ANT 101 Exam 3

Kin descent groups (matrilineal, patrilineal)

- a social and economic relationship, which includes at least one adult and one child/dependent - matrilineal: a social group formed by people connected by mother-child links - patrilineal: a social group formed by people connected by father-child links

Third genders (two spirit, Hijra)

- culturally defined alternative to masculine/feminine genders two spirit - one person is both masculine and feminine Hijra - doesn't represent masculine or feminine, rejects all sexuality

Animatism

- generalized forces that can accumulate or be drained - forces can be concentrated and used - ex. luck

Social groups

- interact, and share similar characteristics (collective sense of identity) - membership can be achieved or ascribed

Theories of gendered division of labor (relative strength, economy-of-effort)

- relative strength: in general, men are stronger - economy-of-effort: - expendability: reproductive goals, men want to spread their genes, women want a partner

Culture

- sets of learned behavior and ideas that human beings acquire as members of society - shared, learned, patterned, dynamic, symbolic

Marriage

- socially recognized institution - transforms statuses - symbolically marked - creates relationships between extended kin groups

Assimilation (cultural imperialism)

- spread of one culture at the expense of others - power difference - one culture gives up all parts of their culture

Animism

- the soul concept - the visible world has an invisible counterpart - ex, ghosts, demons, poltergeists

Bridewealth

- when wealth moves from groom and his family to the bride and her family - occurs where there is no social stratification

Types of spiritual organization (Individualistic, shamanistic)

-individualistic: practices done on one's own, by oneself -shamanistic: requires spiritual go-between (a shaman) -communal: practice occur as a group, but with out a formal leader -ecclesiastical: complex, hierarchical with full-time elite that organizes and leads in a variety of rituals

Dowry

-wealth moves from the bride's family to the groom and his family - the money is supposed to be used for taking care of her

The loss of a separate identity of an ethnic group, through absorption by dominant groups, is called

Assimilation

Match the best definition with each of the terms.

Balanced reciprocity: Involves the expectation of a specific and immediate exchange Market exchange: The buying and selling of goods and services whose value is determined by supply and demand Affinal kin: People who are related through marriage Consanguinal kin:Biologically related relatives, also known as blood relatives Exogamy:Marriage outside of a particular group of individuals Endogamy: Marriage within a particular group of individuals

People living in stratified, state-level societies tend to belong to a number of different social groups. Which of the following is an example of membership in an involuntary group?

Being a member of a jury

In the article by Williams, which of the following is an alternative role in many Native American societies?

Berdache/Two-Spirit

There are many reasons why people become members of social groups. Which of the following is NOT true about social groups?

Conflicts between groups are mostly due to differences in culture, not wider social structures.

Describe the field of cultural anthropology. What does it examine? Name and explain some methods cultural anthropologists use.

Cultural anthropology describes, analyzes, interprets, and explains current human societies and cultures. Some methods are library research, pro-fieldwork, design project, fieldwork, data analysis, and write-ups.

How is "culture" defined in anthropology, and how is this concept useful?

Culture is sets of learned behavior and ideas that human beings acquire as members of society. It is also shared, learned, patterned, dynamic, and symbolic. Understanding what culture is and what it means for different societies, it will help anthropologists gain a deeper understanding of that societies past and their nature.

Art associated with religious monuments, pyramids, statuary, garments, and objects are found in this level of religion

Ecclesiastical

Which type of spiritual organization is defined by a complex hierarchy of full-time specialists?

Ecclesiastical

This theory saw cultures as moving through stages of development, from savagery to civilization.

Evolutionism

The exchange practice where there is no immediate return expected and no calculation of value is called

Generalized reciprocity

The _______________ is perhaps the world's longest surviving social hierarchy; it encompasses a complex ranking of social groups (closed, endogamous, and stratified) on the basis of ritual purity.

Hindu caste system

A Two-Spirit (also known as a "berdache") in Native American culture is a third gender: male taking on women's social roles. As an example, what does this tell us about gender?

It is a cultural construct.

What of the following statements about reciprocity is true?

It is the characteristic form of exchange in egalitarian societies.

What purpose or need does a belief in the supernatural help fulfill? Why might someone who understands western science and medicine continue to believe in the supernatural?

It makes the uncertain, certain and the unknowable, knowable. It justifies social stratification and inequality. It defines group values and creates a sense of meaning.

How do anthropologists define "kinship"? How might extended kin descent groups help individuals meet the challenges of society? How might they hinder individuals?

Kinship links people to one another on the basis of birth, marriage, and nurturance. Extended kin descent groups can help others with economic issues and housing. With a larger group, they will be able to take care of each other and help where it is needed. They won't have to completely provide everything on their own. This could be not good when a family issue comes up. Because they are part of multiple families now, their family loyalties are split. So when issues arise, being a part of a kin descent group would not help individuals, it would hinder them.

In anthropology, a culturally sanctioned union between two or more persons that establishes certain rights and obligations between the persons, between them and their children, and between them and their in-laws is a

Marriage

Monogamy

Marriage to only one person at a time

What is NOT a trait associated with unilineal descent?

Membership changes over time

A big man in Melanesian societies

Mobilizes wealth on behalf of his group

Monotheism vs polytheism

Monotheism is belief in one God and Polytheism is the belief in many Gods - in both cases the God(s) can affect people's lives

A society is classified as a tribe by anthropologists. Through studies they find that this tribe worships six deities, family names come from the mother, and men travel to find a wife. They conclude that this culture is

Polytheistic, matrilineal, and exogenous

Which of the following describes a key difference between rituals and taboos?

Rituals are habitual practices, while taboos are practices that must not be done

Which type of spiritual organization is defined by a part-time spiritual go-between?

