Cultural Anthropology: Chapter 1

According to the text, what differentiates anthropology from other scientific fields of study such as biology, psychology, or sociology?

Anthropology is the only discipline that seeks to define, in the broadest sense, what it is to be human.

Anthropologists generally agree that there is a difference between what people say they do, and what they actually do. Which study would test this hypothesis accurately?

Comparing a neighborhood's responses to a survey about their recycling habits with data from the recycling company that collects from the neighborhood

How has the concept of "race" changed in anthropology from the start of the 20th century to the present day?

Contemporary anthropologists see early 20th century race classifications as an overly simplified description of our knowledge of genetics.

Ethnocentrism and cultural relativism are two basic modes anthropologists can use when attempting to understand another culture. Which of the following definitions correctly summarizes the approach that is most strongly recommended by anthropologists, despite certain limitations?

Cultural relativism means that an anthropologist uses the culture's own standards as a way of understanding it

How can every anthropologist make a valuable contribution to society today?

Every anthropologist has some experience in thinking about cultural complexity and adaptation.

What is the fundamental difference between physical anthropologists and archaeologists?

Physical anthropologists study human biology; archaeologists study artifacts.

Cultural anthropology can be summarized as

anthropology that uses both ethnography and ethnology to deal with specific contemporary cultures

As a whole, the academic discipline of anthropology is

concerned with the biology and the cultures of humans, past and present

A construction company breaks ground in a field to build a shopping mall, only to discover the foundations of what appears to be an abandoned village. What type of specialist anthropologist is most likely to be called in to assist the company in obeying the law?

contract anthropologist

Ethnolinguistics is also known by the name

cultural linguistics

Anthropological linguistics studies both past and present languages. Which subgroup analyzes both the phonetic and the grammatical systems of contemporary language?

descriptive linguistics

Which one of the following generally cannot be removed from an archaeological site?

features

Which is an example of an ecofact?

human skeletons found by archeologists researching an ancient ceremonial ground

Anthropology is valuable from a societal point of view because

it can contribute to solutions to pressing social problems

Holism is a distinguishing feature of anthropology's approach to studying human groups. This approach means that anthropologists are trained to

look at all of the parts of a cultural system to see how they are interrelated

Which one of the following is a sub-branch of physical anthropology?

paleoanthropology

Which branch of anthropology draws on the study of epidemiology to learn about how human biological variations influence adaptation?

physical anthropology

Early pioneers in anthropology include Franz Boas, Ruth Benedict, and Edward Sapir. They are known for their groundbreaking work in the subspecialty area of

psychological anthropology

Anthropologists need to distinguish between "emic" and "etic" approaches to their work. Which situation describes an "emic" approach to studying a polygamous religious group?

researching the group's religious texts that justifies and recommends polygamy

What is the primary objective of ethnology?

to uncover the general cultural rules of society