Culture and Meaning

Question 1

What is Anthropology?

Answer 1

It compares humans to other humans, as well as other organisms.
Anthropos: “human beings”
Logia: “the study of” or “knowledge of”

Question 2

The 4 fields of Anthropology

Answer 2

• Biological Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Sociocultural Anthropology
• Linguistic Anthropology

Question 3

Biological Anthropology

Answer 3

The study of evolution, function, and health of the human body and our closest primate ancestors across time and space

Question 4

Archaeology

Answer 4

Studies human history and its artifacts through material remains of human groups to learn about how people live

Question 5

Linguistic Anthropology

Answer 5

Studies the relationship between language and culture through language use, the structure of language, and language development over time

Question 6

Sociocultural Anthropology

Answer 6

An approach that focuses on the differences and similarities in the ways that societies are structured and cultural meaning’s are created. (both a science and a humanities)

Question 7

Society

Answer 7

The social structures and organisation of a group comprised of people who share a territory or culture

Question 8

Culture

Answer 8

A system of meanings about the nature of experience that are shared by people and passed down from one generation to the next, including meanings people give to things like events, activities, people, and objects

Question 9

Characteristics of culture

Answer 9

• Shared
• Learned
• Transgenerational
• Patterned
• Adaptive
• Symbols
  (Ex; a potluck)

Question 10

Cultural Factors

Answer 10

• Sex
• Status
• Age
• Class
• Gender
• Ability
• Sexuality
• Ethnicity
• Race
• Beliefs

Question 11

Culture is NOT:

Answer 11

• Singular
• Quantifiable
• Something people have “more’ or “less’ of
• A possession
• Bounded

Question 12

Conducting Anthropology

Answer 12

• Look for hidden meanings while putting aside our “normal”
• Relate culture to one another to translate meaning between them
• There are various versions of the world

Question 13

Ethnocentric Fallacy

Answer 13

The mistaken notion that the beliefs and behaviors of other cultures can be judged from the perspective of ones own culture

Question 14

Ethnocentrism

Answer 14

The tendency to judge beliefs and behaviours of other cultures from one’s own culture

Question 15

Cultural Relativism

Answer 15

The effort to understand beliefs and behaviours of other cultures in terms of the culture in which they are found

Question 16

Relativistic Fallacy

Answer 16

The idea that it is impossible to make moral judgements about beliefs and behaviours of others

Question 17

Wari

Answer 17

Practiced Cannibalism by eating their dead. For them, eating their dead was compassionate as they try to maintain no connection with the dead.

Question 18

Critical Cultural Relativism

Answer 18

An alternative perspective to cultural relativism. it questions cultural beliefs and practices

Question 19

Cultural Text

Answer 19

A way of thinking about culture as text of significant symbols like words, gestures, drawings, natural objects, etc. (all symbols carry meaning)

Question 20

3 problem Solving Tools

Answer 20

1. Fieldwork experiences provide the ability to describe + document situations in detail
2. Anthropological concepts help to understand behaviours (kinship relations, reciprocity, etc)
3. Anthropological theories explain why humans organise their experiences into categories

Question 21

Applied Anthropology

Answer 21

• A sub-discipline of anthropology
• helps explain diversity of meaning and helps sort through conflicts and misunderstanding.
• puts anthropological knowledge to use outside of academia

Question 22

Other uses for anthropology:

Answer 22

• Indigenous Anthropology
• Legal Anthropology
• Political Economy
• Medical Anthropology
• Corporate Ethnography

Question 23

Indigenous Anthropology

Answer 23

Applying research findings to problems that will help serve Indigenous communities

Question 24

Legal Anthropology

Answer 24

Focuses on the study of power on a local, national, and global level. Also looks at land governance systems

Question 25

Political Economy

Answer 25

Looks the intersects between politics and environmental concerns

Question 26

Medical Anthropology

Answer 26

Focuses on healthcare practices and the impacts of infectious disease. Also looks at maternity and child health

Question 27

Corporate Ethnography

Answer 27

Uses qualitative research to help with marketing design, user experience, urban development, etc. This form of anthropology can also present ethical issues