Elysia Belser's essay:

08/22/12

Anthropology has four main categories; physical, cultural, archaeological and linguistic. All of these categories are very different but somehow they still manage to relate. All of these categories relate and create the study of us humans.

Physical anthropology studies who us humans are physically like who we are and why people from Africa look different from Asians. Cultural anthropology is based on economics, politics, art, and religion. Culture is very often linked with ethnicity. Archeological anthropology is the focus on old monuments and architectural landmarks that tell you about our human history. Lastly, we have linguistic anthropology which focuses on our human communication. Body language, verbal language, gestures and written language are all included inside of linguistic anthropology.

Now that you know what these things are, you are probably wondering how they relate? Well, the best way I can tell you is in an example. Recently I've observed that symbols are a big part of anthropology. One symbol that is very big is the Apple electronics sign. The little white apple with a bite taken our has made a big impression all over the world. Many people may argue that this is not a big part of anthropology but the truth is it is. People in Asia, Europe, and North America can look at this symbol and know exactly what it means. No matter what language they speak whether Chinese, Russian, or French, they will know what it means. This symbol is part of linguistic anthropology. When you see the symbol it's like a communication telling you the brand.

The Apple symbol is not only a part of linguistic anthropology but it is also a part of cultural anthropology because it is in our culture to use electronics. Some people in other cultures might be the ones that make it or package it or even ship it. This is only one of the many things that fit into multiple categories of the study we call Anthropology.