MT#1 Flashcards
What do anthropologists study? (4 kinds)
1) Physical (biological remains)
2) Archeology (material remains)
3) Linguistic (language)
4. Cultural (ethnography)
What are anthropology’s guiding principles? (4)
1) Holism (big picture, looking at all parts of society)
2) Comparative perspective (cross-species comparisons with other non-human primates -understand what makes humans unique)
3) Cultural relavatism (evaluating the practices and beliefs by the values and standards of that society)
4) Emic (insider) and etic (outsider) perspectives
Difference between sex and gender
Sex - physical traits that define males and females (including chromosomes, hormones and physical appearance), born with it
Gender - culturally defined ways that the two sexes are perceived, evaluated and expected to behave, cultural construction of roles and identities
How do anthropologists study sex and gender (4 ways)
1) Paleoanthropology (skeletal remains, dentition and bone chemistry
2) Archeology
3) Primatology (trace evolutionary origins of human traits, hormone and chemical analysis)
4) Cultural anthropology (cross-cultural comparison, ethnographic fieldwork)
Limitations (2) of paleoanthropology
1) Early hominid record is sparse
2) Sex is easier to see in fossil records than gender
Limitation of archeology
Can only study what remains
Limitation of primatology
Humans an non-human primates diverged and evolved separately millions of years ago
Limitation of cultural anthropology
Modern foragers have been evolving and adapting, so may not exhibit behaviours of early foragers
Two ways that secondary sexual characteristics develop
1) Male-male competition (weapons, size, territory)
2) Female choice (prefer certain traits)
What are female’s and male’s strategies for reproductions?
Men - sleep with as many women as possible (quantity)
[competition between men for access to females]
Women - be choosy with who they sleep with (quality)
[limited by the number of offspring they can rear, need a partner who will help them out]
What does Parental Investment Theory claim?
The sex making the largest investment in offspring (e.g. pregnancy, lactation, protection) will be more discriminating in mating. The mate that invests less in offspring will compete for access to the higher investing sex.
Under what conditions (2) are neglect and infanticide possibly survival strategies?
High fertility and high infant mortality
In primates, paternal infant care behaviour is present when (3):
1) There is a long-standing familiarity with the offspring
2) The nearby infant is urgently in need of rescue
3) The male has a relationship with the mother
What levels of hormones (2) are correlated with infant care behaviours in fathers?
Higher prolactin
Lower testosterone
Aggression is linked to what hormone?
Testosterone
How much testosterone leads to “normal” aggression?
20% of normal testosterone to twice the normal amount
Differences in how men and women express aggression?
Men - direct (e.g. fighting)
Women - indirect (e.g. gossip)
Difference in how girls and boys explain poor math ability?
Girls - internal (e.g. ability/intelligence)
Boys - external (e.g. unfair test)
What is stereotype threat?
The risk of confirming negative stereotypes about an individual’s racial, ethnic, gender, or cultural group by performing poorly
How do men and women differ in their navigation strategies?
Women - landmarks
Men - geometry
Do women talk more than men?
No
Women talk more often (less words) vs men talk less often (more words)
i.e. women = high frequency, low volume; men = low frequency, high volume
3 mechanisms that promote sharing an egalitarianism in the AKA people:
1) Prestige avoidance (avoid drawing attention to themselves - prevent feelings of superiority)
2) Rough joking (keeps people modest about their abilities)
3) Demand sharing (asking for things when they want it)
What is physics envy?
When scientists believe their field is not rigorous enough
What are the three main components of Andalusian Machismo?
1) Virility (sexual assertiveness)
2) Valor (courage and bravery, duty and obligation, works hard)
3) Virtue (enthusiasm in public dealings, generosity, honesty, paying debts)
What is flojo?
Means to be inadequate/broken/flaccid (deficiently masculine)
What is a piropo?
A compliment or offering given by a man to a passing woman in public
What is personhood?
The beliefs and practices surrounding what it is to be a person
Attributes of personhood? (5)
- gender
- age
- status in family
- status in community
- physical appearance
3 stages in rites of passages?
1) Separation
2) Liminality/Initiation
3) Return/reincorporation
What does the separation phase of a rite of passage involve?
Removal from the ordinary world (especially the world of women for boys), seclusion
What does the liminality phase of a rite of passage involve?
Emotional and physical pain, repeated purifications, public displays, period of instruction by a member
What does the reincorporation phase of a rite of passage involve?
Resurrection or rebirth symbolism
Main difference between manhood and womanhood rituals?
Manhood = achieved status Womanhood = ascribed status
What do womanhood rituals typically coincide with?
First menstruation
