Anthropology Quizzes

The main goal of cultural anthropology is to

understand why people behave and think the way they do.

An example of indigenous knowledge is

what foods grow best in what conditions, how types of soil differ, how to prevent insects from destroying crops, how much rainfall to expect and when to expect it

Language refers to

written forms of communication, speech, communication based on arbitrary symbols, words

Provide an example of a "Secondary Social Group"

A "Secondary Social Group" is referred to as a large or small group consisting of people who identify which each other on some form of common basis or ground. This is generally impersonal or short-term. An example of a secondary social group would be a college class. In this example, the students for this particular class meet for a few months for short periods of time. Although the students have similar interests they are all characterized as students that are working towards an educational goal. This leads me back to the soul purpose of a secondary social group, the task at hand.

Please provide an example of how gender division of participation and roles in music reflects overall societal patterns of equality.

An example of how gender division of participation and roles in music reflect overall societal patterns of equality is the Temiar of Malaysia. Their musical customs express the balance between females and males. For example, the males are the spirit mediums, who sing to energize spirits. Yet this role is not of greater significance compared to the women's role in singing choruses. As a result of the performance of male spirit mediums and women in the chorus overlaps to create one general community participation. Which reflects the gender roles of Temiar society. In further support, they have flexible marriage and kinship rules, marriage is based on a mutual desire, and serial monogamy is common. Females are integrated, like their music, and create more general community participation. Yet, males have a small advantage over them in the aspects of politics and rituals.

A religion that traces its origin to an important male figure is

Christianity, Rastafarianism, Islam, and Buddhism

A religion with many zoomorphic supernaturals is

Hinduism

The major religion of people of the Central Asian states is

Islam.

Which of the following statements about the Minangkabau culture is accurate?

It is the world's largest matrilineal culture.

An emic approach focuses on

NEED ANSWER STILL

Please discuss one aspect of transnational migration.

One aspect of transnational migration is the negative impact it has on a migrant's emotional state. This may include their sense of self, citizenship, and entitlements. Transnational migrants with low income spend large amounts of time working and move depending on where the availability of labor is. One major group that incorporates transnational immigration is Pastoralists. This is due to the constant movement, these migrants tend to lose a feeling of having a real home and lack a sense of belonging. Instead, find support and inclusion among communities of other transnational migrants with similar conditions.

Provide at least one example of the things you would expect from a true friend.

One example that I would expect from a true friend is each person is supportive of the other. According to our textbook having mutual support in a friendship is seen as a balanced exchange. Another example I would expect from a true friend is compassion. In a friendship being genuinely there for the other person in both high and low points in a friend's life is important. Being able to rely on a friend is an important characteristic that I personally look for.

What do play and leisure activities reveal about culture?

Play and leisure activities often overlap and reveal many aspects of culture. For instance, they can express the social roles of people involved, why some activities involve teams instead of individuals, the goals of the game and how those goals are achieved, how much danger or violence is involved, and many more. In conclusion, activities of play and leisure can serve as a reflection of cultural ideals and social relationships.

The claim that a person's language determines the person's thought is called

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

__________ is a culture-specific syndrome in Spain and Portugal and common among Latino people in the United States; it is associated with a stressful incident or situation.

Susto

Explain what a household is.

The definition of household is either one person living alone or a group of people who may or may not be related by kinship and who share living space. The two most common household forms are nuclear and extended. A nuclear household is a domestic unit containing one adult couple either married or just partners that are with or without children. Whereas an extended household is a coresidential group that comprises more than one parent-child unit.

Explain what is meant by the term "Disease of Development."

The disease of development is a health problem caused or increased by development activities or by the development itself. Anthropological research has recorded schistosomiasis's drastic increased rates in the tropical world as a result of damns and irrigation systems. Another disease of development is obesity and how it is on the rise in many developed countries.

Brideservice involves

The groom working for the bride's family

What mode of livelihood or social grouping does a "gang" represent to a youth in a large city?

