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Discuss the various subdivision of the Anthropology and indicate the significance of each sub-discipline for the study of man. Introduction: The term anthropology is originated from the combination of two Greek words Anthropos(human) and Logos1(reason, study, science or discourse).So simply it is the study of human. Historically, the meaning of this term had been evolved and passed through a long period of what we can call formation of meaning. The earliest usage of this term can be traced back to the sixteen century when people used the Latin anthropologium to indicate the physical anatomy. The term in the European countries was used for the designation of the physical anthropology only(A.Barnard,2000:2). The cultural differences was studied under the name of ethnologie. As now days, ethnologie is being replaced by the social Anthropology , it can be defined under the category of anthropology. Branches of the Anthropology: Anthropology is the study of humans in comparative perspective comparing societies and cultures, looking at change over time, exploring human diversity. Anthropology as a study of human can be divided from different point of views. It very often divided into two i.e., physical and cultural anthropology. In this method, cultural anthropology is subdivided into three namely, Prehistoric archaeology, anthropological linguistics and ethnology. But another method which is followed after Franz Boas is of four fields. First two of aforesaid subdivisions of cultural anthropology appear as independent braches with physical anthropology. Another one, ethnology covers mainly all other remaining. In the following discussion we will follow the fourfold method.

I.
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Biological Anthropology:

logia are also referred. V.Barnouw,1978:3

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Physical or Biological2 Anthropology concerns with the physical man of the past and present world rather than his society and its technology, laws, and sociology. It discusses about the human (Homo sapiens) as an animal which belongs to the order of mammals, or vertebrate. Its work is to trace the human history, i.e. its relationship with related species, evolutionary branching of the primitive order etc. S.S.Strickland defines

biological anthropology as the study of the biology of human and other primate species from an evolutionary and comparative perspective(A.Barnard and J.Spencer,2002:102). So its scope is related with human and their previous generations. Thus it can be called Zoology of humanity, the human section of zoology. Biological anthropology can be divided into mainly two parts i.e. human paleontology and human variation (C.R.Ember, 2002:4).But it is not the only way of dividing this field. It is by S.S.Strickland divided into five i.e., human evolution, primatology , human genetics, the study of human physical growth, and human ecology. To him first two are mainly grouped into physical Anthropology while other three are into human biology. But here we will try to discuss those under the first mentioned groups. 1.1. Human Paleontology:

Paleontology is the study of the past world through the fossils remains. Human Paleontology focuses on the evolutionary history of human. It tries to establish a geologic time period through comparative study of the human fossils. By the time of the Darwin, the paleontological study was there but its concern shifted into evolutionary paleontology after Darwin. Even in the time of Lamarck he had no vision on the extinction. Human paleontology established that truth. Depending on the comparative study on the paleontology a gradual history of human and its struggle in the different environment, finding a environment, food habit and its evolutionary improvement, determining the ages of human development and their anatomical studies can be known. 1.2 Human variation: Both Darwin and Lamarck believe that the species homo sapiens is not merely divided into races but individuals. But obviously the race or group differences are much seen. A
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In common, these two terms is used in the same sense. But sometime it has much more deep meaning which has been shown in the later part.

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good deal of variation with the respect to skins, color, hair form is obvious among them. This branch of physical anthropology aims to discuss about those factors.

II.

Archaeology:

Archaeology is the study of the prehistory 3 through the historical remaining. Thus Archaeology as a part of anthropology mainly concerns with the primitive culture rather than the present one, ethnology. Archaeology mainly tries to find out what had not been recorded historically and thus it makes a chronologically cultural development in the field of materiality. The archaeologists excavate ancient sites (mainly of non-western countries) and by that, they try to visualize the life ways, cultural process, cultural changes of the millions of years at least partly if not fully by a possible explanation. The remains of the human past include the broken pottery, hunting tools and garbage heaps. Archaeological research mainly focuses on three things-1.The process and background of development, 2.the place and its surroundings, 3.time-period of its developed. Archaeological research, though studying the past ,is also dependent on the present readings, historical documents and even folklore. III. Cultural Anthropology:

Among the sub-divisions, cultural anthropology is the most distinguish and well enlarged field of thought. As a bearer of culture all human-groups have their own culture4 which are quite different and even contradictory comparing with the alien culture-s. Cultural behavior being learned and acquired influences both material and immaterial creations of man and cultural anthropology aims to cover up this field discussing from different angle. Cultural Anthropology is vast area which includes all learned behavior and result of learned behavior. Conventionally, mainly in the European countries, it is also used in different

