Anthropology 3

Question 1

What are the 5 school of thoughts in cultural anthropology

Answer 1

1. cultural relativism
2. Funcional theory
3. cultural materialism
4. Feminist anthropology
5. Postmodernism.

Question 2

what does Ethnocentric mean

Answer 2

Evaluating other peoples and cultures according to the standards of one’s own culture

Question 3

What is cultural relativism

Answer 3

Anthropologists cannot compare two cultures because each culture has its own internal rules that must be accepted
Everyone sees the world through a lens created by their culture

Question 4

What is functional theory

Answer 4

Beliefs, actions, or relationships within society must meet the needs of individuals.
Example: Trobriand Islands cultural exchange of jewelry forming the “Kula Ring” to maintain peaceful relationships, ceremonial exchange actually served real economic, social, political functions

Question 5

What is cultural materialism

Answer 5

Conditions and the environment shape culture

If something is not of value to a culture, it will disappear.

Question 6

What is feminist anthropology

Answer 6

Women’s voices should be brought to the forefront of study to be heard and included in research

Question 7

What is Postmodernism

Answer 7

It is impossible to have any “true” knowledge about the world, as there is no objective truth
What we know about the world is our own construct
Anthropologists can’t study their subjects in an objective or detached way

Question 8

what is lingua franca

Answer 8

is a language or mixture of languages used as a medium of communication by people whose native languages are different

Question 9

What is Pidgin language

Answer 9

A pidgin is a language that has a small vocabulary and is a combination and distortion of two or more languages.

Question 10

What is creole language

Answer 10

is a stable natural language that develops from the simplifying and mixing of different languages into a new one within a fairly brief period of time

Question 11

What is euphemism

Answer 11

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
eg. “Passed away” instead of “died” “Let go” instead of “fired” “Make love” instead of “sex” “Put down” instead of “euthanized

Question 12

What is special about La gomera

Answer 12

On the island, they speak in a whistled languge.

Question 13

What is Locard’s exchange principle

Answer 13

Every contact by a criminal leaves behind a trace.

Question 14

Who is edmond locard

Answer 14

Locard’s most famous contribution to forensic science is known today as “Locard’s Exchange Principle”. According to Locard, “it is impossible for a criminal to act, especially considering the intensity of a crime, without leaving traces of this presence”.

Question 15

What is ossification

Answer 15

The natural process of bone formation

Question 16

What is HMS Beagle and why is it famous

Answer 16

Why is the HMS Beagle Famous? HMS Beagle was the ship in which the naturalist, Charles Darwin, sailed around the world from 26 December 1831 to 27 February 1832. The rich variety of animal and plant species that Darwin saw on the voyage on the Beagle led him to develop his theory of ‘evolution by natural selection

Question 17

Who were laetoli footprints made by

Answer 17

were most likely made by Australopithecus afarensis

Question 18

Why did Richard lee conduct the experimetn

Answer 18

Because of studies, he read about evolution and his personal interest in hunting and gathering societies.
He was hoping to gain insight into human behaviour and hour our hunting and gathering ancestors may have behaved.

Question 19

Case study: Bronislaw Malinowski in the Trobriand Islands

Answer 19

In 1915 Bronislaw Malinowski immersed himself in their culture with the goal of “[grasping] the native’s point of view, his relation to life, to realize his vision of his world.”

Malinowski established ideals of fieldwork in ethnography by declaring clear stages of fieldwork, and what researchers should do while interacting with the natives. We have noted four principles Malinowski emphasised in social research.

He also learned about a system of exchange of shell jewellery around a circuit of far-flung islands, known as the “kula ring”. This is a form of balanced reciprocity that reinforces trade and social relations.
In addition in 1944, he developed a theory that stated human beings have a set of universal biological needs and various customs and institutions are developed to fulfil those needs.

Question 20

Case study: Lera Boroditsky

Answer 20

• Pormpuraaw, a small Aboriginal community
• the Kuuk Thaayorre, like many other Aboriginal groups, use cardinal-direction terms — north, south, east, and west — to define space.
• This is done at all scales, which means you have to say things like “There’s an ant on your southeast leg” or “Move the cup to the north northwest a little bit.”
• One obvious consequence of speaking such a language is that you have to stay oriented at all times, or else you cannot speak properly. The normal greeting in Kuuk Thaayorre is “Where are you going?” and the answer should be something like “ Southsoutheast, in the middle distance.” If you don’t know which way you’re facing, you can’t even get past “Hello.”

Question 21

Case study: Lee Berger

Answer 21

paleoanthropologist known for the discovery of the fossil skeletons of Australopithecus sediba, a primitive hominin species that some palaeontologists believe is the most plausible link between the australopithecines (genus Australopithecus) and humans (genus Homo)