Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

SAP > Anthropology > Flashcards

Anthropology Flashcards

1
Q

Anthropology

A

The scientific study of the social, physical, behavioural, and cultural development of humans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Anthropologists seek to understand what makes us human by:

A

-studying human ancestors through archaeological excavation (physical anthropology)
-observing living cultures throughout the world (cultural anthropology)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Finding Informants

A

-seeking out reliable community members willing to share info about their culture

Advantages
-specific, in-depth insider information, extremely helpful

Disadvantages
-informants may be unreliable or distrustful
-info must be verified in other ways

Ethical Considerations
-informed consent
-knowledge of the researcher’s role and process
-respecting confidentiality and anonymity
-ensure understanding of how the information will be used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Unstructured Interviews

A

-between an anthropologist and an informant
-informant directs content of the interview
-interviewee knows why they are being interviewed and the outline of the project

Advantages:
-useful when at a field sight for long periods of time
-allows researchers to test initial ideas, leading to a greater understanding of the subject

Disadvantages:
-researchers have little control over responses
-must ensure honesty
-no questions can be pre-established

Ethical Considerations:
-informed consent
-knowledge of the researcher’s role and process
-respecting confidentiality and anonymity
-ensure understanding of how the information will be used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Semi-structured interviews

A

-loose outline of what kind of info is wanted
-no strict list of questions, but some can be prepared in advance

Advantages
-using time efficiently within a few weeks
-able to prepare some questions to get reliable qualitative data
-flexible, both parties can lead

Disadvantages
-can stray away from the topic

Ethical Considerations
-informed consent
-knowledge of the researcher’s role and process
-respecting confidentiality and anonymity
-ensure understanding of how the information will be used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Structured Interviews

A

-set list of questions that do not change
-researcher should be clear on the topic and have other info available

Advantages:
-does not require a relationship between the interviewer and the informant
-can be conducted by non-experts
-consistent data

Disadvantages:
-open-ended questions can lead to limited answers

Ethical Considerations:

-informed consent
-knowledge of the researcher’s role and process
-respecting confidentiality and anonymity
-ensure understanding of how the information will be used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Counting People, Photographs, and Mapping

A

-anthropologists count all the people they are studying and map their locations
-they take photographs and draw diagrams of how humans use physical space, and the relationships between people in society

Advantages:
-understanding the society they are studying through activities
-can be compared to info from interviews or informants to verify info

Disadvantages:
-can be time consuming and tedious

Ethical Considerations

-informed consent
-knowledge of the researcher’s role and process
-respecting confidentiality and anonymity
-ensure understanding of how the information will be used

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Research methods/tools used by cultural anthropologists:

A

-Unstructured Interviews
-Finding Informants
-Structured Interviews
-Semi-Structured Interviews
-Mapping, Photographs, and Counting People
-Participant Observation
-Ethnography
-Multi-Temporal Fieldwork
-Multi-Sited Fieldwork

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Margaret Mead

A

-cultural anthropology, cultural relativism
-said that each culture has its own moral imperatives that can only be understood through studying the whole culture
-promoted ethnographic research to collect and analyze data
-studied whether stresses in adolescence where caused by society or adolescence itself
-she observed that adolescence was a stress-free time for Samoan girls due to their sexual freedom, in contrast to American girls
-she was biased, and had an agenda to prove that women deserve more sexual freedom in America
-she used North American society as a standard
-her informants were not reliable due to the personal and intrusive nature of her questions
-other anthropologists like Derek Freeman found that Samoa had restrictive sexual practices

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Ruth Benedict

A

-cultural anthropology
-studied Japanese culture for the U.S. gov. to gain information on how to defeat their army in WW2
-she studied from a distance and jumped to conclusions through her own bias
-surface level info
-unethical use of research, no informed consent, their participation was used against them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Richard Lee

A

-cultural anthropology
-studied the Dobe Ju/‘hoansi using unstructured interviews and participant observation
-he used counting, mapping and photographs
-he studied their food gathering patterns and counted population for objective data
-he took notes on his interactions
-he found that they valued humility, so they made fun of each other so nobody would brag
-hunters should undersell themselves and remain quiet about achievements so as not to appear arrogant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Ethnography

A

-field notes and written accounts of cultures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Napoleon Chagnon

A

-cultural anthropology
-studied the Yanomamö
-stated that aggression in males led to cultural success, which led to genetic success
-he interfered by providing males with weapons and creating competition and violence
-this is unethical because he had interfered with the natural behaviour of the culture’s community members
-his presence altered the study to serve his biased perspective

