Global Cultures Final
Which of the following theories is most concerned with understanding how people maintain political power in their daily activities and decision-making processes? A) action theory B) Marxist theory C) structural-functionalist theory D) world systems theory
A) action theory
How do religious rituals function politically? A) by legitimating community authority B) by promoting fear C) by resolving disputes D) all of the above
A) by legitimating community authority
An action theorist studying political power in the US Senate would be especially interested in A) the normative rules of conduct that senators are supposed to follow B) the way the field of social relations structures senators' interactions C) the ways female senators exercise power in a male-dominated institution D) the delegation of political power from one individual to another
A) the normative rules of conduct that senators are supposed to follow
The earliest anthropologist to compare religious and spiritual beliefs around the world was E. B. Tylor. For him the heart of religious beliefs was the belief in: A)spirits B)magic C)the sacred D)totems
A)spirits
The core of Anthony F. C. Wallace's understanding of religion was belief in: A)supernatural things B)the afterlife C)Jesus D)God
A)supernatural things
Power that transcends individuals, operating in settings and orchestrating settings in which social and individual actions take place, is a) authority B) structural power C) domination D) violence
B) structural power
A key way that objects are used to manipulate people comes through which of the following? A)commodity fetishism B)advertising C)stealing and various kinds of fraud D)all of the above
B)advertising
When social norms dictate that someone from a particular clan must marry outside of that clan, anthropologists say that the clan is A) a corporate group B) endogamous C) exogamous D) a lineage
C) exogamous
A clan that reckons descent through both their mother and father is called a A) unilineal clan B) patrilineal clan C) matrilineal clan D) cognatic clan
D) COGNATIC CLAN
Medical anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes uncovered a large criminal network engaged in the black market sale of A)women B)children C)bacteria D)body parts E)illegal drugs
D)body parts
Until the 1920s anthropologists interpreted totemism as evidence of a group's: A)spiritual flexibility B)sophistication C)solidarity D)limited intellectual capacity
D)limited intellectual capacity
What is a life cycle ritual that marks a person's or group of persons' transition from one social state to another? A)magic B)animism C)totemism D)rite of passage
D)rite of passage
Geertz's approach to religion is a style of analysis that looks at the underlying symbolic and cultural interconnections within a society; this is often referred to as: a) structural-functionalism B)neo-evolutionismary approach C)symbolic anthropology D)the interpretive approach
D)the interpretive approach
Although Rambo was a popular American film, it has appealed to audiences in remote corners of the world, including small villages in New Guinea, whose residents unexpectedly give the same meaning to all the characters as American audiences do.
FALSE
Nearly all cultures around the world give a similar importance to biological relatedness as the basis for defining a family.
FALSE
People living in noncentralized political systems have generally welcomed their integration into centralized political systems because it provides greater security and prosperity for them.
FALSE
Since the early nineteenth century, the traditional American family has consisted of a husband, a wife, a few children, and perhaps a pet.
FALSE
Although Russians do use money to buy things, they also rely on bartering when money is scarce.
False
In the Kula and Sagali exchanges the prestige lies in receiving items such as armbands and skirts, not in giving them.
False
It has been proven that overpopulation will inevitably lead to global famine.
False
The central point of the concept of spheres of exchange is to make a distinction between general- and limited-purpose money.
False
The use of money is a human universal.
False
There are more undernourished people than obese and overweight people in the world.
False
Buddhism is neither monotheistic or nor polytheistic.
TRUE
Many societies do not have a distinctive category of "art."
TRUE
The incest taboo, or the prohibition against marrying within the nuclear family, is a human universal.
TRUE
The stereotype that Tahitian women were sexually promiscuous emerged almost overnight after the arrival of Captain Samuel Wallis in 1767, when Tahitians recognized that the British had steel that the crew would exchange for sexual favors.
TRUE
Ethnobiologists are primarily interested in the conservation traditions of non-Western peoples.
True
The Russian concept of blat, in which people give and receive favors, interests anthropologists because it appears to be preventing the emergence of capitalist markets.
True
The processes of capital accumulation and the expansion of European colonialism disrupted many societies.
