Digital Anthropology
What is Anthropology
Anthropology deals with the scientific study of humanity, which relates to human behavior, societies, and cultures.
In simple words, we can say that
Anthropology is the study of human behaviors.
If we look at the word, ‘Anthropology’, it consists of ‘Anthrop’ & ‘Ology’.
‘Anthrop’ comes from the Greek word ‘Anthropos’, which means ‘man’.
The ‘Ology’ means ‘the study of’.
So, ‘Anthropology’ means, ‘the study of man’.
Thus, anthropology is defined as “the study of man”.
This interdisciplinary discipline examines individuals from various global locations and periods.
Anthropology is all about studying and understanding what makes us human.
Types of Anthropology
Anthropology is, the study of human beings and human culture.
Anthropology comprises these significant subfields: Biological and Physical, Archaeology, Sociocultural, Linguistic, and Ethnology.
1. Biological anthropology studies human anatomy and physiology and primates.
Physical anthropology and biological anthropology are interchangeable,
terms used to refer to scientific investigations that center on primates’ revolutionary, biological, and demographic aspects, including those of non-human species.
2. Examining the social and biological influences on human evolution contributes to modifying or maintaining physiological variations.
3. Archaeology studies human cultures by examining what is available or
preserved. The analysis of archaeology is possible with the assistance of physical remains from the past.
Verifying past societies’ existence can be accomplished by analyzing faunal
records, human-altered landscapes, artifacts, and catalogs of animals native to a particular region or era.
4. In social-cultural anthropology, the variety of human societies is examined.
Cultural anthropology is the study of the transfer of cultural practices
from one generation to the next within communities of people.
A holistic approach is adopted by establishing connections between the
local and global, the past and the present. Social and political organizations, kinship systems, marriage patterns, and economic patterns are customarily the subject of this research.
Cultural anthropologists focus on modern societies as opposed to
ancient ones.
5. Anthropology of language linguistics is the scientific study of language.
Linguistic anthropology studies human communications and nonverbal and verbal word variation.
Narrative analysis, pragmatics, cognitive linguistics, discourse
analysis, and semiotics are all included.
6. Ethnography: Anthropological and cultural research projects aim to
understand a society’s culture through initial fieldwork and observations.
The term for this is ethnography.
The comparison of the findings of numerous ethnographers to
identify shared characteristics is referred to as ethnology.
There are numerous subcategories within each of the six categories mentioned above.
A few examples include
Anthropology of art
Art in various civilizations is a subfield of social anthropology devoted to this subject.
It emphasizes the aesthetic, economic, and historical aspects of what is also referred to as tribal art.
Biocultural
It is the scientific investigation of cultural and biological relationships. In the past, biocultural anthropology was examined through the lens of race.
Evolutionary
An interdisciplinary examination of human behavior and
psychology development. It provides information regarding hominins and
nonhominin primates.
The foundations of evolutionary anthropology are social science and natural science.
It encompasses both the biological and cultural evolution of Homo
sapiens.
Paleoanthropology
The study of paleoanthropology synthesizes physical anthropology and
paleontology (the scientific discipline investigating fossilized plants and animals).
Its focus is the investigation of hominid fossils as evidence of archaic Homo sapiens.
Medical, Cognitive, psychological, and transpersonal
Medical anthropology is an interdisciplinary field that studies human health and disease, bicultural adaptation, and Healthcare systems.
It concentrates on the following six fundamental fields:
1. The physician-patient relationship
2. Development of medical knowledge and systems of care.
3. The interplay between environmental, social, and biological factors.
4. An important examination of the relationship between psychiatric services and migrant populations
5. The consequences that biomedical and biomedical technologies have.
6. Integrating alternative medical systems within an environment characterized by cultural diversity.
Psychological
An interdisciplinary discipline, it investigates how mental and cultural processes interact.
It investigates how knowledge of motivation, cognition, emotions, and
other psychological processes influence all models of social and cultural processes.
Cognitive
It elucidates the mechanisms underlying cultural innovations, translation,
and shared knowledge patterns. It investigates how individuals comprehend and apply knowledge about their immediate environment.
Transpersonal
The relationship between culture and altered states of consciousness is
investigated. Personal experience and limited states of consciousness are
significant topics of interest in this field.
Nevertheless, it diverges from conventional transpersonal psychology by
emphasizing cross-cultural considerations such as mythology, rituals, dietary practices, and interpreting extraordinary experiences.
Anthropology of Religion
It occurs in various holy locations, including mosques, churches, temples, etc. Anthropologists investigate these faiths through the analysis of religious texts.
