Theorizing with Anthropological Theories

We can get a better understanding of what Anthropological theories are and what theorizing is when put on the level of everyday life. What is theorizing but asking questions? This is something we do every day.      

It was said that when we were younger, we start out as “natural scientist”. At that, we were more concerned with the physical world around us. As we grow older, we become more interested in abstract things like emotions, ideas, relationships, etc. We go beyond what is physical or what is tangible.     

Throughout our lives, we ask questions. We ask questions because there are many things we do not know; many things that intrigue us.

This is where Anthropological theories and theorizing comes in.

Asking the Right Questions

Theorizing is basically asking questions. Not just any question, but the right one.

Theorizing with Anthropological theories can be reduced to two main questions; 1) asking “what is it?” and 2) asking “how does it emerge, how is it maintained, and how is it transformed?” 

The first question is the descriptive part. It is where we conceptualize or make sense of our object of study. This is where we ask our questions. The most important probably is “what is your object of study?”, “what is that which you want to focus on?”, and “what is that which you want to give answers to?”

The second question is where we attempt to give answers. This is where the explanatory part is. In attempting to answer these questions, we make use of theories as a way of seeing this particular object of study. 

Anthropological theories construct and shape our object of study. It is basically its backbone. These anthropological theories can be linked to 1) a specific theorist or a specific work, or 2) a particular school of thought or ideology.

The best thing about Anthropological theories is that we are taught to see the world. It becomes more important when we start conceptualizing or making sense of that which we are staring at.