Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
67 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
What is culture to ananthropologist, what are its main characteristics, and what common ideas ofculture rejected by anthropologists?
|
• Culture- the collective coordination of meaning
• Shared beliefs, behaviors and artifacts |
|
|
What features of Tivcultural practices and beliefs shaped their very different interpretation ofShakespeare’s “Hamlet”?
|
• The marriage and war practices
|
|
|
What do ethnocentrism, naive realism, and cultural relativism each refer to and what are the differences between them?
|
• Ethnocentrism- evaluating other cultures based on the standards of your own culture
• Naive Realism- the universal belief that all people define the real world of objects, events and living creatures in pretty much the same way. Languages are different but we talk about the same things • Cultural relativism- the idea that culture traits are best understood through that culture alone. |
|
|
What are the four subfieldsof anthropology and what is the focus of study of each?
|
1. Cultural evolutionist
2. Cultural universalist 3. Historical particularist 4. Historical relativist |
|
|
What were Spradley’s three “fundamental aspects of human experience”, what were the terms used for each when it is learned and shared by members of a group, what are examples of each drawn from Spradley’s discussion of reading on a commuter train, and which of the three does Spradley often call, simply, “culture”?
|
• Three fundamental aspects of human experience and their terms
1. Cultural knowledge- What people think ***Most important*** 2. Cultural Behavior- What people do 3. Cultural artifacts- Things people make and use • Spradley’s examples 1. Behavior- Reading 2. Artifacts- The books, train tickets, newspapers 3. Knowledge- People know how to read these things |
|
|
What is meant by the statement that “humankind is ‘biocultural’”?
|
• We study evolution of human biology to understand more about our own culture. How is human biology related to culture and evolution
|
|
|
What are typical differences between sleeping practices in the US and those in many other parts of the world?
|
• Beds vs floor
• Alone vs together • Sleep timing |
|
|
What are the various techniques anthropologists use to collect data, and which one the originated in the discipline?
|
1. Holistic
2. Field-work 3. Comparative |
|
|
What are the strengths and limitations of participant observation as a research technique according to your readings?
|
• Participant Observation can disrupt the cultural practices already in place
• It can show favorites to Individuals in cultures • Examples: Wari - consuming grief |
|
|
What kinds of ethical dilemmas do anthropologists face (be ready to give two examples)?
|
• While researching, an anthropologist must ask where their allegiance is because some cultural values that they study will contradict those that they came from.
• The slogan is “DO NO HARM” because you do not want to reveal information about the people you study if it could harm them later. o This specific conversation about research ethics led to informed consent: asks what are the implications of using the information. (therefore, do no harm can conflict with how information is being included) o But, the conversation has not ended - people are still discussing research ethics. |
|
|
What kinds of things did George Hicks do during his ethnographic fieldwork in an Appalachian valley, and what was a key insight he gained about the valley’s communication system?
|
Stores and storekeepers were at the center of the communication system
|
|
|
How does the case of laNinde’s “assault” offer an example of key strengths of typical anthropological researchmethods, as compared to those of historians, sociologists, and criminologists?
|
• The Dou Donggo don't keep records of crime so finding an anthropological record of the encounter would have been through word of mouth
|
|
|
How did Conklin get herdata about mortuary cannibalism?
|
• Field-work
• Wrote notes • Mainly interviewed families that were alive while the ritual was still in practice |
|
|
How did Knauft get his dataabout the Gebusi?
|
• He lived among the Gebusi and then returned about every 10-15 years
|
|
|
How has anthropological research changed over the last 150 years?
|
• We no longer believe the 19th century Paradigm
|
|
|
What are the four majorpatterns of subsistence and what characteristics tend to be associated withthem?
|
• Patterns of subsistence- The relationship between people and their environment that enable the support of life.
• 4 Patterns- o Food foraging/ Hunter gatherer- hunting, fishing, gathering o Horticulture- cultivation of crops with simple hand tools o Pastoralism- breeding and managing herds of domesticated grazing animals o Intensive agriculture- crop cultivation using technologies other than hand tools |
|
|
What common ideas abouthunter-gatherers have been shown to be false, according to Richard Lee?
|
Before: Hunter-gatherer Subsistence rests on 2 assumptions
1. dependent on hunting game animals 2. Their way of life is precarious and an arduous struggle for existence • After: 1. Plant and marine resources are more important than game animals in a diet. 2. Hunter-gatherer subsistence base is abundant. |
|
|
What was the “worst mistakein the history of the human race” according to Jared Diamond, and what were thespecific reasons behind his claim?
|
• The worst mistake is the transition from food foraging to farming
o Hunter-gatherers had better diets and better balance of nutrition o After farming population health dropped and there was more disease |
|
|
Howare the three major types of exchange (reciprocity, redistribution, and marketexchange) different? How are they similar?
