Anthropology Midterm

who are the Narcerima?

Americans

the thinker who developed the theory of evolution by means of natural selection in the nineteenth century was

Charles Darwin

the nineteenth century British anthropologist credited with the development of the concept of culture through an evolutionary perspective was

E.B. Tylor

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)

True or False? Cultural anthropologists use just three methods

False

True or False? It is easy to identify direct casual links between genes and behavior

False

Reconnaissance work in archaeology is also known as:

Phase I

the theorist most connected with post structuralism is

Renato Rosaldo

True or False? Males and females in a given primate population may be co dominant

True

True or False? Mutation is the only source of new genetic material

True

True or False? Primates often live in groups in order to avoid predators

True

Quantitative Methods

a methodology that classifies features of a phenomenon, counting or measuring them, and constructing mathematical and statistical models to explain what is observed

Ethnographic Method

a prolonged and intensive observation of and participation in the life of a community

Comparitive Method

a research method that derives insights from careful comparisons of aspects of two or more cultures or societies

Qualitative Methods

a research strategy producing an in depth and detailed description of social activities and beliefs

Theory

a tested and repeatedly supported hypothesis

which of the following is NOT studied by anthropologists a) dinosaur bones b) primates c) human culture d) forensics

a) dinosaur bones

an evolutionary perspective would be most likely to explain colonialism as: a) the natural abilities of more civilized people to control less civilized people b) the importance of Enlightenment ideas in explaining cultural difference c) that more evolved countries shouldn't get involved in the development of other countries d) a useful holistic response to social problems

a) the natural abilities of more civilized people to control less civilized people

Practicing Anthropology

anthropological work involving research as well as involvement in the design, implementation, and management of some organization, process, or product

one important adaptation found in New World monkeys is the presence of a) a longer thumb b) a prehensile tail c) a wet nose d) color that blends into the surrounding habitat

b) a prehensile tail

which of the following traits is unique to hominins and NOT found in other primates? a) binocular vision b) bipedalism c) grasping hands d) fingernails

b) bipedalism

which of the following is NOT a concept key to the human culture as discussed in the lecture? a) culture is shared b) culture is isolated c) culture is transformative

b) culture is isolated

Uniformitarianism is the idea that change occurs: a) suddenly and through catastrophes such as floods, earthquakes. etc b) gradually and through the result of processes that are still observable today c) in major punctuations with new species arising very rapidly as a result of mutations or changes in selective pressures d) none of the above

b) gradually and through the result of processes that are still observable today

if you observed gradual changes in environmental temperature and, at the same time, observed that there were changes in the phenotype of a butterfly species over fifteen generations, which theory might best help explain what is going on? a) plasticity b) natural selection c) extinction d) essentialism

b) natural selection

in archaeology, this is a division of prehistory based on gross changes in subsistence patterns, climatic changes, housing and burial styles, etc. a) phase b) period c) site d) age

b) period

the main idea behind the holistic perspective is to study culture a) by its individual parts b) through systematic connections of different parts c) through third party reports d) all of the above

b) through systematic connections of different parts

the subfield of anthropology that studies human evolution, including human genetics and human nutrition is called

biological anthropology

research committed to making social change and improving the lives of marginalized people is called a) rapid appraisal b) development anthropology c) action research d) participant observation

c) action research

one of the central ideas of Darwin's theory of evolution was the idea that a) all organisms change over time regardless of their environment b) organisms changed only as a result of not interacting with their environment c) change in organisms was related to their adaptability to a particular environment d) biblical forces were responsible for the changes we see in organisms

c) change in organisms was related to their adaptability to a particular environment

for much of its early history, physical anthropology was associated with what methodology? a) gene decoding b) facial recognition methodology c) measurement and classification of skulls according to racial characteristics d) primatological field studies

c) measurement and classification of skulls according to racial characteristics

which of the following is NOT a part of a human's taxonomic classification? a) primate b) mammal c) plattyrhine d) hominoid

c) plattyrhine

the most enduring and ritualized aspects of culture are referred to as a) folkways b) norms c) traditions d) symbols

c) traditions

the comparative method a) studies the evolution of a single language b) focuses on one society over a long period of time c) uses data from many different societies d) is the only accepted method of research in modern anthropology

