anthropology Flashcards
Who created the Evolutionist approach?
Edward B. Taylor and Lewis Henry Morgan
What does the Evolutionist approach believe about cultures?
Cultures progress in a unified direction and all cultures pass through stages: Savagery, Barbarism, and Civilization
Who developed the Diffusionist approach?
Edward B. Taylor and Lewis Henry Morgan
What is the main idea of the Diffusionist approach?
Cultures change as a result of borrowing/learning from other cultures
Define diffusion in cultural context.
The process by which cultural traits are transferred from one society to another
What are the five major characteristics of diffusion?
- Meaningfulness/Usefulness
- Change from Original
- Direction of Exchange
- Effect
- Barriers
What does ‘Cultural Relativism’ refer to?
Not judging a culture by one’s own standards of right or wrong
Who created the concept of Cultural Relativism?
Franz Boas
What is the belief underlying Cultural Relativism?
There is no universal set of morals or ethics; morality is culturally specific
Who proposed the concept of Primary Needs?
Bronislaw Malinowski
List the primary needs identified by Malinowski.
- Growth
- Safety
- Reproduction
- Nutrition
- Rest
- Movement
- Bodily comforts
What is the focus of Malinowski’s Primary Needs?
Biological impulses shared with other animals
Who is associated with the Structuralist Approach?
Claude Levi-Strauss
What concept did Levi-Strauss introduce regarding human thought?
The unconscious tendency to create ‘binary oppositions’
Give examples of binary oppositions.
- Hot/Cold
- Young/Old
- Male/Female
- Good/Evil
Who developed the Thick and Thin Description concept?
Clifford Geertz
What distinguishes a thick description from a thin description?
Thick description interprets actions based on symbolic meanings, while thin description focuses solely on the action
What is Direct Diffusion?
Occurs when two cultures are close in proximity and interact directly
Define Relocation Diffusion.
Cultural traits spread to a new culture when a population moves, developing independently in both locations
What is Maladaptive Diffusion?
Cultural traits spread to a new culture but are not suited to it
