Research methods in applied cultural anthropology

Abstract

This article explores the application of cultural anthropology in Ecuador, with a focus on the interrelationship between human communities and their environment. Led by a multidisciplinary team, the research encompasses ecology, geography, climatology, biogeography, demography, archaeology and ethnohistory. The structure and transformation of the landscape by geoforms, hydroforms and climoforms is highlighted, as well as how flora and fauna shape the biome. Cultural anthropology is conceived as cultural ecology, considering both the impact of the environment on the human community and the influence of this on the environment. The research is based on four coordinates: chronological, functional, chorological and ecological, to understand the dynamics of simple and complex communities. The need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to understand and foresee the future of these communities is emphasized, highlighting the importance of an interdisciplinary study that integrates all dimensions of the human and natural landscape