anthropolgy Flashcards
what is Ethnology
the study of origins and cultures of different races and people
what is archeology
the study of the past they examine the physical remains of past cultures to learn more about them
what is prehistoric archeology
unwirtten past
the study of unwritten work from the past and finding out how people lived during that time
what is archeology and history
supplement
supplement an existing historical record by telling us about the daily lives of people who may not have written their history
what is linguistic anthropology
the study of human language and how it affects and express culture
what is historical linguistics
comparing
comparing similarities and differences of language structures and understanding how it is related
what is structural linguistics
sounds??!?!?
the study of how sounds are put together to make meaning Noam Chomsky is known for developing the theory of universal grammar
what is Sociolinguistics
status
how people use their language within their culture to express status and context
what is cultural relativism according to Franz Boas
he stated that anthropologists cannot compare 2 cultures becuase they are different and must be accepted
what is functional theory? what did Bronislaw Malinoski think?
the theory that every action, belief or relationship in a cultural function meets the needs of individuals
Bronislaw Malinoski felt that you could compare 2 cultures objectively
what is cultural materialism?
Karl Marx, materials or conditions within an environment influenced how culture develops and that culture is developed on a trail-error basis
what is feminist anthropology? what did Ernestine Friedl conclude about it?
the study of comparing cultures and how many are male-dominant and female-dominant Ernestine Friedl concluded that in forger societies the amount of freedoms is tired to their contributions
what is postmordernism
true knowledge
this theory rejects the idea of objective truth and that it is impossible le to have any “true” knowledge of the world
what is primatology
the study of how people and other primates can share many characteristics and how similar they can be
what did Jane Goodall do
she went to Tanzania to study chimpanzees and found they were the most similar to humans as they have larger brain, grasping hands and forward facing eyes
what is Paleoanthropology Archeology
no evidence
the study is based on human ancestors with no evidence from a distant evolutionary past
what did Donald Johnson find
he found a skeleton in Ethiopia that was almost half complete he named her Lucy and found her to be a member of a family from 3.2 million years ago
what is forensic anthropology
identifying human remains after mass disasters they can look at bones and discover who that person was
what is human variation?
the study of genetic differences of people and populations to understand the differences between people
what is Darwinism
3 princicplas that involve natural selection, variation, heritability and environmental fitness.
what is subjective
conclusions based on a person’s cultural and personal perspective feelings and beliefs
what is objective
conclusions based on facts and data uninfluenced by personal perspectives, prejudices and emotions
what is reflectivity
the process of reflecting on your own worldview, basis and the impact on the culture you are studying
what are interviews
this is an important tool it helps them understand the culture they are studying and obtain valuable information
what is an unstructured research tool
anthropologist and informant
between an anthropologist and an informant allowing them to construct their initial idea can lead to a greater understanding and provide new directions to emerge
what is a structured research tool
this is an interview that uses a set list of questions that do not change and should be used only when the researcher is very clear on the topic
what is a semi-structured research tool
often used when the anthropologist is only staying in the community for a few weeks and needs to use their time effectively they end up with reliable data
how culture influences identity and gender identity
identified by what people do, make and believe it affects gender identity because of its distinctions of how human societies vary on how much males and females perceive each other
how technology influences behaviour and culture
technology influences culture by having to adapt to their environment by using technology
how climate influences behaviour and culture
the way humans have to physically adapt to their environment cultural anthropologists look at how weather is understood in different cultures
how can family influence behaviour and culture
family can be a life-defining institution because they have such an influence on how people act and is based on what families view as normal
define culture
a total system of ideas, values, behavior and attitude of a society commonly shared
define Assimilation
when someone of ethical background is absorbed into the dominant culture of a society
define diffusion
understanding the distribution of how a culture is spread from one society to another
define Acculturation
the meeting of two cultural groups resulting in cultural changes
define multiculturalism
an ideology that all cultures are equal and should be promoted the same way
define kinship
the relationship between 2 or more people based on ancestry, marriage or adoption