The social grouping that a "gang" represents to youth in a larger city are individuals who are not part of the mainstream groups. This leads them to embark on illegal pursuits because they do not have the right intentions of going through legal pathways. Youth gangs are formed within groups of young people found mainly in urban areas. These urban areas are perceived as social problems by most law enforcement and adults. The personalities of youth gang members include intense competitiveness, mistrust of others, self-reliance, social isolation, and strong survival instinct.

Why do women have a significant level of power in some Chiefdoms?

Women have a significant level of power for varying reasons. For instance, the Iroquois, even though Chiefdoms are run by a single Chiefdom, which is male, both women and men are included within the appointing body. The men were often gone for long periods of time for wars. The women controlled the production and distribution of the staple crop maize. If there was a scenario where the women did not want a warrior for a specific campaign to leave they would refuse to provide them with maize. This lead to vetoing the plan.

An example of a life-cycle ritual is

a coming-of-age ceremony for young men or women.

Brideprice refers to

a gift to the bride's family from the groom's side.

Culture shock occurs when

a person has shifted from one culture to another.

Humoral healing systems are based on

a philosophy that seeks balance among various bodily fluids and forces.

Large extended households tend to be most prevalent in which mode of livelihood?

agriculture

Family planning occurs

at the state level, at the global level, at the local (family) level.

The Yanomami region is located

between Brazil and Venezuela.

When doing fieldwork, establishing rapport

can involve exchanging gifts with the local people.

Parents' desire to have children is affected by

children's value as support during parents' old age, economic costs of raising children, infant and child mortality rates, children's labor value

The Ju/'hoansi of the Kalahari desert have a healing system that is

community-based.

Archaeologists use which of the following as research materials?

contemporary garbage heaps, prehistoric stone tools, remains of ruined houses, pieces of old pottery

Retired Husband Syndrome and awas are examples of

culture-specific syndromes.

Research that is guided by a hypothesis is called:

deductive

The most frequent motive for direct infanticide reported cross-culturally is that the infant is

deformed or very ill.

According to the textbook, kinship is based on which three factors?

descent, sharing and marriage

The regional pattern of unbalanced child sex ratios in India is related to

different patterns of livelihood and marriage exchange in the northwest compared to the south and east.

Expressing religious beliefs through explicit and direct statements is termed

doctrine.

The tendency to apply one's own cultural values in judging the behavior and beliefs of people raised in other cultures is known as

ethnocentrism

What is the worst punishment that foragers could potentially exert upon a member?

expel her from the group

A recent disorder in Japan related to sleep is

falling asleep during the day.

A key factor that helps in selecting a research project is

finding a topic that has been neglected by previous researchers, finding a place that was studied long ago and merits restudy, a certain degree of intuition and luck, relating to a current issue of importance such as refugee movements

Which mode of livelihood has characterized most of human existence?

foraging

A factor in high rates of wife abuse in rural Kentucky is

geographical isolation

The popularity of blue jeans among youths around the world is an example of:

globalization

One thing that all languages have is

grammar/syntax.

Magic

is most likely to be practiced in situations of uncertainty

Sounds that make a critical difference in a language are referred to as

phonemes

The term "medical pluralism" refers to the

presence of multiple health systems within a society.

People in northern Thailand hung wooden penises on their houses in order to

prevent an attack of ghosts who kill men.

Human language has an infinite capacity for generating very efficient messages, a feature called ___

productivity

The highest level of militarization is found in which form of political organization?

states

In foraging societies, people who are violent, or do not contribute to the well-being of society are

subject to negative public opinion.

On the basis of his experience in the Trobriand Islands during World War I, Bronislaw Malinowski is generally considered to be:

the "father" of participant observation.

One thing about which most cultural anthropologists agree is

the importance of doing fieldwork.

A prominent value in Japan about the body, called gotai, refers to

the importance of keeping the body whole even after death.

An ethnography is

the main way cultural anthropologists present their findings about culture, an important aspect of anthropological research, a descriptive writing about a culture

Critical military anthropologists study

the military as a power structure, the armed forces, post-conflict situations, the dynamics of war.

A historical view of high rates of violence among the Yanomami emphasizes

the role of the increased presence of Westerners in the region.

The cultural materialist interpretation of the Hindu belief in sacred cows points to

their economic and environmental value.

