State Of Anthropology Research Articles

An all-embracing science: The anthropological conception of Paolo Mantegazza.

This paper deals with the anthropological conception of the first modern Italian anthropologist, Paolo Mantegazza (1831-1910). We will begin by contextualizing the status of anthropology in Italy during the second half of the 19th century. Subsequently, we will delve into some of the inspirations that led the Italians to have such a multifaceted conception of the discipline. Next, we will outline the content of this approach and clarify the meaning of "omnicomprehensive science."From there, we will come to understand the reason for the variety of interests of the anthropologist, who aimed to study the human being in all aspects of life. We will then mention the moral objective present in his professional journey: through an understanding of the complexity of human life, the anthropologist wanted to contribute to the progress and well-being of society; in other words, to "living well."

REVISITING POSITIONALITY IN CRITICAL ANTHROPOLOGY:

Within the field of critical anthropology, the scope of the reflection goes beyond one’s own society, encompassing a thorough exploration of anthropologists themselves as complex products of their socio-cultural environments. This aspect is becoming increasingly important in today’s critical analysis of the status of anthropology. Drawing on the insights of radical anthropologists, this article explores theeconomic and political context that shapes anthropological practice. While radical critics of the 1970s were confronted with well-defined sources of authority, the rise of neoliberalism disperses power and complicates the pursuit of critical anthropology. The question remains: Can critical anthropology maintain its potency amidst the influences it seeks to challenge? This question resonates as a central introspective point for contemporary critical anthropologists, inviting them to navigate the complex web of power, subjectivity, and socio-political context in their pursuit of transformative scholarship.

Homo-Loggatus. The Anthropological Condition of Historians in the Digital World

Computerization has created a digital ecological niche where humans live in interconnection that modifies their Epigenetics. Within this hyper-datafied virtual space, the logged-in agent enhances their intellectual and rational abilities, giving rise to a new cognitive entity. Humans are evolving towards a new anthropological status that shifts the terms of the Digital History debate from History to the historian, compelling the latter to reflect on the positions of Fichte and Schelling regarding the mind-body-world relationship (ecological niche). This reflection leads to the possibility of overcoming the crisis of History imposed by presentism and the necessity of redefining the research methodology based on the new vision of the interconnection between the mind and the digital niche as an investigative tool.

АНТРОПОЛОГІЧНИЙ СТАТУС ЛЮДИНИ В УКРАЇНІ: ІСТОРИКО-ПРАВОВЕ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ

The article examines the issue of the anthropological status of a man in Ukraine.

The Role of Anthropology in Global Social Governance: Collaboration With the World Bank in China

Anthropology now plays a crucial role in the Global Social Governance. This article traces the development of cooperation between anthropology and international organizations from the perspective of anthropology's participation in the operation of international organizations' projects. It presents the status and role of anthropology in global governance, and briefly describes the operation mode of anthropology in international organizations and the practice status in China by taking the cooperation with the World Bank as an example.

Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology in Denmark

Abstract In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the status of forensic anthropology and forensic archeology in Denmark, as well as related information about education, research, and skeletal collections. Forensic anthropologists mainly deal with the examination of unidentified skeletal remains. Some special tasks include cranial trauma analysis of the recently deceased, advanced 3D visualization from CT scanning of homicide cases, and stature estimation of perpetrators using surveillance videos. Forensic anthropologists are employed at one of Denmark’s three departments of forensic medicine (in Copenhagen, Odense, and Aarhus) and have access to advanced imaging equipment (e.g., CT and MR scanning, surface scanners, and 3D printers) for use in both their requisitioned work and their research. Extensive research is conducted on different topics, such as the health and diseases of past populations, age estimation, and human morphology. Research is based on skeletal material from the archeological collections housed in Copenhagen and Odense or on CT data from the recently deceased. There is no full degree in forensic anthropology in Denmark, but elective courses and lectures are offered to students at different levels and to people from different professional backgrounds. Forensic archaeology is a relatively new field of expertise in Denmark, and relevant cases are rare, with only one or two cases per year. No forensic archeologists are officially employed in any of the departments of forensic medicine. Until recently, the Special Crime Unit of the police handled crime scene investigations involving excavations, but with the option of enlisting the help of outside specialists, such as archaeologists, anthropologists, and pathologists. An official excavation work group was established in 2015 under the lead of the Special Crime Unit of the police with the aim of refining the methods and procedures used in relevant criminal investigations. The group is represented by five police officers from the Special Crime Scene Unit, a police officer from the National Police Dog Training center, the two archaeologists from Moesgaard Museum, a forensic anthropologist from the Department of Forensic Medicine (University of Copenhagen), and a forensic pathologist from the Department of Forensic Medicine (University of Aarhus).

