The four fields of anthropology
The four fields in American anthropology are usually classified as physical, cultural (or ethnology), linguistics and archeology.
Cultural Anthropology deals with the aspects of human lives that are learned. It examines the way different groups keep societal control, delegate responsibilities and other such learned behaviors.
Physical Anthropology studies the way humans have evolved over time and how different environmental and cultural influences affected human evolution.
Archeology is the study of things humans have created in the past.
Linguistics is the study of how languages are formed, evolve and how culture and language interact with each other.
The divisions are made this way for three main reasons. The first is obvious in that it is impossible for a single anthropologist to be well versed in all four at the same time.
Sapir and Whorf Linguistic Theory
Sapir and Whorf postulated that grammar and language are part of the mental process, thus they help to shape the way an individual interprets and views the world around them. However, the theory has always been controversial because people tend to see language as a tool created by humans instead of a mold that shapes people. By accepting this theory one must accept that humans do not have complete control over language, allowing a language to die out is as much a loss as any other extinction, and forcing people to adopt a new language forces them to change the way their mind works. If this view is accepted as fact, factors such as the environment would be seen as less important to culture than language. Creating a situation where languages are not just a superficial divide between groups but a concrete difference as much as skin color has been in the past.
