ANT Test 1

What information could we learn from Sterk's research which might be used to understand and solve a social issue? Name 2 issues to which it could be applied.

- drug use or drug addiction made it progressively harder to control what would happen - conditions of women's lives, living in situations of violence

Give two examples of current social or economic problems which anthropology can help to explain or solve.

-Anthropologist can find the start of a social or economic problem by studying behaviors and the changing behaviors in which the problems started occurring -help give information to a culture who may not be aware of medical conditions, issues, and cures

Name four research techniques which the anthropologists used to obtain data on Pohnpei. How did they use anthropological approaches? [Hint: consider the feasts for at least one of them.]

-Attending events = Going to feasts to get everyone for the questionnaire -Get involved = helping with the woman's work -Have key consultants -Interviews

Give three reasons why anthropologists argue that races are not biologically real categories, but rather are culturally constructed. Now, for each reason given. consider which subfield of anthropology provided that information, and add in reasons until you have at least one reason from each subfield.

-Genes are not more similar between certain races (biological anthropology) -there is no "trait" for color of skin -depends on environment (black people have tougher skin and they become tough from the sun; food differences between cultures also contribute) (cultural and social anthropology) -material that are found that could be used of the same race (archaeology) -different labels and numbers of race groups (linguistic anthropology)

Give examples of ethnocentrism from "Lessons from the Field" and Nest In the Wind

-Psychologist in Nest In The Wind said that people cannot live like this; it is not right; not healthy; against their culture -Jenny in Lessons from the Field looks at the culture of men and see how they treat her and does not like it; but she decides that it is a cultural thing..

Why didn't the medical research work out the way they originally planned? Give 3 reasons, and how they adjusted their methods to fit the local context.

-data kept changing -changing of names (had to give people numbers) -people moved a lot and it was hard to locate people (got everyone together with feasts)

Ward argues that Pohnpei had complementary (different-yet-equal) realms based on gender. What evidence does she present for that position?

-men and women had different roles, but they complimented each other and are both considered important and valued within the society. -men needed the women and vice versa -men hunted -> women cooked the food -men gardened -> women prepare the feasts

Write a 5-6 sentence description of an event (a baseball game, for example) using emic analysis, and then using etic analysis.

...

Haines separates society into three parts: adaptation, social organization, and meanings. Name Pohnpeian cultural practices which fit into each category.

Adaptation = focuses on the issues of how human societies can be understood in terms of their adaptation to the environment (living, gardens, hunting, building shelter, kava, betal nut for cash crops) Social Organization = social aspects of culture; how people connect together (kinship/marriage/economic/elders) Meanings = kava drinking (solving conflicts between people) pigs (indication of wealth); how people perceive the meaning of their lives (deeds, thoughts, language)

How do industrialism and agriculture differ in how goods are produced? How are those differences reflected in the adaptations' social organization, etc?

Agriculture = more workers, some machines, everyone has a job of contribution Industrialism = mass production/all machines; more pesticides (based on only skills and knowledge; networking for ranks)

What are the four sub-fields of anthropology?

Archaeology = use the material evidence of the past Biological Anthropology = the study of the biological aspect of humans Linguistic Anthropology = the study the social and cultural contexts of language and how they vary Social and Cultural Anthropology = the study living societies and cultures by learning from the people who inhabit them

How do Pohnpeians combine local beliefs/practices with foreign ones (American, Japanese, etc)? Give examples from economic activities, religion, and medicine.

Economic = industrialism (walmart, but with their types of foods), less value of and for wage jobs, family (more nuclear, less extended) Religion = they have their spirits, starting to include Christianity (celebrated Easter, but had Kava and feasts Medicine = if Pohnpeian's cure doesn't work then they resort to Western treatments)

How did Pohnpeian society change between Ward's first visit in 1970-3 and return visit in 2003? Discuss economic activities (their adaptation/s), social organization, and health/illness/healing practices.