The status and future of forensic archaeology and anthropology in Finland

Abstract In this paper we discuss the history and development of forensic archaeology and anthropology in Finland. Current status of the fields and some future prospects are also highlighted. We offer some potential reasons for why so little research related to forensic archaeology or anthropology is conducted in Finland. To set the forensic archaeology and anthropology in Finland into a broader setting, we discuss the awareness of the fields among Finnish archaeologists, anthropologists, and enthusiasts via the results of an online survey conducted in November 2021. In this manuscript we also delve into some inner workings of Finnish law enforcement and voluntary organisations in order to show how forensic archaeologists and anthropologists could fit into criminal investigations in Finland.

GENDER DIMORPHISM IN MOTOR ASSESSMENT AND SELFASSESSMENT CAPABILITIES OF STUDENTS OF THE FACULTY OF SECURITY SCIENCES

On a sample of 147 students (78 male and 69 female), in the first year of the Faculty of Security Studies from Banja Luka, research was conducted with the aim of determining the differences between the achieved grade and the selfassessment of motor skills between male and female students, based on the results obtained by applying adequate tests for assessment and self-assessment of students motor status. Assessment of the motor abilities was performed through a battery of six tests: the maximum number of push-ups performed in 10 seconds (MSKL) - used to assess the dynamic strength of the arms and shoulder girdle, the standing long jump (MSDM) - used to assess the explosive power of the lower extremities, agility with with a club (MOKP) - used to assess the coordination of the whole body, the maximum number of trunk lifts performed in 30 seconds (MPTR) - used to assess the dynamic strength of the trunk, hand tapping (MTAR) - used to assess the frequency of arm movements, forwardroll – back roll - running (MKNT) – used to assess the motor ability of agility. For the self-assessment of motor skills, a constructed questionnaire with six answers was used: excellent (5), above average (4), average (3), below average (2), bad (1) and very bad (0). The respondents showed a good self-assessment of motor skills, where a statistically significant difference between male and female students was recorded only in the variable for self-assessment of dynamic arm and shoulder girdle strength. Male students showed better self-assessment in the variables for assessing dynamic arm and shoulder girdle strength, dynamic trunk strength, body coordination and hand movement frequency, while female students showed better self-assessment in variables for assessing explosive leg strength and agility. The authors recommendation is that the method of self-assessment of motor skills be implemented in the teaching process, when teaching the subject Special Physical Education 1, in order to improve awareness of the role and importance of the anthropological status of students and to encourage them to exercise regularly.

Anthropological profile of long jumpers: Differences between Olympic games finalists

The study included a sample of 48 male and female Olympic finalists (Beijing, 2008; London, 2012; Rio de Janeiro, 2016) in the long jump discipline. The following primary parameters of anthropological status (Body height, Body mass, Body Mass Index, Age) and Result (secondary parameter) were analyzed. The aim of the study was to determine the differences in the defined parameters of anthropological status (body height, body weight, BMI, and age) between male and female long jump finalists. The basic central and dispersion indicators were calculated on the basis of which a descriptive comparison of the analyzed variables was performed. The significance of the difference between subjects was examined by MANOVA and ANOVA (p<0.05). The results showed statistically significant differences in mean values of body height in men where the jumpers in Beijing (180,25cm) were lower than the jumpers in London (186.88cm) for level (p<0.05). There were significant differences in height among women, the female athletes in Beijing (175.50cm) were more than the female athletes from Rio (Rio, 169cm), for level (p<0.05). Numerical differences were also recorded for other parameters, but the expected statistical significance was not achievable. It has been shown that anthropometric parameters are relative and not primary. Preference is given to the motor and functional parameters of jumpers.

