Anthropology – the study of humans and their cultures

Author: (English) Taylor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The content of this book examines both the human body itself and human cultural activities, with a focus on culture. The author summarizes his earlier academic research in this work. He not only provides concise discussions on the characteristics of humans and races but also offers comprehensive introductions to all cultural phenomena, especially those related to primitive cultures—such as technology, art, and society—that were either not covered or only minimally addressed in The Original Culture.
From the content perspective, this book serves not only as a fundamental theoretical work in anthropology, archaeology, ethnology, folkloristics, and folk literature but also as a valuable reference for revisiting and studying history, sociology, religion, the history of science and technology, the history of philosophy, cultural history, intellectual history, educational history, and more.
"Anthropology" originates from Greek and is an interdisciplinary field that bridges natural and social sciences, studying "humanity" itself and its culture. This book adopts an integrated approach to examine the two attributes of humans—biological and cultural—encompassing prehistoric cultures and those of the civilized era, as well as the cultures of one's own ethnic group and other ethnic groups. It explores the origins, growth, and transformation of human culture, investigates the general and specific laws governing cultural development, analyzes and compares the similarities and differences among cultures of various nations, regions, and groups, examines the structure, function, and symbolism of cultural phenomena, and studies the relationship between individuals and culture or society.