A general feature of African religions is that

they involve elaborate initiation rituals.

Among the Old Order Amish of the United States and Canada,

those who enter business try to retain Amish family values by working at home and selling products from home.

How does the author define art?

According to our textbook, the author defines art as the application of imagination, skill, and style to matter, movement, and sound that goes beyond what is purely practical. Which can include many different products, practices, and processes of art. Imagination, skill, and style can be applied to activities, and the product can be considered art. Anthropologists pay close attention to the processes of making art because of the way culture constructs and changes artistic traditions.

List at least three aspects of personality discussed by the author.

An aspect of personality discussed by the author is that there is no such thing as a natural infant as the culture begins to impact infants as early as within the womb. This is based on certain sounds, as soon as the infant is born, and how people interact with them. The second aspect of personality within the text is that it is largely influenced through socialization. Culture is learned through both formal and informal processes. A third aspect mentioned within the text is the two major personality types. One type is dependent dominant and this involves less caregiving, acts of dominance, as well as a higher dependence on parents. The second type is nurturant responsibility which is caring and sharing acts towards other children.

Please explain what institutional migration is providing one example.

Institutional migration involves individuals who shift into a social institution either freely or against their choice. One example includes monks, the elderly, prisoners, and people in the military. Individuals within the military are sometimes required to learn and adapt to new cultures as they are constantly moving from place to place. This can result in them adhering to different cultures which can be often overwhelming. For those who are required to stay at foreign places for long amounts of time, studies have shown an increase in suicide, interpersonal violence, and readjustment problems when returning back home. This leads me to circular migration which is when one is never fully comfortable in one place or the other.

The adult male bonobo who is skilled at symbolic communication with human researchers is

Kanzi

Malinowski, Levi-Strauss and all cultural materialists propose different theories about the role myths play in religion. Please select a myth in a religion (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc.) and associate it with any of these schools of thought.

Levi-Strauss perceived myths as a way of helping other people cope and deal with deep contradictions. This may include life, death, good, or evil. A myth that embodies this perspective is known as the concept of Karma within Buddhism. Karma allows one the opportunity to achieve a better rebirth through good behavior and also fairness towards others. This specific myth helps those within the religious cope with life and death, and especially for those under the impression that doing good throughout their lifetime will grant them well after death. This leads me to the sense that one who is considered "good" will be rewarded through a better rebirth meanwhile those that are considered "evil" will be punished.

With its population of 2.9 million and its vast territory, __________ is the most sparsely populated country of the world.

Mongolia

The indirect expression of religious beliefs through stories about supernatural beings and forces is referred to as

Myth

What is pastoralism?

The definition of pastoralism is a mode of livelihood based on domesticated animal herds and the use of their products that include meat and milk, for at least half of one's diet. As pastoralism provides mostly milk and milk products there is occasionally the act of slaughtering animals for meat. Lastly, pastoralism is seen as an extensive strategy.

Explain the effects of globalization in many societies around the world.

The effects of globalization in many societies around the world include the increased spread of global languages, frequent borrowing of words and or phrases, and increased language extinction. An example that I wanted to include was the language Tok Pisin, this language is a combination of English, Chines, Samoan, and Malaysian. Furthermore, mentioning how 90% of the world's population speaks 4% of the world's languages. This indicates how globalization has resulted in the growth of global language. The language Pidgin blends elements of a minimum of two languages where words and or phrases were borrowed. Globalization having an increased language extinction within languages in Africa, Siberia, and Americas.

The country of ________________ imprisons more people than any other country in the world.

United States

The two most important factors on which the division of labor is based in horticultural societies are

age and gender.

Property relations in foraging societies are best termed

based on the concept of use rights.

As opposed to a shaman or shamanka, a priest or priestess tends to

be more formally trained, occupy a hereditary position, have their success judged in terms of their ritual knowledge, and live in state-level societies.

The current anthropological definition of religion says that it is

beliefs and behavior concerning supernatural beings and powers.

