anthropology exam day 2

bands

a form of social organization associated with gatherer-hunter societies. Bands are relatively small, often around 50 people, ideal for a nomadic or seminomadic lifestyle.

class

a group of people with the same socioeconomic status and proximity to power

state apparatus

a system consisting of two intertwined but distinct sets of institutions, the repressive state apparatus and the ideological state apparatus, which function together to maintain state order and control.

meritocracy

a system in which people succeed entirely through hard work and natural abilities. Someone who believes that they live in a meritocracy consequently overlook any structural or racial inequities that may keep individuals from accessing the resources necessary for success

patriarchy

a system of social inequality based on gender, in which power is assumed to be in the hands of men and characteristics associated with femininity are less valued

caste

a system of social inequality bases on an individuals circumstances of birth, wherein people are not allowed to move out of their social group.

symbolic violence

a type of nonphysical violence that is manifested in the power differential between social groups and reinforces ideologies that legitimize and naturalize the status quo

hierarchy

a type of social organization in which certain people or roles are given more power and prestige than others

mode of subsistence

a way in which people interact with the environment to meet their needs. Each mode of subsistence involves its own forms of knowledge, techniques, technologies, and social organization

critical race theory (CRT)

an academic discipline focused upon the application of critical theory. CRT critically examines society and culture, especially the intersection of race, law, and power.

capitalism

an economic mode of production based around markets, ownership of land and resources, and wage labor. Capitalism has produced classes that are grounded in acceptance of the idea that earned wealth or status is the basis for social hierarchy within a nation

neoliberalism

an economic model that prioritizes privatization of public services in order to decrease government spending

necropolitics

an extension of Foucault's biopolitics that explores the government's power to decide how certain categories of people live and whose deaths are more acceptable.

whiteness

an identity based on the maintenance or pursuit of power and proximity to power

downward social mobility

an ongoing loss of capital and the ensuing loss of social status.

cultural capital

competencies, skills, and qualifications people acquire that allow them cultural authority. An institutionalized form of cultural capital is educational attainment.

egalitarian

describes a society or other group in which diverse roles are all given the same decision-making power and accorded the same respect among the group

ideological state apparatuses

distinct and specialized institutions such as religious institutions, public and private education systems, legal systems, political parties, communication systems (radio, newspapers, television), family, and culture (literature, arts, and sports).

microaggressions

everyday instances of racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. that are observed in the world as thinly veiled insults directed toward historically excluded groups

repressive state apparatuses

institutions through which the ruling class enforces its control, including the government, administrators, the army, the police, courts, and prisons.

economic capital

monetary assets, including material assets that can be converted to money

ahistorical

not acknowledging the specific historical experiences of a group, and thus attempting to understand societies without taking into consideration their connections to other cultures.

systemic inequalities

power imbalances created by the confluence of interpersonal, institutional, and structural inequalities.

interpersonal inequalities

power imbalances that are rooted in personal biases and occur every day, reifying and naturalizing inequalities that exist at institutional and systemic levels.

structural inequalities

power imbalances that exist at a level above personal interactions and institutions and are based on the accumulated effects of institutional decisions across society and history.

institutional inequalities

power imbalances that stem from the policies and practices of organizations (education, government, companies, etc.) that perpetuate oppression.

racism

power intertwined with racial prejudice

Nakba

the 1948 displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes; translates from arabic as "disaster" or "catastrophe"

social mobility

the ability of an individual to move up into higher and thus more powerful classes merely by working hard

power

the ability to exert control, authority, or influence over others

racial capitalism

the accumulation of capital through existing relations of racial inequity

resistance

the act of challenging power and domination

misogynoir

the anti-Black racist misogyny that Black women experience

universalism

the belief that social systems have operated roughly the same way all over the world at all times past and present

agency

the capability to act and make decisions

bourgeoisie

the class of people who own the means of production. historically the bourgeoisie were descendants of powerful feudal families

proletariat

the class of people who sell their labor and live off a wage, aka the powerless majority

diaspora

the dispersion of a people from their original home

structural violence

the experience of intersecting, overlapping structures of discrimination (racism, sexism, classism, ageism, etc.).

social stratific

the hierarchical organization of different groups of people, whether based on racial category, socioeconomic status, kinship, religion, birth order, or gender

color blindness

the idea that people "don't see color," meaning they are unaware of the ways in which someone may experience the world because of the color of their skin

racial refusal

the idea that white people are a superior race and should dominate society at the expense of other, historically excluded groups

neocolonialism

the indirect ways in which modern capitalist interests continue to put pressure on poor nations through economic, political, or military means in order to further exploit wealth for multinational corporations and their allies

habitus

the ingrained habits and dispositions that are socialized into people from birth depending on their status in society; used to explain how individuals uphold cultural systems

systematic oppression

the intentional mistreatment of certain groups.

sojourner syndrome

the interlocking ways in which race, class, gender, and resistance to oppression shape Black women's bodies and biology. The Sojourner syndrome emphasizes that race, class, and gender are not necessarily multiplied to mean more oppression, but they change the ways people experience oppression.

gathering-hunting

the mode of subsistence in which people rely on resources readily available in their environment. gathering-hunting peoples collect fruits, nuts, berries, and roots and harvest honey. they also hunt and trap wild animals.

social capital

the nonmonetary resources that people use to gain social status, such as mutual acquaintances, shared cultural knowledge, or shared experiences.

intersectionality

the notion that characteristics such as class, race, gender sexuality, age, and ability can all define and complicate ones experiences, and a single aspect of identity-race, for example-is insufficient to capture the multidimensional nature of peoples experiences of oppression

systems

the powerful, overarching beliefs according to which the world is organized that influence the ways in which individuals interact with their world

seminomadic

the practice of settling in one place for a period of time, usually a few weeks, then moving to a new site to find fresh resources.

symbolic capital

the resources available to an individual because of honor, prestige, or recognition

misogyny

the socialized prejudice against women

inequality

the unequal distribution of resources

inequity

the unequal distribution of resources due to an unjust power imbalance

oppression

the unjust exercise of power, either overt or covert, that is often used to control or inflict harm on entire groups of people

hegemony

the ways in which people with power keep their power through the subtle dissemination of certain values and beliefs

systemic oppression

the ways in which political, economic, and social inequalities are normalized and perpetuated.

biopolitics

the ways in which populations are divided and categorized as a means of control, often by the state.

white privilege

the ways in which white people receive advantages at the expense of other populations

intergenerational wealth

wealth that is passed down through generations of descendants, accumulating interest over many years

paradigms

worldviews that often define a scientific discipline during a specific time period