Anthropology and Social Theory Quiz

Subfields of Anthropology

• Cultural Anthropology: Focuses on the study of human societies and cultures, including their beliefs, practices, and social structures.
• Biological Anthropology: Examines the biological and evolutionary aspects of humans, including their origins, genetics, and physical adaptations.
• Archaeology: Investigates past societies and cultures through the study of material remains like artifacts, structures, and landscapes.
• Linguistic Anthropology: Studies the development, structure, and use of human language in different cultures.

Other Subfields

• Applied Anthropology: Uses anthropological knowledge and methods to address real-world problems and contribute to social change.
• Medical Anthropology: Explores the relationship between health, illness, and culture in diverse societies.

Comparative Perspective

• Emphasizes the importance of understanding different cultures and societies in comparison to each other.
• This allows anthropologists to identify both similarities and differences and gain insights into the diversity of human experience.

Holism/Holistic Perspective

• Emphasizes the interconnectedness of various aspects of human societies and cultures.
• Anthropologists use a holistic perspective to understand the complex interplay between social, cultural, economic, and environmental factors.
• It views human behavior in totality rather than in isolation.

Cultural Relativism

• Argues that cultures should be understood and evaluated on their own terms, rather than through the lens of other cultures.
• Encourages anthropologists to avoid ethnocentrism and recognize the validity of different cultural perspectives.

Ethnocentrism

• The tendency to judge other cultures based on the values and standards of one's own culture.
• It can lead to bias and misinterpretations of other cultures.

Ethnology

• The comparative study of different cultures, analyzing and interpreting cultural patterns across societies.
• It draws upon ethnographic data from various cultures to develop broader theoretical frameworks.

Systems Thinking

• Emphasizes the interconnected nature of different parts of a system.
• In anthropology, systems thinking is used to understand the interconnectedness of human societies and their interactions with the environment.

Sir Michael Marmot's "Achieving Health Equity: From Root Causes to Fair Outcomes"

• Identifies the social determinants of health, including:
  • Socioeconomic status, education, employment, and access to healthcare.
  • Social support networks and healthy living conditions.
  • Exposure to violence, discrimination, and environmental hazards.
• Advocates for a comprehensive approach to achieving health equity by addressing these root causes.

One Health Model

• Focuses on the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
• Recognizes that these aspects are interdependent and that solutions to health problems require interdisciplinary collaboration.

Definitions of Culture

• Learned and shared patterns of behavior, beliefs, and values.
• A dynamic and complex system that influences how people live and interact with their environment.
• A combination of material, nonmaterial, and symbolic elements that shape a society's identity and practices.

Features of Culture

• Learned: Culture is not innate; it is acquired through social interaction and learning.
• Shared: Culture is a collective phenomenon, shared by members of a community.
• Adaptive: Culture allows humans to adapt to different environments and circumstances.
• Symbolic: Culture uses symbols, such as language and rituals, to convey meaning and values.
• Integrated: Different elements of a culture are interconnected and influence each other.
• Dynamic: Culture is constantly changing and evolving in response to social, economic, and technological factors.
• Symbolic: Culture uses symbols, such as language and rituals, to convey meaning and values.
• Multifaceted: Culture encompasses a wide range of aspects including beliefs, values, behaviors, and material objects.

Cultural Transmission and Cultural Change

• Cultural Transmission: The process by which cultural knowledge, beliefs, and practices are passed down from one generation to the next.
  • Vertical Transmission: From parents to children
  • Horizontal Transmission: Between peers
  • Oblique Transmission: From elders or mentors to younger generations.
• Cultural Change: The process by which cultures evolve and adapt over time.
• Diffusion: The spread of cultural elements from one group to another.
• Innovation: The creation of new cultural elements.

Joan Cassell's Perspectives on Objectivity in Research

• Argues that anthropologist should strive for objectivity in research while acknowledging the subjective nature of human observation.
• Emphasizes the importance of recognizing biases and limitations in their own perspectives.
• Encourages reflexivity, or critically examining one's own assumptions and biases.

