Chapter 1

Question 1

xWhat is anthropology

Answer 1

Integrated study of human nature, human society, and human history

Question 2

What does anthropology study?

Answer 2

Similarities and differences by looking at human adaptability.

Question 3

What does Kluckhohn say about what anthropology is?

Answer 3

“Anthropology is the study of human similarities and differences”

Question 4

What is Archaeology

Answer 4

Describes past human behaviours and cultural patterns by examining material remains

Question 5

What are the major areas of Archaeology?

Answer 5

Prehistoric, Historic, old world, new world, underwater

Question 6

What is Physical/Biological Anthropology?

Answer 6

Study of life, past and present.

Question 7

What is the connection between archaeology and physical anthropology?

Answer 7

Understandings of how human life originated.

Question 8

What are the key areas of research in physical anthropology

Answer 8

Biological plasticity, genetics, growth, evolution, diseases

Question 9

What are the subfields of physical anthopology?

Answer 9

Primatology, Paleoanthropology, Morphology

Question 10

Who were the key figures in early anthropology?

Answer 10

Herodotus, Marco Polo, Ibn Khaldun

Question 11

What did Montesquieu say

Answer 11

“Cultural differences are shaped by different climates’

Question 12

What are the three significant roles of colonial in shaping anthropology?

Answer 12

Collaboration with colonial government, colonial processes with far reaching and diverse ramifications studied, colonial and cultural forces as areas of study.

Question 13

Who were the two primary figures in Canadian anthropology? What are they known for?

Answer 13

Daniel Wilson (1816-1892) studied Indigenous people in Canada, claimed they were an example of prehistoric culture.
Thomas Mcllwraith (1899-1964) founded the first anthropology department in 1936 at the UofT.

Question 14

What was the Unilineal Evolutionary School?

Answer 14

School that was influenced by Charles Darwin, twisted it to say that cultures also represent the same survival of the fittest, and that different societies are at different stages of evolution. (social darwinism)

Question 15

Who were the key figures of Unilineal?

Answer 15

Sir Edward Tylor and Sir James Frazer (UK), Lewis Henry Morgan (US).

Question 16

What did Franz Boas believe?

Answer 16

He believed in cultural relativism and historical particularism; culture should be studied in its own context, each culture has unique history must be considered and researched in that context, culture can be shared, no hierarchy of societies.

Question 17

What is Functionalism?

Answer 17

Each aspect of a culture has a role to play in the entire culture (like an organ in a body), and without it the culture would not be maintained.

Question 18

What is Holism?

Answer 18

Looking at one aspect of culture in relation to all aspects.

Question 19

What is structural functionalism and who created the idea?

Answer 19

Social forms function regularly to maintain traditional structures (ex. Patriarchy). Created by A.R. Radcliffe Brown.

Question 20

What did Mead study?

Answer 20

She took from Boas’ idea and incorporated children and their development. She was against biological determinism and said that adolescence varied because of cultural variation.

Question 21

What is Cultural Ecology?

Answer 21

Ecology shapes culture, but culture also shapes how people adapt to their environments.

Question 22

Key figures of cultural ecology.

Answer 22

Julian Steward and Roy Rappaport.

Question 23

What was Karl Marx’s theory of societal structure?

Answer 23

Economy was the base of society, above that were superstructures (religion, education, culture, family, government).

Question 24

What was Marvin Harris’ theory of societal structure?

Answer 24

Universal Pattern: Ecology was the base of society (habitat, population, economy, technology), the social structure (political system, family), then ideology (religion, values, knowledge).

Question 25

What is cultural materialism?

Answer 25

Theoretical approach that says that our material lives shape our culture.

Question 26

What does Cultural materialism say the key function of a culture is?

Answer 26

Ensure material existence of life.

Question 27

What does Claude Levi-Strauss say?

Answer 27

To understand a culture, analyze their myths, stories, tales, etc…

Question 28

What is interpretive anthropology?

Answer 28

Understand culture though interpreting people’s thoughts and feelings.

Question 29

What is symbolic anthropology?

Answer 29

A culture can be understood by understanding their symbols.

Question 30

Who is the key figure of interpretive anthropology?

Answer 30

Clifford Geetz

Question 31

What are the three contemporary debates?

Answer 31

Interpretive anthropology vs. cultural materialism, agency vs structure, biological determinism vs cultural constructivism.

Question 32

What is a microculture?

Answer 32

A distinct pattern of learned and shared behavior and thinking found within a larger culture.

Question 33

What is cultural anthropology?

Answer 33

Field that focuses on the study of contemporary human culture, patterned and learned ways of behaving and thinking.

Question 34

What are some characteristics of culture?

Answer 34

Adaptive, learned, shared, symbolic, gives meaning to reality, creates gender, integrated.

Question 35

Five basic elements of spread of culture

Answer 35

Transmission
Memory
Reiteration
Innovation
Selection

Question 36

What are the key forces in culture changes?

Answer 36

Colonialism, Religious conversion, capitalism, technological advancement, globalization

Question 37

Who was an evolutional theorist?

Answer 37

Edward Tylor

Question 38

Who was a functionalist?

Answer 38

Malinowski

Question 39

Who was a structural functionalist?

Answer 39

A.R. Radcliffe Brown

Question 40

What is cultural particularism and who is behind it?

Answer 40

Franz Boas. Cultures should not be compared but viewed in their own contexts.