ANTH 1150 Pearson Questions Chapter 1
How does a holistic perspective influence the way anthropologists conduct cultural research? - Anthropologists treat each aspect of culture as an isolated entity. - Anthropologists treat all cultural phenomena as equally valid. - Anthropologists explore the ways that cultural elements are connected. - Anthropologists recognize that individual cultures are really variations of one world culture.
Anthropologists explore the ways that cultural elements are connected.
Which of the following assumptions made by early cultural anthropologists has been discarded by contemporary researchers? - Anthropologists should collect objective data rather than record subjective impressions in order to arrive at a more scientific understanding of social behavior. - Anthropologists should focus their research on small societies that have been isolated from Western influences because they serve as a "natural laboratory" for investigating the human condition. - Anthropologists should attempt to learn about their own cultural biases in order to develop better understandings of other cultures. - Anthropologists should conduct research on populations that live in urban areas as well as in rural areas in order to create a richer comparative perspective.
Anthropologists should focus their research on small societies that have been isolated from Western influences because they serve as a "natural laboratory" for investigating the human condition
Which of the following summarizes the basic difference between the methods used by archaeologists and cultural anthropologists? - Archaeologists use techniques that have scientific validity, while cultural anthropologists use interpretive methods that are more subjective. - Archaeologists collect data on fossils and skeletal remains, while cultural anthropologists combine written and oral sources in their research. - Archaeologists rely on an analysis of material culture and physical remains, while cultural anthropologists conduct primary research with living people. - Archaeologists draw on historical data in order to study how cultures change over time, while cultural anthropologists conduct fieldwork exclusively.
Archaeologists rely on an analysis of material culture and physical remains, while cultural anthropologists conduct primary research with living people
Which of the following is a cultural practice that has had an impact on the spread of malaria in West Africa? - A diet that included yams made people more susceptible to malaria. - Clearing land for farming created breeding grounds for mosquitoes. - People migrating to West Africa from rain forest regions brought malaria with them. - Inheritance of the sickle-cell trait offered protection against malaria.
Clearing land for farming created breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Which of the following statements accepts cultural relativism while rejecting ethical relativism? - Cultures with harmful practices should be modified to comply with a universal code of ethics. - Cultures should be understood on their own terms, but not used to excuse violence and other harmful practices. - All ethical systems are equally valid, just as all cultures are equally valid. - All cultures are equally valid, and there is no ethical reason to judge cultural practices.
Cultures should be understood on their own terms, but not used to excuse violence and other harmful practices.
By employing a comparative perspective, anthropologists are able to accomplish which of the following? - Judge all cultures according to universal standards. - Determine universal cultural patterns as well as document cultural diversity. - Extrapolate ideal social models from cultures that no longer exist. - Draw on other disciplines in the social sciences to confirm findings.
Determine universal cultural patterns as well as document cultural diversity.
Which of the following is the best summary statement about applied anthropology? - It is the oldest aspect of anthropology. - It is the most important of the four major subfields of anthropology. - It draws from and intersects with the four major subfields of anthropology. - It is the most recent of the four major subfields of anthropology.
It draws from and intersects with the four major subfields of anthropology.
Which of the following statements about anthropology's comparative perspective is true? - It produces theories that are applicable to all cultures throughout time and space. - It reinforces our cultural assumptions about human nature. - It allows the application of a holistic approach to understanding cultural phenomena. - It facilitates a better understanding of one's own culture as well as culture change over time
It facilitates a better understanding of one's own culture as well as culture change over time
How does linguistic anthropology differ from the general field of linguistics? - It focuses on the analysis of the grammars and vocabularies of languages. - It includes the study of how languages change over time. - It recognizes the importance of linguistic diversity. - It focuses on the social and cultural dimensions of language.
It focuses on the social and cultural dimensions of language.
Why is the work of linguistic anthropologists who are documenting indigenous languages considered critical? - Indigenous languages are better able to communicate concerns of the current era of globalization and will soon dominate the world's linguistic landscape. - Many indigenous languages are on the verge of extinction. - Global entrepreneurs need to learn indigenous languages in order to take advantage of new consumer markets. - Indigenous languages are similar to the original language spoken by our earliest ancestors
Many indigenous languages are on the verge of extinction.