Such concepts as a singular deity, superpowers, karma, and afterlife are a few examples.
Anthropologists are not interested in establishing the veracity or falsity of
religious claims. Their interest lies in the manner in which religious concepts are articulated.
Technology Anthropology
It entails these components:
1. Comprehending human necessities
2. Translating them into technological products
3. Analyzing the macro-level effects of these technological interventions on our daily lives
It examines the dynamic relationship between individuals and technological solutions, the evolution of technology, and its societal ramifications.
“Anthropology is the most humanistic of the sciences and the most scientific of the humanities” — Alfred L. Kroeber
Here it is interesting to note that, many times, it’s not the technology that matters. What matters is how people react to it, and what new social norms they form.
For example, People thought that Airbnb and Uber were doomed to failure.
Why someone, would want to stay in a stranger’s home. On similar note, why someone will ride in a stranger’s car, especially given that driver in that car, may not even know the various roads or map of the town.
People thought the iPhone would flop because users would not like the touch screen interface. ‘It will become a dirty screen, very soon’.
Of-course, all these had been proved wrong & now we have successful businesses like UBER, Lyft, Ola, Airbnb, Homestay, Housetrip…
However, I would like to emphasize a crucial aspect. Everyone was correct
in each of these instances regarding the technology. In reality, there was little debate regarding the technology.
Conversely, their assessment of the reactions of their society and culture to
this novel stimulus and that of others was inaccurate. They held an anthropological fallacy.
The human species has undergone numerous technological advancements over the centuries.
The dissemination and consent of the general public to printing press inventions were arduous.
The printing press facilitated the unprecedented and broad dissemination
of knowledge. Thus, numerous industrial revolutions were also influenced.
Following every industrial revolution, human evolution transpired.
Human evolution can be defined as the phase during which we begin performing previously deemed improbable actions.
That is to say that muscle memory is formed. We start doing certain without even thinking about them.
The implementation of steam power and production mechanization in the
18th century marked the beginning of the First Industrial Revolution.
Numerous manufacturing factories were constructed near rivers and other bodies of water at the time.
This was because steam power was readily available near bodies of water,
facilitating the operation of facilities. Additionally, employees of that
factory was locals of the municipality or city where the plants were situated.
Electrical discovery and assembly line manufacturing ushered in the Second Industrial Revolution during the 19th century.
By that time, we started using cars & phones. All this had helped in movement (of human beings & work).
So, no need to build the manufacturing plants, near water body.
People from distant cities and towns also began to labor in these plants.
The onset of the Third Industrial Revolution occurred in the 1970s of the 20th century, facilitated in part by computer-based automation.
Since the introduction of these technologies, we are now able to automate
an entire production process — without human assistance.
So, this had helped in scaling the various operations. Quality became a hallmark as now, automation with scale was possible.
In same way, banks started reaching out to far flung places & it became ‘comparatively easy’ to open a bank account.
Now we are witnessing, forth industrial revolution, which is getting shaped by ‘Digital.
Digital anthropology is the anthropological study of the relationship between humans and digital-era technology.
How humans behave online is often very different from our real-world selves.
We may participate in an online community for our hobby or work, but how and who we engage with is different from the relationships and behaviors in the real-world.
The historical study of the relationship between humans and technology
in the digital age constitutes digital anthropology.
- How anthropology has contributed to our comprehension of the
progression of the human species. To comprehend the significance of
anthropology, consider human existence before the invention of electricity.
At that time, our ancestors led a highly distinct way of life. They used to
rise early and complete their tasks before sunset.
2. Before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, a significant portion of
the human population was engaged in labor-intensive activities (such as stone-cutting, transportation, and agriculture).
To increase productivity, we devised a variety of machines and instruments.
To operate these devices, we employed a variety of techniques.
As an example, we initially utilized steam power. So many structures were
constructed along rivers.
Once electricity was available, we began constructing facilities in remote
locations. Other behaviors of ours were altered after the advent of electricity.
Now, many industries are developed, which start only after sun sets in.
So, before electricity came, no one would have thought of a city like Las Vegas. But now, we have many cities, which literally come to ‘LIGHT’ post sunset.
So, after electricity, numerous additional changes occurred in our personal and professional lives.
Thus, it is fair to conclude that electricity contributed to the advancement of humanity.
Currently, one can identify with many innovations, such as automobiles,
telephones, and airplanes, which have propelled humanity forward and increased overall productivity and the capacity to work remotely…
3. Digital and new habits: I believe that, Digital, possesses the same force that will aid in advancing humanity to the next level.
