Ch. 4 - The Growth of Anthropological Theory Flashcards
The phenomenon whereby subjects in behavioural studies change their performance in response to being observed
Hawthorne Effect
An unproven proposition that can provide as a basis for further investigations
Hypothesis
Deriving a conclusion by making particular observations
Induction
A general statement that explains observations
Theory
Predicting and observation by reasoning from a general premise
Deduction
The 19th century anthropological theory that cultures evolved from savagery through barbarism to civilization
Evolutionism
What famous publication influenced the theory and discussion of evolutionism in anthropology?
Charles Darwin’s “The Theory of Evolution”
Late 19th/ early 20th century theory that cultural differences can be explained by the diffusion of cultural traits from one society to another
Diffusionism
Where in Canada and who did T.F. McIlwrath study in the early 1920s?
The Nuxalk First Nation of Bella Coola, BC.
A 19th century idea that all cultures passed through the same sequence of stages
Unilinear model
A theory that so-called savage or primitive cultures had degenerated from more civilized cultures because they had fallen from God’s Grace
Degenerationism
This anthropological theory that claims cultures evolved from savagery through barbarism to civilization
Evolutionism
Specific elements of culture that evolutionary anthropologists believed had survived from an earlier period
Survivals
A concept popular among 19th century anthropologists who assumed that all people, when operating under similar circumstances, will think and behave in similar ways
Psychic Unity
This theory proposes that cultural differences can be explained by the diffusion of cultural traits from one society to another
Diffusionism
The theory that social institutions are integrated and function to maintain or satisfy the biological needs of the individual
Functionalism
A school of cultural anthropology that examines how parts of a culture function for the well-being of the individual
Structural Functionalism
The functionalist idea that every part of a culture has a particular function
Universal Functions
A principle of functionalism stating that a culture is an integrated whole consisting of a number of interrelated parts
Functional Unity
A school of anthropology prominent in the early 20th century that insisted on the collection of ethnographic data before making cross-cultural generalizations
Historical Particularism
Who was the main advocate of Historical Particularism?
Franz Boas
A 20th century school of cultural anthropology whereby similarities between cultures could be explained by parallel adaptations to similar natural environments
Neo-evolutionism
What was the name of Margaret Mead’s first book?
Coming of Age in Samoa; 1928
Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict are associated with which anthropological school of thought?
Culture and Personality
Which anthropologist concluded and published that “Our own Western conception of masculine and feminine is not genetically based but is rather culturally determined”?
Margaret Mead; in her publication “Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies”
The maximum population size an environment can sustain, given the food and water resources and technology available
Carrying capacity
The constellation of features most closely related to subsistence activities
Cultural core
The mid- 20th century theory whereby specific cultures evolve independently of all others but follow a similar evolution process
Multilinear Evolution
This take on reality says that we should focus on the intangible; things like symbols and morals
Idealism
Looks at things like human biological nature/the environment, and how these influence people’s ideas and values
Materialism
Who was the leading anthropologist associated with Cultural Materialism?
Marvin Harris
An anthropological theory that cultural systems are most influenced by such things as natural resources, technology, and human biology
Cultural Materialism
A theoretical orientation holding that cultures are the product of unconscious processes of the human mind
French structuralism
This person came up with the concept of “binary oppositions”
Claude-Lévi Strauss
A mode of thinking based on opposites; such as old vs. young, left vs. right, nature-nurture, etc.
Binary oppositions
A theoretical school in anthropology that views the goal of anthropology as the interpretation of symbols
Symbolic Anthropology
A theoretical orientation holding that culture is a web of symbols and meaning, and the job of anthropology is to interpret those meanings
Interpretive Anthropology
A theoretical approach that seeks to describe and explain cultural life form the perspective of women
Feminist Anthropology
A perspective that examines the abstract issues of conflict, ideology, and power
Political Economy
The study of power relations among groups, and how they are linked to bio-physical environment at the local, state, national, and international levels
Political Ecology
Advocates the switch from cultural generalization and laws to description, interpretation, and the search for meaning
Postmodernist Anthropology
The practice of giving accounts of other cultures in the present tense
Ethnographic present
Recognition of anthropology’s biases as well as the influence of the anthropologist’s own personal situation and experiences in the production of anthropological knowledge
Reflexive Anthropology
Integrating theory with practice; serving as a means to produce new knowledge
Praxis
Leslie White and Julian Steward were advocates of which anthropological school/theory?
Neo-evolutionism and Cultural Ecology
Clifford Geertz was an advocate of which anthropological theory?
Interpretive Anthropology
James Clifford was an advocate of this school on anthropology
Postmodernism
Lewis Henry Morgan was an advocate of which major anthropological theory?
Evolutionism
Bronislaw Malinowski is most commonly associated with what theory?
Functionalism
What theory is Claude-Lévi Strauss most commonly associated with?
French Structuralism
Who is most commonly associated with the branch of Symbolic Anthropology?
Victor Turner, Mary Douglas
Louis Lamphere was an advocate of which school of anthropology?
Feminist Anthropology
Eric Wolf was the main advocate of which theories?
Political Economy/Ecology
This anthropologist is most commonly connected to the anthropological branch known as “Historical Particularism”
Franz Boas