Economic = industrialized, less value on land, nuclear family, wage jobs Social Organizations = kava drinking (commercialized), feasts were optional to attend, dancing became for provocative -Illness, sorcery, and curing relate to their adaptation and social arrangements because if one gets sick then it means that the spirits are upset about a dispute or something that the person or family had done

How does Nest in the Wind show the use of emic and etic analyses?

Emic Perspective = examining society using concepts that are meaningful from that culture, if someone read the information from a different culture it would make sense to them (feasts, speeches, and tells what it means for pohmpeians; saying that it is a project that will help people; talking to people and more persuasive) Etic Perspective = examining society using concepts of science (outside perspective).. the ways of doing research and the reasons of doing research (categories of incest between parallel cousins; looking online at berry college; information that they can compare)

Define ethnocentrism. Give an example of how it can cause problems between groups in a society or nations. How does it differ from racism?

Ethnocentrism = believing that one's own culture is superior to others - people will not understand or be able to accept the people of the different culture in a healthy manner - it differs from racism because it is not about looks or color, it is about lifestyle and beliefs

Write a holistic description of a dorm at Berry College, incorporating the factors of economics, gender, age, and environment.

Ford = age (freshmen), gender (girls), geographical origin (everywhere), class (mostly upper), ethnicity (mostly white)

Name the two ways that a researcher's traits (gender, age, marital status, parental status, class, ethnicity, nationality, ...) influence their study, and give examples.

Gender (sex segregation), age (different jobs/"capabilities), historical position (women's movement), martial status, parenthood, Nationality

What new insights did Richard Lee gain into !Kung society from offering a cow for the Christmas feast? How did he obtain that new information?

He found out that everyone makes fun of each other when they do something great and superior to make sure that they stay humble

If Pohnpeians hired applied anthropologists to conduct two research projects on Pohnpei, what issues do you think they would want studied and why?

Health = their health has declined and has had much bigger issues as the time continues Economy = how to run for office, patterns

Define holism. Why is it important to anthropology? (Give 2 reasons, and then provide an example of holistic analysis from one course reading.)

Holism = all the different pieces of what people do add to a comprehensive, complex whole, that you cannot understand the pieces without understanding that whole - it is important to view every part of culture because it helps with understanding the culture itself and relating it to ones own culture -submerging herself into the Pohnpei Martha took understanding to the culture and ended up raising her daughter the same way that the Pohnpeians do - Sterks article of prostitution by looking at race, education level, social class, background, age, time, drug use (crack), setting

How do Pohnpeians' understandings of illness, sorcery, and curing reflect their adaptation and social arrangements?

Illness, sorcery, and curing relate to their adaptation and social arrangements because if one gets sick then it means that the spirits are upset about a dispute or something that the person or family had done - family has a great effect on the cure and sickness and involves sorcery to become cured

Think of specific research situations in which each obligation would apply.

Informed consent = the people have to trust the anthropologist in order for the research to be obtained protect the wellbeing= when writing an ethnography honesty contributes when getting the facts and understanding of every day lives in a certain culture Protection of privacy = protecting the people of the group that they are studying by changing their names and not reporting them and direct locations if they would like to keep their privacy of information

What methods do cultural anthropologists use in their research? Give an example of two methods which could be used in studying a group in the Amazonian rain forest, and then two methods which could be used for studying US teachers.

Interviews, questionnaires, get involved, time, key consultants, hang out

Compare one of the foraging examples with Pohnpei. How do their social arrangements (organization based on age, gender, kinship, location, skill) differ?

Kinship is much more broad among the Pohnpei for they adopt each other's children and include much more extended family The Pohnpei do not move as often, but still have the accessibility to move

Haines divides culture into three aspects (material, social, and ideational). Give an example from Nest in the Wind and one other reading for each aspect.