Антропология в фокусе социального времени. Часть 1. Пионеры и основатели науки

A series of articles is devoted to the analysis of the formation and transformation of anthropology as a fundamental science. The study uses a social time scale, which makes it possible to assess the reasons for the transformations, ups and downs of science in different countries, depending on social events that form the challenges of society. At present, anthropology, like no other science, has a different "content" depending on the country in which it is formed. At the same time, like all sciences, it has a common history, common tasks and methods. Whether this is a consequence of the internal contradiction of anthropology (a single science or a collection of separate human sciences), or the reason for regional characteristics is the result of the influence of the society in which it develops. It is proposed to begin the discussion of issues important for determining the status of modern anthropology by plunging into its history, to which the first part of the work is devoted. The article discusses the achievements of the initial stage of anthropology, when in Paris it became possible to found a professional Society, a journal, a School and Laboratory, as well as an Anthropological Museum. Why did it work for P. Broca in France, and did not become possible for another scientist in another country. Why did the brilliant works of K. von Baer not give rise to the formation of the Russian school of anthropology. How did it happen that A. Hrdlička and D. N. Anuchin, who received the same skills and knowledge in Paris and founded essentially the same schools of anthropology in America and Russia, did not become guarantors of the same development of anthropology in these countries. What can cross out science in a particular country, bringing a negative connotation to the term "anthropology" for many years. What could be the catalyst for the revival of interest in the natural history of man. How fundamental science acquires applied aspects and becomes “attractive” for the economy of a particular country. These and many other questions are presented in a polemical review of the many-sided anthropology.

Exploring Epistemic Humility and its Limits in Therapeutics

Exploring Epistemic Humility and its Limits in Therapeutics Douglas Porter, MD* (bio) I would like to thank Scott Waterman for sharing what must have been very challenging personal circumstances. Waterman's reflections touched upon many complex issues. For my part, I would like to explore how Waterman's experience underscores the importance of epistemic humility regarding the limits of scientific knowledge and our sense of the meaning of scientific knowledge while still recognizing the significance and power of scientific knowledge. The first epistemic challenge presented by Scott Waterman's experience of "patienthood" that demonstrates the limits of scientific knowledge is the ability to know pain. Of course, we have all known pain, but such firstperson knowledge would not qualify as scientific knowledge. To scientifically know pain, we would need to have an intersubjectively verifiable correlate of the pain. This is all well and good so long as scientific knowledge is not embraced with a form of epistemic hubris such that scientific knowledge is regarded as the only true form of knowledge. It is not uncommon for the knowledge associated with first-person experience to be denigrated as inherently dubious and merely subjective. Phenomenologists (see Merleau-Ponty, 1964, for example) have pointed out that ultimately the veracity of scientific knowledge must rely upon the veracity of knowledge gained from lived experience and, consequently, regarding first-person experience as inherently invalid is tantamount to regarding the entire scientific enterprise as invalid. Epistemic hubris regarding scientific knowledge may therefore be regarded as self-contradictory and irrational. But, when epistemic hubris regarding scientific knowledge becomes wed, as it sometimes does, to a certain form of metaphysical thinking then epistemic hubris becomes downright pernicious. The metaphysics I am referring to would regard reality as that which is scientifically knowable and, ipso facto, that which cannot be known scientifically as not really real. Such thinking would regard the experience of pain as merely an epiphenomenon to what is really going on which is, loosely put, some nerve signals firing away. Such thinking leads to a perverse inversion of priorities in therapeutics where the person experiencing pain should be understood as the salient phenomenon and the value of scientific knowledge must ultimately be measured by its relevance for addressing that experience of pain. In this sense I can echo Scott Waterman's assertion that humanism and the concern for scientific rigor should not be regarded [End Page 111] as antithetical or even complementary, but are better regarded as being cut from the same cloth. It is the humanist knowledge of the significance and meaning of suffering, in this case the distress of experiencing chronic pain, that motivates and measures the concern for the tools of science to intervene and relieve that suffering. Science untied to humanist moorings in therapeutics is science gone rogue. Waterman's experience with chronic pain demonstrated the need for epistemic humility regarding the limits of scientific knowledge. I think it also underscores the need for humility involving our sense of the exact meaning of science. A friend of mine who happens to be an anthropologist recently attended a party with members of the physics department and found the status of anthropology as a "science" to be met with some incredulity by some of the physicists in attendance. It seems to me that hubris regarding physics being the paradigmatic science would severely hamper any meaningful scientific assessment of the treatment of pain. Waterman explored the scientific relevance of the purported mechanisms of action for several treatment alternatives for pain. The etymology of the term mechanism refers to machines. As I have never known a machine to experience pain, I immediately questioned the limits of mechanistic thinking regarding this topic. But what has been dubbed "the new philosophy of mechanics" (Craver & Tabery, 2019) has jettisoned some of the cartesian physicalist assumptions originally associated with mechanistic reasoning in science. This new philosophy has embraced a more liberal stance to accommodate the myriad ways in which explanatory mechanisms are actually used in scientific practice. As an example, Illari and Williamson (2012) offered this definition of a mechanism for science, "A mechanism for a phenomenon consists of entities and activities organized in such a way that they are...