Dana-Ain Davis’ Approach to Anthropological Research and Ethical Concerns

• Focuses on ethical considerations in anthropological research, particularly in relation to vulnerable populations.
• Emphasizes the importance of:
  • Informed consent
  • Confidentiality
  • Respect for cultural sensitivities
  • Minimizing harm to participants.

Wallace's Wheel of Science

• Represents the cyclical nature of scientific inquiry.
• This process includes:
  • Observing, hypothesizing, predicting, testing, and drawing conclusions.
• Emphasizes the iterative nature of scientific knowledge production.

Recursivity in Scientific Inquiry

• Refers to the recursive nature of scientific inquiry.
• Means that new findings can generate new questions and lead to further research.
• It reflects the ongoing process of refining and expanding understanding within a field.

Deductive Approach to Scientific Knowledge Production

• Starts with a general theory or hypothesis and then tests it using empirical data.
• Aims to confirm or reject the initial theory.

Inductive Approach to Scientific Knowledge Production

• Starts with specific observations or data and then develops general theories or explanations.
• Aims to identify patterns and build broader theories.

4 Dialectics of Social Research

• Objectivity vs. Subjectivity: Striving for objectivity while acknowledging the subjective nature of human perception.
• Theory vs. Data: The interplay between theory and data in the research process.
• Micro vs. Macro: The importance of understanding both individual and societal levels of analysis.
• Individual vs. Society: The relationship between individual action and societal structures.

Ethnography and its Characteristics

• A research method that involves immersing oneself in a particular culture or group to understand their perspectives, practices, and beliefs.
• Emphasizes participant observation, qualitative data collection, and the development of thick descriptions.
• Involves understanding culture from the emic perspective.
• It aims to capture the rich complexity of human behavior and experience.

Ethnographic Techniques

• Participant Observation: Involves observing and participating in the daily lives of the group being studied.
• Interviews: Structured and unstructured conversations with individuals to gather information about their beliefs, experiences, and perspectives.

Emic Perspective

• The insider's view of a culture or group.
• Focuses on understanding the meaning and experiences of members of that group from their own cultural perspective.

Etic Perspective

• The outsider's view of a culture or group.
• Uses analytical frameworks and theoretical concepts to interpret cultural phenomena.

Participant Observation

• Involves immersing oneself in the culture or group being studied to gather firsthand observations and experiences.
• Key technique in ethnographic research.
• Allows researchers to understand the nuances of daily life and gain insights into the meanings and motivations behind cultural practices

Social Theory and its use in Social Research/Social Scientific Knowledge Production

• Sets of interconnected ideas and concepts to explain and understand social phenomena.
• Used to develop research questions, interpret findings, and generate new knowledge.

Functionalism

• Asserts that every element of a society serves a purpose and contributes to its overall stability.
• Emphasizes social cohesion, shared values, and the role of institutions in maintaining social order.

Structuralism

• Focuses on the underlying structures and patterns that shape human thought and behavior.
• Emphasizes language, symbols, and the unconscious mind as key elements influencing cultural practices.

Post-structuralism

• Contests the idea of fixed structures and argues that meaning is fluid and constantly being negotiated.
• Emphasizes individual agency, power relations, and the importance of cultural contexts in shaping perspectives.

Social Action Theory

• Emphasizes the agency of individuals in shaping social structures and interactions.
• Focuses on the role of meaning, interpretations, and choices in influencing social behavior.

Cultural Materialism

• Emphasizes the influence of material conditions, such as technology and resources, on shaping culture.
• Views cultural practices as adaptive responses to environmental and economic pressures.

Marxism

• Focuses on the role of class conflict and economic inequality in shaping social structures and power relations.
• Critique of capitalism and its impact on society.

Critical Theory

• Focuses on critiquing power structures, social inequalities, and the role of ideology in perpetuating domination.
• Aims to promote social justice and empower marginalized groups.

