Cultural anthropology exam review Flashcards
informant
- a person providing info about a community
ethnology
- study origins and cultures of different people
ethnography
- resulting work of anthropologists who research a culture through participant observation
kinship
- relationship btwn 2 people based on ancestry, marriage, or adoption
subjective
- conclusions shaped by a person’s cultural and personal perspective, feelings, etc.
objective
- conclusions shaped by facts and data
reflexivity
- practice of reflecting on your own world view
anthropological schools of thought: cultural evolutionism
- (19th century and worst)
- idea that civilizations would become civilized like European cultures
anthropological schools of thought: cultural relativism
- Franz Boas
- all cultures have their own rules making sure they can’t be compared to other cultures
anthropological schools of thought: cultural functionalism
- Malinowski
- every belief, action, or relationship meet peoples needs
- cultures are successful when needs are met
anthropological schools of thought: cultural materialism
- understanding cultures by environmental resources
- infrastructure –> structure –> superstructure
anthropological schools of thought: feminist anthropology
- re-examination focused on gender roles, division of labour, and power
anthropological schools of thought: postmodernism
- we don’t have true knowledge of the world and societies help us understand more
- argues anthropologists should study reflexively
Anthropology onion/building blocks
- cultural values: understanding behaviours and artifacts (education)
- behaviours: causes artifacts (studying)
- artifacts: tells us the cultures values (test)
family tree
culture, pattern, complex, material trait (guitar, drums, etc) non-material trait (singing, dancing, etc)
gender and culture
- distinction btwn sex and gender
- sex is biological and gender is defined by culture
rites of passage stages
- segregation: separated from society and original status
- transition: (liminal) state of transition btwn old and new
- reintegration: individual is reintegrated w/ new role
kinship systems
- matrilineal: ancestry through the mother
- patrilineal: ancestry through the father
- bilinear: ancestry through both parents
types of marriage
- monogamy: btwn 2 people
- polygamy: more than 2 people
- polygyny: more than 1 wife
- polygamy: more than one husband
- bride wealth: paying a fine for marriage
