What is Anthropology, anyway?
Anthropology is defined as the "study of human diversity around the world." Studying this diversity allows us to obtain skill sets that can be applied to many different fields of work, and we do so through the four subfields anthropology is broken down into.
The Four Subfields of Anthropology:
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Physical Anthropology: also known as "biological anthropology," is the study of the adaptation, variability, and evolution of humans and their living and fossil records. In the UNT Biology Department, we have an extremely accomplished physical anthropologist on staff named Dr. Gill-King. He teaches ANTH 2700, the introductory physical anthropology course required for anthropology majors.
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Sociocultural Anthropology: sociocultural anthropologists study cultures and societies from around the world, and how the differences in politics, religions, economic and social statuses, health, environments, agricultural practices, customs, etc. influence each society's cultural processes and human nature. Sociocultural anthropologists conduct their research using a unique method called ethnographic fieldwork, where they spend time living amongst the cultures to find the best way to research their customs. We have many sociocultural anthropologists in the UNT Anthropology Department, including Dr. Davenport, both Dr. Lisa and Doug Henry, and our faculty advisor Dr. Dunstan.
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Archaeology: the study of earlier cultures by examining the artifacts that they left behind. Archaeologists collect artifacts, human remains, plants, animals, and soils on archaeological digs, then analyze their findings in labs. Examining these findings allows archaeologists to understand things such as dietary patterns, disease and injuries, how people used their environments, and how cultures changed over time. In the Department of Geography, archaeologists include Dr. Steve Wolverton, Dr. Reid Ferring, and Johnny Beyers.
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Linguistic Anthropology: the study of communication practices in cultures around the world. For linguistic anthropologists, language and communication are key components to the creation of society and culture. Dr. Christina Wasson of the UNT Anthropology Department was formally trained as a linguistic anthropologist.
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