Exam Flashcards
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What is Evolutionism?
Main Thinkers: Morgan & Tylor
theoretical perspective that assumes society develops UNILINEARLY from LOW TO HIGH or SIMPLE TO COMPLEX
EX: INDIAN FARMERS THAT USE CATTLE
What are the critiques to Evolutionsim?
HISTORY IS NOT UNILINEAR and ETHNOCENTRIC
DEVELOPMENT IS SEEN A AS A PROCESS THAT TAKES A SINGULAR FORM
What is Historical Particularism?
Main Thinkers: Boas
Culture is understood as a TEMPORARY RESULT OF ITS SPECIFIC HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND DEVELOPMENT
TAPESTRY
only people/groups/societies can understand its words from their own context
What are the Critiques to Historical Particularism?
Strong EMPHASIS ON INTERNAL COHERENCE
IGNORES EXTERNAL INFLUENCE and thus it isn’t COMPARATIVE
Culture is a closed unit become ISLANDS creating MOSAICS of cultures living side 2 side
What is Functionalism?
Main Thinkers: Malinowski
A theoretical approach that assumes every EXPRESSION OF CULTURE HAS A PRACTICAL USEFULNESS
individuals have basic BIOPSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS that need to be met by SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Needs and institutions form a DYNAMIC BALACE allowing culture REPRODUCE
SOCIETIES SPECIFIC CONTEXT informs it of its needs
What is the critique to Functionalism?
CULTURAL MATERIALISM
What is Cultural Materialism?
Main Thinkers: Marvin Harris
MATERIAL CIRCUMSTANCES inform human behavior
YANOMANO WAR
What are the critiques to Cultural Materialism?
DANGER OR CIRCULAR REASONING, because the phenomena exists it must be useful; because it it is useful it exists.
INVISIBLE HANDS, in search for the usefulness of the phenomena
What is Structural-Functionalsim?
Main Thinkers: Radcliffe-Brown, Evans-Pritchard, Durkheim
Emphasis on SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS (structure)
These structures work together TO MAINTAIN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE
SOCIAL PHENOMENA exist to for the preservation of society
HUMAN BODY METAPHOR
What are the critiques to Structural-Functionalism?
Difficult to explain SOCIAL CHANGE due to social phenomena only happening to preserve society
INDIVIDUAL is theoretically unimportant
What is Transactionalism?
Also called INTERACTIONSIM
ACTING INDIVIDUALS have priority and society is formed by THE SUM OF ALL THE INTERACTIONS
INDIVIDUAL AGENCY IS CRUCIAL in social institutions, even if people are largely bound by external factors
What are the goals for interactions?
FREDRICK BARTH —> individual seek to maximize value
F.G. BAILEY —> Individuals are moral actors , following normative and pragmatic rules
JEREMY BOISSEVAIN —> Individuals are establish, maintain and exploit network relations
What are the critiques to Transactionalism?
POWER ISNT EQUAL (individuals and group) and cannot be manipulated INDEFINETLY
NEGLECTS HISTORY
Focus on people with big impacts (ATLAS SHRUGGED)
What is Structuralism?
Main Thinker: Levi-Strauss, de Saussure
DEVELOPED THROUGH LINGUISTICS
THOUGHTS FORMULATE THE WORLD rather than vice versa
UNIVERSAL UNDERLYING PATTERNS of thought that is used UNCONCIOUSLY to organaize the world
What are the critiques of Structuralism?
TOO UNIVERSAL
Are there so few bianary oppositions for so many people?
INSUFFICIENT DIVERSITY
INDIVIDUAL AGENCY
What is Symbolic Anthropology?
Main Thinker: Geertz
INTERPRETIVIST PERSPECTIVE that tries to understand a society, a culture THROUGH ITS SYMBOLS AND RITUALS
Culture is a AUTONOMOUS and COHERENT SYSTEM OF MEANING that can be explored through the interpretation of important Symbols and Rituals
THICK DESCRIPTION
What is Thick Description
A description of event/symbols but also the PHYSICAL AND IDEATIONAL CONTEXT in which they take place + HOW PEOPLE THEMSELVES INTERPRET THOSE EVENTS
ALL IN ORDER TO DETERMINE ITS MEANING
Critiques of Symbolic Anthropology?
CAN CULTURE BE SO EASILY DEMARCATED and COHERENT?
WHOSE MEANING? (Anthro, participants, all people)
