anthro key terms (chapter 1)

Question 1

Culturally constructed

Answer 1

• created or shaped by a culture.

Question 2

Culture

Answer 2

• the total system of ideas, values, behaviours, and attitudes of a society commonly shared by most members of a society.

Question 3

Ethnocentric

Answer 3

• believing that one’s own culture is superior to all others.

Question 4

Ethnography

Answer 4

Ethnography - the written account of a culture.

Question 5

Ethnology

Answer 5

Ethnology -the study of origins and cultures of different races and peoples.

Question 6

Fossil

Answer 6

Fossil - preserved remains of biological matter.

Question 7

Hominin

Answer 7

Hominin - a human or human ancestor.

Question 8

Hypothesis

Answer 8

Hypothesis - a tentative assumption made from known facts as the basis for investigation.

Question 9

Informant

Answer 9

Informant - a reliable and knowledgeable person who provides specific information to an anthropologist studying his/her community.

Question 10

Kinship

Answer 10

Kinship - the relationship between two or more people that is based on common ancestry, marriage, or adoption.

Question 11

Objective

Answer 11

Objective - type of conclusions based on facts and data and influenced by personal perspectives, prejudices, or emotions.

Question 12

Participant observation

Answer 12

Participant observation - the careful watching of a group, in some cases living with its members and participating in their culture.

Question 13

Radiometric dating

Answer 13

Radiometric dating - a process that is used to determine the age of an object, based on measuring the amount of radioactive material it has.

Question 14

Reflexivity

Answer 14

Reflexivity - the practice of reflecting on your own world view, biases, and impact on the culture you are studying.

Question 15

Subculture

Answer 15

Subculture - a small group within a larger group who shares a common system of values, beliefs, etc. distinct from the larger group.

Question 16

Subjective

Answer 16

Subjective - type of conclusions shaped by a person’s cultural and personal perspective, feelings, and beliefs.