Ecological Anthropology and Pristine Stereotypes (3)

Question 1

Define epistemology.

Answer 1

the study of knowledge

Question 2

Define ontology.

Answer 2

New within anthropology

To think of peoples world views as the reality they’re living in

Question 3

What is meant by the cognitive definition of culture?

Answer 3

The environment is seen from the point of view of an individual actor. The focus is on culture as a system of knowledge or set of rules for behaviour.

Question 4

How do ethnoecological studies portray TEK?

Answer 4

A body of knowledge that is extensive, observationally grounded, and complementary to scientific knowledge.

Question 5

Summarize the failure of development projects in Lesotho.

Answer 5

Lesotho is a small country surrounded by South Africa. There were several development projects enacted by outside countries and groups funding.

Ferguson and Lohmann take a critical perspective on how false narratives of Lesotho and overbearing foreign policy cause more harm than good.

• Claims Lesotho is largely agricultural but the reality is that 70% of average rural income is derived from international wage labour in South Africa
• Social relationships through cattle
• corrupt power systems

Question 6

Define Milton’s cultural theory on environmentalism.

Answer 6

Milton debunks the myth that humans naturally possess the ability to live sustainably

Question 7

What was the Penan resistance to logging and how does it relate to ecological anthropology?

Answer 7

On the island of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sarawak the Penan hunter-gathers resisted the deforestation to logging.

Became icons of resistance for Indigenous environmentalism.

Question 8

Summarize Rappaport’s findings in Tsembaga Marining of the mountainous interior of Papua New Guinnea.

Answer 8

• Sacrificial rituals of pigs dedicated to the spirits of deceased ancestors
• Meat made up a very small part of the diet, but pigs held great value
• cultural ecology, food measurements
• closed systems theory
• feedback systems in equilibrium
• ecosystem approach

Question 9

True or false? Rappaport disagreed with Steward.

Answer 9

True.
Rappaport regarded subsistence as central to his research, however avoided concepts of culture and cultural core

Question 10

According to Townsend, what is the most important thing that students should take away from their study of environmental anthropology?

Answer 10

That humans are part of the ecosystems, not separate from them.

• The concept of ecosystem within cultural anthropology