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Keeping Biological Anthropology in Anthropology, and Anthropology in Biology
Author(s) -
Calcagno James M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.2003.105.1.6
Subject(s) - applied anthropology , anthropology , biological anthropology , sociocultural anthropology , four field approach , digital anthropology , anthropology of art , sociology , ecological anthropology , development anthropology , medical anthropology , anthropological linguistics , cultural anthropology , mythology , history , philosophy , linguistics , art history , political science , clinical linguistics , social transformation , contemporary art , performance art , gender and development , social change , applied linguistics , law , classics
Considerable tension among the subfields has existed within the discipline of anthropology. As a result, some anthropology departments have splintered, and the hallmark "holistic approach" of anthropology has been considered more myth than reality. However, as promoted by the American Anthropological Association and the American Anthropologist for over one hundred years, enhancing the holistic nature of anthropology remains an important and necessary endeavor. This article provides an introduction to this special issue of the American Anthropologist , which focuses on the subfield of biological anthropology. Hopefully, as a result, increased connections among the subfields will be fostered, for the betterment of both biological anthropology and anthropology in general. The underlying theme of this article and the subtext for the entire special issue is clear: Biological anthropology needs anthropology, and anthropology needs biological anthropology. [Keywords: biological anthropology, subfields, four‐field approach, holistic]