phraseology named social anthropology(E.E.Evans- Pritchard,1972:3). But now days

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C.R. Ember (2002:5)and V.Barnouw(1978:6) archaeology mainly focuses on the 5000 B.P (Before present)-millions of year. Derived from the Latin root colere(to cultivate), (thus), that is, knowledge about those aspects of humanity which are not natural, but which are related to that which is acquired.(in that sense)Cultural anthropology thus means knowledge about cul tivated humans(THOMAS HYLLAND ERIKSEN,2001:) .
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social anthropology is discussed under the cultural anthropology (V.Barnouw, 1978:8). In fact, all the branches except physical anthropology are discussed under this category 5. Actually the learned culture only belongs to social anthropology while cultural anthropology includes both learned and result of learning or creation. Again in wider sense, cultural anthropology is divided into Anthropological linguistic, prehistoric archaeology and culture anthropology. Another term, which is used as a replacement of it, is ethnology which mainly focuses on the contemporary culture. Cultural Anthropology, however tries to study a certain society (1) as single unit, (2) as a part of historical development, (3) and in comparative mindset. In the first part a total picture of the society that someone studying is depicted as it is or objectively. This kind of studying is, though for different interests, very old. Its historical beginning starts with Herodetuss account of Egypt found in his History which is dated in the fifth cen. B.C. Researches on this sub-continent , in the ancient and early modern period, was mainly clergy-based and can be traced back to the 5th cen. A.D when Chinese Buddhist scholar monks documented the lifestyle of the people. It was carried out by the Islamic scholars in the 10th cen. A.D. (V.Barnouw, 1978:14ff) and later on in the 18th century by some Christian missionaries. Cultural anthropology is discussed under ethnography, ethno-history and cross-cultural research. But these three are not isolated but inter-related. An ethnographer mainly focuses on present social structure and different institutions of society. Broadly speaking, it includes kinship, food gathering and preservation methods, the belief and personality development etc. A comparative mindset on the data gather is encouraged in cultural anthropology. Roger Sanjek comments At each step in the ethnographic process they constantly refer to the global range of societies with which they are familiar (,A.Barnart and J.Spencer 2002:298).the reference to the similarities and differences with other society in this case, independently, can be called cross-cultural research also.

C.R.Embers discussion can be considered as an example,2002:3

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Secondly, ethnographical note also demands attention on the trends and transitions. Again in Rogers(A.Barnart and J.Spencer 2002:299) word-ethnographers place the social phenomena they observe within comparative frames (hunting and gathering, horticultural, agricultural, pastoral, industrial, colonial, neo-colonial regimes; cooperative, competitive, individualistic societies; gender subordination, complementarily or equality; etc.). While we are talking about the ethnography, the methodology of collecting data and its ethical base are very important. Ethnographic work mainly focuses on a certain section of the society. It can be on the kinship, religion etc. or both. An ethnographer makes a plan of work. He decides, for instance, what are the things to be included or ignored in this research. Work ethics mainly focuses on objectivity of the research worker while going native. Learning the language of the research field is the basic component of the research(V.Barnouw,1978:7). Gradually, interviews, observation, discussion, listening etc. come into play. iv. Anthropological linguistics: Anthropological linguistic is subdivided into three fields namely, (1) descriptive or structural linguistic, (2) Historical linguistic, (3) socio- linguistic. The first one deals with characteristics of sound unit of a language with its grammatical patterns in a particular society. It tries to characterize the language of one period of time. Phonology and grammar belong to its area. The second one mainly deals with the changes over time. Linguists research on the shifting of sound and influence of other languages on a particular language. Sanskrit, for example, as one of the indo-European language has much similarity with Greek and Latin. But in its evolution it has been changed greatly. The term avis which stands for sheep in Sanskrit is ouis and ovis in Greek and Latin respectively(V.Barnouw,1978:36).In the prakrit we find jihandiyo instead of Sanskrit Jitendriyo or pali jitendiyo.Actually H.linguitic focuses on evolution of language.

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Language is a social component and thus has its own philosophy of speaking or of communicating. Socio-linguistic in the same of fashion of ethnology tries to study uniqueness of a particular language, its relationship with contemporary system of languages. It focuses on the way people use language to express social class, group status, gender, or ethnicity, and it looks at how they make choices about the form of language they use. It also examines the way people use language to negotiate their role in society and to achieve positions of power. Broadly speaking, communication method of ancient people and animals are also discussed in this sub-section. Significances of the Sub-divisions: Anthropology as study of human brings about a significant output in the daily life. We can discuss those facts in the following manners1. Physical anthropology as also related branch of human biology includes

discussion of heredity, nutrition, sexual differences, the comparative anatomy and physiology of races and their reasons(E.E. Evans-Prtchard,1972:4 ). 2. Anthropologist has many things to provide in the public health section. Between World War I to 1950 for instance, anthropological interest was surrounded in the mental health of the people of different countries mainly the America and European countries. Many European anthropologists trained in clinical psychiatry or psychology (Rivers, C.G.Seligman, Fortes, Carstairs, Field) studied neurotic illness(304ff). Many illnesses i.e., ethnopsychiatry are widely discussed in the Psychiatric anthropology. Not only have that anthropologists recommended therapy also. 3. Anthropologists try to identify one root origin of the human and thus the misconceptions regarding the race, cultural diversity are constructively explained. It also helps to find a nature-friendly life while it explains causal dependency of human and nature. 4. In the 19th century, the concept of ethnology is has been used by the Bureau of American Ethnology to understand the Native American society. As the

