Web surfing led me to this site. I saw an "Anthropology" forum. I thought oh goody, I've got a B.A. in that! Then I read the forum description: "Discuss various aspects of ancient civilizations and humanity in general." I object! 'Cuz I got a Sociocultural Anthropology degree. As I learned it as an undergrad at Cornell U., Anthropology is a 4-field discipline comprising Physical Anthropology, Sociocultural Anthropology, Archaeology, and Linguistic Anthropology. The forum description is strongly biased towards Physical and Archaeological. Sociocultural Anthropology, in contrast, is the study of live human groups. Maybe you think that can be lumped under "humanity in general", but I'm noticing the first page of posts I'm looking at strongly confirm the Physical / Archaeological bias. Could you please come up with a more inclusive description if you're going to call something an "Anthropology" forum? I hope as I go through older posts I won't be disappointed.

Hello, and welcome into the lifeboat ! This is our greeting for all new members and contains some useful stuff for you.

If you haven't seen it already, you may want to take a look at our New Members' Welcome Pack which will give you some helpful resources such as how to modify your membership display settings, how to navigate around the forum, point you to some threads which address commonly asked questions from newbies, and gives you some handy links to other sites which will help you develop your skepticism. It also contains our forum rules, which we ask that you abide by at all times.

If you're new to this type of phpBB software on forums, you might like to take a look at our Handy Hints for Posting On The Forum, which will show you how to change your text, insert images & youtube clips, and do some other cool stuff.

And finally, as a house warming present for you, here's a few laughs for your entertainment.

How is 'humanity in general' not inclusive? Having said that I think you'll be able to post about any old flavour of anthropology you please and if anyone gets out their pram about it, just laugh and point.

Maybe it's like a biologist coming to a forum and hearing a "biology" forum is about "bacteria and everything else about living things" ? Why a special emphasis on bacteria? As someone reasonably well versed in a particular academic discipline, it definitely makes me wince.

bvanevery wrote:Maybe it's like a biologist coming to a forum and hearing a "biology" forum is about "bacteria and everything else about living things" ? Why a special emphasis on bacteria? As someone reasonably well versed in a particular academic discipline, it definitely makes me wince.

Bacteria are the predominant form of life on Earth. Definitely worth singling them out. If you're talking about biology and you're not talking about bacteria, are you even talking about biology?

Look all snark aside, there's a lot more to Anthropology as a discipline than "ancient civilizations".

Say something interesting about linguistics then. Or about anything you like. Just say something interesting fcs!

bvanevery wrote:Look all snark aside, there's a lot more to Anthropology as a discipline than "ancient civilizations".

No, there's all that 'humanity in general' too!

bvanevery wrote:Look all snark aside, there's a lot more to Anthropology as a discipline than "ancient civilizations".

Yeah, but that's the interesting stuff...

I think I'll just find a serious anthropology forum instead.

Probably a good idea.

And with that, he was gone.

I wonder what anthropologists will make of this thread in years to come.

BlackBart wrote:... just laugh and point.

I think you'll find that any critical study of human behaviour here, wil reveal that we generally point & laugh

I'm an outlier, I smile and wave.

I knew Margarete Mead's granddaughter, went to uni with her. That makes me an expert.

Fallible wrote:I'm an outlier, I smile and wave.

You're not so much an outlier, more just wrong.

Well harrumph!

laklak wrote:I knew Margarete Mead's granddaughter, went to uni with her. That makes me an expert.

Do you guys actually call it uni in Florida, or are you just speaking the language for all the UKians on the forum?
How is uni pronounced, you-knee?