Anthropology refers to the study of people and human behaviors as well as communities both in the present and past. Most individuals believe that anthropology entails living in rural regions, studying weird practices or harrowing experiences. As postulated by Fuentes, such perceptions paint a toxic image regarding the discipline, making its significance in the real world almost impossible to see (305). However, anthropology in the real world entails studying and understanding the diversity of human existence, the functional and historical purposes of this diversity, people’s values, behaviors and beliefs and how they affect them and their communities. Anthropological thinking, therefore, has significant benefits in today’s world, one of which is promoting development. Focusing on anthropology and borrowing its ideologies helps human beings understand themselves and how they relate to others. Anthropological thinking majorly entails critical thinking about what people do, why they do what they do and factors that influence their behaviors for instance politics, economy, family frameworks, religion and biology.
Understanding these human concept makes it easy for human beings to relate with others both on personal and professional grounds thus boosting a peaceful community. The critical thinking and analytic skills borrowed from anthropology allows for diversity and enables people to handle new social conditions, for instance, new communication rules and languages which further boosts harmony and general understanding (Fuentes 308). The anthropological understanding and thinking also helps human beings address the current challenges, for instance, those relating to conflicts, globalization and the evolving environments. Anthropologists not only function globally handling international problems but also help the local societies handle their issues. additionally, anthropology gives people the ability to interact with varying types of individuals, making operations smooth and successful. Some of the practical activities in anthropology for instance projects that focus on societal organizations further arm people with the relevant expertise that make them successful in their career lives.
Anthropologists secure employment in a variety of careers, for instance, education, environment administration, healthcare services, business, and archaeology as well as government organizations. Anthropological thinking is vastly applicable in these fields as it grants significant views on observing, relating, and understanding individuals. Anthropological reasoning, therefore, assists an individual in developing their professional competence, allowing them to successfully perform in their given positions, which boost development in today’s world. According to Fuentes, anthropology also opens people to many aspects, for instance, cultural diversity whereby they use anthropological knowledge and thinking to shape policies that eradicate cultural conflicts in the current societies (310). Anthropological knowledge allows human beings to compare varying cultural practices and critically evaluate the interpretations and assumptions of such cultures, to embrace diversity and foster growth.
Generally, anthropology is the only discipline that allows human beings to study the concepts that make them human. Anthropological thinking, therefore, incorporates broader techniques of boosting the human understanding of the varying components of social experiences, a theory known as holism. It helps people understand their needs as well as those of others, and the techniques employed to satisfy them. Anthropologists, for instance, examine the diverse groups of individuals and how they acquire, prepare, and share their food and this vastly helps reduce global challenges related to poverty and global hunger (Fuentes 313). In their attempt to make the current world better, experts in this field apply their knowledge in the various professional fields, solving the complexities basing on how human beings lived in the past. Generally, anthropological knowledge and thinking substantially helps improve the quality of human life, boosting self-development which in the long run results to overall development in the current society.
Work Cited
Fuentes, Agustín. “Integrative Anthropology and the Human Niche: Toward A Contemporary
Approach to Human Evolution.” American Anthropologist 117.2 (2015): 302-315.