True
Promoters of globalization highlight which of the following? a) the more open a country is to foreign trade, the better the economy will be b) people need access to cell phones c) it is an even process benefiting everyone equally d) all of the above
a) the more open a country is to foreign trade, the better the economy will be
Which of the following is a key argument of ethnobiologist Brent Berlin, who compared human classification systems? a) humans have a wide range of variation when it comes to classifying things b) all human classification systems are reflective of an underlying cognitive structure of the human brain that organizes information in systematic ways c) humans organize information very differently depending on their environment d) non-Western people do not organize scientific knowledge like Westerners do
b) all human classification systems are reflective of an underlying cognitive structure of the human brain that organizes information in systematic ways
Why do foragers turn to agriculture? a) foraging is too difficult and time-consuming b) agriculture provides a better diet c) increased population density causes too much competition for resources d) old age
c) increased population density causes too much competition for resources
Financial globalization has allowed for a) wealth to be evenly distributed throughout the world b) corporations to move factories from one country to another c) the minimum wage to increase d) all of the above
corporations to move factories from one country to another
According to anthropologist Sherry Ortner's analysis, the American flag is an example of a) a key scenario b) a sign c) an elaborating symbol d) a summarizing symbol
d) a summarizing symbol
Consumer capitalism contributes to increasing ecological footprints in industrialized nations because a) the production of goods is not sustainable and uses too many raw materials b) it promotes the idea that people need more things to be happy c) goods are shipped using fossil fuels d) all of the above
d) all of the above
A social movement that addresses the linkages between racial discrimination and injustice, social equity, and environmental quality is a) political ecology b) demography c) political economy d) environmental justice
d) environmental justice
If Jakob Grimm, who developed what has come to be known as Grimm's law, were analyzing the historical relationships among the so-called dialects of Chinese (such as Cantonese and Mandarin), what data would he be looking for in his linguistic fieldwork? a) the characters used by people who spoke these different dialects b) the average height, weight, and cephalic index of speakers of these several dialects c) whether the speakers they surveyed knew any other non-Chinese languages d) how the speakers of each dialect pronounce different words with similar meanings in the several dialects
d) how the speakers of each dialect pronounce different words with similar meanings in the several dialects
For pastoral groups such as the Dinka and the Nuer, the cow acts as which kind of symbol? metaphor summarizing symbol narrative symbol elaborating symbol
elaborating symbol
The use of mock Spanish reinforces a common impression that Hispanic people are socially inferior. This is an example of the power of which of the following? language death phonetics morphology language ideology
language ideology
What pivotal evolutionary shift happened around 1.8 to 2 million years ago that is closely related to human foodways? primates walked bipedally meat consumption increased humans learned to make tools humans developed language
meat consumption increased
When anthropologists study the way people use language in real settings rather than as a set of grammatical rules, they are focusing on parole langue phonetics morphology
parole
A key feature of financial globalization is a) governments imposing new regulations on trade b) equalization of financial opportunities around the world c) greater coordination of multinational corporations d) the reduction or elimination of tariffs to promote trade
the reduction or elimination of tariffs to promote trade
In evolutionary terms humans are distinct from other primates with respect to their ability to use language because we have much larger brains we can learn American Sign Language we can speak using a larynx all of the above
we can speak using a larynx
A Marxist approach to the cultural processes Karen Ho studied of Wall Street would be most focused on A) the tendency to lay off employees on a regular basis as the bank suffers througH financial crises caused by its own activities B) the rational decision-making logic of bankers C) the value placed on individual wealth and conspicuous consumption among bankers D) the way government regulations moderate the worst effects of financial crises caused by the banks
A) the tendency to lay off employees on a regular basis as the bank suffers througH financial crises caused by its own activities
A good illustration of the Marxist concept of surplus value is A) a worker shows up to work late and gets his pay reduced, generating more profit for the owner B) a worker makes one $30 sweater every hour in a factory but gets paid only $15 C) a worker improves her or his efficiency by not taking bathroom breaks D) a factory owner prevents labor unions from forming in the factory
B) a worker makes one $30 sweater every hour in a factory but gets paid only $15
A formalist anthropologist doing fieldwork in a supermarket would be most interested in A) the geographic location and formal spatial layout of the supermarket B) how shoppers decide which cat food to buy when they have fifteen varieties to choose from C) the ways managers appropriate the labor of checkout clerks, butchers, and other workers D) the diverse ways general-purpose money circulates in the store
B) how shoppers decide which cat food to buy when they have fifteen varieties to choose from
