Anthropology Test 1- Short Answer

What are the three reasons that anthropology is a unified field in the United States? (10 pts).

Anthropology is a unified field in the U.S because of historical reasons, topical reasons, and fieldwork reasons. Historically, research focused on culture and biology; Franz Boaz, the father of American Anthropology, did work in all 4 fields (biological, cultural, linguistic, and archaeology), so when he founded the first anthropological department in the U.S at Columbia University, he trained students to think like him (thus spreading the idea of it being a unified field). Topical Reasons: All 4 fields of anthropology are interrelated. For example, culture and evolution are specifically intertwined. Also there is human variation in time and space. Fieldwork Reasons: This involves more than one field also. For example, during fieldwork, scientists could research a society's culture through archaeology (studying their past behavior), excavating to find artifacts related to that society, and

Describe the field of anthropology. What does it do, what are the subfields, and what are the two dimensions (10 pts)?

Anthropology- Anthropology is the study of the humans species and its immediate ancestors around the world throughout time; the study of human nature, human society, and human past. Anthropologists conduct research to answer questions and test hypotheses about human behavior and culture. The sub-fields are Biological Anthropology (all human biology), Archaeology (human behavioral past), Linguistic Anthropology (only one cultural part which is language-usually modern), and cultural anthropology (humans' cultural behavior; society in culture- most people are in this field). The two dimensions are Academic vs Applied. Academic Anthropology includes non profit groups, such as Carnegie, that fund university research through grants; here researches can create their own questions. Applied Anthropology is the practical application of anthropological research; the entity/corporation they work for gives researchers questions and issues to solve.

Briefly discuss what is meant by applied anthropology. Use one example to explain how applied anthropology works in a field setting. (10 pts)

Applied anthropology is the practical application of anthropological research to everyday problems. For example, an entity or corporation an anthropologist works for will give them questions/ issues to solve in areas such as education and business. They can work in hospitals, business offices, and governmental structures etc.

How is human communication that we call language different in comparison to non-human communication, particularly given the human verbal traits (10 pts)?

Creative and complex manipulation of sounds and gestures. Human communication is learned, shared, and taught. Non-human communication is simply call systems which is a use of symbolism.

What is cultural relativism and why is it used in anthropological research (10 pts)?

Cultural Relativism is the idea that behavior should be evaluated not by outside standards but in the context of the culture in which it occurs. It counteracts ethnocentrism. It is a method to understand other cultures within the cultural context. It is used in anthropological research so that scientists can objectively study different society's cultures (sometimes extremely different than their own), and understand them to the fullest extent without allowing their own views to get in the way.

Think about what culture is and give the anthropological definition of culture. What are some attributes that define it for anthropologists (10 pts)?

Culture is a set of learned, shared behavior and ideas that humans acquire as members of society; all abstract beliefs,values, and perceptions of the world. Some attributes are: learned (passed between generations), symbolic (something that comes to stand for something else), and all encompassing (culture includes all aspects of human group behavior).

Briefly describe the point of the article by Horace Miner that we covered in our first group in-class discussion. Dr. Miner wrote this article for anthropologists, what was the point/purpose he was trying to make with this article? (10 pts).

Horace Miner wrote the article we read titled "Naricema". It describe the traditions and cultures of the Naricema people and their relatively harsh practices. An example of one practice was when the villagers consistently returned to the holy mouth men even though they drilled holes in their teeth and stuffed various items in them. In reality the Naricema represents America ( the same word spelled backwards). The point Dr. Miner was trying to make with writing the article was to teach anthropologists not to judge cultures and societies that seemed 'extreme' to them. He wants them to practice cultural relativism so that they can efficiently study a culture without allowing their own to cloud their research. Our first thoughts (us as students) were that these people were too extreme and seemed wild. This is exactly what Miner was trying to teach anthropologists to not go into the field thinking.

What is Darwinian evolution? What are the 3 things that Darwin was missing in his version and how have they been filled in getting us to the Modern Theory of Evolution? (10 pts)

How inheritance worked, where variation came from, and how populations changed. Mendelian genetics which is the discovery of genes solved how inheritance works. Biochemical genetics used crossing over method during meiosis and mutations to solve where more variation comes from. Population genetics used natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow to solve how populations changed.

