Unit 1

Question 1

What is the most notable characteristic of anthropology compared to other disciplines that study humans?

Answer 1

Anthropology is holistic and comparative, studying humans across time and space

Question 2

What is the most crucial aspect of cultural traditions?

Answer 2

Cultural traditions are passed down through learning rather than biological inheritance.

Question 3

How has human reliance on cultural means of adaptation changed over time?

Answer 3

Humans have become increasingly more dependent on cultural means of adaptation.

Question 4

How does anthropology’s combined focus on culture and biology contribute to its understanding of humans?

Answer 4

It allows anthropologists to understand how culture influences biological traits and vice versa.

Question 5

What is the purpose of describing how humans adapt to low oxygen pressure at high altitudes?

Answer 5

To demonstrate the human capacity for cultural and biological adaptation, variation, and change.

Question 6

What historical factor significantly influenced the development of four-field anthropology?

Answer 6

The interest of early American anthropologists in Native Americans.

Question 7

Which subdiscipline of anthropology focuses on the study of nonhuman primates?

Answer 7

Biological anthropology

Question 8

Which of the following statements is NOT true about applied anthropology?

Answer 8

It is less relevant for archaeology because archaeology typically deals with the material culture of extinct societies. This statement is false.

Question 9

What term describes a suggested but unverified explanation for observed phenomena?

Answer 9

Hypothesis

Question 10

How is the scientific method utilized in anthropology?

Answer 10

It guides any anthropological research that formulates research questions and uses systematic data to test hypotheses.

Question 11

What are the two key perspectives emphasized in anthropology?

Answer 11

Holistic and cross-cultural perspectives.

Question 12

What term describes an approach that incorporates both biological and cultural perspectives to address an issue or problem?

Answer 12

Biocultural approach

Question 13

What type of anthropological work provides a detailed account of fieldwork in a specific community, society, or culture?

Answer 13

Ethnography

Question 14

What branch of anthropology involves applying knowledge and techniques from the four subfields to solve practical problems?

Answer 14

Applied anthropology

Question 15

What method is used to structure anthropological research and involves formulating research questions and testing hypotheses with systematic data?

Answer 15

The scientific method

Question 16

How is culture learned?

Answer 16

Culture is learned through enculturation, a process that involves both conscious and unconscious learning.

Question 17

What is the “psychic unity” of humans?

Answer 17

The doctrine that, despite individual differences, all human populations possess the same capacity for culture.

Question 18

According to Leslie White, what marked the origin of culture and humanity?

Answer 18

The use of symbols

Question 19

Define “symbol” in the context of anthropology.

Answer 19

A symbol is something verbal or nonverbal that represents something else within a specific language or culture. It doesn’t need a natural or obvious connection to what it symbolizes.

Question 20

What is a key characteristic of culture in relation to individuals?

Answer 20

Culture is shared by individuals as members of groups.

Question 21

How does culture shape our biological urges and needs?

Answer 21

Culture guides how we express our natural biological urges by teaching us what, when, and how.

Question 22

Describe the anthropological perspective on “culture” in contrast to common understandings.

Answer 22

Anthropology sees all people as “cultured”, encompassing everyday aspects of life, including “popular” culture, rather than just refinement and high art.

Question 23

What is the key characteristic of an integrated culture?

Answer 23

In an integrated culture, changes in one part of the system lead to changes in other parts.

Question 24

Explain the concept of “culture is contested.”

Answer 24

It means that different groups in a society compete to determine which ideas, values, and beliefs will dominate.

Question 25

What are the three levels of culture?

Answer 25

National, international, and subcultural

Question 26

Define ethnocentrism.

Answer 26

It is the tendency to consider one’s own culture as superior and to judge others based on one’s own cultural standards.

Question 27

Explain the concept of cultural relativism.

Answer 27

Cultural relativism suggests that to understand another culture, one must comprehend the beliefs and motivations of its members within their own cultural context.

Question 28

What are the three mechanisms of cultural change discussed in the sources?

Answer 28

Diffusion (borrowing), acculturation (exchange through continuous contact), and independent invention (finding solutions to problems)

Question 29

What is globalization?

Answer 29

Globalization is the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of nations and people due to various factors like trade, communication, and migration.

Question 30

What are the differences between hominids and hominins?

Answer 30

Hominids include all fossil and living humans, chimps, and gorillas. Hominins only include fossil and living humans, excluding chimps and gorillas.