How Did Anthropology Begin?
Early episodes of European colonialism, plantation slavery in the Caribbean, and Darwin in Tierra del Fuego are crucial to “How Did Anthropology Begin?”
evolution
Entangling the Biological
An Introduction to Anthropology course for 2014, with emphasis on “entangling the biological” and the relevance of anthropology for important dialogue.
Epigenetics & Human Nature
Could epigenetics finally re-write the script about human nature? Maybe, but first we have to go over The Edge’s promotional tribute to Napoleon Chagnon.
Testosterone Anthropology
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy’s intriguing ideas on testosterone changes in “Mothers and Others” is answered by longitudinal anthropology on fatherhood testosterone.
Living with Darwin & Evolution-Creation Controversy
“Teaching Theories: The Evolution-Creation Controversy” (1982) has long been part of the Applying Anthropology reader. Time for a Living with Darwin update?
War, Peace, & Human Nature
Wonderful recent volume shows how views of human nature as inherently warlike stem not from the facts but from cultural views embedded in Western thinking.
Busting Myths
“Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told You” launched Agustin Fuentes into a public defense of anthropology’s relevance.
Science, Media, Anthropology
Denisovans! Exciting findings, cutting-edge genetic sequencing technologies, and scientists tone-deaf to a modern world built on colonialism and racism.
Jared Diamond won’t beat Mitt Romney
The really scary part of the Diamond Romney dustup is how Romney recaps Diamond: European imperialism is accidental but societies choose to fail.
Darwin in Mind–The End
“Darwin in Mind: New Opportunities for Evolutionary Psychology” (2011) marked the end of evolutionary psychology as foil for anthropology.
DNA Battles
Research on earliest Americans reveals multiple migrations and complexity. But Nicholas Wade botches the coverage–and the anthropology.
Dawkins versus Wilson: The Descent of Science
A Call for Blog Posts (CFBP) for an anthropological analysis of Richard Dawkins versus Edward Wilson on Social Conquest of the Earth.
Sex, Gender, Sexuality
Anthropology insists sex, gender, and sexuality include human activity and imagination–explaining why “gender is a social construction”
Traditional Race Ideas
Anthropology has debunked traditional race ideas that humans come as 3-5 genetic types. But backlash & misunderstandings around social construction persist.
Seizing the Holistic Moment
The innuendo on race and IQ is an opportunity to revisit anthropology on race and seize holistic understandings to reclaim this issue for anthropology.
Metaphors & Evolution
How can we stop trellises from turning into trees? Emphasizing non-directionality and complexity in evolutionary understandings.
Scientific Humanism
“We should be the humanistic science and the scientific humanism that Eric Wolf described nearly 50 years ago” (H. Russell Bernard, Science in Anthropology)
Capitalism, Denisovans, Anthropology in Media
Free PowerPoint for “Anthropology and Moral Optimism”; Denisovan admixture update; AAA news and the 2011 Anthropology in Media Award.
Four Field Manifesto
Anthropology’s Moral Optimism: Four Field Manifesto & alternative visions of humanity. Capitalism is not the most beautiful or respectful of shared planet.
Admixture All the Way Down
Despite Nicholas Wade’s emphasis on splits among human groups, the research is clear that it’s admixture all the way down. Plus some Malinowski!
Oh no I’ve said too much
Re-listening to R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” as a professor teaching evolution in front of a classroom: Oh no I’ve said too much / I haven’t said enough.
Earliest Signs & Origin Stories
Pronouncements of firsts and earliest signs are reminders of a truth from Robert N. Proctor: There’s no glory in “second oldest.”
Mismeasuring Gould
“The Mismeasure of Science” reassessed Gould’s “Mismeasure of Man.” In a climate of race resurgence and attacking anthropology, this was a horrible idea.
Australopithecine Teeth & Gender
Fascinating study of australopithecine teeth and residence patterns. Ridiculous headlines about gender and family. Anthropology analyzes science and media.
Do anthropologists study everything?
Anthropologists don’t study everything. Anthropology studies important issues, in context, and gets real data. Anthropology is necessary.