Shamanism

According to the Barrel Model of Culture, political systems form part of a cultural system's _______________________, which involves organizing society through institutions.

Social Structure

Which of the following statements is universally TRUE about art?

The goal of art is to communicate something by repeating familiar elements in a creative way.

What have recent cross-cultural studies of gender roles demonstrated?

The relative status of women is variable, depending on factors like the prevalence of a domestic-public dichotomy

In the "Playing Indian" reading, why are Native American mascots, logos, and nicknames considered racist?

They mock the symbols of the culture

Religion, magic, and witchcraft are all similar in which of the following ways?

They provide an explanation of events and are mechanisms of social control.

"Endogamy" means to marry "within" a group. What is "exogamy"?

To marry outside a group

Which of the following are NOT examples of cultural change?

Tradition

In order to minimize the impact of subjectivity, the anthropologist should consider all of the following except

What the anthropologist observes in his/her own culture

In what ways are women's behaviors more regulated than men's? How do these regulations suggest a universal double standard based on gender? In your response, include examples related to sexual relations, marriage practices, and gendered divisions of labor.

With divisions of labor, women work more hours than men, but men's work is valued more. Polygyny is the most preferred type of marriage globally.

Which of the following scenarios would be considered an example of being ethnocentric?

You think polygynous marital practices are weird because you only have one wife

The end product of anthropological research is

a broad hypothesis about human beliefs, behavior and biology

What is the term for a social status that is not automatic, but which comes through choices, actions, effects, talents, or accomplishments?

achieved status

The fact that anthropology focuses on both human evolution and cultural distinctiveness

allows it to address "nature vs. nurture" questions

The anthropological analysis of the Hindu taboo against eating beef suggests that

beliefs about the supernatural can function as part of a group's adaptation to the environment

Cultural Diffusion

borrowing elements from another culture - ex. McDonalds in Egypt

Aka Pygmy Ngangas use ethnomedicine in order to heal illnesses and protect people from

both natural and supernatural sources

In Indian society, castes are most accurately described as

closed, endogamous, and stratified descent groups

Cultural Hybridity

cultural mixing

We can infer that change in the economic roles of women will likely be associated with changes in women's status because

culture is patterned & integrated

Through ethnographic fieldwork, anthropologists collect qualitative data such as

descriptions of social networks, personal life histories, typical beliefs and practices

Ethnicity vs Race

ethnicity: associated with culture race: associated with biology both socially constructed

Cultural anthropology is the study of patterns of human behavior, which

focus on humans as culture producing and re-producing creatures

Ethnic identity is defined with reference to such characteristics as

food, religion, clothing, music, and language

When an Australian hunter gives away most of his meat to relatives without specifying what is expected in return, he is exemplifying

generalized reciprocity

Bride Service

groom contributes labor to wife's family instead of giving wealth

The four levels of religious organization presented in class are

individualistic, shamanistic, communal, and ecclesiastical

According to the Barrel Model of Culture, subsistence strategies form part of a cultural system's _______________________, which involves meeting society's basic needs.

infrastructure

"Culture shock"

is an indication of how deeply we are attached to our own cultures.

The concept of "consanguineal relations" refers to

kinship relations based on descent (or parentage)

Multiculturalism

living permanently in settings surrounded by people with cultural backgrounds different from one's own and struggling to define with them the degree to which the cultural beliefs and practices of different groups should or should not be accorded respect and recognition by the wider society

Religion is always closely associated with

magic

A !Kung San headman has

no formal authority and can only persuade others

participant oberservation

observing what people do, but also doing what they do

Polygyny

one husband, multiple wives

Polyandry

one wife, multiple husbands

Parallel cousins vs cross cousins

parallel cousins: dad's brother's kids and mom's sister's kids cross cousins: dad's sister's kids and mom's brother's kids

Globalization

people, things, and ideas are changing cultures

Culture Shock

personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life

In Lehmann's piece, "Eyes of the Ngangas," Aka Ngangas and others in their community agree that

popular medicine is best for curing mental illness and illnesses caused by supernatural forces.

The KKK is a white supremacist group in the United States. They act on their beliefs that they are better than minorities. This shows that they are

prejudiced and discriminatory

Rituals vs taboos

rituals - must be done - habitual, repeated - ex. in Jewish church, men must cover their head taboos - must not be done - avoided at certain times or always - ex. it would be taboo for Jewish men to not cover their head at church

Sex vs gender

sex is biological; gender is the predetermined roles for men and women in the community

Cultural Anthropology

shows how variation in the beliefs and behaviors of members of different human groups is shared by culture

The Machiguenga of Peru primarily use this mode of production

slash-and-burn farming

A society composed of several groups that differ in their access to resources and prestige is said to be

stratified

Barrel Model of Culture

superstructure, social structure, infrastructure, environment

Anthropologists agree with all of the following EXCEPT

that human groups differ in their intellectual capacities for culture.

Cultural Appropriation

the adoption of elements of one culture by members of another culture.

Ethnocentrism

the opinion that one's own way of life is natural or correct and the only true way of being fully human

The etic sexual identity of a person can be determined by examining

the self-image that a person holds

Whether beneficial or unbeneficial, all art is an expression of

the symbolic representation of form and the expression of feeling that constitutes the creative imagination

In centralized societies, antisocial behavior is usually dealt with in a court system by the use of formal, negative sanctions involving the application of abstract rules and the use of force. The primary aim is

to assign and punish guilt

Cultural particulars are

traits unique to a given culture, not shared with any others

Cultural Relativism

understanding another culture in its own terms sympathetically enough so that the culture appears to be a coherent and meaningful design for living

Patrilineality is a form of this descent rule

unilineal

Applied Anthropology

using information gathered from the other subfields to solve practical cross-cultural problems