|
1. Reciprocity- Refers to a wide range of exchanges of goods and services in which the relationship is central to the exchange
2. Redistribution- the collection of resources in a central location, followed by a reallocation of the resources without the expectation of reciprocity 3. Market Exchange- goods and services exchanged for money, with the prices set by the rules of supply and demand, not by the relationship between those doing the exchange. |
|
|
What is reciprocity?
|
• Refers to a wide range of exchanges of goods and services in which the relationship is central to the exchange
|
|
|
What are the three major forms of reciprocity and the major characteristics of each (how it works)—be ready to give relevant examples for each drawn from course readings, film, and lecture.
|
1. General reciprocity- a form of indirect exchange where the value of the gift is not calculated, nor is the time of repayment specified
2. Balanced reciprocity- exchange in which the giving and receiving are specific as to the value of the goods and the approximate time of their delivery. 3. Negative reciprocity- a mode of exchange on which the giver tries to get the better of the exchange. |
|
|
What is a potlatch?
|
• A gift giving feast
• Contending groups tried to send the other such a large gift that it cant be easily repaid • "warring with property" |
|
|
What are the socialoutcomes of reciprocal gift giving?
|
• Builds stronger bonds within the Community
• Can unite multiple cultures |
|
|
What are the socialoutcomes of asymmetrical gift giving? How can giving be used to intimidate orhumiliate people or groups?
|
• Can be used to show dominance
• Can be used as a form of credit |
|
|
How can reciprocityfunction as a social “safety net” or “insurance”?
|
• "I scratch your back, you scratch mine"
• You now owe me because I gave you something |
|
|
How did the !Kung react toLee’s gift of a Christmas Ox, why did they react this way, and how common isthis type of reaction in groups with a similar pattern of subsistence?
|
• They laughed at the ox and made fun of Lee saying his ox was to small and old so Lee would not become cocky about his gift.
• It is not common among cultures due to its cultural context |
|
|
What is the Kula Ring andhow did it work?
|
• an elaborate "ring" of exchanges were individuals travel long distances to trade specific kinds of goods with lifelong trading partners
|
|
|
How does the Nuyooteco Mixtec fiesta system work?
|
• A husband and wife organize activities like elaborate processions and mass
• They also provide as many as 9 meals • Financed through Reciprical exchange |
|
|
In what circumstances does "1 + 1" not equal 2?
|
• In some cultures the value of some things are more or less than others
• Using items for credit |
|
|
What are the lessons having to do with reciprocity learned by David Counts and his family among the people of Kandoka Village and what mistakes did they commit in order to learn them?
|
• Mistakes:
o Paid to much for the watermelon o Giving bananas away for free o Wanted something in return for tobacco. Needed patience • Lessons: o In a society where food is shared or gifted as part of social life, you may not buy it with money o Never refuse a gift and never fail to return a gift o Where reciprocity is the role and gifts are the idiom you cannot demand a gift just as you cannot refuse a request |
|
|
How were trade, marriage,and war related in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, what was introduced thatdisrupted the system, and what was the end result?
|
• Romantic love played very little in marriage in the Nuyoo culture
• The Dou Donggo practice bride price to compensate for the loss of the woman in a household and to assume custody of the family in the event of kids • Alliances are built from marriage |
|
|
What are the three majorforms of kinship?
|
1. Consanguineal- immediate family, family through blood,
a. Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Son, Daughter 2. Affinial- extended family, family through marriage a. Cousins, Aunts, Uncles 3. Fictive- other person accepted into a family, adoption |
|
|
What are the differenttypes of marriage that exist cross-culturally?
|
1. Monogamy- One partner
2. Polygamy- Multiple partners 3. Group marriage- marriage in which several men and women have sexual access to one another |
|
|
What are monogamy,polygamy, polygyny, and polyandry?
|
1. Monogamy- One partner
2. Polygamy- Multiple partners a. Polygyny- 1 man, 2 women b. Polyandry- 1 woman, 2 men |
|
|
What are endogamy andexogamy rules?
|
• Endogamy- marriage within a particular group or category of individuals
• Exogamy – marriage outside the group |
|
|
What are the major types of post-marriage residence patterns?
|
1. Patrilocal: couple lives with husband’s parents
2. Matrilocal: couple lives with wife’s parents 3. Ambilocal: couple chooses 4. Neolocal: couple lives in a new place 5. Avunculocal: couple lives with husband’s mother’s brother (strong male power in matrilineal system) |
|
|
What are the most importantconsiderations when arranging a marriage in India, according to Serena Nanda?
|
• Family reputation, Social class, Occupation of husband,
|
|
|
What are the emic and eticexplanations for polyandrous marriages in Tibet in the1980s, according toMelvyn Goldstein?
|
• The society remains small and close so they can sustain their population
|
|
|
How were female and malestyles of leadership enforced in the hospital setting studied by Joan Cassell?
|
• Women create a more emotionally healthy environment for patients but without the "macho" behaviors Of men, they aren’t taken seriously
|
|
|
What is institutionalized racism?
|
Racial discrimination is not dependent on behavior but is sustained by laws policies and practices separate from individual intent
|
|
|
What are the 3 common beliefs about “race” that are actually wrong, according to anthropologist Yolanda Moses?