Material = technology on how to obtain basic needs Social = how groups are organized and connected Ideational = ideas beliefs and values; the core vision that people have of themselves, the world, and the other human beings in it

By 2003, Pohnpeians were more involved in a cash economy; they (and the gov't) were more concerned with earning money. WHY has money become more important in Pohnpeian society? How does this shift relate to changes in their adaptation/s?

Money has become more important because American culture has influenced it so greatly and has been wanting it to become a resource of cash income. It relates to the changes in their adaptations because now they need money for everything

How do Pohnpeians obtain status in the early 1970s? How has it changed (or not changed) by Ward's visit in 2003?

Obtained status by prestige, leading an organization, bringing good expensive food to feasts, included in certain kingroups -changes include ranks of wages and running for office, but prestige is included still

How does the author of "Fieldwork on Prostitution..." use the concept of cultural relativism for her research? How is she NOT a moral relativist?

She talks to them and asks them questions and tries to understand their way of life. - she sees the pimps as exploitative and thinks that is wrong for the women to experience violence and the way infections are spread

What new insights did college students develop from living in a Bajan village?

Slower pace of life; see the life of simplicity, feel guilty for all the excess that they have, but then see that they are usually more content with their lives than Americans

Ward describes how the Pohnpeian diet changed from 1970 to 2003 and the health effects. These patterns show up in other developing nations as well. Why have those changes occurred? Is it "dietary colonialism," namely that the global spread of US culture and corporations has influenced Third World peoples to take on unhealthy US food habits. To test this argument, discuss which factors led Pohnpeians to adopt the US diet of the 1960s and 70s. Include history, economic changes, government policies, and cultural ideas of prestige in your answer.

The changes occur because they are more accessible and becoming more industrialized, which means women and men work wage jobs and do not have the time to still maintain providing their own food for themselves, school lunches, "thrifty gene theory,"

Why do anthropologists usually conduct field research for at least a year?

To be able to observe every single season, life change, traditions, and celebrations, for direct interaction, and topic changes; seasons change the type of foods that are available and the shelter that they need

Pick 5 questions of Haines' '9 questions' in the adaptation framework which you feel provide the best insight into Pohnpeian society? Why did you chose those 5?

What kind of religious beliefs are there? -Spirits, Christianity, Karma What is the degree of equality? - men and women have different roles but they are complimentary to each other; matrilineal Is the society prone to peace or war? -Peace; even if someone kills someone else, their families have to meet up for a forgiveness and forgiveness acceptance time Is the society ecologically sound? - yes, they use their land for food, but do not damage or pollute the earth What are the specific kinship ties and groups? - great respect for elders is extremely important, people are open to additions to the kin that are not blood (adoptions)

How is the concept of cultural relativism important for anthropology?

cultures must be understood by their terms not ours; so if a person looks at a culture through the eyes of their own culture then the facts and understanding of the culture that is being studied will be altered

How does the increasing role of an industrialist adaptation on Pohnpei affect inequality—increase it or decrease it, in which areas, and why?

it increases inequality for people become more selfish and want to be on top of the ranks for jobs for that means more money

Why is fieldwork important to anthropological research (give two reasons)?

it provides more depth and range of understanding that other research methods; obtains the richest portrayal of other cultures: what people do, why they do it, and what they themselves think about it

While 1970s Pohnpeian society looks most like a horticultural adaptation, it has less equality and more formal structure than typical. How do we explain this variation from the usual patterns in an adaptation?

more ranked; local ecology allowed to produce a lot of foods; prestige; attachment to the land

What are the three ethical obligations of anthropologists to the people they study?

protect the wellbeing, informed consent, protecting privacy

What is an ethnography?

the study or description of people

How can people who have no factories (such as Pohnpei) be categorized as living in an industrial adaptation?

using products that were produced in factories; complex technology; have the aspect of skill (specialized jobs);reliance on cash

According to Haines, why is culture important for human beings?

-Culture greatly expands the options people have -based on ideas, beliefs, and values -makes them who thy are and sets parameters on what they can accomplish -learned and shared behaviors