If you wanted to understand how state rituals reinforce support for the nation and its government, what method would you use to study why ISIS (the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) releases videotapes of its executions and other atrocities as a marketing tool? a) interviews with former ISIS members about the leadership's strategy for releasing these videos B) interviews with potential recruits about the meaning the they give to the violent actions and activities depicted in the videos c) analysis of public statements by leaders in Western countries who that are not the target of these recruitment videos d) none of the above e) all of the above
B) interviews with potential recruits about the meaning the they give to the violent actions and activities depicted in the videos
A century ago studies of objects were largely studies of material culture and the technology available to people living in small-scale societies with simple technologies. The modern anthropological approach to objects has done which of the following? A)caused anthropologists to challenge whether these museum collections were representative of the technologies of the time or if they were biased B) led anthropologists to recognize that objects change meaning over time C) pushed anthropologists to take a critical approach to the motives of the collectors of these early museum collections d) all of the above e) none of the above
B) led anthropologists to recognize that objects change meaning over time
Which of the following refers to the family into which one is born and raised? A)traditional family B)natal family C)nuclear family D)family of procreation
B)natal family
A rise in fundamentalism is often seen when: A)things are stable B)there are many changes in society C)there is peacetime D)people are in rural settings
B)there are many changes in society
The importance of a phenomenon like "revenge suicide" in Papua New Guinea is that it A) demonstrates why women are irrational B) demonstrates why men are controlling and mean toward women C) demonstrates that the nonpowerful have ways of exercising political power D) demonstrates the difficulty of locating structural power
C) demonstrates that the nonpowerful have ways of exercising political power
Anthropologist Nicholas Thomas wrote about objects from the Pacific Islands as "entangled objects." How could you use his approach to understand the relationship students have with their "devices," like iPhones and tablets? A)study the ideas about how sexy these devices are to undergraduates B)study how some of these new devices seem more essential in students' lives than others, leading them to do almost anything to get them C) examine the different meanings that the owners of these objects have for them compared with the meanings faculty members, administrators, and parents assign to them D) track down where each part was made, recognizing that once assembled as a device it has lost its special significance as being made in Vietnam, Thailand, or China E) all of the above
C) examine the different meanings that the owners of these objects have for them compared with the meanings faculty members, administrators, and parents assign to them
A visual anthropology perspective is applicable to all of the following except A) how objects and images unconsciously trigger concepts in our minds B) how people choose to purchase one object over another C) how people need to work in order to buy things D) how putting two images or objects in close proximity allows the meaning of one to rub off onto the other
C) how people need to work in order to buy things
Why is Karl Polanyi's distinction between formal and substantive economics important? A) it explains why states control economies in Europe B) it distinguishes between primitive and capitalist economic systems C) it recognizes that economies involve both how people think and the actual transactions they engage in D) it laid the groundwork for the rise of Marxist theory in anthropology
C) it recognizes that economies involve both how people think and the actual transactions they engage in
Violence is A) static B) inherited C) socially constructed D) absolute
C) socially constructed
The idea that things have social lives refers to which of the following? A)a belief in animism because objects are often linked to particular spirits B)most objects that anthropologists study are either relics or sacred objects C)the fact that objects are deeply intertwined with people's lives D)all of the above
C)the fact that objects are deeply intertwined with people's lives
A structural functionalist would be most likely to analyze violence as A) a reflection of deep ethnic hatreds B) an innate condition of humanity C) the best way to create segmentary lineages D) a means of creating and maintaining social order
D) a means of creating and maintaining social order
Matrilineal descent is typically difficult for Americans to grasp because it feels so unnatural to us. What explains this feeling that matrilineal descent is unnatural since as Americans we also recognize that we are descended from one mother and her parents? a) our kinship system is bilateral, recognizing descent through both mother and father, so it seems strange to recognize only one of these lines B) we usually get our surnames from our father, giving our kinship system a patrilineal bias C) although women can now own property, be breadwinner and head of a household, and can earn more than a husband, many Americans still think of the ideal family as centered on the father D) all of the above
D) all of the above
Steven Pinker, an evolutionary biologist, argues that natural selection has selected genes that cause us to feel little sexual attraction for people we have grown up with. From an anthropological perspective on kinship, what is wrong with this view? A) no gene (or combination of genes) has been linked to the proposed revulsion B) the range of relatives prohibited by the incest taboo varies too widely from society to society to be explained by a selection C) there is no reason to assume that the revulsion is the cause of the taboo, when it is equally probable that the incest taboo itself generates the psychological revulsion D) all of the above
D) all of the above