Neolocal residence for married couples is most associated with

bilineal kinship systems, a mode of livelihood that benefits from a flexible labor force, Western industrialized society

One reason why foragers typically have low rates of population growth is because

breast-feeding occurs over frequent and long periods of time, thereby suppressing ovulation

Vocal communication among nonhuman primates is referred to as

call system.

Compared to a nuclear household, an extended household

creates tensions among co-resident wives, establishes a larger pool of resources that can be shared, helps care for elders, establishes a wider base for child care.

Boys are most likely to be socialized into nurturant/caring behavior in which mode of livelihood?

horticulture

Children have the most tasks in which mode of livelihood?

horticulture

Biological anthropologists focus on

human evolution and contemporary human variation

Medicinal chewing of coca leaves is

important in Andean rituals and health practices

A reason for the emergence of linguistic anthropology in the United States is the

interest in recording disappearing languages

Pastoralism

is a mode of livelihood based on domesticated animal herds and the use of their products, such as meat and milk.

The gender division of labor in the agricultural mode of livelihood

is more segregated than in temperate foraging societies

Abortion

is often a response to economic conditions.

A cultural relativist would view contemporary Nacirema culture as:

just as interesting and worthy of study as any other.

The point at which a language no longer has competent users is referred to as

language extinction.

The incest taboo

leads to exogamy.

Treating the effects of poverty on health with pills is referred to as _________

medicalization

In examining what is labeled "ethnic conflict," structurists point to the causal role of

natural resources.

Culture

none of these

Studies attempting to test for innate ("inborn") gender differences have found that

none of these

Linguistic anthropologists study

nonverbal communication, how languages are related, how contemporary languages differ in terms of structure, grammar and sound systems, how languages change over time.

Social control in small-scale societies is centered around

norms, informal enforcement, the use of personalized mechanisms such as gossip or shunning, maintenance of social relationships

The research method in cultural anthropology that involves living in a culture for an extended period while gathering data is

participant observation.

In the United States, conflict within middle-class neighborhoods is significantly focused on

pets, especially dogs.

Carnival is an example of a

ritual of inversion.

An increasing prevalence of the disease __________ is attributed to the construction of high dams and irrigation in many parts of the world.

schistosomiasis

An example of work that usually fits into the category of the informal sector is

sex worker.

Of the following cultures, fathers play the greatest role in infant caretaking among

the Aka

In a patrilineal kinship system, a married couple is most likely to reside

with or near the parents of the groom

A key marker of gender coding in spoken English in the U.S. is

women's greater use of tag questions

Please discuss one aspect of the anthropological study of "migration" as discussed by the author.

One aspect of the anthropological study of "migration" is its categories based on spatial boundaries. The three major major categories of migration studied by anthropologists include internal, international, and transnational. Internal migration is the movement of individuals within country boundaries in which the most common form is rural to urban migration. The reasoning for the increased interest in urban areas is labor availability as the rural areas were unable to sustain growing populations and needs. International migration involves individuals moving across country boundaries. The reasoning for this type of migration is work-related reasons. Some destinations include United States, Canada, Australia, and many others. Transnational migration involves individuals who regularly move back and forth between counties and also forms a new cultural identity. Specifically to this migration has many effects on the immigrants as they lose a sense of having a real home. Not to mention, that transnational migration is also caused by economic factors mainly.

Choose one of the four field of anthropology and describe it briefly.

One field of anthropology that I wanted to discuss was Archaeology. Which is the study of past human cultures through their material remains or in other words "the study of the old". This field encompasses two major areas: prehistoric archeology and historical archeology. To briefly touch on these two, prehistoric archeology is the humans past before written records while historical archeology is the humans past in societies that have written documents. Lastly, I wanted to mention a specialty within archeology that is based on context, Underwater Archaeology. These underwater archaeological sites may be from historic or prehistoric times.

Describe what participant observation means when conducting research.

Participant observation is a research method for learning about culture that involves living in a culture for an extended period of time while gathering data, a basic fieldwork method. Living in a culture for an extended period of time gives the opportunity for researchers to actively engage themselves in activities. Researchers are able to gather hands-on experiences and information being alongside these groups, compared to gathering information from an outsider's point of view with less accessibility. Lastly, participant observation will help one see what the culture is like and which questions are relevant.