Anthropology is the study of humanity - our physical characteristics as animals, and our unique non-biological characteristics we call culture. The subject is generally broken down into three sub disciplines: biological (physical) anthropology, cultural (social) anthropology, and archaeology.
Social anthropology is a branch of anthropology which mainly focuses on society, traditions, popular parts of the world, schools , conflicts in parts of the world.
http://www.answers.com/topic/anthropology
http://vlib.anthrotech.com/
2. Explain what distinguishes social anthropology from the broad academic disciplines of anthropology?
Social anthropology is a branch of anthropology which covers a variety of subjects and it is distinct to the other branches of anthropology, a few things that social anthropology covers are history of society which may be a specific society or a relationships between a society, philosophy, racism, conflicts of culture, religions, misunderstandings of culture or tradition etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_anthropology
3. Explain what is meant by ethnocentrism and cultural relativism? Use example from your own knowledge and experience to illustrate your answer?
Ethnocentrism
The most common definition that I have come across is "thinking one's own group's ways are superior to others" or "judging other groups as lower to one's own."
Emile Durkheim
Franz Boas established modern American anthropolog...
English: Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropo...ethnocentrism can be defined as: making false assumptions about others' ways based on our own limited experience.
Food preferences are perhaps the most familiar example of ethnocentrism.
Every culture has developed preferences for certain kinds of food and drink, and negative attitudes toward others cultures food and drink.
for something can taste delicious until we are told what it is, where it comes from and what sort of people consume it.
http://les.man.ac.uk/sa/
Cultural relativism
Definition: judging cultures on their own terms: the principle that people should not judge the behaviour of others using the standards of their own culture, and that each culture must be analysed on its own terms.
A Muslim women wearing a hijaab (veil) is a good example cultural relativism, a muslim lady wearing a hijaab, it may be may be a normal thing for some people because of where they culture or there beliefs, due to her wearing it because of her culture or religion the example would fit in smoothly for cultural relativism.
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v11n1/relativism.html
4.What is meant by ?
European colonialism refers to time which began around A.D. 1400 when the leaders of powerful European countries sent explorers to find new lands and forge new trade routes. Colonizing for economic benefits dates to ancient times, when the Romans ruled colonies in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. No such expansion occurred in Europe throughout the Middle Ages (A.D. c. 450-c. 1500).
http://www.amazon.com/European-Colonialism/lm/29PQCGGXL3O9Y
5.Give a short example of the relationship between anthropology and colonialism
Example
European countries; in the years 1500-1900, Europe colonized all of North and South America and Australia and most of Africa
The use of anthropology in colonialism would be that they would collect information on local peoples' behaviour, traditions and customs and provide this to colonialists making control over them easier.
http://www.edu/anthropology/listings/.html
Bibliography:
Web
http://www.edu/anthropology/listings/.html
http://www.amazon.com/European-Colonialism/lm/29PQCGGXL3O9Y
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v11n1/relativism.html
http://les.man.ac.uk/sa/
http://www.answers.com/topic/anthropology
http://vlib.anthrotech.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_anthropology