What is the combined effect of having surnames that are inherited from a child's father and having a woman take her husband's surname at the time of marriage? A) land or real estate automatically goes to the couple's sons rather than the daughters B) it is easier for the family to forget the surnames of women after several generations C) it prevents women from having any control over the family's wealth D) all of the above
D) all of the above
Which of the following is an element of violence? A) the use of force to cause harm to someone or something B) a highly visible assertion of power C) it is an efficient way to transform a social environment D) all of the above
D) all of the above
The earliest engagement anthropologists had with material culture happened where? A)in the flea markets of Paris, where artists like Picasso bought African art objects that inspired many of their paintings B)in the great palaces of Asia in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China C)in the gift shops of the world's great art museums, which sold cheap examples of primitive art D) in museums where objects from around the world were originally seen as evidence of how primitive or civilized different societies were
D) in museums where objects from around the world were originally seen as evidence of how primitive or civilized different societies were
The exercise of political power requires A) force B) violence C) authority D) legitimacy
D) legitimacy
For a big man in a nonstate society, what is the most powerful and valuable tool? A) force B) formal authority C) corruption D) persuasion
D) persuasion
Edmund Carpenter visited Papua New Guinea in the 1960s and early 1970s to study the reactions of native villagers who had never seen A) white people B) guns C) iron D) photographs
D) photographs
The main reason men of the Malaysian Langkawi fishing community hand over their money to women is that A) women are better at saving money than men B) women are the political leaders C) men do not value money D) women decontaminate money by using it to sustain the household
D) women decontaminate money by using it to sustain the household
Advertisers have trained American consumers to focus on the newest and most exiting products through their A)constant innovations and improvements B)attempts to constantly frame their products as new and improved C)removal and destruction of old stock to make way for new products D)all of the above
D)all of the above
Hawaiians and other Polynesian islanders traditionally believed that mana, sacred or supernatural power, existed within certain objects, at sacred spaces, and in persons, including all of the following except A)the chief's shadow B)things the chief had touched C)the sites where rituals were performed D)the sun
D)the sun
Interpretive perspectives to religion and religious symbolism such as those of anthropologist Clifford Geertz are applicable to all of the following religious settings except? A)the belief that Evangelical Christians have about human evolution B)the belief in passivism and calm encouraged by the Dalai Lama C)the practice of communion as a re-creation of the last supper D)the worldview of the scientific community about global warming E)none of the above
D)the worldview of the scientific community about global warming
Anthropologists now understand that magic is: a)is at the basis of many rituals b) usually involves working at a distance without direct c)physical contact D)is often frightening or dangerous E)all of the above
E)all of the above
For early anthropologists, primitive religions were based on a fundamental error in thinking.
TRUE
In some hunter-gatherer groups relations are egalitarian and women can become leaders of a band.
TRUE
An ecological footprint is a measurement of the population an area can support.
True
Famines are often caused by not environmental factors but social factors like inequality.
True
Anthropologists think of bride price as being about not buying anyone but compensation for rights in women—her labor, her support for family affairs, her looking after children, and rights of sexual access. What other social payment is structurally most dissimilar to a bride price payment from this perspective? a) a series of child price payments B) a father's purchase of a new car for his daughter when she goes off to college? C) a counter gift for a bride price payment, usually of much lesser value than the original bride price payment D) an American Valentine's gift, given by a college student to his girlfriend ?
a) a series of child price payments
Anthropologists are interested in the nutrition transition because a) it explains widespread changes in bodily form, eating patterns, and everyday life in urban settings b) it directs attention to the spread of nutritious food because of industrial agriculture c) it will aid the creation of sustainable agriculture d) it demonstrates in a powerful way how foodways mark social boundaries
a) it explains widespread changes in bodily form, eating patterns, and everyday life in urban settings
A believer in cultural imperialism would explain that people who watch American television in remote places like a Walpiri camp in the Australian outback are a) learning important lessons about life in America b) experiencing a form of hybridization c) likely to resist everything they see and hear d) being subjected to alien cultural influences
a) learning important lessons about life in America
Which of the following is not true of how food preferences relate to gender? a) men always love meat, no matter which culture they are from b) foods take on qualities associated with one gender or another c) men and women are enculturated to eat certain foods d) foods are linked to gender-appropriate behaviors
a) men always love meat, no matter which culture they are from
Anthropologist Sherry Ortner distinguished three kinds of culturally powerful symbols that include all of the following except a) narrative symbols b) key scenarios c) summarizing symbols d) elaborating symbols
a) narrative symbols
Which economic theory studies how people make decisions to allocate resources like time, labor, and money in order to maximize their personal satisfaction? a) neoclassical economics b) Marxism C) substantivism D) cultural economics
