Cultural Anthro
What are the 2 branches of cultural anthropology? Describe each.
Ethnology:
Linguistic Anthropology:
What are the 4 (+1) branches of biological/physical anthropology?
primatology, Paleoanthropology, forensic, human variation, (archaeology)
What is a rite of passage?
ceremony/ritual/event that signifies a Person’s passage form one stage of life to another.
Who developed Acculturation theory?
John Berry
Ernestine Friedl belongs to which school of thought?
feminist anthropology
Identify the difference between structured, semi-structured and structured interviews (be specific). When might an anthropologist use each of these methods?
Structured: can be conducted by a non-expert, set list of questions, open-ended
Semi-Structured: flexible, general idea of info wanted but allow for new questions to arise
Unstructured: led by informant, no deception
Who were the Trimates, and why were their contributions to primatology important?
Goodall, Fossey and Galdikas - trailblazers for women in anthro
List 5 examples of common rites of passage in Canada (or another country/culture - specify!)
puberty, graduation, getting a job, getting married, moving out, etc.
Who developed the stage-model theory of ethnic identity?
J.S. Phinney
Describe the postmodernism school of thought. Why was Sam Dunn’s (a Canadian anthropologist) research biased?
Belief that one cannot have true knowledge about the world.
Dunn Studied heavy-metal subcultures… a group that he identified with/was a part of… bias!
What is ethnology and what is the piece of writing that anthropologists create using information from their studies?
Ethnology studies the origins of cultures, races and peoples.
Who uses ‘digs’ to uncover artifacts that reveal information about the behaviours of a culture?
Archaeologists
Charles-Arnoldvan Gennep.
1. Segregation (separation): separation from society, often a physical and geographic change
2. Transition (liminal stage): 2nd stage, where individual starts to adjust to new roles, mentor present, time in this stage varies
3. Reintegration/Incorporation: back in society with new status/roles
What are 2 criticisms of Phinney’s model?
rigid, based on particular groups, may not apply to all situations, some people stay on one stage
Cultural relativism: cultures cannot be compared as they have different internal rules
What are the 3 sub-branches of linguistic anthropology? Describe each
Historical: development of languages over time, migratory changes
Structural (Chomsky): meaning of words
Socio: expression of culture and status
What are Darwin’s 3 principles of Natural Selection?
1. Variation
2. Heritability
3. Environmental fitness
Provide an example of a rite of passage and identify how it falls into each of the 3 phases Described by van Gennep
answers will vary…
Bar/Bat Mitzvah
1. Segregation: learn Hebrew/Torah scriptures (privately in synagogue)
2. Transition: rabbi/parents help guide into adulthood, learning new responsibilities
3. Reintegration/Incorporation: recognized as an adult, new roles expected
What are the 4 categories of acculturation theory?
assimilation, integration, separation, marginalization
Bronislaw Malinowski developed what theory? How do his beliefs differ from Boas’ theory?
functional theory - every belief/action/relationship within a culture functions to meet the needs of the individuals within the culture.
Malinowski felt that cultures could be compared objectively.
determine the structures/clues forensic anthropologists rely on to identify: gender, age, and height in skeletal remains.
gender: pelvis (narrow=male, wide=female), femur length
age: teeth, bone density
Height: femur length
What is the main difference between Phinney & Berry’s model?
Phinney is in phases (assumes linear transition), Berry’s is categories (self-identified)
Describe Marvin Harris’ and Maxine Margolis’ approach to cultural relativism
Harris: material conditions influence cultural development, infrastructure/structure/super structure stages
Maxine: material conditions change before ideas change