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Cultural Anthropologists

A

-Richard Lee
-Napoleon Chagnon
-Margaret Mead
-Ruth Benedict
-Franz Boas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Functional anthropologist:

A

-Malinovski

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Malinovski

A

-studied functional theory in the Trobriand islands during WW1
-found that Kula, the ritual exchange of jewelry reinforced the status of traders
-serves the needs of society through economic, social, and political networking
-jewelry travelled the island in 2 dif directions, linking people in a Kula ring
-these items were historically passed down through generations and had ancestral significance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Multi-Temporal Fieldwork

A

-continued relationship with the site of the original fieldwork
-ethnographers follow the community through times of change and record outside influences that challenge old values/practices

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Franz Boas

A

-proposed cultural relativism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Franz Boas

A

-proposed cultural relativism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Multi-sited fieldwork

A

-visiting multiple places to learn about a culture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Donald Johanson

A

-physical anthropology
-discovered Lucy, a bipedal human ancestor
-her lower body adapted to walk up right, but her shoulder blades show that she could also swing and climb through trees
-she has the earliest confirmation of a hyoid bone, which is essential for speech

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Charles Darwin

A

-physical anthropology
-suggest humans originated from Africa
-proposed that species were forced to evolve or they would become extinct

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Raymond Dart

A

-physical anthropology
-first person to provide evidence of the African origin of humanity through a skull he found that walked upright

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Louis and Mary Leakey

A

-physical anthropology
-gave further proof of African origin through another skull in Kenya
- radiometric dating was used for the first time to determine the skull’s age (1.75 million years old) “Dear Boy”
-found many other fossils of hominins
-found bipedal volcanic Laetoli footprints

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Physical anthropologists:

A

-Mary and Louis Leakey
-Charles Darwin
-Raymond Dart
-Donald Johanson

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Primatologists:

A

-Jane Goodall
-Diane Fossey
-Biruté Galdikas

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Jane Goodall

A

-studied chimpanzees
-founded the Gambe Reserve
-passion from a young age
-was Leakey’s assistant
-found emotions in primates, gave them names instead of numbers
-chimps ate meat and they could use and make tools

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Diane Fossey

A

-studied gorillas
-originally studied occ therapy
-was passionate about conservation and protection against poachers and ecotourism
-got close to gorillas by acting like them
-was murdered with a machete in a cabin
-identified them by their noseprints
-named her favourite, Digit, who was killed by poachers, she made the Digit Fund

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Biruté Galdikas

A

-studied orangutans
-conducted one of the longest studies on them, in that area anthropologists studied over 100,000 hours
-studied bio and psych with a masters in anthro
-primates have culture and learned behaviour, our behaviour is not unique
-the sleep in tree nests
-females have babies every 8 years, babies stay with their mothers for 8 years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Culture:

A

-set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that are learned and shared
-together, they form an integrated whole that brings people together, shaping their worldviews are life ways
-shared, symbolic, holistic, dynamic, adaptive, integrated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Studying bones in forensic anthropology

A

-determine if bones are human
-gather info on how they died, when they died, and how long ago they died
-based on the bones, determine the age, ancestry, sex, diet, activities during life, and lifestyle of the dead individual
-shape and size of bones can indicated disease ; bones marked with perimortem injuries can reveal cause of death
-use X-rays, high power microscopes, chemical isotope analysis, CT scanning, photo comparison between bone and flesh form, facial reconstruction
-comparative analysis to document health/population trends, to establish standards for determining sex, age, and ancestry in unknown remains, and train medical students

32
Q

Cultural Relativism

A

-remove your own bias and view cultures from their perspective, making judgements using their standards
-each culture has its own norms and moral rules that are understood when the whole culture is considered
-strive for objectivity, don’t be quick to judge, but there are some moral absolutes
-can’t compare two cultures
-response to cultural evolutionism
eg. Polygamy

33
Q

Cultural Materialism

A

-Materials/conditions influence how a culture develops on a trial and error basis
-anything that is not valuable to a society’s ability to product or reproduce will disappear from society
-law, gov, and religion must benefit society
-flawed because it neglects the fact that humans are capable of spirituality and thinking
-simplistic
-materials change before ideas change
eg. Women working
-infrastructure to structure to superstructure

34
Q

Functional Theory

A

-every belief, action, or relationship in a culture serves the needs of individuals
-interdependence ensures survival
-eg Kula

35
Q

Feminist Anthropology

A

-comparing cultures to see which are female oriented
-how gender, class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation are constructed in societies, how it affects minorities
-how gender roles are formed, debunking
-how women’s freedom is tied to contributions
-inclusion of women in research
-women can lack control over society’s resources

36
Q

Culturally constructed

A

Created/shaped by a culture

37
Q

Subculture

A

Small group in a large community sharing distinct beliefs, values, attitudes, behaviours, and lifestyles, distinct from the larger group

38
Q

Human origins traced back to..

