Cultural Anthropology Notes Flashcards
Stories explaining the beginnings of an ethnic group
Origin Myths
distinguishing features separating one ethnic group from another
Ethnic Boundary Markers
Dispersion of people from their homeland while maintaining cultural ties.
Diaspora
A political entity with defined territory and shared identity
Nation-state
Concept that members of a nation-state feel a shared connection despite never meeting.
Imagined Community
Field examining how gender is constructed and affects social roles/inequalities
Gender Studies
Biological differences between males and females.
Sex
Social roles and expectations associated with being male or female.
Gender
Gender roles shaped by cultural influences.
Cultural Construction of Gender
Physical differences between sexes beyond reproductive organs.
Sexual Dimorphism
person born with a both male and female biological traits
Intersex
multiple gender identities beyond male and female.
Gender Diversity
A recognized third gender in South Asia mixing female/male traits
Hijras
Indigenous North American term for individuals embodying both genders.
“Two-Spirits”
Idea that gender is acted out via behaviors and choices
Gender Performance
Unequal access to resources or power based on gender
Gender Stratification
Essay by Emily Martin critiquing gendered descriptions of reproductive biology.
“The Egg and the Sperm”
Capacity for sexual attraction and relationships.
Sexuality
Attraction to both sexes.
Bisexuality
Lack of sexual attraction to others.
Asexuality
relationships between individuals based on descent and marriage
Kinship
Groups based on common ancestor
Descent Groups
Lineage traced through both parents.
Bilateral Descent
Kinship groups connected to an individual
Kindreds
Tracing kinship through one parent’s line
Unilineal Descent
Tracing descent through the father’s line
Patrilineal Descent
Descent groups claiming a known ancestor
Lineages
Extended family groups sharing a common ancestor.
Clans
Tracing descent through the mother’s line
Matrilineal Descent
relationship between a man and his sister’s children
Avunculate
Kinship through marriage, not blood
Affinal Relationship
Marriage based on love, personal choice
Compassionate Relationship
Marriage outside one’s social group.
Exogamy
Marriage within one’s social group.
Endogamy
Having one spouse at a time.
Monogamy
A man having multiple wives.
Polygyny
A woman having multiple husbands.
Polyandry
Couples establishing independent residence.
Neolocal
Living with the wife’s family after marriage
Uxorilocal
Living with the husband’s maternal uncle after marriage
Avunculocal
Living with husband’s family after marriage
Virilocal
Payment from groom’s family to bride’s family.
Bridewealth
Society with hereditary status differences
Ranked Society
Ceremonial feast involving gift-giving to assert status.
Potlatch
Working class selling labor for wages.
Proletariat
Capitalist class owning production means.
Bourgeoisie
Social honor or respect given to individuals or groups
Prestige
Opportunities to improve one’s quality of life
Life Chances
Movement of individuals within the social hierarchy.
Social Mobility
Maintenance of social inequality across generations.
Social Reproduction
Ingrained habits and attitudes shaped by social contexts
Habitus
Non-financial assets that promote social mobility
Cultural Capital
How overlapping identities (race, gender, class) shape individual experiences.
intersectionality
Idea that hunter-gatherers had abundant resources with minimal work.
“Original Affluent Society”
Economic practices of the Gebusi in Papua New Guinea.
Gebusi Subsistence and Exchange
type of arranged marriage where two sets of siblings marry each other
Sister-Exchange Marriage
Widow marrying her deceased husband’s brother.
Levirate
Kinship groups tracing descent through the male line
Patriclans
Kinship and marriage practices among the Gebusi
Gebusi Kinship and Marriage
Cultural beliefs regarding gender roles and sexuality among the Gebusi.
Gebusi Gender Relations and Sexuality
Partners selected by others, often family
Arranged Marriage
German sociologist who expanded on social class and status
Max Weber
French theorist on social reproduction and cultural capital
Pierre Bourdieu
US anthropologist who emphasized intersectionality in inequality studies
Leith Mullings
Anthropologist who analyzed gendered language in science
Emily Martin
Cultural rules prohibiting sexual relations between close relatives
Incest Taboo