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demographic and material conditions were deteriorating, the bureau used evolution theory of Lewis Henry Morgan and Herbert Spencer to get a total picture of Native Americans. This project is sometime called salvage anthropology (A.Barnard and J.spencer: 2002:39) . Mainly the Andeans were suffered very much due to race concept, polygamy, non-Christian religion etc(ibid,2002:58). while modern anthropologist was emerging ethnographers started to learn their languages and provided a substantial explanation of their culture. This concept can be used in different societies or in the ethnic group to study their needs. 5. Nutritional anthropology mainly studies relationship between the diet and sociobiological facts. It developed mainly in the early 2oth century after Audrey Richards (1939).He tried to show the inter-relationship between the diet and culture and their mutual influence upon one another. The cultural barrier to the nitrous society is discussed and the anthropologist tries to use the data to solve the cultural aspects of human nutritional problems. Freedmen(1976) emphasized four areas: (1) dietary patterns;(2) non-nutritional aspects of food related to ethnic identity, culinary tradition, social structure, social status and cultural change; (3)cognitive aspects of food understood as part of ideological systems; and (4)food as a vehicle of energy in studies of the human ecosystem(ibid,p.604). Biological anthropologist also discussed diet as a vehicle of energy and nutrition. The evolutionists try to shape up the significance of the diet-habit in the human evolution both physically and intellectually. 6. The learning (socialization) formal or informal controls the cultural transmission. In that socialization as method of education is discussed in the anthropology. The ritual, chisungu which is a ritual that initiates the Bemba girls to learn the Bemba values (, this research was mainly done by Audrey Richards in 1988, ibid, p.271). Impact of de-socialization that we can see in the case of tribal group is also discussed in the Anthropology. Actually, this concept of de-socialization is quite applicable to all of the world ethnic groups. In the case of Bangladesh-Santu Larma, leader of CHT ethnic group while giving his speech in Chittagong

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University was very anxious to note that we should in our education period should visit the native place very often rather than staying in urban places. This is very true while we take into consideration the Vedda-s of Sri Lanka, native American of America. Anthropology tries to give an account of those problems. Actually the ethnic medicine, learning the values and custom etc. which are informal education are discussed also. 7. Economical anthropology also significantly discussed economy as social component. It verifies, how social arrangements of a culture may frequently limit the working of the market, how labor is expanded (is it caste base, or gender base etc.?), how mode of production is shaped (identified kinship, lineage, domestic, tributary, slave and yet other modes,ibid,p.263), how, in the past, social relationship controlled the land and labor(also in present in many cases), how the economic transformation affects the society(ethnographically) etc. There are so many things in the field of economy which are widely enriched by the studies of the anthropology. 8. Historically anthropology has been discussing the environmental problem of the world. Ecological anthropology shows how people are related with the environment. An environment decide broadly how the shape of culture, economic, political life etc. will be. It was mainly established in 1960-s, Many anthropologist mainly at that time tried to find out the role of environmental adaptation led to different custom and institutions. Accordingly the adaptation lead social and cultural variety. We can see the following conditionality-s in brief(details- ibid,pp.258-259ff) i.Nomadic needed the adaptation of environment for their hunting; ii. Technology of the production still needs the adaptation; iii. Demographic behavior needs this adaptation; IV. Adaption of the pastoralists (e.g. the adaptation of the Pathan-s in the Swat valley of Pakistan ); V. Religious belief and custom dependent on ecology(holy status of the cattle among the Hindus, water-god among the fisher man, specially living near to the big river or ocean,/Custom-the forest going people never put the knife(iron) in the fire while going

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to the forest6 ). This branch actually, for example, helps through demographic reports to make an estimation on how ecological change will bring about a disastrous change in life style of the people living in the coastal area, or is being dislocated by the river erosion (e.g. Bangladesh and India, Presently happening), or its impact on agriculture(by increasing the salt-rate of the soil ) etc. Conclusion: In the above discussion, we can see the branches of the anthropology is wide and is still its sub-divisions are widening. But those divisions are mainly discussed under the aforesaid divisions. The past of human culture or history is still very much ambiguous and anthropology tries to make clear the primitive history though archaeological remaining. It also covers the vanished cultures and civilizations. Present phase of the enthropology is much wider considering its diversity and gradual enlargement. The brief discussion of the significance, of course shows how widely anthropology is helping to modern human civilizations. References: 1.A.Barnard & J.Spencer, Encyclopedia of Cultural and Social Anthropology,3rd edition, London-2002 2.E.E.Evans and Pritchard, Social Anthropology,London-1972 3.Roger M.Keesing, Cultural Anthropology A contemporary perspective, New York-1976 4.Alexander Moore, Cultural Anthropology, Harper and Row,Publishers, New York-1978 5. Lucy Mair, An Introduction to Social Anthropology, Oxford-1965 6. Victor Batnouw, An Introduction to Anthropology ETHNOLOGY, Third edition,

Illinois-1978

This custom actually believed by some of my country men. They actually believe that if the iron-weapon is put into the fire it loses it life (died for a certain period- as they say) and they deities can attack them easily. If not died and if the ironic weapon is with someone they cannot come close to him.