An archaeological excavation revealed an ancient site with a mix of large, elaborately constructed buildings and smaller, simpler dwellings. In addition, the site included burials in which some people were interred with jewelry and pottery while others were not. Which of the following would be a reasonable conclusion? - Members of the society had differential access to wealth and power. - Men and women were valued differently in the society. - The site dates to a time when human ancestors first began to show cultural behaviors. - The society encouraged the public observance of religious ceremonies.
Members of the society had differential access to wealth and power.
Which of the following correctly summarizes two of the opposing views surrounding female genital mutilation (FGM)? - Opponents feel it should be stopped because it causes long-term health issues, while proponents say it conveys positive messages about womanhood. - Opponents oppose the practice on the grounds that there is no comparable practice for men, while proponents feel that men do have their own initiation rituals that serve a similar purpose. - Opponents say that the practice does little to control female sexual behavior, whereas proponents argue that the practice adequately decreases female sexual desire. - Opponents believe that girls are too young to undergo the ritual, whereas proponents feel that girls mature more quickly in the cultures where FGM is practiced.
Opponents feel it should be stopped because it causes long-term health issues, while proponents say it conveys positive messages about womanhood.
Which of the following best summarizes what is meant by globalization? - People are joined through networks of power, communication, and exchange across many geographical areas. - People participate in a uniform world culture. - Most processes of culture change occurred during the era of European conquest and ended with the decline of European imperialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. - In today's world, economic and political values are spread exclusively through entertainment and media.
People are joined through networks of power, communication, and exchange across many geographical areas.
Which of the following would be an example of how an applied cultural anthropologist might be involved in a legal dispute between a government and an indigenous community over land rights? - The anthropologist might conduct a DNA analysis of the indigenous inhabitants to ascertain how long they had been living in the region. - The anthropologist might document and analyze indigenous religious beliefs and ceremonies connected to improving the land's fertility. - The anthropologist might offer court testimony concerning the social importance of ancestral lands to the indigenous community. - The anthropologist might assist university students in staging a protest against government encroachment.
The anthropologist might offer court testimony concerning the social importance of ancestral lands to the indigenous community.
How is anthropology uniquely positioned to add insights into the processes of globalization? - The holistic approach gives anthropologists insights into what a global culture will eventually look like. - The comparative approach allows anthropologists to judge which cultures should participate in the growing global economy. - The holistic perspective of anthropology gives researchers the tools to conduct more comprehensive analyses. - The comparative perspective of anthropology offers a window into how cultures change over time.
The comparative perspective of anthropology offers a window into how cultures change over time.
Why are lactase-deficiency, skin color, and lung capacity of interest to biological anthropologists? - They are connected to health issues that affected ancient human populations. - They are biological variations that humans share with other primates and offer insights into human evolution. - They are connected to the spread of cancer and other fatal diseases among contemporary populations. - They are examples of human biological diversity related to the intersection of biology, the environment, and culture.
They are examples of human biological diversity related to the intersection of biology, the environment, and culture.
Which of the following summarizes the role of ethnocentrism in terms of how missionaries and government officials approached the potlatch rituals of the Pacific Northwest? - They could not recognize the cultural value of the potlatch because they thought the right thing to do was to accumulate wealth. - Individuals from both missionary and government camps disagreed as to whether potlatches should be eliminated or promoted. - The missionaries took a religious position whereas the government officials approached the subject from a political and economic angle. - They attempted to participate in potlatches, but were forbidden from doing so because they were not indigenous.
They could not recognize the cultural value of the potlatch because they thought the right thing to do was to accumulate wealth.
Why were applied archaeologists working near Lake Titicaca interested in recreating ancient farming methods? - They wanted to see if ancient farming techniques would work in different environments. - They wanted to help local farmers increase their productivity. - They wanted to create an educational site that was open to the public. - They wanted to confirm that their research results were correct.
They wanted to help local farmers increase their productivity.