A

Africa

39
Q

Postmodernism

A

-rejects objective truth
-it is impossible to have any true knowledge of the world other than our own construction
-anthropologists can not study in a detached way because of their relationships with informants
-more research within their own cultural settings (Sam Dunn and heavy metal)
-he shows reflexivity on his bias as an insider

40
Q

Areas of Physical Anthropology

A

Paleoanthropology
-study of bones and stones
-study of ancestors based on evidence from evolutionary past

Human Variation
-study of physical differences and similarities of existing human populations

Primatology
-study of primates

41
Q

Hominin

A

-a human or human ancestor that was bipedal
-humans are habitually bipedal, other primates are not

42
Q

Crosstalk

A

miscommunication between people of different cultural backgrounds
eg. That’s sick!

43
Q

Subjective

A

Types of conclusions formed based on a person’s cultural or personal perspective, feelings, and beliefs

44
Q

Human variation and skin colour

A

-the billions of existing humans all belong to the Homo sapiens species, but we all have different traits
-we are more alike than we are different, our DNA is 99.9% alike
-homo sapien roots date back to Africa for 300,000 years
-It has been over 6 million years since the first emergency of the human species

Anthropologists study humans variation/genetic differences to find out:
-how and why humans are different
-understand differences from an evolutionary perspective
-17,000 yrs ago, we err worldwide and the only surviving human species

-people from sun rich areas have higher concentrations of melanoyte cells, producing more melanin and causing darker skin to protect against UV rays near the equator
-as humans moved into North America, our skin became lighter to absorb more nutrients and vitamin D since there was less sunlight

45
Q

Human variation and skin colour

A

-the billions of existing humans all belong to the Homo sapiens species, but we all have different traits
-we are more alike than we are different, our DNA is 99.9% alike
-homo sapien roots date back to Africa for 300,000 years
-It has been over 6 million years since the first emergency of the human species

Anthropologists study humans variation/genetic differences to find out:
-how and why humans are different
-understand differences from an evolutionary perspective
-17,000 yrs ago, we err worldwide and the only surviving human species

-people from sun rich areas have higher concentrations of melanoyte cells, producing more melanin and causing darker skin to protect against UV rays near the equator
-as humans moved into North America, our skin became lighter to absorb more nutrients and vitamin D since there was less sunlight

46
Q

Code Switching

A

-the way a person switches their language, behaviour, mannerisms, etc. based on the situation they are in
-can happen to adapt to new environments
-not lying, it’s being yourself while making your time suit the people you are talking to
-making others comfortable
-feeling like you belong, not being targeted

47
Q

Informant

A

-a reliable community member willing to share information about their culture

48
Q

Ethnocentric

A

-having a biased perspective when studying a culture, using your own culture as a stick by which to measure all others, believing your own culture is the most superior and correct

49
Q

Reflexivity

A

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

50
Q

Traits of Neanderthals (14)

A

-similar skeletal structures to humans
-stockier
-protruding brows
-bigger skulls
-smaller vuild
-they travelled together, men hunted, women nursed children, and children played
-they are a variety of seeds, nuts, vegetables, and grains, as well as rabbit, horse, duck, camel, and rhino meat
-they used spears for hunting which they were strong enough to throw from afar
-their hands adapted to be strong for hunting
-they took shelter in open air settlements, or used entrances to caves
-they had the emotional capacities to take care of the disabled and protect the vulnerable
-they were capable of abstract and symbolic thought, innovation, creativity, and communication through cave art
-there are traces Neanderthal DNA in all non-African humans, and all humans have 2% Neanderthal genes
-Neanderthal brains were a different shape, and their networks were different in their genetic makeup

51
Q

Participant Observation

A

-researcher immerses themselves in the culture of the participants daily
-they live with the group for extended periods of time and participate in their culture

52
Q

Bipedalism

A

The trait of habitually walking on two legs

53
Q

Ethnology

A

The study of the origins and cultures of different people, both past and present

54
Q

Enculturation

A

The process by which we learn to become members of a group through
-direct instruction (eg. parents)
-indirect instruction (eg. observation and imitation of others)

