Cultural Anthropology Midterm Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is reverse dominance?

People reject any attempts of an individual to exercise power.

What might be said about the stability of states?

States tend toward instability, evidenced by the fact that very few states in history have lasted up to 1,000 years.

What does legitimacy refer to?

The perception that an individual has a valid right to leadership.

What is the correct relationship between a state and a nation?

A state is a coercive political institution; a nation is an ethnic population. Signup and view all the answers

Tribal leaders like the Big Men of New Guinea can be described by which of the following? (Select all that apply)

He acquires followers by doing favors that others cannot repay. Signup and view all the answers

There is a final moka at the end of Ongka's Big Moka film.

False Signup and view all the answers

What type of society is characterized by a permanent political office belonging to the leader?

Chiefdom. Signup and view all the answers

Where do the Australian dollars generally come from in Ongka's Big Moka?

Coffee. Signup and view all the answers

What were the only state-level societies in the ancient New World?

Aztec and Inca. Signup and view all the answers

Why doesn't class stratification develop in foraging societies?

There is no advantage to hoarding food or having too much personal property. Signup and view all the answers

When something is given or traded with the expectation that something of equal value will be returned, it shows what type of reciprocity?

Balanced reciprocity. Signup and view all the answers

What is called the social relations through which human labor transforms energy from nature?

The mode of production. Signup and view all the answers

What is the highlight of the Kula trade emically speaking?

Useless armbands and necklaces. Signup and view all the answers

What are three modes of exchange?

Reciprocity, market exchange, and redistribution. Signup and view all the answers

What are means of production?

The resources used to produce goods (land, farms, factories). Signup and view all the answers

What mode of production is based on farmers or herders producing for themselves but also giving a portion to their leaders?

Tributary production. Signup and view all the answers

An anthropologist interested in fishing methods of the Trobriand Islanders would be conducting _ anthropology, whereas one interested in the sharing of fish is conducting _ anthropology.

Ecological, economic. Signup and view all the answers

What type of exchange is illustrated by the Kula of the Trobriand Islands?

Balanced reciprocity. Signup and view all the answers

Formal economics focuses on individual behavior whereas _______ economics focuses on group behavior.

Institutional. Signup and view all the answers

What is political economy?

The study of the use and control of resources as a mechanism for wielding power. Signup and view all the answers

Why might foraging groups become sedentary instead of nomadic?

Abundant natural resources create a food surplus. Signup and view all the answers

What is foraging?

Mode of subsistence defined by its reliance on wild plant and animal food. Signup and view all the answers

What is the carrying capacity?

The term that anthropologists use to quantify the number of calories extracted from a particular unit of land to support a human population. Signup and view all the answers

What does Thomas Malthus' idea connect?

Population and resources. Signup and view all the answers

What are the 'three sisters' crops of the New World?

Corn (maize), beans, and squash. Signup and view all the answers

Why did plant domestication occur around the same time throughout the world?

Holocene climate was more stable and predictable than the previous Pleistocene epoch. Signup and view all the answers

What type of society do people belong to if they are disconnected from the production of their food?

Agricultural. Signup and view all the answers

What is a dominant feature of Kayapo ecology, according to Darrel Posey?

The creation and maintenance of forest islands. Signup and view all the answers

What do we call people whose gardens supply the majority of their food?

Horticulturalists. Signup and view all the answers

What are the four modes of subsistence recognized by anthropologists?

Foraging, pastoralism, horticulture, agriculture. Signup and view all the answers

In a pastoralist society, how is wealth and status measured?

The number of animals a person owns. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'symbol' refer to?

Anything that serves to refer to something else but has an arbitrary meaning. Signup and view all the answers

What are the common English phrases that illustrate the conceptual metaphor in American culture that argument is war?

I won the argument and I had a fight with my boyfriend last night. Signup and view all the answers

What is Chomsky's Universal Grammar concept?

All normally developing human infants have an innate ability to acquire the language(s) used around them. Signup and view all the answers

What causes language variation? (Select all that apply)

Settlement patterns. Signup and view all the answers

At what rate are small languages disappearing?

One every 2 weeks. Signup and view all the answers

How many languages are spoken in the world today?

<ol start="7000"> <li></li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity?

One's cultural environment and one's language are so interrelated that the way a person speaks may influence the way they see the world. Signup and view all the answers

What does the critical age range hypothesis state?

Children will gradually lose the ability to acquire language naturally without effort. Signup and view all the answers

What happens when children stop learning a language?

The language eventually dies. Signup and view all the answers

When did the shift from Old English to Middle English occur?

When French conquerors from Normandy invaded England in 1066 AD. Signup and view all the answers

What does rapport refer to in anthropology?

A sense of trust and a comfortable working relationship. Signup and view all the answers

What perspective focuses on how people perceive their own culture?

Emic. Signup and view all the answers

Suitable field sites for conducting ethnography include which of the following? (Select all that apply)

Multiple locations for comprehensive understanding. Signup and view all the answers

What do ethnographers most often include in their writing?

Both emic and etic perspectives. Signup and view all the answers

What does cultural determinism refer to?

The idea that one's cultural upbringing determines behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Why was Geertz surprised when they followed the man in Notes on a Balinese Cockfight?

They had been treated as 'invisible' by everyone in the village. Signup and view all the answers

What does an etic perspective include?

Analyzing a cultural practice by examining its intersections with the global economy. Signup and view all the answers

What is participant observation?

A technique where an ethnographer records their observations and thoughts while engaging in daily activities. Signup and view all the answers

What typically requires undertaking a period of fieldwork in cultural anthropology? (Select all that apply)

Interacting daily with a group. Signup and view all the answers

What does Clifford Geertz's term 'thick description' refer to?

