Combo for ANTH final
Gender Stratification/Hierarchy
-A division in society where all members are hierarchically ranked according to gender. -The ways gendered activities and attributes are related to the distribution of resources, prestige, and power in a society.
Transitions to Industrial Economy
-Population growth -Expanded consumption of resources -International expansion -Occupational specialization -Shift from subsistence strategies to wage labor
Horticulture
-Production of plants using non-mechanized technology -Produces a lower yield per acre and uses less human labor than mechanized agriculture
Agriculture
-Production of plants using plows, animals and soil and water control. ~Sedentary villages, the rise of cities Occupational diversity Social stratification
Avunculocal residence
-Residence of a married couple with the husband's mother's brother -Found in matrilineal societies where a nephew inherits property from his mother's brother. (Avuncu = uncle)
What is gender ideology?
-a cultural product, the totality of ideas about sex, gender, the natures of men and women, including sexuality, and the relations between genders -Most societies view males and females as distinct regarding sexuality
global census on the AAA race project site
-info is used for: political control, promote national unity, to explore ethnic and racial diversity, or to combat diversity -different countries vary on meanings of "race" and "ethnicity" ( There is an amazing amount of diversity in the categories that different countries use to indicate race on their census)
What are some examples of the things gender ideology impacts in societies?
-may become a basis for gender stratification Seclusion of women, Cultural emphasis on honor and shame for females, Male control over social institutions related to sexuality -Example: public/private dichotomy -women's status is lowered by their cultural identification with the home and children -Men are identified with public, prestigious economic and political roles
Industrialization
-mechanization of the production (of food and other products)
vodou practice
-possession is an important part of Voodoo in Haiti -sacrificing goats, chickens or other animals
Bissu
-they are a combination of all genders -must be born a hermaphrodite -an important in Bugis society and are often called on to conduct religious ceremonies and giving blessings -They are able to act as mediators between humans and spirits (dewata) -the dewata who descend and take possession of the bissu. This allows bissu to bestow blessings on the person for whom the ceremony is performed
How did the panel speakers' parents react when they came out?
A few had trouble accepting this, but most eventually got over this initial resistance
monogamy
A form of marriage in which one woman and one man are married only to each other.
Ambilocal residence
A pattern in which a married couple may choose either matrilocal or patrilocal residence. (ambi/bi=two or both)
Aesthetics of Gwo Ka
Chalè ('heat') Competition/combat Call and response, communication more generally Parallelism deep, "rough", male voices (match drumming) Loud Lack of alternation of tones or vibrato (*exceptions) Political militancy sang in Kréyòl and venerate those who fought and died for Guadeloupean freedom.
Kin Relations
Consanguineal kin: relatives by birth; so-called "blood" relatives. Affinal kin: relatives by marriage.
Matrilineal descent
Descent traced exclusively through the female line to establish group membership. -women have more say in decision making than in patrilineal societies. -Authority is often in hands of mother's brother -Common in societies where women perform much of the productive work. *Example: Akan of West Africa*
"Armchair" anthropology
Early anthropology ("armchair anthropologists"): Lewis Henry Morgan, Edward Tylor -other travelers -evolutionary theories -Societies classified on basis of technology, social institutions
Imitative magic
Examples: performing a ritual dance imitative of the growth of food in an effort to secure an abundant supply, Peruvian Indians molded images of fat mixed with grain to imitate the persons whom they disliked or feared, and then burned the effigy on the road where the intended victim was to pass (burning his soul)
Sacrifice
Examples: sacrifice of first fruits of a harvest, animal lives or even human lives Also, personal sacrifice: Lent
What is the doll test and what did it reveal?
Exposed internalized racism among African American students and demonstrated that it was worse among students in segregated schools
What types of marriage do the Gebusi practice?