55
Q

Fossil

A

-preserved remains of biological matter

56
Q

radiometric dating

A

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

57
Q

Kinship

A

-relationship between two people based on common ancestry, adoption, or marriage

58
Q

Artifact

A

-an object or intangible artifact (art) produced by a culture that contains important information about the people of a society

59
Q

“Lucy”

A

-a female adult of the human family found by David Johanson
-her wisdom teeth were worn, showing she was an adult at death
-the hole where her canine tooth had been shows she was female
-her brain was the same size as a modern chimpanzee, and significantly smaller than a human
-her femur and pelvis showed that she walked uptight
-distinction between us and our closest relatives is habitual bipedalism, and standing upright

60
Q

Traits of bipedalism (5)

A

-slanting thigh bone
-s-shaped spine
-wide, flat pelvis
-double-arched foot
-big toe in line with the heel

61
Q

Traits of all primates (7)

A

-mother-infant bond is important for survival, infant must learn how to survive
-longest dependency period of all mammals (time until an individual can successfully reproduce)
-dominance hierarchies and aggression amongst males for food and females
-grooming each other, higher status in the dom hierarchy means you get groomed more often than grooming others
-making tools
-communicate through facial expressions, touch, vocalizations, and body language
-rotating forearms, grasping hands and feet, forward facing eyes, relatively larger brains

62
Q

Differences between humans and other primates (5)

A

-humans evolved to habitual bipedalism
-longest infant dependency rate, reproduce at 20 years on avg, 10 years for a chimpanzee
-symbolic, spoken language and physical ability of speech
-live in groups and mate in pairs, other primates species do either or
-develop beliefs about the world that guide our behaviour, complex systems of morality and spirituality which influence and motivate behaviour

63
Q

Natural Selection (3)

A

-natures process that preserves useful variations a species may have
- mechanism of evolutionary change, preserving and passing on beneficial variations that ensure survival
-occurs because individuals with this trait survive and reproduce more easily, passing the trait on to their offspring and making it common

64
Q

Natural Selection was discovered by

A

Charles Darwin

65
Q

Examples of natural selection

A

Reptiles with wings would be more likely to survive and pass on the trait.
In England, the Industrial Revolution caused lighter moths to decrease in population. This is because they stood out amongst the soot and were more visible for birds. The darker moths survived and increased in population because they blended into the environment.

66
Q

Domestic Animal Breeding

A

-breeders can change populations by selecting specific dogs to breed to promote desired traits and suppress undesired traits
-Eg Labradors cause a lot of allergies due to shedding but they are very smart. Poodles are also very smart, so breeding the two creates the intelligent Labradoodle that sheds less than Labradors.

67
Q

Natural selection states that

A

Those species best adapted to their environment will survive, others that are not suited cannot compete

68
Q

Sexual selection

A

Mate selection which retains desired traits and suppresses the undesired

69
Q

In birds, Darwin noticed that

A

Animals within a species had different traits making them better suited to certain conditions
Over time the well suited animals would thrive that the others would die out, leaving the whole population with the better trait

70
Q

Darwin visits the Galápagos Islands

A

-they are isolated from each other with different environmental factors
-some varieties of animals/birds lived on some islands and not others
-he collected and recorded data on the different species

71
Q

Law of segregation

A

-Gregor Mendel found that dominant traits are more likely to be passed down

72
Q

Are humans still evolving?

A

9% of our genes are undergoing rapid evolution
Genes most affected involve the immune system, sexual reproduction, and sensory perception

eg Malaria, Lactose Intolerance, Skin Pigmentation

73
Q

Race

A

A myth, not biologically legitimate
The AAA stated that there is more genetic variation within races than between them
Not natural selection
Yes Advantage
Light skin absorbs vitamin D easily, thrives with less sunlight, far from equator
Dark skin protects from UV rays, sun makes melanin
No
Different races live in same area
Darker people in Tunisia far from equator survive better than light ppl in Scandinavia
Skin cancer affects people after they have kids

74
Q

Why is variation important?

A

A species must adapt to new conditions so as not to die out, and the adaptive traits must be passed on

75
Q

3 principles of natural selection

A

Variation (all species have variety)
Heritability (passing on traits to offspring)
Environmental fitness (individuals that are better adapted to their environment will produce more offspring and pass their traits on to the next generation.

SAP (3 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions