Effects of Dual Identity
Anthropology is the field of study that entails the study of humans, human behavior, their culture, and societies. Subsequently, the study is based on ancient and modern societies despite the simplicity or complexity. Dual identity is the identification under two different aspects. Consequently, anthropology shares this characteristic in both social sciences and humanities. Social sciences involve studying Western and industrial societies, while humanities involve the study of languages, texts, art, and the philosophy of a society (Kottak, 2018). The advantages and problems that arise with this dual identity are evident.
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The advantages of dual identity are broad. One advantage is the extensive study of human behavior through the comparison of ancient practices and current practices. Accordingly, as social sciences focus on industrial societies while anthropology focuses on rural societies, the two are linked to produce a detailed study of a society that previously dwelled in a non-industrial society. Still, as industrialization occurred, changes took place, and these changes can be studied to understand the practices in that society. Also, as humanities mainly focus on a society’s language and philosophies, this link will allow an anthropologist to analyze the changes in the languages and philosophies of a society concerning social sciences. Therefore, anthropology’s dual identity allows a deeper understanding of societies through comparison between ancient and present practices.
The problem associated with dual identity is also evident. With different fields involving different studies, the dual identity can cause diversity. Diversity plays a hand in the extensive understanding of societies; however, this diversity may influence anthropology. The study of already evolved societies, such as the industrial society, may influence the community’s study at a non-industrial level. Linking the various fields together may influence the final study result, which may not be the reality of a given society’s version of events. It, therefore, concludes that the dual identity of anthropology offers advantages that overshadow the problem it causes.
References
Kottak, C. (2018). Mirror for humanity (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
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Question
Effects of Dual Identity
Examine anthropology’s dual identity as a member of both the social sciences and the humanities. What advantages and problems do you see rooted in this dual identity?
Textbook – Mirror for Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
11th Edition, 2018
ISBN (U.S.): 9781259818424
Author – Conrad Phillip Kottak
Publisher – McGraw Hill