Anthropology is concerned with human development in many diverse spheres.
Remember that earlier on I said that we might need to unlearn many beliefs, prejudices and attitudes in our ambition to protect children and vulnerable people in our society?
That is the principal reason why I include this Chapter which I hope will become clear as you read it.
I believe that the process by which we developed over countless generations into who and what we are now – to be specific; how the principal values that influence our day-to-day behaviour evolved, or, what is attractive to us and what is not – is of deep interest to anyone who aspires to journey with vulnerable people.
Just to give an example; we are attracted to, have an urge to protect, and hold babies in high esteem because natural selection over thousands of generations favoured those who wanted babies – it is a simple matter of ensuring that our species not only survives but thrives. We don’t have to learn that in school!
Or, on another note, the competitions involving sportspeople in the prime of their lives (traditionally male but nowadays female also) are the most popular with the general public – not the competitions involving those who are children, teenagers, or old people, or indeed people who have a disability. The prime of life competitions are the ones that fill the stadiums to the brim and garner the enormous level of TV and sponsorship rights that we have become so accustomed to.
This is almost certainly due to projection (as we described in a previous Chapter) – we (unconsciously) are attracted to that which we would like to be ourselves – youthful winners that will optimise our species increasing and multiplying.
Of course, evolution in any sphere of life is, by definition, never over, and growth, development, and change are ubiquitous. I am hopeful, for instance, that this website will assist in the evolution of methods of supporting families affected by imprisonment.
This Chapter is divided into Six Sub-Chapters.
4.3.1 ANTHROPOLOGY – INTRODUCTION
4.3.2 HUNTER GATHERER SOCIETIES
4.3.3 OTHER ASPECTS OF HUNTER GATHERER SOCIETIES
4.3.4 CLASS DIFFERENCE IN SOCIETY