Anthropological perspectives: Culture, Evolution, Development and
Progress
Name: Simoné Vermeulen
Student Number: 18461034
Assessment Number: 01
Date of Submission: 21 August 2025
Email Address:
, Introduction
Culture is an integral part of anthropology and reflects our place in the world and
where we belong. Culture forms our belief of who we are, how we dress, how we
greet others and even our taste in food. Our identity is rooted in our culture, that is
why the study of culture as part of anthropology is so important as it provide
valuable insight into how we interpret the world and who we believe ourselves to
be within it This essay will focus on unpacking the concept of culture and how it is
understood from an anthropological perspective and secondly deconstruct the
notions of evolution, development and progress from an anthropological
perspective. Drawing on the APY3705 study guide (Study Units 1–3), the essay
will make use of case study examples to validate these concepts.
The Concept of Culture
According to Anthropologists, culture influences the way people act towards
others, conduct themselves in life and affects their cognitive processes, the latter
is not biologically programmed, but rather taught (Hlablangane, 2015:6). Infants
learn the necessary survival mechanisms through the lifelong process of learning
from others within their culture. Through the process of enculturation, we
accumulate most of our cultural understanding from the moment we are born.
(Hlabangane, 2015:6) In my opinion, an example of this is the notion of co-sleeping
and crate training, whereby within some cultures it is acceptable to co-sleep with
an infant as is the case in many African cultures, while other cultures will embrace
the practice of crate training whereby a baby is conditioned to sleep on its own
through self-soothing. In both instances the baby will adapt accordingly, and the
adaptation is not just biological but also cultural.
Anthropologists also stress that culture is symbolic, because symbols have
meaning such as art and rituals, a perfect example of this is a flag representing a
nation and the unity it represents. Through stories, poetry and rituals, tradition is
passed on from one generation to the next, keeping the cultural meaning behind
2
Progress
Name: Simoné Vermeulen
Student Number: 18461034
Assessment Number: 01
Date of Submission: 21 August 2025
Email Address:
, Introduction
Culture is an integral part of anthropology and reflects our place in the world and
where we belong. Culture forms our belief of who we are, how we dress, how we
greet others and even our taste in food. Our identity is rooted in our culture, that is
why the study of culture as part of anthropology is so important as it provide
valuable insight into how we interpret the world and who we believe ourselves to
be within it This essay will focus on unpacking the concept of culture and how it is
understood from an anthropological perspective and secondly deconstruct the
notions of evolution, development and progress from an anthropological
perspective. Drawing on the APY3705 study guide (Study Units 1–3), the essay
will make use of case study examples to validate these concepts.
The Concept of Culture
According to Anthropologists, culture influences the way people act towards
others, conduct themselves in life and affects their cognitive processes, the latter
is not biologically programmed, but rather taught (Hlablangane, 2015:6). Infants
learn the necessary survival mechanisms through the lifelong process of learning
from others within their culture. Through the process of enculturation, we
accumulate most of our cultural understanding from the moment we are born.
(Hlabangane, 2015:6) In my opinion, an example of this is the notion of co-sleeping
and crate training, whereby within some cultures it is acceptable to co-sleep with
an infant as is the case in many African cultures, while other cultures will embrace
the practice of crate training whereby a baby is conditioned to sleep on its own
through self-soothing. In both instances the baby will adapt accordingly, and the
adaptation is not just biological but also cultural.
Anthropologists also stress that culture is symbolic, because symbols have
meaning such as art and rituals, a perfect example of this is a flag representing a
nation and the unity it represents. Through stories, poetry and rituals, tradition is
passed on from one generation to the next, keeping the cultural meaning behind
2