You recently graduated from UGA with a degree in anthropology and an archaeology certificate. Your new CRM employer has a big road contract and wants you to help assess the archaeological resource impact. What fieldwork techniques are you going to use? (10 points)

I would use archaeological and ethnographic fieldwork techniques. The archaeological technique I would use is systematic survey. I would survey the large area and use this info to answer research questions and protect/describe cultural resources. A few ethnographic techniques I would use are interviews, key consultants (experts are certain aspects of the local society's life), genealogical methods (procedures used to understand kinship,descent and marriage), and life histories (a personal cultural portrait of existence or change in a culture).

Given our second group in-class discussion how is evolution a scientific endeavor and intelligent design is not?(10 pts).

Intelligent design was based on some form of creationism while evolution is a scientific theory. It is the theory of how species change over time that leads to new species emerging. Evidence for evolution includes fossil records and living species traits and genetic codes.

Please define ethnocentrism and state how anthropologists deal with it in their fieldwork and interpretations (10 pts).

Judging other cultures using one's own cultural standards. By inhibiting cross-cultural understandings, which shapes one's view of the other. Also, by using cultural relativism which is a technique to understand the incomprehensible.

What is the relationship between language and culture; briefly describe how anthropologists understand that relationship and provide an example of that relationship with a focal vocabulary that is focused on a single culture's particular experience and/or activity (it can be yours or another's). (10 pts)?

Language and culture have a reciprocal relationship. Language shapes the way people see the world according to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, and focal vocabularies impact the way people think.

Identify and describe the 3 different ways Population Genetic frequencies can change. (10 pts)

Natural selection, Random genetic drift, and gene flow. Natural selection is when organisms better adapted to the environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. Random genetic drift refers to gene changes due to chance with methods such as the Punnett square. Gene flow is the exchange of genetic material through interbreeding.

First, please explain what punctuated equilibrium is and how it shows us how evolution works over time. Second, in addition to punctuated equilibrium, what are the four other parts that make up the Modern Synthesis of Evolutionary Theory. (10 pts)

Predicts that a lot of evolutionary change takes place in short periods of time tied to speciation events.

Daenerys T is a cultural anthropology graduate student studying the Dothraki culture. Name AND define three ethnographic techniques that Daenerys can use in her fieldwork to study the Dothraki.

She could use participant observation( learning a culture through social participation and personal observation over a long period of time), interviews (conversations that maintain rapport and provide knowledge), and key consultants (experts on particular aspects of local life).

1) name the three ways that cultural traits are shared or not shared between societies with examples and 2) name the ways that culture changes.

The 3 ways that cultural traits are shared/ not shared between societies are universals, generalities, and particularities. Universals are behaviors shared by all humans such as living in social groups and having families. Generalities are behaviors in most cultures such as concepts of descent and life cycle events (birth, puberty, marriage, parenthood, death). Particularities are specific exotic behaviors that identify a culture such as food sharing (specific example is how Ethiopians eat from one bowl and don't use utensils). Culture changes

Why do anthropologists use cultural relativism to explain shared human behaviors (10 pts)?

The goal of this is understanding of cultural practices that are not typically part of one's own culture. To properly explain shared human behaviors, anthropologists must conduct research without including their own culture in the evaluation and explanation of foreign (to them at least) human behaviors shared among that society.

What does non-human primate language and communication abilities tell us about human language and human abilities? (10 pts)

They emphasize the use of language while human communication is solely based on verbal and oral sounds. Primates use sign language and body postures to convey messages and emotion.

Name and briefly describe the five different parts of the Modern Synthesis of Evolutionary Theory, which we now think of as the whole theory of evolution (10 pts).

Variation expresses the idea that everyone is different from each other. Heredity describes that the children will resemble their parents in some way. Adaptation is a series of beneficial genetic adjustments to the environment. Environment changes expresses that fitness changes and genetic shifts. Superior fitness is the idea that variant individuals occur and if the environment is more suitable they will produce more.