|
1. Humans can be divided into at least 5 biologically distinct races because of visual markers
2. Athletic ability and race are linked 3. Race and mental capability are linked |
|
|
According to your readings, what were the key factors that resulted in “race” coming to be constructed quite differently in Montserrat and the United States, and what were the differences?
|
Montserrat have a color based class system
|
|
|
What are sex, gender, and sexuality, and how is each different from the other two?
|
• Sex: the biological categorization of humans based on sex-linked physical differences
• Gender: the cultural elaboration of the biological reality of differences in sex into roles and identities |
|
|
How can it be true to saythat humans both are and are not a sexually dimorphic species?
|
• Both genders have different reproductive organs but hormone levels are different individually
|
|
|
What does it mean to saythat gender is a cultural construct/social construct?
|
• Cultural construct: Your culture determines how you define your gender and your gender roles
• Social construct: Society decides how you define gender and gender roles |
|
|
What is the difference between a gender role and a gender identity?
|
• Gender identity- how you internally identify yourself.
• Gender roles- How your culture defines your identity |
|
|
What are examples of sexuality being culturally constructed?
|
• Fa'fafines
• Berdache |
|
|
How do fa’fafines differ from gay men in the US in terms of gender roles, gender identities, and sexuality?
|
• Fa’fa fines have fixed gender roles and flexible gender identities (women), and they sleep with straight men.
• Gay men in the US have flexible gender roles and fixed gender identities, and they have a sexual orientation that is homosexual - they sleep with each other. |
|
|
What is a berdache?
|
• When a man or woman in a society holds different gender roles
|
|
|
Among the Navajo, who doesthe term “nadle” refer to and how does Navajo mythology affect the treatmentof nadle individuals?
|
• It refers to a hermaphrodite in navajo tradition and they are held in high regard
|
|
|
What are the different symbolic meanings attached to veiling, according to Lila Abu-Lughod, and what do different veiling practices reveal about social status, professional occupation, and religious beliefs?
|
• Veiling signifies belonging to a particular community and participating in a moral way of life in which families are paramount in the organization of communities and the home is associated with the sanctity of women
|
|
|
What is “colonial feminism”?
|
• The theory that women are all the same and should have the same role in each culture.
|
|
|
What were the two contrasting views of the nature of the inter-sexed author of “The Blessed Curse” and how was this tension eventually resolved?
|
• Her parents were disgusted by her intersexuality
• Her grandmother thinks its beautiful and spiritual • Tension was resolved when the author accepted her grandmothers teachings. |
|
|
What were the practices ofsexuality among the Gebusi in Knauft’s initial feed work and how did theychange?
|
• The Gebusi have male-male sexual relations in which the young initiates consume an older members semen in order to grow stronger
|
|
|
How are magic, science, andreligion similar and different from one another?
|
• They all share the idea of control of the external world
• Magic- Use of supernatural means to exercise direct control • Science- Use of empirical knowledge to exercise direct control • Religion- Use of supernatural means to exercise indirect control |
|
|
What is the basic idea behind the anxiety theory of religion?
|
• Its the idea that psychologically religion helps people cope with the anxieties of life by providing a sense of control
|
|
|
What are the functions of religion, according to lecture?
|
1. Social control
2. Conflict revolution 3. Reinforcement of group solidarity 4. Cognitive function 5. Emotional function |
|
|
Which baseball positions are associated with the greatest amount of magical ritual? Why?
|
• Pitching and hitting because each position has the most amount of chance
|
|
|
Explain the Azande theory of causation.
|
• Acidents and death are caused by witchcraft put onto someone by another that knows witchcraft.
|
|
|
What are the functions of ritual?
|
• Simplify life by providing predictable patterns of behavior to follow
• Symbolically communicate, create, and reinforce social order |
|
|
What are millenary movements and when do they tend to occur?
|
• The belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming major transformation of society, after which all things will be changed.
|
|
|
What are the four major political systems and their main characteristics?
|
1. Bands
2. Tribes 3. Cheifdoms 4. States |
|
|
What is the difference between social control and cultural control?
|
• Social control- control exercised through external practices of reinforcement and punishment
• Cultural control- control exercised through internalized beliefs and values |
|
|
What is the difference between Big Men and chiefs?
|
• Cheifs have power and influence over a culture
• Big Men don’t have any official power but have power through influence |
|
|
What is a moka and why is it important among the Kawelka?
|
• Moka are reciprocal gifts of pigs through which social status is achieved.
|
|
|
Whatkinds of limits on power did Abu-Lughod find among the Bedouin?
|
• Everyone is expected to treat everyone else with a lot of respect
• People in power assert their power with dignity |
|
|
What is structural violence and how is it responsible for aspects of life in Haiti, according to Paul Farmer?
|
• It refers to the systematic ways in which the political and economic organization of our social world harms or otherwise disadvantages individuals or populations
|