Gebusi marry outside of own patrician (exogamy) -Clans are larger than lineages, so this means that also marry outside of own lineage
Reciprocity
Generalized: assume balance out (most common in foraging societies like !Kung) ~balanced:gift repaid same value (Moka & Kula) ~negative:get something for nothing (Theft & Gambling)
polygamy
Having more than one spouse
Paul Farmer
Well-known Applied Anthropologist -Conducted research for dissertation on AIDS in Haiti -Created an organization called Partners in Health
Why does Abu-Lughod compare veils to mobile homes?
allow women to leave the domestic sphere and to maintain modesty in public and thus to go out and do things they may not have otherwise - THUS can represent freedom
What is Second Life?
an online virtual world studied by Boellstorff & turned it into participant observation his research as the avatar "Tom Bukowski"
polygyny
having more than one wife at a time
economic system
norms governing production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services ~Need not involve cash (Trobrianders: yams, Kawelka: pigs, Nuer and Masai both cows) -Economic motivation includes many choices: Material well-being (monetary profit), Family connections, Leisure time, Prestige (social status or respect), CULTURE
Gwo Ka and UNESCO's List of Intangible Heritage
not on the list since 2008
Who are the Gebusi?
people on New Guinea -Westerner contact 1st happened in 1960 -studied by Knauft
Characteristics of Religion
sacred stories, symbols/symbolism, proposes the existence of beings, powers, states, places, and qualities that can not be measured scientifically, Includes rituals, pattern behaviors, and specific means of addressing the supernatural
What is culture?
something that is distinct from nature (nature versus nurture) shared knowledge a symbolic system (Geertz "webs of significance") a tool/ mediating object a system of practices habitual actions
How did Knauft end up doing research among the Gebusi?
went to Gebusi part of rainforest to study political decision making
Matriarchy
female-dominated society in which women hold all important public and private power -May be explicit or implicit -Never exists in extreme dominance the way patriarchy can
What kinds of methods did Knauft use in studying the Gebusi?
went with tape recorder and type writer, to become a participant observer & do fieldwork
Inis Beag Society: Ireland
-Described as "one of the most sexually naïve of the world's societies". -Women are expected to endure sex. Refusing intercourse is a mortal sin.
How does gwo ka reflect Guadeloupean culture?
Glimpse into how Guadeloupeans conceive of their own history and their own identity Gwo ka and colonial history of island (also recent history) traditionally part of a wider system of mutual aid Social divisions in Guadeloupean society Gender divisions Socioeconomic divisions Racial divisions Political and ideological divisions
Sahlins "Original Affluent Society"
The Gebusi + Leisure, but question of health
What is sex?
The biological differences between male and female - although to some extent, this categorization is influenced by cultural beliefs about sex and gender
exogamy
Marriage outside the tribe, caste, or social group
How do anthropologists approach art and expressive culture ?
-can be perceived by one or more of the human senses -neither folk nor fine
Who are the hijra?
-identifies itself as an alternative gender, rather than as transsexuals or homosexuals -many are prostitutes
Franz Boas
"Father of American Anthropology" -Criticized evolutionism: intellectually flawed morally defective poor data-gathering techniques each culture as a product of its own unique history -Argued vehemently against ethnocentrism
What is gwo ka?
"big drum" envisioned as an African retention kept alive on plantations and in maroon communities -Swaré léwòz - a gathering, at night, that centers on gwo ka music and dance - take place most Friday nights -Kout tanbou - a more informal gathering with gwo ka music
hypodescent
(one is placed in the lower status category in cases of mixed "race ancestry)
Theories of Exchange
*Capitalism* is one mode of exchange, but in non-capitalist societies, found *reciprocity* and *redistribution*
Polytheism
believe/worship in multiple gods (Haitian Voodoo)
endogamy
Marriage within the tribe, caste, or social group
Calalai
-"false men" - anatomical females who take on many of the roles and functions expected of men (rare) -Rani works alongside men as a blacksmith, shaping kris, small blades and other knives
Calabai
-"false women" -anatomical males who, in many respects, adhere to the expectations of women -wedding planners -don't wish to become women, either by accepting restrictions placed on women such as not going out alone at night, or by recreating their body through surgery
foraging
-1st subsistence strategy used 99% of human existence -Rely on food naturally available in the environment (fishing, hunting, and collecting vegetable food) -the Inuit, the Mbuti, aborigines, San/!Kung, Ju/'hoansi
Male Initiation among Gebusi
-6 months of prep -Involve family, other village members, sponsors outside of village -Consult spirits through séances -Involve 6 initiates, 16-20 year of age -During dance on final night, women dance with men in provocative way -wore a big bark wig
Inis Beag Society sexual repression
-Absence of sexual foreplay. -Belief that sexual activity weakens men. -Absence of premarital sex. -High percentage of celibate males. -Extraordinarily late age of marriage.
