Spain Anthropologic Study of Spain

Spain

Anthropologic Study of Spain

However anthropology is perceived as a specific domain used in understanding long passed cultures and traditions, it in fact does much more than this -- it allows the individual to better comprehend the features of the modern states, their international relations and the realities of that particular country in the context of globalization and cultural diversity. A most relevant example in this sense is given by southwestern European country Spain.

The Concept of Anthropology

John Van Willigen (2002) finds applications of anthropology in nearly 40 domains, including fields such as agriculture, use of alcohol and drugs, criminality and law enforcement, economy, energy, education, healthcare, housing, military, nutrition, politics, religion or women's rights and development. Given the wide application of the concept, the reader could begin to wander about an actual definition of the anthropological concept. Offering such a definition is often a challenging task due to the complexity of the elements involved and several members of the academia have refused to narrow the concept down to a simple statement. Van Willigen has for instance stated that "applied anthropology is anthropology put to use. Given the change which is occurring in applied anthropology these days, it is tempting to leave the definitional question at that and go on to the next question."

The American Anthropological Association (2009) puts a different spin on the concept and presents its linguistic heritage. Derived from the Greek anthropos (human) and logia (study), anthropology represents the "study of humankind, from its beginnings millions of years ago to the present day." The concept covers wide areas of application, with anthropology being the sole field which strives to integrate human existence as a whole, in terms of both geographical delimitations and evolutionary time.

Unlike Van Willigen, the experts at the American Anthropological Association state that the concept is easy to define, but it becomes exponentially difficult to explain. They argue that anthropology applies to all aspects of life, including the study of the aboriginal population in Australia, the anatomy of a foot, the music of the African tribes or the corporate culture of a contemporaneous multinational. Despite the complexity of its applications, the goals of the anthropologic studies are clear and indisputable -- "to advance knowledge of who we are, how we came to be that way -- and where we may go in the future" (American Anthropological Association). The generic concept of anthropology is divided into four sub-fields: socio-cultural, biological, archeological and fourth, linguistic anthropology.

2. Anthropology in International Studies

As previously mentioned, anthropology has vast applications in numerous fields, one of these being international studies. The reason as to why anthropological studies find their applications in international issues is given by the fact that anthropology can help groups and individuals acquire a better comprehension of the countries in which they are interested. A better understanding of a foreign country leads to more fruitful relations with the respective state, in terms of all political, technological, environmental or socio-cultural interactions.

K. Ishwaran points out that anthropology is vital in international studies for the simple reason that a country's past and present features (revealed through anthropological studies) determine its political and socio-economic actions and characteristics. The mix of anthropology and international studies helps explain the "cross-cultural political sociology today" and combines theoretical, methodological and practical to help "policy makers in both the simpler and in the more complex societies, by bringing to their attention descriptions of what does and does not necessarily follow in the wake of modernization, under specific conditions" (Ishwaran). With this information in mind, official authorities and average individuals in various countries can interact at more efficient, coming as such closer to reaching their mutual goals.

3. Spain through Anthropological Lenses

The anthropological studies of Spain are relatively numerous as the country's history is a long standing one. As part of the old continent (Europe), Spain has attracted the attention of numerous researchers throughout the past century, and even prior to this time. The information covered in the anthropological studies of the southwestern European country cover vast topics of interest and has a dual feature -- first of all, it helps the foreigner (and sometimes even the native born Spanish) to become better acquainted with the country itself; secondly, it helps the national and international reader to more accurately position Spain on the map of the international system.

Anthropology will explain how the today modern Kingdom of Spain was first inhabited 30,000 ago by Paleolithic hunters; how the first villages were formed around 4500 BC and how these were organized around a central tomb and the types of people that lived in these settlings. The reader and researcher will also be informed of the arrival of the Celts in the 6th century BC and the relationship between Spain and the Roman Empire during the 3rd century BC and the 5th century AD. The Visigoth kingdoms also made their presence felt throughout the 5th up to the 8th century AD. Anthropological studies will then reveal the succession of monarchical dynasties and the numerous wars and battles fought for various reasons (History World). All these pieces information will help the foreigner better comprehend the country, its political stand, its people and its traditions.