On Ruth Benedict Flashcards
This explores the idea that moral codes and concepts of normality are deeply influenced by culture. What is abnormal in one society may be completely normal and even valued in another.
Moral Relativism
What is normal or abnormal behavior is not __________ but is defined by cultural standards.
absolute
True or False: In Western Cultures, trance states are seen as aberrant or mystical. Many societies view these states as highly valued, even as marks of gifted individuals.
True
These are men in certain Native American tribes who adopt female roles.
Berdaches
True or False: Homosexuality is a sin for Greek people.
False. Homosexuality was even considered a noble path to the good life.
True or False: Paranoia in Melanesia is normalized.
True
In this country, mutual mutual distrust, fear of poisoning, and extreme secrecy pervade everyday life, making behaviors seen as paranoid in the West the cornerstones of their social order.
Melanesia
This a culture known for head-hunting.
Kwakiutl
True or False: Among the Kwakiutl, death is viewed as an affront requiring vengeance, regardless of the cause.
True
True or False: Benedict argues that every civilization can utilize the entire range of human behavioral possibilities.
False. No civilization can do so because of natural selective processes of humanity.
True or False: For Benedict, morality, much like normality, culturally defined.
True
The traits that reinforce the dominant cultural patterns are considered normal and are rewarded, while those that do not are viewed as ________.
deviant
True or False: According to Moral Relativism, the specific moral codes and values upheld by any given society are products of cultural history rather than absolute truths.
True
Benedict’s argument for moral relativism is grounded in ____________ observations that show the vast diversity of human social behavior.
anthropological