Review of Selected Studies on Aesthetic Sports and Creative Arts

There are different classifications of sports and disciplines. The division into individual and collective is considered fundamental. From the aspect of all divisions, they are mainly bipolar (like Men/Women Artistic Gymnastics) instead of the psychological typology of sports activities, where certain individual sports belong to the group of aesthetic-coordination ones. Rhythmic gymnastics (RG) is the most typical representative in this group, where complex movements predominate most acyclic type. Activities in RG occur in several disciplines with different apparatus (rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon), and only younger age categories have exercises without apparatus. In each domain, many elements are performed, which differ according to their structural groups, although exercises of a dynamic character prevail over static ones. Previously, the structure of sports achievement was determined based on the so-called Equation of success specification, which assessed the contribution of specific segments of the anthropological status of athletes in the prediction of sports results. However, when the result depends on the subjective assessment of the judge, the structure is proposed through the Code of Points (CoP). The decisive factors that prevail in line on the Rules of Assessment, which accurately considers the difficulty of the elements for free routines, musical accompaniment, and the appearance throe the artistic impression of the gymnast. In general, it is a sports activity in which a perfect symbiosis of music and movement is achieved, with a solid aesthetic impression when performing free routines. These characteristics are also present in other sports within this group, with similarities in the methodology of training, the elements of technical difficulties, and the way of assessing the athletes’ achievements. Where looking at specific segments of the anthropological status of rhythmic gymnasts, the determinants of sports achievement are pointed out, viewed, first of all, from the aspect of assessment rules (CoP), which has undergone significant changes in recent years to encourage the rapid development of RG and its inclusion in the Olympic sports family.

Analysis of postural disorders with preschool and school children at the regional level

The aim of this work is to collect relevant research from Montenegro and the region, and their adequate analysis and making meaningful conclusions. The selection of works was made on the basis of issues related to the postural status of preschool and school children and youth. The shortlist included 30 works, which dealt with diagnosing postural status, determining the effects of targeted corrective programs, examining differences in posture in children from urban and rural areas (as well as gender) and discovering the interdependence of deformities with certain segments of anthropological status (usually morphological characteristics).The following conclusions were made: according to almost all the results obtained, the postural status is significantly disturbed and endangered in a large number of children; observed changes in the segments of the locomotor system are mostly of the initial stage, ie. functional type; positive changes in posture have been observed under the influence of applied preventive and corrective exercise programs; equal vulnerability of postural status was found among children from urban and rural areas; the greatest differences in posture between the sexes occur during puberty, and they are detected predominantly on the spinal column; changes in the locomotor system are mostly related to the parameters of the longitudinal dimensionality of the skeleton. The obtained results indicate the need for the implementation of studies that would include the diagnosis and application of experimental exercise programs, in order to gain new experiences and knowledge when applying corrective gymnastics exercises in regular physical education classes.

Teaching Public Anthropology

Utilising George Stocking's distinction between empire-building and nation-building anthropologies, Mihăilescu situates the status of anthropology in Romania in the predominant national ideologies in the countries of Southeast Europe. He acknowledges the precarious position of the discipline in the national context and points to the fundamental question anthropology should be preoccupied with: "anthropology, what for?". He then advocates for a kind of public-friendly anthropology that can increase its community outreach by blending the anthropological gaze with the needs of the general public to produce an informed and broader demand of the discipline in the public space.

Levels of Transformational Changes in Motor Status of Preschool Children under the Influence of Different Models of Exercise Programs

Directed motor activity can affect the anthropological status of children more effectively than unstructured and free activities. The paper examines the impact of two three – month programs on the transformation of the anthropological status of male children aged 6. A statistically significant difference was confirmed in all tested variables (running 20m, backwards polygon, hand tapping, sitting forward lean, long jump, sit up, hand plank) between the initial and final measurements. The outdoor polygon led to greater positive changes in the motor status of preschool children than shaping exercises with elements of games. It is necessary to further investigate the optimal relationship between these two types of directed exercises.

