Southern New Hampshire University
ATH-101 Introduction to Anthropology
Module 2 Study Guide
Cultural Aspects of Race:##
Approximately 300,000 years ago, our species evolved into anatomically modern humans
(AMH).# We no longer had the body hair that protected us from the UVA and UVB rays of the
intense equatorial sun.# Darker skin evolved to protect us from this necessary (UVB rays help
the skin produce Vitamin D3 and calcium in bone and muscles) but also dangerous (sunburn,
premature aging, and cancer-causing) radiation.
When we migrated out of Africa around 120,000-60,000 years ago, our color was all generally
the same – dark. There were no issues as long as our species stayed in the equatorial regions.
However, moving to the northern hemisphere presented a different problem. The UVB rays in
this region are less intense than in the tropics. Dark skin cannot absorb these lower levels of
UVB rays. As a result, humans living in these regions evolved lighter skin colors. In some
regions, lighter skin evolved later than in others.
Knowing all this, why do we still allow physical differences to taint our perspective of others?
Because it’s in our nature to categorize things. Before the 17th century, “otherness” was
based on heritage, but since then, we have culturally connected it to skin color. Racial
classifications are social categories individuals are assigned to separate ‘our’ group from
others. People are ethnocentric and tend to view their culture as better than others.
Historical Influence on the field of anthropology: Many anthropologists have contributed to
and helped legitimize the field of anthropology. For example:
Cultural Anthropology – Franz Boas, around the turn of the 20th century, conceived the
idea of cultural relativism, understanding the ways of other cultures and not judging these
practices according to one’s own cultural ways. This concept revolutionized the field of
cultural anthropology and helped introduce the anthropological perspective.
Physical Anthropology – Louis and Mary Leakey were Kenyan paleoanthropologists whose
significant discoveries in the Olduvai Gorge helped establish human evolution in Africa.
Louis also sponsored Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey in their studies of primates.
Archaeology – In 1927, Howard Carter discovered pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb, one of
the few Egyptian tombs that were not looted in antiquity. A large number of funerary items
found in the tomb provided invaluable information on the lives of Egyptian nobles.
Linguistics – J.R. Tolkien was a linguist and the author of the world-renown The Hobbit and
the Lord of the Rings series. Tolkien spoke a dozen languages and invented several, some of
which he featured in his tales of Middle Earth.
Applied Anthropology - I would be amiss if I didn’t mention a pioneer of applied
anthropology, such as Ward Goodenough, who published Cooperation in Change: An
Anthropological Approach to Community Development.
These five subfields combined cover every aspect of humankind, the sum of which makes
anthropology the holistic field it is today.