A good example of applying anthropological understanding and perspectives in a nonacademic setting is which of the following? - a biological anthropologist tracing population movements based on the distribution of physical adaptations to the environment - a cultural anthropologist conducting ethnographic research in an urban area - a biological anthropologist using the methods of forensic anthropology to assist a police department in solving a crime - a primatologist attempting to teach American Sign Language to a chimpanzee he/she has raised at home
a biological anthropologist using the methods of forensic anthropology to assist a police department in solving a crime
You are writing a thesis on the costumes and jewelry women wear for puberty initiations in a West African society. Which of the following is your primary focus of study? - an aspect of the society's material culture - universal patterns of cultural aesthetics - a feature of the community's symbolic culture - the biological culture of the society
an aspect of the society's material culture
Which of the following differentiates the work of anthropologists from that of sociologists? - a focus on the material aspects of people's lives - an interest in how relationships are organized within a society - an emphasis on the way culture influences behavior - a concern with power and authority
an emphasis on the way culture influences behavior
Which of the following correctly matches the type of applied anthropologist with an appropriate sector of employment? - contract archaeologist and university museum - linguistic anthropologist and a public works construction company - forensic anthropologist and community health clinic - cultural anthropologist and business corporation
cultural anthropologist and business corporation
Construction on a new highway that will run through an ancient religious site is about to begin. In order to assess the impact of the construction project and salvage the site, a person working in which of the following fields should be called in? - cultural resource management (CRM) - ethnographic research - forensic analysis - paleoanthropology
cultural resource management (CRM)
A forensic anthropologist would work on which of the following projects? - documenting the stylistic similarities of pottery types found in a particular geographic region - establishing whether or not a deceased individual was the victim of war crimes - tracing the origins and development of the human species - creating genealogies that show the relationships among members of an elite sector of a horticultural society
establishing whether or not a deceased individual was the victim of war crimes
Which of the following approaches to studying Balinese basketry would Marcus take to acknowledge the integration of symbolic and material culture? - examining how the basket is used and constructed in relation to local forms of exchange, food production, and gender expectations - comparing Balinese baskets to those produced on neighboring islands - documenting the physical properties of the basket, including its shape, material composition, and design motifs - researching how basket-making techniques and tools have changed over time
examining how the basket is used and constructed in relation to local forms of exchange, food production, and gender expectation
Employing anthropology's holistic perspective can offer a better understanding of which of the following? - how humans and chimpanzees evolved from a common ancestor - how gender expectations are connected to economic patterns - how to apply indigenous knowledge to develop better pharmaceuticals - how all living things are connected with one another and the environment
how gender expectations are connected to economic patterns
Which of the following is an example of a project that would fall under the category of applied anthropology? - interviewing members of a community in order to figure out the best way to provide access to medical care while respecting local healing traditions - uncovering the remains of an ancient farming settlement in Turkey to investigate early agricultural techniques - comparing how men and women use language in different social-settings cross-culturally and analyzing how these differences are related to gender ideologies - examining the skeletal remains and DNA of an early human ancestor to learn more about human evolution
interviewing members of a community in order to figure out the best way to provide access to medical care while respecting local healing traditions
Which of the following best describes what "fieldwork" encompasses for a cultural anthropologist? - administering questionnaires over a two-week period in order to collect demographic data - surveying an area in order to determine the geographic and political boundaries of a cultural group - conducting background research at university libraries and public archives - living for an extended period of time among a group of people in order to document their beliefs and behaviors
living for an extended period of time among a group of people in order to document their beliefs and behaviors
What is ethnology? - a detailed description of a single culture based on long-term fieldwork - the set of cultural traits accepted as universals by most anthropologists - the comparison of ethnographic data in order to generate theories that explain cultural processes - the process of recording the observations and interviews conducted during ethnographic research
the comparison of ethnographic data in order to generate theories that explain cultural processes
Which of the following summarizes what anthropologists mean by symbolic culture? - the objects people use on a daily basis and how they are manufactured - the aspects of a culture that can be considered artistic - the thoughts and ideas people have and how they convey them to others - instinctual behaviors that are acquired through genetic inheritance
the thoughts and ideas people have and how they convey them to others