Test 1 Flashcards
enculturation
- process of learning a particular culture; either trained or picking it up through experience
- mechanisms of transmitting culture
holistic/holism
-sees culture and society as systems of interrelated parts
-holistic perspective on culture:
super organic
organism made up of smaller units
people are the parts of society, & also products of that society
4 fields of anthropology
- physical (biological) anthro: studies the biology and anatomy of humans and other closely related species; study the evolution of the biological organism
- archaeology: examining culturals of the past through their material artifacts discovered
- linguistic anthro: focus on language and the study of humans
- socio-cultural anthro: look at human groups in the present. do research with living human groups. focus on humans as cultural beings
anthropology
the study of man, based on human reasoning
ethnocentrism
the idea that our beliefs and behaviors are right and true, and that other peoples behaviors are false
relativism/cultural relativism?
no behavior or belief can be judged to be odd or wrong simply because it is different from our own
suspending your own definition of right/wrong
anthropological fieldwork
firsthand or direct immersion and observation of the people or culture a researcher is trying to understand
participant observation
the active participation of a researcher or observer in the lives of those studied
emic
emic: insider’s perspective, peoples own categories
matrilineal kinship
links relatives through females only, emphasize’s a person’s ties to their mother
patrilineal kinship
links relatives through males only, emphasizes a persons ties to their father
bilateral kinship
kinship is determined through males and females simultaneously (mothers and fathers)
polygamy
one person can be married with more than one person simultaneously
dowry
price paid by the wife’s family to groom’s family
polygyny
multiple wives
polyandry
multiple husbands
incest taboo
rule that prohibits sexual intercourse or marriage between certain classes of kin; often explained as a way to extend alliances between kin groups
rules against members of the same family having sex, marrying, or producing children
brideservice
marriage requirement that groom must work for the bride’s parents for some time
bridewealth/brideprice
marriage price paid by grooms family to the bride’s family
neolocal
when a newly married couple resides outside of their parent’s home
habitus
the often taken-for-granted ways of acting, acquired through individual and social experience
participant observations
- closely observe and document the behaviors in which they are participating
- hallmark tool of cultural anthropology
- intensive, causes anthro to work closer with smaller communities
open response questions
allows for the information to tell a narrative or give a more in-depth reponse
closed questions
allow for brief and limited responses
ex. yes or no questions
culture shock
feeling of uncertainty and anxiety an individual can experience when placed in a strange cultural setting
descent
culturally established affiliation between a child and one or more parents
family groups are generally arranged around cultural concepts of descent
lineage
group of kin whose members can actually trace how they are related
affinity/affinial
related by law or social arrangement
ex. in-laws
consanguinity
related by blood
fictive
those who are included in family roles/relationships that are not related by law or blood, or are often differentiated from other kin
ex. godparents, adopted, “blood brothers”
etic
outsider’s point of view
exogamy
- social pattern where members of a clan must marry someone from another clan
- effect: building political, economical, and social ties with other clans
Franz Boas
“founder of american anthropology”
- criticized anthropologists who worked as spies
- major figure in historical particularism
- The heart of his work: to learn about other peoples perspectives, one has to try to overcome one’s own cultural framework
endogamy
marrying within the tribe/clan
monogamy
engaging in a sexual relationship or marriage with only one person
serial monogamy
engaging in a succession of monogamous sexual relationships
avunculocal
located in or centered around the residence of the husbands maternal uncle
patrilocal
process of marriage settling down in husbands home/community
opposite: matrilocal
cross cousins
first cousins who are children of a brother and sister
parallel cousins
first cousins who are children of two brothers, or of two sisters
Trobriand Islander idea of conception
- tied to their concept of reincarnation, and downplays the role of males/sperm in conception
- separate from sex and separate from biological explanations for conception
heteroglossia
the presence of two or more voices or expressed viewpoints in a text or other artistic work
