Anthropology Basics
What is the study of human biological variation and evolution?
Biological anthropologists focus on understanding the biological aspects of humans, including genetics, human evolution, primatology, human adaptation, and the interaction between biology and culture.
What is the system or process by which societies are divided into hierarchical layers based on factors such as wealth, power, and status?
Stratification refers to the unequal distribution of resources, privileges, and opportunities in a society, leading to distinct social classes or groups.
What is the insider's perspective or the approach in anthropology that focuses on understanding cultural practices from within the context of the culture being studied?
The emic perspective seeks to grasp the meanings and interpretations that members of a specific culture hold about their own customs, values, and behaviors, providing an in-depth, internal view of that society.
What are the non-verbal elements of communication that accompany speech, such as tone, pitch, volume, and body language?
Paralanguage refers to the vocal cues and other non-verbal signals that provide context and meaning to spoken words, helping convey emotions, emphasis, or social cues beyond the literal words being spoken.
Who is Zora Neale Hurston?
Zora Neale Hurston was a pioneering African American anthropologist and writer whose fieldwork in the American South was groundbreaking. Her work was ahead of its time because she studied and represented her own community, focusing on Black folklore and culture. Additionally, she wrote for a popular audience, making her findings accessible to the broader public, rather than limiting her work to academic circles.
What is a key research method in anthropology where the researcher immerses themselves in a community to observe and participate in their daily activities?
Participant observation is a technique used to gain a deep understanding of a group's social practices, behaviors, and cultural norms by both observing and taking part in their activities over an extended period of time.
What is the dominance of one group over others, often maintained through cultural, ideological, or social means rather than force?
Hegemony refers to the way in which ruling groups can maintain control by shaping cultural norms, beliefs, and values, making their dominance seem natural or accepted by society as a whole.
What is the outsider's perspective or the approach in anthropology that analyzes cultural practices using theories and concepts from the researcher’s own culture or from a comparative, external viewpoint?
The etic perspective focuses on observing and explaining culture in ways that are more objective or generalizable, often applying broader analytical frameworks that may not be recognized by the culture being studied.
What is the study of body movements, gestures, and facial expressions as forms of non-verbal communication?
Kinesics focuses on how physical behaviors, such as posture, gestures, and eye movements, communicate messages and emotions, often playing a significant role in interpersonal interactions.
Who is Tanya Luhrmann?
In her work, "Belief is the Least Part of Faith," anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann explores the idea that faith is not solely about belief, but also involves practice, experience, and community. She argues that faith is shaped more by the experiences and actions that engage individuals with their religious community and traditions than by doctrinal belief alone. This challenges conventional understandings of faith as primarily cognitive.
What is the approach in anthropology that emphasizes the study of humans by considering the full range of human experiences, including biological, cultural, linguistic, and archaeological aspects?
Holism refers to the idea that to fully understand a society or culture, all aspects of human life (social, environmental, biological, and cultural) must be considered together.
What is the outdated anthropological theory that all societies progress through a set sequence of stages from 'savage' to 'civilized'?
Unilineal cultural evolution is a 19th-century theory that suggests cultures evolve in a single line or path of development, with Western civilization often viewed as the pinnacle of progress. This concept has been largely discredited for its ethnocentrism and oversimplification of cultural diversity.
Who are individuals within a community who provide detailed and valuable information to researchers, offering insights into the culture or social structure?
Key informants are often trusted members of a group who have in-depth knowledge and experience, helping anthropologists or researchers understand complex cultural practices and social dynamics from an insider perspective.
What is the linguistic theory that suggests that the language a person speaks influences their perception and worldview?
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, also known as linguistic relativity, argues that language shapes thought processes and cognitive patterns, meaning that speakers of different languages may experience the world in distinct ways based on the structure and vocabulary of their language.
How do the Langkawi people in Malaysia practice forms of non-biological kinship?
They believe that living together and sharing meals can create familial bonds. This understanding of kinship is based on shared social practices and experiences, rather than biological connections, emphasizing the role of daily interactions, food, and co-residence in forming close, family-like relationships.
What is the concept in human geography and anthropology that refers to the ways in which modern technology and transportation have shortened the distances between places and sped up communication, making the world feel smaller?
Time-space compression highlights how innovations such as the internet, air travel, and other technologies have transformed the perception of distance and time, altering social and economic relationships globally
What are the shared expectations and rules that guide the behavior of people within a society?
Norms refer to the accepted standards of behavior within a group or society, shaping how individuals act in specific situations and helping maintain social order.
What is the first step to take when starting fieldwork?
A literature review to summarize existing information and locate gaps in the knowledge base.
What is the ability to communicate about things that are not present in the immediate environment, such as past or future events, or abstract concepts?
Displacement is a feature of human language that allows individuals to refer to objects, actions, or ideas that are distant in time or space, distinguishing human communication from most animal communication systems.
What is the ethnographic account 'Eating Christmas in the Kalahari' by Richard Borshay Lee?
In this classic piece, Richard Borshay Lee describes his experience of giving an ox to the !Kung San people of the Kalahari Desert as a Christmas gift. The !Kung, however, criticized the ox as being too thin and unimpressive, a response Lee later understood as part of their cultural practice of humility and leveling behavior to discourage arrogance and pride. This essay reveals important insights into cultural values and social interactions within the community.
What is the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own culture, leading to the judgment of other cultures by the standards of one's own?
Ethnocentrism involves evaluating other cultures based on the assumptions and values of one's own, often resulting in bias or misunderstanding of different cultural practices.
What is the theoretical framework that examines the relationships between human and non-human entities in shaping social outcomes?
Actor-network theory (ANT) explores how both people (actors) and things (networks) interact and influence each other, highlighting the role that non-human objects, technologies, and institutions play in social processes. It emphasizes that agency is distributed across a network of actors, not just individuals.
Who is Bronisław Malinowski
Bronisław Malinowski, a pioneering anthropologist, is credited with developing participant observation as a key method in anthropology during his fieldwork in the Trobriand Islands in the early 20th century. His immersive approach set the standard for ethnographic research.
What is the distinction between the smallest units of sound and the smallest units of meaning in a language?
Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another (e.g., the sounds /p/ and /b/ in "pat" vs. "bat"). Morphemes, on the other hand, are the smallest units of meaning in a language, which can be a whole word (e.g., "cat") or a part of a word that conveys meaning (e.g., "un-" in "undo").
Who is Joseph Laycock?
Joseph Laycock, a scholar of religion, has analyzed the QAnon conspiracy theory through the lens of religious studies. He argues that QAnon functions like a new religious movement, with its followers interpreting cryptic messages, participating in rituals, and developing a shared worldview. Laycock's work explores how the language and terminology used within QAnon create a sense of belonging and purpose among its adherents, as well as how it parallels traditional religious structures in shaping beliefs and behaviors.