c) uses data from many different societies

the subfield of anthropology that studies human diversity, beliefs, and practice

cultural anthropology

who, along with Niles Eldridge, developed the theory of punctuated equilibrium? a) Duane Gish b) Mary Leakey c) Charles Lyell d) Stephen Jay Gould

d) Stephen Jay Gould

ethnocentrism a) presents a major problem for anthropologists b) means you think your culture is superior to others c) is a common feature of culture d) all of the above

d) all of the above

when cultural anthropologists go into the field a) they go with a set of questions they want to ask and have answered b) they often change the focus of their question to fit what they are seeing c) they often go with the flow of everyday life, even if it seems off topic at the time d) all of the above

d) all of the above

in some species of primates, females and their relatives and young are socially organized around a) patrifocal units b) analogous units c) dominant units d) matrifocal units

d) matrifocal units

sickle cell anemia, a blood cell mutation, takes a toll on those afflicted, but it is an example of a mutation that may also be useful because it a) helps reduce the instance of melanoma, or skin cancer, in the tropics b) provides a way for people to resist dangerous viruses like Ebola c) offers health researchers a way to understand genetic differences in a closed population group d) provides resistance to malaria in the tropics

d) provides resistance to malaria in the tropics

what kind of data do anthropologists gather from doing interviews? a) terms for biological species b) details about court cases c) life histories d) opinions on upcoming elections e) all of the above

e) all of the above

the refinement of Darwin's theory has shown that

evolution can only be measured or seen across generations within a population

Franz Boas

father of modern American anthropology; argued for cultural relativism and historical particularism

how would you describe Edward Tylor's evolutionary theories?

he studied the history of human society from simple to complex technology and social institutions (from so called savagery to civilization)

EE Evans Pritchard

instrumental in the development of social anthropology

Fieldwork

long term immersion in a community, normally involving firsthand research in a specific study community or research setting where people's behavior can be observed and the researcher can have conversations or interviews with members of the community

which school of anthropological thought stresses the interrelationship among the natural conditions in the environment and society?

neoevolutionism

the ability to touch the thumb with the tips of the other fingers on the same hand is called:

opposability

if you wanted to understand very early, non living human beings, you would likely engage in

paleoanthropology

in anthropology, holism refers to:

seeking to understand how all aspects of our species are related

the ability to document changes in pottery styles in non living societies happens through

seriation

Anthropology

study of human beings, their biology, their prehistory and histories, and their changing languages, cultures, and social institutions

Evolution

the adaptive changes in populations of organisms across generations

Ethocentrism

the assumption that ones own culture is superior to others

Industrialization

the economic process of shifting from an agricultural economy to a factory based one

Colonialism

the historical practice of more powerful countries claiming possession of less powerful ones

Cultural Relativism

the moral and intellectual principle that one should withhold judgement about seemingly strange or exotic beliefs and practices

Salvage Paradigm

the paradigm which held that it was important to observe indigenous ways of life, interview elders, and assemble collections of objects made and used by indigenous peoples

Natural Selection

the process through which certain heritable traits become more or less common in a population related to the reproductive success of organisms interacting with their environments

Scientific Method

the standard methodology of science that begins from observable facts, generates hypotheses from these facts, and then tests these hypotheses

Participant Observation

the standard research method used by sociocultural anthropologists that requires the researcher to live in the community he or she is studying to observe and participate in day to day activities

Linguistic Anthropology

the study of how people communicate with one another through language and how language use shapes group membership and identity

Biological Anthropology

the study of the biological and biocultural aspects of the human species, past and present, along with those of our closest relatives, the non human primates

Cultural Anthropology

the study of the social lives of living communities

Empirical

verifiable through observation rather than through logic or theory

the American anthropologist responsible for the concept of historical particularism was named

Franz Boas

By cross breeding pea plants, he was able to illustrate the basic laws of inheritance:

Gregor Mendel

Applied Anthropology

anthropological research commissioned to serve an organization's needs

Among the Bonobo chimpanzees, social conflict is often resolved through sexual activity. This is a form of: a) affiliation b) dominance c) behavior modification d) reconciliation

d) reconciliation

Holism

efforts to synthesize distinct approaches and findings into a single comprehensive interpretation

Diversity

the sheer variety of ways of being human around the world

Archaeology

the study of the past based on what people left behind