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Noerozōology: Expanding the Horizons of Anthropology to Embrace Universal Personhood
Thinking of a new term for the study of people, which isn’t exclusionary or human centered.
As a trained anthropologist, I have devoted much of my academic pursuits to exploring the complex world of human cultures, societies, and biology. Anthropology has traditionally been known as the holistic and comprehensive study of humans, encompassing various subfields such as sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology. The interdisciplinary nature of anthropology allows for a deeper understanding of the human experience, providing valuable insights into our past, present, and potential future.
However, as we look beyond our own species and even our own planet, we must consider the possibility of encountering other sentient beings, whether they are from distant corners of the universe or perhaps from hidden corners of our own world. As we continue our search for intelligent life and engage with an ever-growing body of fictional works featuring encounters with such beings, it becomes necessary to rethink our understanding of personhood and develop a new framework for studying these potential “others.”
