Final Exam Flashcards
sets of learned behaviors and ideas that humans acquire as members of society
culture
process by which people acquire and learn the ways of thinking associated with particular culture
Enculturation
process of learning to live as a member of a group
Socialization
the relationship between a symbol and what it stands for is:
conventional
arbitrary
a theory that culture is embodied and transmitted through symbols
Interpretive theory of culture
the culture and cultural knowledge people can talk about, of which they are aware
Explicit Culture
the culture and cultural knowledge of which people are usually unaware–difficult to communicate verbally
tacit culture
disorientation a person amy feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life or culture
culture shock
the idea that culture is not fixed, but is always changing
dynamic culture
insiders perspective, view from within the culture
Emic
outsiders perspective, view from outside the culture
Etic
the assumption that one’s own way of doing things is correct, while dismissing other people’s practices or views as wrong or ignorant
ethnocentrism
the principle that an individual human;s beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual’s own culture
cultural relativism
the systematic study of people and cultures
ethnography
the method by which culture anthropologists conduct research
ethnographic fieldwork
the study of language as a cultural resource and speaking as a cultural practice
(study the cognitive and social components of language)
linguistic anthropology
a system of symbolic communication
language
an instinctive sound or gesture that has a natural or self-evident meaning
signal
shared understanding about the meaning of certain words, attributes, or objects
symbol (language)
versions of a particular language characteristic of particular groups
dialects
switching from one variety of speaking to another in different social situations
code switching
languages that can develop when different cultures come into contact
hybrid languages
used for communication between people not sharing a common language
pidgin
is a stable natural language that has developed from a pidgin
Creole
a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician
Griot
belief in an impersonal supernatural force
anamatism
religions based on the idea that plants, animals, inanimate objects, and even natural phenomena have a spiritual or supernatural element
animism
spirits with human characteristics
anthropomorphic spirits
care for the ancestors
filial piety
practices or ceremonies that serve a religious purpose or are usually supervised by religious specialists
ritual
transition from one stage in life to another
rite of passage
actions involving magic or supernatural powers (usually undertaken for the purpose of doing harm)
witchcraft
follow periods of crisis, attempts to resolve serious problems
revitalization ritual
the study of human economic behavior using the holistic lens of anthropology
economic anthropology
What does medical anthropology concern itself with?
- human health
- the factors that contribute to disease or illness
- the ways that human populations deal with disease
western forms of medical knowledge and practice
based on biological science
biomedical model
alternative medical systems based on local culture and local practices
based on different knowledge systems
Ethnomedical model
cultural domination with enforced social change
colonialism
the study of the legacy of colonialism and imperialism
post-colonialism
death and suffering as a result of socioeconomic political/cultural structure
structural violence
the use of anthropological theory and research methods to solve real world problems
applied anthropology
uses anthropological ideas and techniques to help medical professionals care for individuals and implement culture-specific health interventions
applied medical anthropology
the idea that human cultural change can be described as a Darwinian evolutionary process that is similar in key respects to biological/genetic evolution
cultural evolution
a technique of field research, used in anthropology and sociology, by which an investigator studies the life of a group by sharing in its activities.
participant observation
a language user’s grammatical knowledge of syntax, morphology, phonology and the like, as well as social knowledge about how and when to use utterances appropriately.
communicative competence
the system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language
linguistic competence
What are the four subfields of anthropology?
archeology
linguistic
cultural
biological/physical
What are the characteristics/components of a language?
- Phonology: the system of relationships among the speech sounds that constitute the fundamental components of a language
- Morphology: the study of the forms of words (and their meanings)
- All languages have grammar
- All languages can be learned
- All languages are dynamic (they change)
What is the difference between symbol and signal?
a signal is an instinctive sound or gesture that has a natural or self-evident meaning (is a language on its own and it is used to communicate something to people) while a symbol is a shared understanding about the meaning of certain words, attributes, or objects (is subjective in nature and often requires interpretation)
What is the difference between linguistic and communicative competence?
Communicative competence is a term in linguistics which refers to a language user’s grammatical knowledge of syntax, morphology, phonology and the like, as well as social knowledge about how and when to use utterances appropriately
Linguistic competence is the system of linguistic knowledge possessed by native speakers of a language. It is distinguished from linguistic performance, which is the way a language system is used in communication.
Linguistic competence is when you’ve mastered the grammar and complex stuff about a language. Communicative is just when you know a language enough to be able to communicate.
What are the differences between Pidgins and Creoles?
A pidgin is used for communication between people not sharing a common language while Creole is a stable, natural languages that has developed from a pidgin.
Pidgin: simple grammar, small vocabulary, a trade language, no native speakers, used in specific settings.
Creole: complex grammar, large vocabulary, has native speakers, used as a primary language.
What are the four elements of religion?
- Cosmology-the science of the origin and development of the universe
- Belief in the supernatural
- Rules governing behavior (i.e. 10 commandments)
- Ritual- a ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order
What are the 3 modes of exchange?
- market- goods equal in value (informal or formal)
- reciprocity- exchange for mutual benefit
- redistribution- centralized collection, distribution from that collection
What are the differences between balanced and generalized reciprocity?
Balanced involves an allotted value as well as an allotted amount of time to return the exchange ( entails giving with the expectation of a equivalent) while Generalized has no certain value or amount of time where the exchange needs to be returned (most common among closely related exchange partners and involves no specific expectation)
taking the model & applying it to health, using things like symptoms and applying them to why someone is sick
explanatory model of illness
religion reduces or increases anxiety for unexplainable things
explanatory model