Mangaia of Polynesia
-Adolescent boys are given sexual instruction and an experience with a woman in the village. -Practically every girl and boy has had intercourse before marriage. -Celibacy and homosexuality are practically unknown.
What are the ethics that anthropologists follow?
-Anthropological researchers must be open about the purpose(s), potential impacts, and source(s) of support for research projects - thou shalt not lie -Researchers must utilize the results of their work and disseminate the results through appropriate and timely activities - though shalt publish -Anthropological researchers have primary ethical obligations to the people, species, and materials they study and to the people with whom they work - above all, do no harm
History of fieldwork in anthropology (Overview)
-Armchair anthropologists -Boas -Malinowski -Post-1960s trends: Feminist anthropology Postmodernism "Native" anthropology Collaborative anthropology
Brazil's race relations are often contrasted with those of the United States.
-Both had plantation slave economies. -Slavery in both societies lasted until the second half of the 19th century. -The legacy of slavery continues in both in the form of racial inequality. -Unlike the U.S., Brazil never encoded its racial system into law.
Supernatural states
-Buddhist enlightenment -Hindu nirvana -Christian sainthood -Haitian Vodou become possessed by a god and go into a trance
Pastoralism
-Caring for domesticated animals which produce both meat and milk. -Doesn't require direct competition with other groups for the same resources. -Masai
Swidden Cultivation (slash and burn)
-Common in horticultural societies -A form of cultivation in which a field is cleared by felling the trees and burning the brush
What is race's relation to genetics?
-Conventional geographic "racial" groupings differ from one another only in about 6% of their genes (This means that there is greater variation within "racial" groups than between them) -People are more than 99.9 percent identical at the level of their DNA, the Human Genome Project has found
other marriage forms
-Cousin marriage (a type of endogamy) -Arranged marriage -Same-sex marriage
Sacred Stories & Symbols
-Creation Story, Noah's Ark, Adam and Eve, Greek Mythology -Cross, Buddha, Star of David, Lotus Flower, Crescent Moon
How does culture impact economics?
-Cultural context determines what is produced and how -Culture establishes how goods and services are distributed. -Culture perpetuates meanings of consumption (Each society has a system of distribution with distinct styles and patterns of consumption)
Who are the Nouchi and what types of exchange do they practice?
-Côte d'Ivoire (The Modernity Bluff) ~Redistribution: produce illusion of success to gain respect ~Jobs, prestige, gender and kinship ~Negative reciprocity
What does it mean to say that gender is culturally constructed?
-Gender characteristics are the result of historical, economic, and political forces acting within each culture -Concepts of masculine and feminine vary among cultures, and change over time -Different cultures incorporate different genders and go beyond man and woman
Rwandan genocide
-Hutus in Rwanda murdered an estimated 800,000 Tutsis in 100 days -occurred after the Hutu leader decided to sign a peace accord with the Tutsi rebel force
How does racial stratification differ (historically and today) in the US and Brazil?
-In Brazil and many parts of the Caribbean there are many shades of 'color' and a different name and status is accorded to each. -In other systems, race is defined as a binary opposition between black and white, as in the United States.
Globalizaton
-Integration of resources, labor, capital into a (single) global network
vodou and Haitian society
-Karen MacCarthy Brown's Mama Lola: vodou and the lwa reflect Haitian society -Influence on politics with Papa Doc (François) Duvalier Kouzin Zaka and peasant farming -A new lwa in the US, responding to different needs (new Gede, Gedalia, a woman)
What is kinship?