Therefore, a comprehensive comprehension of digital anthropology is necessary to ensure the long-term viability of our digital transformation endeavors.
Let me give some examples here
Many individuals own smart cameras and have developed the routine of promptly sharing photographs on social media platforms.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we all started working from home. Additionally, we could remain at home and view movies, read books, and order groceries.
Numerous organizations are discussing the possibility of normalizing “work from home “policies, even after pandemic.
Remember that during this pandemic period, nothing novel was invented.
Working remotely and viewing movies at home were both feasible in the past.
However, we had a deep-seated belief that “Work from Home “ could not occur for too long.
This belief has since been dispelled (or, should I say, mother nature has taught us numerous lessons, and everything is possible throughout the pandemic).
We must continue to exploit the maximum potential of digital. Yet another
significant factor is the presence of deeply ingrained beliefs within our minds.
The same notion was prevalent before the invention of automobiles.
Everyone was concerned about the potential fate of the horse transport.
I think only horses were displaced while humans adjusted to new circumstances, took on driver positions, etc.
Likewise, a subject currently under deliberation is “What will occur when
machines take over the entirety of the labor that humans presently perform”.
Some machines possess a commendable “human-like” intellect. These devices can assist us with a variety of calculations.
From the first calculators to the present-day robots, these devices have facilitated the completion of various calculation and tasks
more quickly and precisely.
With GEN AI, even new content can also be created. That is, with GEN AI, machines can create story, poem, painting, audio, video etc.
3. The future of digital anthropology and labor: There is no need for
concern regarding the future of ongoing activity. Instead, we should commence contemplating the labor that will be necessary in the future.
Rather than fixating on automation, our attention should be directed
towards “augmentation” with machines. Multiple studies have determined
that the human psyche comprises two distinct components — the subconscious and conscious minds.
Our conscious mind is proficient at logical reasoning, calculation, and memory.
The subconscious mind possesses a multitude of soft skills and emotional
intelligence.
Remember that machines can possess a “conscious mind similar to humans.”
However, they will lack a subconscious consciousness.
Human beings who possess adeptness in managing their subconscious
minds will achieve future success. That will aid in the advancement of humanity to the following level.
.
Let’s take an example here.
Diverse modern technology companies (Meta, Amazon, Google, Netflix,
etc. ) are amassing data regarding our activities — including but not limited to our travel destinations, preferred movie genres, and clothing purchases — with the explicit consent of our customers.
This information is subsequently utilized to affect our subconscious.
In other words, you begin receiving product recommendations corresponding to your preferences.
After observing what you like, you subsequently develop a preference for what is presented to you.
We all understand the importance of change. We are living in an exciting time.
Post-pandemic, many of us understood the importance of human life, nature, and technology.
During that time, technology helped us connect with our friends and
relatives across the globe.
Now, a new generation, GEN Z, is coming. They started their life with
smartphones and the internet. To bring change into your company and
transformation, one needs to understand their mental models.
For example, the word ‘privacy’ conjures different meanings for different people.
While some think that the internet and online social media are intruding
into their privacy, for some others, the internet and social media are
helping them to connect & talk with their friends privately. So, the same Digital channels evoke different responses from various people.
Along similar lines, online education & availability of information online is forcing us to think about what should be taught at school.
While earlier, a person having more information was an advantage, now one can always search and find out about anything, get hold of all types of
information.
But that means one should know how to search correctly on various online tools.
All these things will force human beings to evolve into a better shape. But,
to avoid any shock here, we must understand human evolution.
And that’s where Digital Anthropology will help.
Many of us are concerned because our contemporary educational system
does not emphasize the value of soft skills and emotional intelligence.
We know, how computer works but we don’t know, how our own human brain works.
Numerous deities also practiced long hours of meditation in the past to
comprehend and command their subconscious minds.
In the forthcoming days, we will see these trends
I.EQ and soft abilities will be more highly valued than IQ and certification.
II. Cognitive flexibility will be desired
III. Determination and discernment regarding routine data scanning capabilities
IV. Skills in critical reasoning and originality
In conclusion, I would say that machinery, robots, and computers should
be welcomed into our lives.
They will perform a variety of tedious, repetitive tasks.
The human mind will be liberated to engage in various creative endeavors,
spend quality time with family members (including elders and children), and comfort those despondent.
Since every individual is unique, everyone possesses a distinct
subconscious consciousness.
The current global population is around 8 billion. Therefore, if even one-eighth of this population (one billion individuals) could harness the power of their subconscious mind (in curiosity, gratitude, compassion, and creativity), it would accomplish tremendous things in propelling humanity to the next level.
