文化人类学(cultural anthropology)

人类学的一个分支学科，探讨人类文化的所有方面，使用考古学、人种志、人种学、民俗学、语言学的方法、概念、资料，对全世界不同民族作出描述和分析。现代文化人类学作为一个研究领域，始於大发现年代，当时技术先进的欧洲文化和各种传统文化接触频繁而广泛，欧洲人对那些传统文化的绝大部分都毫无区别地贴上「未开化」或「原始」的标签。到19世纪中期，世界不同文化的起源及世界不同民族及其语言的分布、渊源等问题，成为西欧学者深感兴趣的研究对象。20世纪开始时，这种西欧、北美早期人类学者的强烈文化偏见逐渐被抛弃，而选择了一种更富於多元论和相对论色彩的观点，把每种人类文化都看作一项独特的产物，是由自然环境、文化接触以及其他各种因素所制约的。由这种研究方向引出一些新的侧重点，即特定文化环境中有关人类行为和社会组织的实验数据、实地考察、确切证据等等。有两种主要观点：其一是对於文化资料采取功能主义的研究方法，力图在某一特定文化的诸种不同图案、特徵及风习之间，找出一个统一的表现方式；其二是把人类各个社会作为各个全面而完整的体制进行研究，认为这些社会都以保持其体制之完整性的种种方法，实行自我调节以适应变化中的世界。传统上研究范围包括社会结构、法律、政治、宗教、巫术、艺术和技术等。对於文化人类学究竟属於科学、艺术或两者皆是，至今仍有许多争论。参阅primitive culture。

English version：

cultural anthropology

Branch of anthropology that deals with the study of culture and that uses the methods, concepts, and data of archaeology, ethnography, folklore, linguistics, and related fields in its descriptions and analyses of the diverse peoples of the world. Called social anthropology in Britain, its field of research was until the mid 20th century largely restricted to the small-scale (or “primitive”), non-Western societies that first began to be identified during the Age of Discovery. Today its field extends to all forms of human association, from village communities to corporate cultures to urban gangs. Two key perspectives used are those of holism, or understanding society as a complex, interactive whole, and cultural relativism, or the appreciation of cultural phenomena within their own context. Areas of study traditionally include social structure, law, politics, religion, magic, art, and technology. There is much debate concerning whether cultural anthropology is a science, art, or both. See also primitive culture.