Cultural Anthropology Final Exam
Researchers have found that cooperation is __________.
common across cultures and seems to evoke pleasure for people
In societies like the United States, membership in voluntary associations, such as a political party, charity, or trade union, is usually based on __________.
common, achieved interests
How does the period of development dependence for young humans differ from that of other primates?
Humans have a longer period of developmental dependence than other primates.
What is the difference between market exchange (when money is not involved) and balanced reciprocity?
In market exchange, supply and demand determine the price.
Which of the following is an important social consequence of commercial agriculture?
Laborers migrate to urban centers in search of employment
Which is true of the descendants of people who started Chinatowns?
Many go to college and move away for a good job
Why can theories not be proved?
Many of the concepts and ideas in theories are not directly observable.
Why is it incomplete to simply call anthropology "the study of humans"?
Many other disciplines also study humans.
How has the tradition of arranged marriage changed in recent years?
Marriages are still arranged by families, but couples have more say in the pairing.
Which statement best explains why men generally have higher status than women in most societies?
Men's status is higher because they usually contribute more to primary subsistence.
How does specialization affect an anthropologist's connection to other disciplines?
Most anthropologists have some overlap with other disciplines that share their research.
How might we best describe the subsistence strategies of contemporary cultures?
Most people today are food producers
Compared to people in simpler societies, people in complex societies __________.
commonly have a larger overall vocabulary due to a greater number of technical specialties
Taxation is an indirect form of __________.
forced labor
The custom of allowing a man to marry more than one woman is __________.
found in most of the societies known to anthropology
All societies divide labor by what two factors?
gender and age
On what factors is the division of labor based in most foraging societies?
gender and age
Cross-cultural studies of how societies regulate sexual behavior have shown that extramarital sex is __________.
generally more acceptable for men than for women
Lineages are usually designated by __________.
he name of the common ancestor
The origins of ethnic stereotypes and prejudices usually follow from __________.
historical and political events
Research has shown that English people from higher-class backgrounds tend to have more __________ speech, conforming more to what is considered standard English.
homogeneous
A great deal of the cross-cultural variation in economic systems is related to __________.
how a society gets its food
Which of the following statements is true of the relationship between family and household?
in simpler societies, the family and household are indistinguishable; in more complex societies, they may diverge.
Many have suggested that the United States and other developed countries are now transitioning from __________ to __________.
industrialism; post-industrialism
The term ethnicity involves a group of people emphasizing shared __________.
language, history, and culture
Anthropologists, as well as other social scientists, feel that culture is __________
learned and shared
Patrilineal societies, but not matrilineal societies, tend to be __________.
locally exogamous
In many Western countries there has been a dramatic increase recently in the percentage of one-parent families. What factor is correlated with an increase in single-parent households?
male unemployment
How a researcher describes the procedure that will be followed to measure a variable is __________.
the operational definition
To whom do anthropologists have the most important ethical obligation?
the people they study
Private individual ownership is __________ associated with intensive agriculture.
usually
The probability that an individual will change class levels in an open class system is __________.
very low
The kin terms of a society are __________.
very resistant to change
Which of these trends is associated with the increasing commercialization of agriculture?
A smaller proportion of society is involved in food production
Where do we find the highest genetic diversity among human populations?
Africa
Which of the following statements is true regarding ethics across cultures?
All cultures have ethical standards, but what they emphasize varies.
Which of these gives an accurate example of a researcher's sampling universe?
An investigator wants to understand high school drop-out rates, so she draws her sample from all the high school students in her city.
What is the primary contrast between avunculocal and matrilocal societies?
Avunculocal societies fight internally, while matrilocal societies fight externally
Why do men and women likely speak differently even within a shared language and culture?
Boys and girls grow up in somewhat different cultures, leading to cultural differences in adulthood.
What is the focus of cross-cultural researchers?
Correct They hope to discover general patterns about cultural traits.
The anthropological curiosity is primarily interested in __________.