The ethnographer's focus on raw details of fieldwork. Signup and view all the answers

What is armchair anthropology?

An approach that measures other cultures from one's own vantage point. Signup and view all the answers

The anthropological definition of 'culture' includes the concept of 'race.'

False Signup and view all the answers

What is empirical data?

Information collected in controlled, systematic, and reproducible ways. Signup and view all the answers

What is ethnocentrism?

The idea that one's own group is better than any other. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Bronislaw Malinowski?

An anthropologist who expanded on participant observation in the Trobriand Islands. Signup and view all the answers

What lesson did we learn from Malinowski's controversial diary?

Important ethnographers may have been prejudiced against their study participants. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relevance of the Nuremberg Code to anthropology?

It provided a model code of ethics for treating human subjects ethically. Signup and view all the answers

What does the theory of functionalism understand about cultural traditions?

Cultural traditions developed to regulate specific human needs. Signup and view all the answers

What were the three stages of 'cultural evolution' identified by nineteenth-century anthropologists?

Savagery, barbarism, and civilization. Signup and view all the answers

What is Tylor's definition of culture?

"That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." Signup and view all the answers

What is an important point from the 'story from the field' video in northern Pakistan?

Knowing your own culture and biases. Signup and view all the answers

What approach incorporates all aspects of a society as part of a complex whole?

Holistic. Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of culture?

A vast, accumulated knowledge passed down from generation to generation within a group. Signup and view all the answers

Collecting data before developing a hypothesis is known as a _ approach; conversely, starting with a hypothesis is known as __.

Inductive, deduction. Signup and view all the answers

Examples of early historians that conducted anthropology include which of the following? (Select all that apply)

Zhang Qian. Signup and view all the answers

What point is implicit in Body Ritual of the Nacirema?

Cultural relativism helps us find the familiar in the unfamiliar. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of applied anthropology?

A medical doctor trained in cultural anthropology who contextualizes their patients' historical and social forces. Signup and view all the answers

What does cultural relativism advocate?

We should judge another culture's beliefs and behaviors from their own perspective, not ours. Signup and view all the answers

What are the four main subfields of anthropology? (Select all that apply)

Archeology. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Concepts in Cultural Anthropology

Reverse Dominance: Rejection of individual power and authority by a group, exemplified by refusing leader-hosted feasts.
State Stability: Historically, few states have lasted over 1,000 years, indicating tendencies toward instability.
Legitimacy: Defined as the perceived valid right of an individual to lead.
State vs. Nation: A state is a political entity using coercion, while a nation is an ethnic group.

Leadership Structures

Tribal Leaders: Big Men in New Guinea utilize persuasion rather than heredity, gaining followers by providing favors.
Chiefdoms: Societies with permanent political offices, redistributive economies, and social bonds through marriages and secret societies.

Cultural Practices and Exchanges

Ongka's Big Moka: Notable for the absence of a final moka in the film.
Sources of Income: In Ongka's Big Moka, Australian dollars primarily originate from coffee.
Kula Trade: Highlights include seemingly worthless armbands and necklaces, representing a social practice of exchange known as balanced reciprocity.

Modes of Subsistence

Foraging: Relies on wild plants and animals, leading to the absence of class stratification due to limited hoarding incentives.
Pastoralism: Wealth and status measured by livestock ownership.
Horticulture: Individuals growing their own food but reliant on larger systems.
Tributary Production: Farmers or herders produce for personal and tribute to leaders.

Population Dynamics

Carrying Capacity: Refers to the calorie yield from specific land units, affecting human population support.
Malthusian Principle: Population growth will eventually outpace resources unless regulated.

Agricultural Practices

Three Sisters Crops: Corn, beans, and squash as interdependent crops in New World agriculture.
Plant Domestication: Coincided globally around 9500-7000 BP due to stable Holocene climate conditions.

Languages and Communication

Global Linguistic Diversity: Approximately 7,000 languages exist, with one disappearing every two weeks.
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Proposes that language influences perception of the world, tying language and culture closely together.

Research Methodologies in Anthropology

Participant Observation: Ethnographers engage in daily life while documenting observations and interactions.
Ethical Guidelines: The Nuremberg Code established standards on ethical treatment of research subjects.
Thick Description: Clifford Geertz's concept focusing on the contextual details of a culture's practices.

Cultural Perspectives

Emic vs. Etic: Emic perspective involves insider views, while etic focuses on external analysis and broader sociocultural connections.
Cultural Relativism: Advocates understanding cultural practices from within their contexts rather than imposing external judgments.

Historical Context and Evolution

Functionalism: Explains cultural traditions' development as responses to human needs.
Cultural Evolution Stages: Identified as savagery, barbarism, and civilization in the 19th century.
Influential Figures: Malinowski and Boas significantly shaped participant observation methodologies.

Anthropology Subfields

Four Main Subfields: Cultural, Archaeology, Linguistic, and Biological/Physical Anthropology, providing a holistic approach to human societies.

Contemporary Challenges

Applied Anthropology: Combines medical knowledge with cultural understanding to contextualize care.
Cultural Disconnect: People unaware of food production processes commonly found in agricultural societies.

Miscellaneous Concepts

Armchair Anthropology: Critiques the detachment of observing cultures without direct engagement.
Empirical Data: Emphasizes the importance of systematic and reproducible research methods.

These notes provide a comprehensive outline of essential concepts, terminology, and methodologies significant to the study of cultural anthropology.

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Prepare for your Cultural Anthropology midterm with these flashcards designed to help you understand key concepts. Each card covers essential terms and definitions that are crucial for your exam preparation. Master the topics of power dynamics and state stability to excel in your studies.