-Kinship is a social network of relatives within which individuals have rights and obligations. -One's kinship status determines these rights and obligations.
What functions do kin groups serve?
-Maintaining the integrity of resources that cannot be divided without being destroyed. -Providing work forces for tasks that require a labor pool larger than households can provide. -Rallying support for purposes of self-defense or offensive attack.
What did Margaret Mead learn about gender in her research?
-Masculine and feminine traits are patterned by culture -Mead argued that society and culture create gender *Arapesh*: both sexes are expected to act in ways Americans consider "feminine," both sexes cared for children and were nurturers, neither sex was aggressive *Mundugamor*: both sexes were what American culture would call "masculine," both sexes were aggressive, neither sex was nurturing to children *Tchambuli*: Sexes had "opposite" tendencies, Women had a major economic role, men were more interested in aesthetics
Is male dominance universal?
-Other anthropological studies have shown variation in women's status before European contact -Male dominance may or may not be universal, but no women in any society hold the extremes of dominance that men do in some
Attributes of Capitalism
-Productive resources are concentrated in a small portion of the population. -Most individuals' primary resource is labor -Value of what workers contribute to production is greater than the wages they are paid - this creates profit -Capitalism dictates that there will be differentiated economic and social classes - rich and poor
Gebusi Sexuality: Women
-Seemed not to care if their husbands had sex with teenage boys or initiates -But, were angered if husbands interested in other women -Women expected not to be sexually promiscuous -But, women did listen in on men's séances and storytelling sessions and respond with jokes and laughter
How does culture influence sexuality?
-Sexual norms affect sexual behavior -Cultures vary in what is considered erotic -Cultures differ in: Age that sexuality begins and ends (e.g., !Kung) Ways people make themselves attractive (e.g., clip on Wodabe of Niger) Importance of sexual activity (Guadeloupe vs. US)
How is ethnicity related to nation-states?
-States construct national identities by drawing boundaries between insiders and outsiders. -People who live within boundaries have an identity based on a common language and shared customs and culture.
What caused Dugawe's death?
-Suicide -Assumed caused by sorcerer (ogowili sorcery)
Burqas and Veiling in Afghanistan
-The burqa is a traditional form of dress for ethnic Pashtun women, other women wore other types of veils: Chadors (large scarves) & Hijab (new Islamic modest dress, associated with educated women in professional careers) -Under the Taliban, one regional, ethnic style became mandated for all women, but once the Taliban fell, Afghan women did not throw off their veils, not what they were seeking (wasn't traditional worn before Taliban though)
Malinowski's Intro to Argonauts
-The organization of the tribe, the anatomy of its culture -Imponderabilia of everyday life (diary/fieldnotes) -Corpus inscriptionum (transcriptions of events, rituals, etc - word-for-word)
Bosnian Genocide
-Took place during Bosnian War 1992-1995 -Serbs against non-Serbs (including Croatians) -between 8,000 and 9,000 men and boys were murdered and the remainder of the population (between 25,000-30,000, women, children and elderly people) was forced to leave the area
Gebusi Sexuality: Ideals
-Wa kawala - "child become big", initiation -Male initiates expected to refrain from sex with women but engaging in receptive oral sex with older men -Sexual trysts took place between teenage boys and young initiated men, insemination -Adult men not expected to engage in "homosexual" behavior, but did engage in joking, homosocial behavior -Homosexual behavior among women was viewed as unthinkable
Abu-Lughod's Argument
-We need to understand the historical circumstances that led to the situation as it was prior to the US invasion -We need to understand how Afghan women themselves feel about the burqa and other forms of veiling -Liberation may have very culturally specific meanings and we should not impose our view of it on others -Other things besides liberation may be more significant for others
What is whiteness?
-a historical system of race-based superiority -white=normal -The history of whiteness is a history of racialization; it reminds us to think of "race" as a verb, not a noun -There is no 'true essence' to 'whiteness'; there is only the historically contingent constructions of that social location
Which gender/sex categories do the Bugis recognize?