Symbolic Interactionism

• Focuses on the role of symbols, language, and social interactions in shaping meanings and experiences.
• Emphasizes the importance of shared understandings and how these evolve through interactions.

Critical Race Theory

• Examines the role of race and racism in shaping social institutions and power relations.
• Contests the idea of racial neutrality and emphasizes the persistent impact of racism on society.

Feminist Theory

• Challenges gender inequalities and examines the role of gender in shaping social structures, power relations, and experiences.
• Advocates for equality and social justice for women and other marginalized groups.

Intersectional Analysis

• Recognizes the interconnected nature of social identities and experiences, such as race, gender, class, and sexuality.
• Emphasizes how these identities intersect to create unique and complex social positions.

Developmental Adjustment

• Process through which organisms adjust to changing environmental conditions.
• Includes both genetic and phenotypic changes.

Epigenetics

• The study of how environmental factors can influence gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence.
• Can alter traits and be inherited across generations.

Gene

• A segment of DNA that contains the instructions for building a protein.

Allele

• One of several alternative forms of a gene.
• Variations in alleles give rise to genetic diversity.

Genotype

• The genetic makeup of an individual.
• Represents the combination of alleles an individual possesses.

Phenotype

• The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an individual.
• Result of the interaction between genotype and environment.

Genetic Variation

• The differences in DNA sequences among individuals.
• Source of genetic diversity.

Gene Pool

• The total collection of genes in a population.
• Represents the genetic diversity of a group.

Relative Fitness

• The reproductive success of an individual relative to other individuals in the population.
• Determined by the ability to survive and reproduce.

Paradigm Shift

• A fundamental change in the basic concepts and assumptions within a particular field of study, often triggered by new discoveries or perspectives.
• Can lead to a significant shift in the understanding of a subject.

Bipedalism

• Walking upright on two legs.
• Key evolutionary adaptation in humans.
• Allowed for:
  • Greater efficiency in travel on open terrain.
  • Freed hands for tool use and other activities.

Oldowan Tool Technology

• First known stone tool technology, developed by Homo habilis.
• Simple tools, such as choppers and scrapers, made by striking a core stone with a hammerstone.
• Used for:
  • Meat processing
  • Plant processing
  • Woodworking

Acheulian Tool Technology

• More sophisticated tools and technologies developed by Homo erectus.
• These tools were characterized by hand axes.
• Used for:
  • Hunting
  • Butchering
  • Preparing materials.

Mousterian Tool Technology

• Associated with Neanderthals.
• More refined stone tools, including points, scrapers, and knives.
• Created using the Levallois technique.
• Used for:
  • Hunting
  • Processing hides
  • Other tasks.

Blade Tool Technology

• Developed by Homo sapiens.
• Tools made by striking a core stone to produce long, thin blades.
• Allowed for more efficient use of stone resources and production of specialized tools.

Connections between Toolmaking and the Development of Language

• The development of complex tool technologies likely required enhanced cognitive abilities, including language.
• Toolmaking may have provided a selection pressure for brains capable of planning, reasoning, and language development.

Relationships between Cranial Capacity, Bipedalism, Pelvis, Childbirth, Childhood Dependency, Allocare, Childhood, Sociality, and Cooperation

• Cranial Capacity: Increased brain size and complexity in humans.
  • Bipedalism: Walking upright, influenced pelvis shape, requiring wider hips in females.
  • Pelvis: Shape of pelvis impacts childbirth, requiring greater assistance.
  • Childbirth: Human babies born relatively helpless, requiring longer dependency.
  • Childhood Dependency: Long period of childhood, necessitating caregiving beyond biological parents.
  • Allocare: Shared caregiving, increasing sociality and cooperation.
  • Childhood, Sociality and Cooperation: Longer childhood, greater social development, strengthening bonds and promoting cooperation.