Correct typical characteristics of a cultural group
__________ diversity is almost always associated with differential access to advantages.
Ethnic
why should we not assume that food collectors would automatically switch to food production once they understood the process of domestication?
Food production involves more work and less security than food collection.
What is the difference between foraging and food production?
Foraging uses only wild plants and animals, while food production cultivates and domesticates them.
What type of subtle socialization might account for the observation that girls often show more responsible and nurturant behavior than boys?
Girls are almost always asked to do more work than boys.
What is the key feature that distinguishes intensive agriculture from horticulture?
Intensive agriculture uses techniques that allow people to cultivate fields permanently.
What is happening to the gap between rich and poor nations?
It has been rising steadily since the Industrial Revolution.
What is a statistical association?
It is a relationship between two variables that is unlikely to be due to chance.
How is a law defined in the physical sciences?
It is a relationship between variables whose existence is suggested by repeated observation.
How does the United States compare cross-culturally with regard to restrictions of intercourse within marriage?
It is among the most lenient cultures, with only loose restrictions concerning pregnancy and menstruation.
How does anthropology differ from other disciplines concerned with humans?
It is broader in scope, both geographically and historically.
Which of these statements is true of global literacy?
Only recently has universal literacy become a goal for most countries.
In what way do unconventional parenting styles bring about cultural change?
Parenting styles do shift, but only relatively slowly
What is the difference between power and prestige?
Power is the ability to make others do what they do not want to do, while prestige is being awarded particular respect or honor.
__________, such as family organization and subsistence techniques, give rise to certain personality characteristics, while __________, such as art and religion, reflect the motives, conflicts, and anxieties of a society.
Primary institutions; secondary institutions
How have racial barriers changed in the United States over the years?
Some barriers have been lifted, but the "color line" has not yet disappeared.
In the Applied Anthropology example, how did Chinese and American preschools instill cultural value lessons in the children?
The Chinese preschool emphasized group activities, while the American preschool emphasized individualized activities
How does the everyday usage of the term culture differ from its academic definition?
The common usage reflects a desirable quality that can be acquired.
Which of the following is true of conformity studies across culture?
The degree of conformity varies, but most studies still show a conformity effect.
What is the major cause of the disappearance of native languages?
The languages are no longer being taught to children.
How is the study of anthropology useful?
The study of anthropology gives us a better understanding of humankind
Why do anthropologists question results given by cross-cultural psychologists that indicate psychological development is delayed in many non-Western societies?
The tests used are developed in the West using testing materials often unfamiliar to other cultures.
How do theoretical approaches influence a researcher's investigation?
The theoretical orientation usually determines which set of factors the researcher thinks is most important
What can be concluded about a theory if its related hypothesis is supported after rigorous testing?
The theory is consistent with the available evidence, and can be accepted for the time being.
What is the primary weakness of both the gender division-of-labor and prolonged-infant-dependency models for the benefits of marriage?
There are many ways other than marriage for groups of men and women to work together.
How do voluntary girls' clubs affect elementary and junior high school girls' attitudes toward or performance in science?
They are more likely to express an interest in scientific careers.
How does being held or carried frequently by their mothers affect the temperament of young children?
They are more trusting and optimistic than children who are held less frequently
How is the ethno-historian's work similar to that of a historian?
They must piece together information from scattered-and sometimes contradictory-sources.
How do anthropologists deal with the range of individual behaviors they meet when trying to describe a culture?
They use the variations to define acceptable limits of behavior.
Which theory suggests that the incest taboo was created to ensure that individuals would marry members of other families, thereby creating ties that held communities together?
White and Lévi-Strauss's cooperation theory
What is the primary criticism against the strength theory of gender roles?
Women in some societies do engage in very heavy labor.
Which of the following is true of gender differences within languages?