-acknowledge three sexes: female, male, hermaphrodite -Believe there are five genders: women, men, calabai, and calalai, and a fifth meta-gender group, the bissu
Contagious magic
-belief that things once in contact with a person or object retain an invisible connection with that person or object Examples: lucky charms, rabbit's foot
What is race?
-culturally constructed category, based on perceived physical differences -implies hereditary differences between peoples and is used to justify social stratification
Beauty Academy of Kabul
-group of American hairdressers who go to Afghanistan and open the first post-Taliban beauty school -development projected funded in part by beauty industry names such as Vogue, Clairol and M.A.C. -film by Liz Mermin
What does Lila Abu-Lughod argue about Arab women, veiling and Western concerns over it?
-in many Muslim Arab communities, modesty is an important cultural value for woman and girls -Egyptian Bedouin women did not veil among themselves and sang songs about love, but in their dealings with men, they were most comfortable when they maintained some type of veiling or gender exclusion
How do we know race is culturally constructed?
-racial categories describe often has much to do with things other than race (e.g., socioeconomic class, behavior, dress and ideologies developed around them) -differ from society to society, even within societies at times, and are not stable over time
Capitalism
-the means of production are privately owned and the operation of markets guides production and income distribution ~Purpose of production is to create wealth & people work for wages & can use them to buy goods
White privilege (Peggy McInstosh's "Unpacking the Invisble Backpack")
1. I can if I wish arrange to be in the company of people of my race most of the time. 2. I can avoid spending time with people whom I was trained to mistrust and who have learned to distrust my kind or me 3. If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of renting or purchasing housing in an area which I can afford and in which I would want to live - I can be pretty sure of having my voice heard in a group in which I am the only member of my race.
How did the Gebusi proceed after Dugawe died?
1. assume wife Sialim at fault 2. Funeral 3. Weeks later, sorcery investigation : spirit séances, look for ogowili "footprint" 4. Sialim married Swamin (shaman)
What is kogwayay?
A key symbol of Gebusi society Togetherness, talk, cheering (p.18) - value of social unity BUT, has a negative side as well: controlled by men - songfests about women's sexuality, things women in Gebusi society would be beaten if did
Neolocal residence
A pattern in which a married couple may establish their household in a location apart from either the husband's or the wife's relatives - this pattern is most common in the US (new = new)
Patrilocal residence
A residence pattern in which a married couple lives in the locality associated with the husband's father's relatives. (patri = father)
Matrilocal residence
A residence pattern in which a married couple lives in the locality associated with the wife's relatives.(matri = mother)
polyandry
A woman is permitted to marry more than one man at a time
How many genders and sexes are recognized cross-culturally?
All societies recognize (minimally) -Two sexes: male and female. -Two genders: masculine and feminine.
Boula Gèl ("Mouth Drum")
Also called banjo gita (banjo guitar) Imitate drum Multiple singers One sings a base rhythm Another sings in contretemps (the off beat) Another adds on a complementary rhythm Take place esp. during traditional funerary wakes (véyé) or more recent cultural wakes
Applied Anthropology "Fifth" Field
Analyzes social, political and economic problems and develops solutions, Often involves collaboration with community members, Can involve any subfield of anthropology (or several) EX:Cultural anthropologists have been instrumental in improving the welfare of tribal and indigenous peoples
AAA film anthropology jobs
Areas of applied: sociocultural, archaeology, medical (farmers), business and corporate, visual, environmental, linguistics, museums, forensics Sociocultural: violence against women (Rupaleem Bhuyam) ways to expand social policy, worked to develop to support refugee women that are victims of domestic violence. Mary Roaf focuses on helping children and youth in economically inadvantaged cultures. Ferrel Secakuku is a farmer for his tribe in Arizona. Marc Clausen helps at-risk children Vietnamese and Cambodian youth.
