Sunday, March 27, 2011

APPLIED PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY


APPLIED PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
            Let us now discuss about the applied aspect of the physical anthropology. The principal aim of all sciences is to apply the results of scientific investigations in the services of mankind. This applied concept in physical anthropology is not a new introduction. The results of investigations of physical anthropology have been harnessed for getting practical benefit various fields. The techniques of anthropometry are greatly utilized in the field known as “human engineering”- a term used by the experimental psychologists and applied engineers doing work on biochemical problems. In anthropological sense human engineering indicates the efforts to design and build modern machines which would fit persons working with these. The contributions of physical anthropology, especially in western countries, are numerous. In the field of medicine and dentistry, pediatrics, orthopedics, orthodontics and prosthetics, etc., the data of physical anthropology have been and are being utilized considerably. The physicians very often feel the need of anthropometry in their profession. The gynecologists should have an idea about the dimension of the pelvis of the expectant mother and the approximate circumstances of the head of the baby in t5he womb. It is essential for the surgeon to have an actual idea about the measurement of the bones at the time of diagnosing the presence of a bone lesion. The anthropometry has got the special role in sports medicine also. The actual idea about the different dimension of the body, increase in muscular volume, etc., can be obtained only by measuring the body scientifically. The influence of this branch of science on the solution of many medico-legal problems is immense. The physical anthropologists have tried to utilized their results of study in understanding the different disease resistances of temperature, humidity, etc., which are optimum for them. The recent advancement in the study of human problematic situations and the physical anthropologists has ably come forward to examine their data in the light of modern genetics. The results of their study have potentially important applications. The studies of dermatoglyphics in physical anthropology have contributed many substantial facts which have been utilized in human welfare. The physical anthropologist have been studied the races of mankind in a careful way and found even in many advanced by the different scholars in this line and they are trying hard to root out this particular disease from human society.
            Besides these general; applications of physical anthropology there are many specific applications which deserve mention in this connection. A number of stray works have been done by the scholars which reflect the usefulness of physical anthropology in deserve fields of works. The studies concerning the human body in relation to the physical surroundings, Hooton’s study for seating accommodation in trains and the anthropometric study of men and women conducted by the Bureau of Homo Economics in America in order to improve the clothing size, may be regarded as remarkable contribution in this field.
During recent period much emphasis is being laid to design the seats and thereby making the sitting arrangements more comfortable. It has been understood that a close correlation exists between health and good posture. If a seat creates troubles in keeping the body in a good posture, it results in various disabilities in skeletal, muscular and other organic parts of the body. On the other hand the correctness in sitting posture enhances alertness and endurance as well as improvement in circulation and respiration of the persons concerned. Body measurements in characteristic working position cans thus improve the design of seats in offices, educational institutions, in public vehicles. Therefore the designers of these sitting arrangements are in the specific necessity to have a knowledge regarding various anthropometrical perspectives. Modern furniture designers in many countries utilize the results of anthropometrical studies to plan their activities in a scientific way.
            In the army the data of anthropological investigations are extensively used in the Western countries. The anthropometric surveys on the military personnel are considered essential to get their body measurements which are used to meet various demands. In Mexico, the National Military Academy has been doing effective work in this line since 1951. Here the results of biometric investigations are extensively used in the selection of cadets. The anthropometric data are greatly used in military research and development. The Air Forces very often utilize the anthropometric data in solving spatial problems in aircraft and also in improving flight clothing. The anthropometry is used to design the cockpit as per body size, gun-tur-rets, seats for the passenger’s aircraft, designing of tank and gun-sight, pressure suits and helmets, anti-gravitational suits and so on. The quartermaster Corps is taking the help of anthropometry for making better fitted and efficient clothing. It emphasizes on finding out the relationship between clothing sizes and body measurements so that the clothes may fit the good number of military personnel with minimum or no alteration. It can then easily be said that the measurements for the sake of measurements are extensively bused to meet the various requirements to solve practical problems. Physical anthropology has now included dynamic and the functional measurements in addition to the measurements of the static man and, naturally, its importance has been increased considerably. The symposium on the Applied Physical Anthropology which was held at the United States National Museum, Washington, under the auspices of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, in the year 1948, opened a new vista in the world of physical anthropology like the identification of unknown war dead, medico-legal aspects of the skeletal materials, measurements of man for making machinery, anthropometry and apparel, military anthropometry in Great Britain, in the Air Forces, and in the Quartermaster Corps.
            The data of physical anthropology are used in the correct interpretation of facts in the subjects like history and sociology. The research findings of physical anthropologists are extensively used in the exploration of physical phenomena especially in prehistory and ancient history where written documents are either lacking or are very insufficient to reach at a definite conclusion. The doctrine of racial superiority and inferiority in the history of the different countries, that was very much prevalent to fulfils different political and economic motives, has proved absurd by the analytical study of the physical anthropologists today. The possession of false ideas in the field of human races has, in many respects, led the historians and the politicians to the wrong conclusions which have caused tense situation and even bloodshed. The new classical sociologists also have understood the importance of physical anthropology in their study and research.
           
 They are keen to find out the anthropological cause influencing the socio-economic condition of the human groups. Malinowski, the renowned Sociologist, is of the opinion that individual physiology is always seen modified by social and cultural determinism. It is seen that all the organizations relating to social survey or investigations have given today due to importance to physical anthropology in order to get collaboration of the physical anthropologists with the workers in other fields like the engineers, orthodontists, bio-physicists, environmental physiologists, etc., is the crying need of the present time as it helps in solving many basic problems in a novel way. The applied physical anthropology, the scope of which is varied, thus fulfils a useful and profitable function in the society of mankind.

1 comment:

  1. Respected Sir,
    This blog has proved very useful for me as i am a student of M.Sc (F) Physical Anthropology from University of Delhi and i was looking for something like this on the net. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge about this applied physical anthropology. Actually anthropology is a very vast subject and it is very difficult to deal with each and every aspect of it at a time, but still anthropologist in their own way contribute a lot in the welfare of human beings.
    With regards,
    Miss Astha Ranjan

    ReplyDelete