Women seem to be more concerned with "correctness" than men
Many anthropologists suggest that neolocal residence is related to the presence of __________.
a commercial economy
Which of the following is a common characteristic of associations?
a common purpose among members
Which of these is a consequence of intensive agriculture?
a high degree of craft specialization
Children learn spoken language at __________.
about the same age in all cultures
The process of cultural change known as __________ describes a situation in which a subordinate society adopts cultural traits or technologies through contact with a more powerful society, either through force or due to perceived economic or social advantages.
acculturation
One sex difference that appears very early in American children, as well as in children in all societies for which systematic data is available, is greater __________.
aggressiveness in boys
What modern factor is making it less common for people to seek help from their kindred?
aid from the state
Even in the United States-an urbanized society with relatively few marriage restrictions-people tend to marry within their __________.
class and geographic area
What is one of the most effective ways to move upward in contemporary societies?
attending a university and gaining an education
As societies grow in size and complexity, the trend is for more __________ organizations to be replaced by more __________ organizations.
broadly based; narrowly based
How do social scientists generally measure the degree of class mobility?
by comparing the class of individuals with the class of their parents
How is gender assigned in the United States?
by external biological attributes
In an anthropological sense, an economic system refers to __________.
customs specifying how people gain access to resources
Cross-cultural research indicates that women's associations __________.
do not appear to increase women's status and access to positions of authority
The U.S. custom of the bride's family paying for the wedding is most similar to which type of marital exchange?
dowry
Although food production is not necessarily __________ than food collection, it is generally __________ per unit of land.
easier; more productive
What factor is likely responsible for the greater gender equality seen in industrial and post-industrial societies?
education
Which of the following type of nonverbal communication appears to be culturally universal?
facial expressions
Which anthropological term may be used in place of socialization?
enculturation
Anthropology helps us realize that people are physically and culturally adapted to their particular __________
environment
The tendency to judge other cultures without trying to grasp the reasons behind their customs is what anthropologists refer to as __________
ethnocentrism
According to the __________ theory, men tend to do more dangerous work because the loss of men is less disadvantageous reproductively than the loss of women.
expendability
Ethnocentrism both hinders our understanding of other peoples' cultures and __________.
keeps us from understanding our own customs
What is one of the major consequences of horticulture?
more sedentary way of life
The more stratified and complex a society is, the __________.
more voluntary associations it is likely to have
Children in all societies are required to marry outside of their __________.
nuclear family
An example of an exogamous marriage tradition is marrying __________.
outside of a particular kin group
What personality trait can be predicted by a person's level of schooling?
patience
Which type of society generally has the most favorable view of gender equality?
post-industrial societies
Participant-observation refers to the __________.
practice of immersing oneself in the language and customs of a society
What do anthropologists call the transformation of resources into food, tools, and other goods?
production
What is one way in which descent group members support each other economically?
providing food for feasts or ceremonies
Which of the following American norms might be seen as immoral or inferior by someone from another culture?
putting a baby to sleep in its own room
Which of the following is a universally ascribed quality?
sex
What two major factors do all forms of marriage consider?
sexual and economic
Variations in individual behavior are confined within __________ acceptable limits.
socially
Whether the couple lives with the husband's or wife's kin can have important consequences for the __________.
status of the husband or wife
American parents __________.
stress independence but often reward dependent behaviors
The spread of agriculture may be linked to the need for __________.
territorial expansion
Some scholars suggest that the development of street gangs in Mexican-American neighborhoods is a response to __________.
the absence of male models in the household
What is culture?
the customary ways that a particular population or society thinks and behaves
A distinguishing feature of anthropology is the goal of understanding how aspects of human experience such as local history, physical environment, family life, language, settlement patterns, and religion are interrelated. This approach to culture is referred to as __________________
the holistic approach
What does Beatrice Whiting describe as one of the most powerful socializing influences on children?
their setting and the people within it
A __________ cannot be observed or verified directly.
theoretical construct
In which type of societies are adolescents most likely to be rebellious?
those with neolocal residence and considerable geographic mobility
What do linguists mean when they refer to grammar?
unconscious principles that predict how most people talk
In general, the borrowing of __________ from another language is much more common than the borrowing of __________.
words; grammar
