Famous cultural anthropologists

Question 1

Nature

Answer 1

the influence of inherited biological characteristics on human behaviour

Question 2

Nurture

Answer 2

the process of training and influencing a child through learning

Question 3

Margret Mead

Answer 3

-One of the most known anthropologists of the mid 20tb century
-Student of Franz Boas
- Boas encouraged Mead to study gender roles of men and women
- She conducted field work in New Guinea, polynesia, and o the pacific islands
- Her findings supported Boas view that learner culture, not biology - nurture rather than nature largely determines human behaviour
- One of her studies involved a comparative look at gender roles in 3 different cultures: arapesh, mundugumor, and tchambuli

Question 4

The arapesh

Answer 4

• children were treated warmly and both men and women participated actively in child care
• aggression was not acceptable

Question 5

The mundugumour

Answer 5

• Girls and boys were treated harshly
• Left to fend for themselves
• Both. men and women grew up to be more hostile and aggressive

Question 6

Tchambuli

Answer 6

-Women were tough and hearty vs men who were passive and looked after the house
- As childeren girls were trained in handicrafts, boys weren’t given any training

Question 7

Margret meads conclusion

Answer 7

From all her field work, she concluded that most of the personality traits we associate with masculinity and femininity are the result of early learning not heredity. In other words, nurture rather than nature was determining human behaviour

Question 8

Richard B Lee

Answer 8

• He is known internationally for his studies of hunting and gathering societies
• His research findings and theories argue that sharing and cooperation not competition and aggression have been the key to our success as a species
• He launched an AIDS training and capacity building program in south africa in a region that expirences the highest rates of HIV and AIDS in the world