Baseball Magic
Baseball magic involves: Ritual: the player seeks greater control over his performance, actually control over the elements of chance Taboo: pitcher + "no hitter" & bats crossing (brings bad luck) Gmelch's pancake taboo Fetishes: object that brings luck
Fieldwork
Begin with entrance into a new society -many experience culture shock Develop network of informants (respondents, consultants, friends) - people from and/or with whom anthropologists gather data -Record observations in fieldnotes
What is ethnocentrism?
Belief that one's culture is better, more natural than all other cultures -Most human beings are at least somewhat ethnocentric
Gebusi Witchcraft
Bogay: imitative magic, parcel sorcery, slow death Ogowili: assault sorcery, cannibal attack by magical warriors, sudden deaths, accidents, suicides
Vodou gods
Bondyé: supreme being/Catholic god Lwa: Rada (good) Petro (bad) Legba (crossroads) Erzuli (love) Gede (death) Ogun (warrior) Damballa (serpent) Houngan (priest), mambo (priestess), hounfo (temple)
Gender Roles
Cultural expectations of men and women in a particular society, including the division of labor.
levirate
Custom by which a widow marries the brother of her deceased husband
Unilineal descent
Descent that establishes group membership through either the female or the male line.
Patrilineal descent
Descent traced exclusively through the male line to establish group membership. -A female belongs to the same descent group as her father and his brother. -Authority over the children lies with the father or his elder brother. *Example: The Gebusi*
Bronislaw Malinowski
Did fieldwork in Trobriand Islands (Torres Straits) - BBC Tales from the Jungle Revolutionized fieldwork while in Trobriand Islands -Spent years studying culture -Learned native language -Learned cultural patterns of thought
What kinds of careers can a degree in anthropology lead to?
Editor, Educational Planner, Forensic Specialist, Government Analyst, High School Teacher, Medical Researcher, Museum Curator, Park Ranger, Peace Corps Staffer, Social Worker
Haitian Vodou
Enslaved Africans of Haiti combined African religion, Catholicism, and French spiritualism to create a new religion, vodou (African deities, called lwa, identified with Catholic saints) *EXAMPLE of syncretism*
cultural relativism
Goal of anthropology, viewpoint that behavior in one culture should not be judged by the standards of another culture -Boas' famous method (approach each culture on its own terms)
Redistribution
Goods flow to central point and are redistributed ~Income tax ~Potlatch
Participant Observation
Hallmark of sociocultural anthropology participating in a given society but also observing social behavior and cultural beliefs combines subjective and objective views, etic and emic perspectives Malinowski's study in Trobriand Islands became the model
Na (Mosuo) "walking marriage
Have lived in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of southwest China for about 2000 years
How do businesses use anthropology?
Help businesses gain a better understanding of their activities and customers
What is deep play and how is cockfighting in Bali an example (know what factors make a match "deeper")?
High stakes in terms of money, but moreso of status Reflects social organization and alliance (bet on kinsman's rooster, own villager's rooster) -status equals/personal enemies, high status individuals
emic
Insider's view How people in a given community view their society and culture Describes the organization and meaning a culture's practices have for its members
Linguistic Anthropology
Interdisciplinary, Cultural beliefs about language, Culturally-patterned ways of using language, Language use in context, Speakers as social actors
What kinds of research methods do cultural anthropologists use?
Interviews (structured, open-ended), Surveys, Census, Kinship charts, Mapping, Video and audio recording (also internet, YouTube...), Photography, measurement and statistical data (incl. social network, GIS), silent observation, *PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
What is the ethnography of speaking?
Look at "meaning in use" - not just structural analysis of language, vocabulary and grammar how community categorizes behavior and communication, including what a community defines as speaking Also the other "paralinguistic" features of expression, such as tone, prosody, etc Example: Spradley and Mann's article on asking for a drink
What Are Descent Groups?
Members share descent from a common ancestor through a series of parent-child links.
What is syncretism?
Merging two or more religious traditions and hiding the beliefs, symbols, and practices of one behind similar attributes of the other
Who are the Nacirema?
Miner describes the Nacirema, a little-known tribe living in North America -actually corresponds to modern-day Americans of the mid-1950s
What is Nacirema culture like?
