ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the premises and methods of cultural anthropology: discussion of culture, the emic/etic perspectives, and the levels of cultural analysis: ethnology, ethnography, neurobiology. The meaning of Homo sapiens; the nature and importance of cultural universals, the role and value of neuroscience in understanding culture. Cultural relativism and cultural bases for “reality.” The nature and role of perception in shaping belief. Ways of understanding claims of extraordinary experiences. Why anthropology offers the best approaches to understanding magic and witchcraft.