FROM BIOPOLITICS TO THE PRECARITY OF COMMODIFIED BODIES, OR THE APOGUE OF PERFORMANCE

The article presents a philosophical study of the social, political, legal, labor, cultural and anthropological status of a person in modern conditions of informatization, economic liberalism, limited employment, post-democracy, visual culture and a pandemic. The growth of the precariat is regarded as a catalyst for the movement of opposite vectors: the activities of the power and the performative actionism of political subjects. As the optimal integrative tactics of a person of late capitalism, his bodily and spiritual self-exploitation is considered.

The Current Status of Forensic Anthropology in Poland-Assessment of the Discipline

The existing divergences in the development of forensic anthropology (FA) around the world justify an analysis of its situation in each country/region. The present article aims to discuss the current status and development of the field of forensic anthropology in Poland to highlight the existing challenges and contribute to the advancement of the discipline. The research consisted of personal visits to three main centers where forensic anthropology is practiced in Poland and semi-structured interviews with the practitioners. Only seven forensic anthropology practitioners who provide anthropological opinions for law enforcement agencies in Poland have been identified. In 2019, the first post-graduate course in forensic anthropology was created at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. There are also supplementary workshops for pathologists, prosecutors, and police officers to familiarize them with practical concepts of forensic anthropology. Scientific publications in the field of forensic anthropology appear regularly in national and international professional journals, and cutting-edge research on new methods of analysis and identification from video surveillance systems is being carried out. Their results stand out and gain significant recognition from international scientists. Forensic anthropology in Poland is constantly developing, but there is a need to analyze and harmonize the norms regulating the profession of forensic anthropologists.

Differences in the Anthropological Status of Young Football Players in Relation to the Chronological age within one Calendar Year

The aim of this research is to determine whether there are statistically significant differences in the anthropological status of young football players in relation to chronological age within one calendar year. The sample consisted of a total of 50 male respondents, Technical School “Mihajlo Pupin” students from the municipality of Indjija. The sample was divided into two subsamples according to chronological age (born by June 30, 2005; born July 1, 2005 and later). The students are also members of the football club in which they train. By examining the morphological characteristics, data were obtained in the following variables: body height, body mass and body mass index. Static and explosive power testing data were obtained in the following variables: standing long jump, bent arm hang and running 30 meters. It was concluded that there are no statistically significant differences between young football players of different chronological ages in anthropological status. No differences were found in the total space of tested and measured variables (MANOVA) nor in the individual space (ANOVA). The research included two anthropological spaces, morphological and motor, and none of them showed differences between young football players of different chronological ages. Out of a total of six measured and tested variables, the only variable that was on the border of the difference between the groups was running 30 meters, which may indicate that different explosive power of the lower extremities between the two tested groups, in this case, in favor of the younger group.

Contribution of Extracurricular Kinesiological Activities to the Quality of Students’ Leisure-time Organization

This article shows the importance of extracurricular activities in the life of a student of the Polytechnic of Zagreb (TVZ). The emphasis of the article is on the kinesiological activities selected by students during their free time when unoccupied by classroom activities, as well as the utilization of free time for the purposes of achieving better success during the training process, in competitions and subsequently on the students’ psychophysical state. It is shown that kinesiological contents occupy the mere fifth place of interest of Zagreb students (24.5 %) as a form of leisure (Bouillet 2008). In order to increase students’ general health and raise the level of physical activity, it is essential to meet the biological needs for movement, and with it improve their anthropological status.

INFLUENCE OF ATTENDING EXTRACURRICULAR SPORTS ACTIVITIES ON FUNCTIONAL ABILITIES OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

The sample consisted of 121 respondents from fifth and sixth-grade elementary schools from the City of Zadar. A research was conducted to determine the differences between students who, in addition to physical education and health education, also attend some other form of extracurricular sports activity. By conducting a descriptive analysis, we obtained results that show us that male students engaged in extracurricular activity achieved 21.28% better average results than respondents who do not engage in extracurricular activities. Female respondents engaged in extracurricular activities achieved 9.16% better results than respondents who did not engage in extracurricular activities (better scores in the test to assess functional ability (F6 test)). Using the t-test, we found that empirical levels of significance were statistically significant (p = 0.000) for all respondents in both sexes in functional abilities (F6 test). The authors can claim that students attending some forms of extracurricular sports activity have a better score in the variable F6. By performing regression analysis, authors cannot predict the result in the F6 test based on anthropometric characteristics of body height (TV) and body weight (TT). To improve the functional abilities of students, each teacher should encourage them to attend some additional forms of extracurricular sports activities in the form of improving the overall anthropological status.