Miner presents the Nacirema as a group living in the territory between the Canadian Cree, the Yaqui and Tarahumare of Mexico, and the Carib and Arawak of the Antilles. The paper describes the typical Western ideal for oral cleanliness, as well as providing an outside view on hospital-care and on psychiatry.
How does Geertz say that cockfighting relates to Balinese culture and society (e.g., what does the rooster symbolize? Who takes part in cockfighting?)
Not about the animals, but the men, a competition Symbolism of cock - maleness, extension of self, but also animality Blood sacrifice
Etic
Outsider or analyst's view How the anthropologist views a given community's social organization and cultural beliefs and practices Tries to determine the causes of particular cultural patterns that may be beyond the awareness of the culture being studied May involve comparison with researcher's society and culture or other known societies and cultures
What type of kinship system do the Gebusi have?
Patrilineal descent -Lineage live together in settlement, clans do not
Ritual
Patterned, repeated behavior, often filled with symbolic meaning & also involving the manipulation of religious symbols EX: rites of passage (baptism, marriage ceremony) & communion, sign of the cross
What does intersex mean?
People born with reproductive organs, genitalia, and/or sex chromosomes that are not exclusively male or female. -Caster Semaya: competed in 2012 Olympics
What does trangender mean?
People who cross-over or occupy a culturally accepted intermediate position in the binary male—female gender construction
What is ethnicity?
Perceived differences in culture, national origin, and historical experience by which groups of people are distinguished from others in the same social environment. -Ethnic identity - The sense of self one experiences as a member of an ethnic group. -Ethnic boundaries - Perceived cultural attributes by which ethnic groups distinguish themselves.
Subsistence strategies are dependent on _______, ________, & _______.
Population Density, Productivity, & Efficiency
Rituals for Addressing the Supernatural
Prayer, Sacrifice, Divination, Magic
"one-drop" rule
Race is constructed based on skin color and presumed ancestry
How is kinship and marriage related to sorcery accusations among the Gebusi?
Sorcery accusations are especially common in cases where patrilineages linked by a marriage that has not been reciprocated (sister exchange) -Gebusi society has a very high (1/3) rate of homicide which is linked to sorcery (86%)
What is a speech act?
Speech to accomplish a purpose Can be a word, a phrase, a sentence, a book, etc -Brady's bar speech acts: hustling, slamming, giving shit, muttering, teasing
Forensic Anthropology
Study and identification of skeletized or badly decomposed human remains. -FACES lab at LSU (Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services)
physical (or biological) anthropology
Study humans from a biological perspective. studies: Paleoanthropology (Biological processes of human adaptation), Human variation (Physiological differences among modern humans), Primatology (Study of apes for clues about the human species), Forensics -1800-1900s eugenics made racial stereotypes
archaeology
Study of past cultures through their material remains studies: Fossils, Tools, Built structures, Waste, -Historical archeology: may use written records
The Spectrum panel speakers who attended Baton Rouge high school found it to be a relatively easy place to be queer.
TRUE
marriage
The customs, rules and obligations that establish a special relationship between sexually cohabiting adults, between them and any children they take responsibility for, and between the kin of the married couple.
What does the article on the Nacirema teach us?
The effect of satire is social criticism. In other words, a satire criticizes the way people do things. Satire is trying to make society better by pointing out where it is wrong in a funny way.
What is gender?
The social classification of masculine and feminine.
sociocultural anthropology
The study of human society and culture -Fieldwork (living among a group of people to study them) -Participant observation (participating in a given society but also observing social behavior and cultural beliefs - combines subjective and objective views, etic and emic perspectives
What is cultural relativity?
