durkheim, Émile
  • Dowry
  • Dynasty

Glossary Terms starting with E

  • Endogamy
  • Ethnogenesis
  • Ethnography 
  • Exogamy
  • Evans-Pritchard, Edward
  • Evil Eye 

Glossary Terms starting with F

  • Fascism
  • Feminist Anthropology
  • Functionalist Theory

Glossary Terms starting with G

  • Game Theory
  • Geertz, Clifford
  • The Gift
  • Goodall, Jane

Glossary Terms starting with N

  • Neocolonialism
  • Neoliberalism
  • Non-Binary Gender Identities

Glossary Terms starting with P

  • Politics of Meaning

Glossary Terms starting with S

  • Social Contract Theory
  • Sociological Perspective
  • Substantivist Formalist Debate

 

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Anthropology Glossary of Terms – Posts

The Basics of Behaviourism – Understanding the Key Principles

March 8, 2023 by Claudine Cassar
behaviourism

Behaviourism is a psychological perspective which posits that all behaviour can be explained by environmental factors & learning experiences

Alliance Theory – Understanding the Formation and Maintenance of Social Ties between Groups

May 4, 2023 by Claudine Cassar
alliance theory

Alliance theory is a social anthropological model that proposes that alliances between groups are formed and maintained based on the benefits that can be gained from them.

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