Emily - Intro to Anthropology

Under sociocultural anthropology, creativity, spirituality, and health are all connected. It is how we as humans can represent ourselves as well as connect to others. Spirituality  can be defined as the beliefs around the connection between other humans and the environment or supernatural aspects of greater powers. It differs from religion because religion is based more on structure and organization, while spirituality is not as strict and is based on feelings. Humans use religion and spirituality to find comfort in the unknown and to find a sense of belonging and purpose. Creativity and the use of imagination to connect to others can be seen through works of art,  such as physical media like drawings and paintings, music, or performance. Art can be used to represent culture or a way of life and serves as a form of physical representation. Health, medicine, and how we care for one another can be seen through medical anthropology. Ethnomedicine  can be described as how a s...

When studying anthropology, it is important to examine how humans interact with each other. How we govern and rule over one another is a part of that. Politics  is the dynamic between those in power and those who follow that power, and how they all interact and blend together. Humans need levels of power to perform tasks, and this can be seen through just about every society in history. The relationship between humans is also a part of anthropology. Kinship  focuses on the relationships between individuals. This can be seen within family dynamics and households. The way humans interact internally is also a key factor. Sex defines the biological categories of male, female, and gender-neutral individuals. Sex also has social dynamics of power that can be seen as matriarchy, female-led, and patriarchy, male-led societies. The way humans interact is based on these factors, both relative to one another and internally.  A kinship chart displaying a generation of past family mem...

An economy can be described as how a society meets its needs and wants. This can be through material items, such as resources like food and clothing, or through nonmaterial items, like services. Balanced reciprocity is the term used to describe building community through the exchange of equal goods and services. Every functioning society relies on an economy to transfer goods and services. Nutritional anthropology is an important factor in our understanding of humans of the past, as we can discover their eating habits, what they ate, who they ate with, and how they ate. Cultural heritage is deeply embedded in a culture's nutrition and nutritional habits. Every unique society has its own culture, and food is a major part of that distinction. How humans interact with their environment is also key to understanding how past humans lived. Humans have domesticated animals for both a source of food and resources, and also as a form of companionship. Symbiosis  is a shared beneficial rel...

  Culture is a vital component of what makes us human. It is in every aspect of our everyday lives, including our environment, community, material objects, and how we communicate. Without it, humanity would not exist, as it is necessary for survival. Every community or group has its own culture that varies from geographical locations and timelines. It has existed since the dawn of time and will continue to exist indefinitely. Language is also a key component in the development of culture. It's how we interact and communicate with one another to spread culture. Language is not limited to humans, as animals have their own languages as well. It does not have to be spoken and can instead be written, passed through symbols, or made with hand gestures.  A car sticker relaying the message of equality among religions. “Coexistence” by Rusty Clark/flickr, CC BY 2.0) Culture Concept Theory: Theories of Cultural Change   Language and Communication   In the article "When Disas...

 Humans come from the genus Homo, having characteristics of a large brain, walking on two legs (bipedalism), and the ability to use and create tools. When learning to understand modern humans and connect them to past ones, anthropologists struggled to find other criteria for connection that were not based on bipedalism. Eventually, they discovered that brain size was also a key distinguishing factor. Paleoanthropologists and primatologists studied bone fossils from early humans and noticed that they had a larger brain size. They were able to create an endocranial cast, which is an imprint of the interior of the brain case, and noticed that they had brain matter that allowed for more developed speech. The use of tools was also important in forming a connection between modern humans and past humans. Examples of these tools include the Oldowan tool industry,  which is the oldest known form of stone tools created by early humans. The tools are difficult to discover in present tim...

The Significance of the Printing Press in the History of Panama City   Emily Kirkland Spring 2026  A freshly made print from the Panama City Publishing Company Museum. Project Goals and Background Research  What were the major effects of the printing press in building the economy, and the significance of St. Andrews and Panama City as shown by the Panama City Publishing Company Museum? I was unfamiliar with the rich history that Panama City holds and wanted to learn more about how our city became what it is today. The printing press, in particular, was one of the first forms of technology that aided in the spread of mass communication. Distributing and preserving forms of physical media is also important to our understanding of humans of the past, as it comes directly from the source.  In the article, "The Art of Printed Words: An Auto-Enthography" by Alexander Ginsberg, Ginsberg is completing an assignment for their studio art honors thesis. Their plan was to u...