Sociology and Anthropology

Questions and Answers

What is the primary goal of cultural relativism in anthropology?

To understand societies on their own terms without bias (correct)

To establish a universal standard for ranking cultures

To identify a single, superior culture

To promote literacy and economic development in all societies

What is the opposite of ethnocentrism?

Gender roles

Kinship systems

Cultural relativism (correct)

Comparative fieldwork

What is a potential challenge of cultural relativism?

It implies all cultural practices are equally good, potentially leading to nihilism (correct)

It leads to a universal standard for ranking cultures

It only focuses on kinship systems and gender roles

It eliminates the need for comparative fieldwork

What is the methodological role of cultural relativism in anthropology?

It helps identify unique and shared aspects of human societies Signup and view all the answers

What is a key goal of anthropology in relation to cultural relativism?

To discover both uniqueness and commonality across cultures Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the astronaut who is mentioned in the context of cultural relativism?

Mae Jemison Signup and view all the answers

What is the etymology of the term 'culture'?

From Latin 'colere', meaning to cultivate Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of culture according to the text?

The abilities, notions and forms of behaviour persons have acquired as members of society Signup and view all the answers

Who developed the Geertzian Concept of Culture?

Clifford Geertz Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the challenges of the Geertzian Concept of Culture?

The impact of globalization on cultural boundaries Signup and view all the answers

How does culture affect the way we perceive nature?

It shapes our understanding of human nature and the natural world Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which a child learns their culture?

Enculturation Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of how culture affects the way we express biological urges?

The way we eliminate waste is influenced by our culture Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of anthropology?

Studying the diversity of human social life Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of cultural advances overcoming natural limitations?

The discovery of vaccines Signup and view all the answers

What is ethnocentrism?

The evaluation of other cultures from one's own cultural vantage-point Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of comparative fieldwork in anthropology?

To use specific concepts for comparing different societies Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key comparative concept in anthropology?

Kinship system Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential obstacle to understanding in anthropology?

Ethnocentric bias Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of anthropologists in balancing the universal and the particular?

To understand the diversity of human social life Signup and view all the answers

What is a common feature of anthropological fieldwork?

Close-up studies of specific social and cultural environments Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a field of anthropology?

Economic Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Anthropology: Definition and Scope

Anthropology is the comparative study of cultural and social life using participant observation and ethnographic fieldwork.

Four Fields of Anthropology

Sociocultural
Biological
Archeological
Linguistic

The Universal and the Particular

Anthropology seeks to understand the diversity of human social life by balancing the study of similarities and differences across cultures.
Debate: to what extent all human cultures share common features (universality) versus the degree to which each culture is unique (relativism).

Key Comparative Concepts

Kinship system
Gender role
System of inheritance

Ethnocentrism

Definition: evaluating other cultures from one's own vantage-point and describing them in one's own terms.
Placing one's cultural values at the center makes others appear as inferior imitations of oneself.
Serious obstacle to understanding.

Cultural Relativism

Definition: each culture has its own unique logic and shouldn't be ranked against others.
Essential for understanding other societies without bias.
Implies all cultural practices are equally good, potentially leading to nihilism.
Anthropologists practice cultural relativism professionally but have personal moral beliefs.

Configuring Anthropology and Its History

Anthropology is a method for studying and comparing societies without using a developmental scale.
Helps identify unique and shared aspects of human societies.

Culture: Definition and Concept

Etymology: comes from Latin 'colere', meaning to cultivate.
Complex: over 160 definitions, contested for decades.
“Abilities, notions and forms of behavior persons have acquired as members of society.”
Ambiguous term: universal human trait, and systematic differences between humans.

Geertzian Concept of Culture

Developed by Clifford Geertz in the 1960s and 1970s.
Depicts culture as: an integrated whole, a system of shared meanings within a group.
Challenges: variations within groups, globalization's impact on cultural boundaries.

Culture and Nature

Interaction with Biological Urges: culture teaches expression of natural urges (e.g., eating, eliminating wastes).
Culture affects the ways in which we perceive nature, human nature, and “the natural.”

Culture is Learned

Enculturation: process by which a child learns their culture.
Methods: direct teaching, observation and imitation.

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Description

This quiz explores the role of women in the workforce and the definition of anthropology, including its etymology and research methods.