Anthropologists

/ˌænθrəˈpɑːlədʒɪsts/ noun

Definition

Scientists who study human cultures, societies, and how people lived in the past and present.

Etymology

From Greek 'anthropos' (human) plus 'logos' (study). The discipline developed in the 19th century as Western scholars systematized the study of different cultures.

Kelly Says

Anthropologists learned the hard way that their early job—deciding which cultures were 'primitive' or 'advanced'—was completely wrong; now they study all cultures as complex systems deserving respect.

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