Understanding values and customs in terms of the culture of which they are a part Looking for the cultural logic in which certain practices making sense
kinship
_______ is important in societies where institutions such as a centralized government, a professional military, or financial banks are absent or ineffective
colonial feminism
a Western discourse of dominance which, "introduced the notion that an intrinsic connection existed between the issue of culture and the status of women, and that progress for women could be achieved only through abandoning the native culture." -"White men saving brown women from brown men"
What is genocide? (Ethnic cleansing)
a crime on a different scale to all other crimes against humanity and implies an intention to completely exterminate a chosen group
What is symbolic anthropology (and how does it approach culture)?
a theoretical perspective that focuses on understanding culture by discovering and analyzing a culture's symbols: Key symbols reflect deep concerns of a culture -Example: Victor Turner's study of the Ndembu of East Africa (mudyi tree)
4 fields of anthropology
archaeology, physical (or biological) anthropology, sociocultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology *Are Penises Short or Long*
Monotheism
believe/worship in one god (Christianity)
What is the Culture and Personality school of thought in anthropology (and how does it approach culture)?
culture as the principal force in shaping the personality of a society -Assumed that each society had a distinct culture and personality (homogenous, usually national, culture)
a culture vs a society
culture-the set of learned behaviors and ideas that human beings acquire as members of a given society or community society-any more or less complex group of people, aka a community. **Today we tend to refer to the group as a society and use culture to refer to beliefs and practices (i.e., the Gebusi are a society, not a culture)
"voodoo dolls"
despite popular belief (and what you find in stores in the French Quarter), ______ are not part of Haitian religious tradition
What is culture shock?
feelings of alienation and helplessness that result from rapid immersion in a new and different culture
How did Spradley and Mann study drinking and talk at Brady's bar and what did they learn?
first observed people then sent in underage guys to order a drink. they learned that speaking and tone has a lot to do with getting out of being carded and successfully getting a drink underage
What is the difference between a folk theory of racism and a critical theory or racism?
folk theory: Racism is invidious, malicious and overt, Whiteness is invisible/unmarked, Prejudice is a part of human nature critical theory: Racism has collective, cultural dimensions, People can perpetuate racism without subscribing to racist views, Avoids singling people out
What is a speech event?
from Spradley and Mann (78): "activities that are directly governed by rules for speaking" Patterned ways of using language Have cultural rules (need more than a dictionary and grammar) Examples: asking for a drink, giving a lecture, church sermon, chew someone out, gossip, chat (in person and on internet)
Professor Managan's research
how Guadeloupeans use French and Creole and think about these 2 languages (especially in terms of their identity) -Participant observation in associations, made friends and gwo ka drumming class and hiking group -audio & video interviews
Subsistence Strategies
how societies use the physical environment to provide for basic material requirements of life -Classification based on technology which determines the productivity of any given environment (etic) ~Foraging, Pastoralism, Horticulture, Agriculture, Industrialization
What is art?
in our society includes sculpture, drawing, painting, dance, theater, music, literature, film, photography, festivals, etc. -May take very different forms in other societies -"culturally significant meaning, skillfully encoded in an affecting, sensuous medium"
How did Boellstorrf conduct research in Second Life?
made a person and interviewed players and observed online life
Characteristics of Culture
made up of learned behaviors involve the use of language, classification systems and symbols patterned, integrated and shared by members of a group adaptive and subject to change
Patriarchy
male-dominated society in which men hold all important public and private power
Moka
strategy for developing political leadership in highland New Guinea that involves exchanging gifts and favors with individuals and sponsoring large feasts where further gift giving occurs
What is anthropology?
the study of humankind, from its beginnings millions of years ago to the present day -from the Greek anthropos ("human") and logia ("study")
What is ethnoscience (and how does it approach culture)?
theoretical perspective that focuses on recording and examining ways that members of a society use language to classify and organize their cognitive world, for example: Study of color classification systems, Ethnobotany (study of plant classification systems)
Wodaabe Gerewol Ceremony
young men dress in elaborate ornamentation and made up in traditional face painting gather in lines to dance and sing, vying for the attentions of marriageable young women
The Gebusi Subsistence
~Complicate subsistence strategy classifications (etic) Relationship with the land vs. objective categories ~Sedentary but semi-nomadic ~Horticulture, slash and burn, but also foraging and hunting ~Semi-domesticated pigs
Divination
~Scalpulomancy - Divination using the shoulder blade of an animal. Example: oracles of Azande