a) neoclassical economics
A key difference between anthropologists of development and development anthropologists is a) the first are academics; the second work in applied fields b) the first are theoretical; the second are practical c) the first work in development agencies; the second criticize it d) the first are analysts of development; the second seek ways to influence it from within
a) the first are academics; the second work in applied fields
Cultural differences are often caused by the isolation of communities interconnections between societies innovations within a single society all of the above
all of the above
Foodways are dynamic because some foods become trendy they are subject to large-scale industrial processes trade relationships change all of the above
all of the above
Segmentary lineage is flexible noncentralized quickly created and dismantled all of the above
all of the above
World systems theory would be most suited to which of the following research projects? a) an ethnographic study of village-level political leaders b) a historical study of indigenous resistance to colonialism c) a comparative study of the economic potential of different policy mechanisms to promote global trade d) all of the above e) none of the above
b) a historical study of indigenous resistance to colonialism
One of anthropology's insights about the foraging mode of subsistence is that a) foraging people struggle to survive in harsh environments b) foraging people have a cultural view of their environments as giving c) foraging people settle into agriculture the first chance they get d) none of the above
b) foraging people have a cultural view of their environments as giving
Why do environmental anthropologists study formal nature protection? a)Westerners are the only ones who do it b) it often generates social conflicts c) it is not working d) it is a human universal
b) it often generates social conflicts
Why was meat eating important for human evolution? a) it breaks down toxins in the body b) it provides high-quality protein for human brain development c) it provides us with more muscle d)all of the above
b) it provides high-quality protein for human brain development
If you studied speech patterns such as those analyzed in Robin Lakoff's study of gendered speech, you might find that "talking like a lady" a) contributes to gender equality in the workplace b) marginalizes women's voices in work contexts c) demonstrates that women and men are equal builds certainty and trust d) contributes to sexual violence against women
b) marginalizes women's voices in work contexts
What relationship between nature and human does Western thought emphasize? a) complementary b) oppositional c) close d) respectful
b) oppositional
If you were conducting a symbolic analysis of TV programs and wanted to identify a key scenario such as the Horatio Alger myth, which of the following would you focus on? a) the presence or absence of wealth as a sign of social status in particular programs b) plots that are repeated in many of the programs that American viewers interpret as commonplace social experiences c) the different dialects spoken by different cast members d) the symbolic use of power in modern American culture
b) plots that are repeated in many of the programs that American viewers interpret as commonplace social experiences
A foodways perspective on human evolution would emphasize a) that people prefer the same kinds of fruit-based diet as primates, with periodic eating of meat b) that changes in human dietary physiology are intertwined with how people grow, share, and eat food c) that modes of subsistence evolve from the most simple, foraging, to the most complex, industrial agriculture d) all of the above
b) that changes in human dietary physiology are intertwined with how people grow, share, and eat food
An anthropologist who studies the cultural landscape of Zapotec farmers of southern Mexico would be primarily interested in a) their interactions with the local ecosystem b) the meanings and images they have of nature that shape their farming practices c) the ways environmental conditions shape their actions and beliefs d) the ethnobiological classifications they have of their environment
b) the meanings and images they have of nature that shape their farming practices
One of the primary reasons indigenous leaders criticize the dominant model for administering protected environmental areas is a) they don't allow big-game hunting b) they assume nature must be uninhabited by people c) they don't charge enough to visitors for entering the area d) all of the above
b) they assume nature must be uninhabited by people
A structuralist approach to the study of a large banquet would emphasize a) the spatial placement of the food on the table b) the manner in which social relations were structured around the table c) the oppositions and contrasts in foods that help people make sense of the banquet d) the food taboos that prevent some people from eating certain things
c) the oppositions and contrasts in foods that help people make sense of the banquet
James Ferguson, who is an anthropologist of development, argues that development exists a) to alleviate poverty b) to improve working conditions for farmers c) to expand state power d) all of the above
c) to expand state power
If Benjamin Whorf were trying to find further proof that grammar shapes the way people perceive the world, which of the following would not be a focus of his research? a) the structure of tenses in English and other languages spoken in the United States b) the number of basic color terms compared with English c) the structure of person pronouns in the several languages d) the density of the population in the several communities
d) the density of the population in the several communities
What is the most important thing that the core-legume-fringe dietary pattern indicates about how people eat? a) they love carbohydrates most of all b) relishes define a tasty meal c) there is a common general pattern of how people around the world eat d) the intersections between culture and biology
d) the intersections between culture and biology