Size and Structure of Teeth and Jaws in the Story of Human Evolution

• Human ancestors had larger jaws and teeth adapted for consuming tougher foods.
• As diet shifted towards softer foods, jaw size and teeth size decreased, leading to changes in facial structure.

Origins and Global Expansion of Humans/Early Human Migration

• Homo sapiens originated in Africa.
• Early human migration patterns involved:
  • Expansion out of Africa through:
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • The Americas

Behavioral Modernity

• Refers to the development of complex behaviors and symbolic thought in Homo sapiens, including:
  • Advanced tool use
  • Language
  • Art
  • Rituals
  • Symbolic expression.

Neanderthals

• A distinct species of hominins (closely related to humans).
• Lived in Europe and parts of Asia.
• Had:
  • Large brains.
  • robust build.
  • Adapted to cold climates.
• Coexisted and interbred with Homo Sapiens.
• Extinct approximately 40,000 years ago.

La Chapelle-aux-Saints Fossil Find

• Skeleton of a Neanderthal male, discovered in France.
• It has been used to reconstruct the anatomy and lifestyle of Neanderthals.

Homo habilis

• Early hominin species, lived approximately 2.4 to 1.6 million years ago.
• Had:
  • Larger brains than earlier hominins.
  • Used stone tools.
  • Less prognathic face than earlier hominins.

Homo erectus

• Hominin species existed from about 1.8 to 120,000 years ago.
• Lived in:
  • Africa.
  • Asia.
  • Europe
• Had:
  • Larger brains than Homo habilis.
  • Used fire.
  • Hunter-gatherers.

*Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (*versus Homo neanderthalensis)

• Modern humans and Neanderthals were separate species, but they interbred.
• Some debate exists on whether to classify Neanderthals as Homo neanderthalensis or as a subspecies of Homo sapiens.

Homo sapiens sapiens

• Modern humans, emerged approximately 300,000 years ago in Africa.
• Characterized by:
  • Large brains.
  • Complex language
  • Advanced technology.

Clinical Consequences of Belief in 'Race'

• Belief in biological race has led to discriminatory medical practices and disparities in healthcare.
• This includes:
  • Misdiagnosis
  • Unequal treatment
  • Lack of access to care.

History of the Race concept

• The concept of race as a biologically distinct category originated in the 18th century.
• Fueled by:
  • Colonialism
  • Slavery
  • Scientific racism
  • Biological determinism.

Genetic argument against biological race in humans

• Humans share 99.9% of their DNA.
• Variations in human genetics tend to be geographically clinal, not racially distinct.
• There is more genetic variation within groups traditionally labeled as "races" than between them.

Nonconcordance

• Refers to the fact that different traits do not tend to cluster together in a consistent pattern across human populations.
• This supports the idea that "race" is not a biologically valid concept.

Racialization

• The process by which social, cultural, or political meanings are assigned to groups based on perceived physical characteristics.
• It constructs categories that are not based on biological reality, but rather on social and historical factors.

Racialism

• The belief that different races possess distinct and unequal abilities and characteristics.
• Based on the idea that race is a hierarchy.

Racism

• Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group.
• It involves:
  • Prejudices.
  • Discrimination.
  • Systemic inequalities.

Geographic Clines

• Continuous variation in a trait across a geographic region.
• Reflects the gradual changes in gene frequencies due to factors such as:
  • Migration
  • Natural selection
  • Genetic drift.

Variation in skin pigmentation

• Skin pigmentation varies geographically, reflecting:
  • Adaptation to different levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
  • Darker skin pigmentation protects against:
    • Sunburn.
    • Skin cancer
  • Lighter skin pigmentation allows for:
    • Greater absorption of UV radiation, essential for vitamin D production.

Test your knowledge on key concepts in anthropology, social theory, and their interconnectedness with health outcomes. This quiz covers topics such as ethnocentrism, critical race theory, and cultural transmission, providing insights into the holistic and emic perspectives in the field.