Study Guide for Cultural Anthropology, Exam #1

 

I.  Multiple Choice  Some of these are similar to those that have appeared on your quizzes, but questions will also cover readings assigned that I did not quiz you over, as well as material from class presentations.  Most, if not all, of your exam will be multiple choice and perhaps some True/False.

 

II.  Matching and Identifications.  There may be some terms that you will match to their definitions, perhaps a few you will identify, while others will appear in multiple choice, True/False questions.  The terms will come from this list:

 

anthropological linguistics      fossils                                 subculture                      explanation

anthropology                        historical archaeology             sociolinguistics               ethnographic present

applied anthropology              adaptive/maladaptive               E.B. Tyler                      hypotheses

ethnocentrism                       cultural relativism                  Franz Boas                     laws

participant observation            holistic                                early evolutionism           political economy

archaeology                          etic/emic                              Bronislaw Malinowski      binary oppositions

biological anthropology            Homo sapiens                     cultural ecology               cultural anthropology sociobiology                         human paleontology               ethnocentric                    statistical association

culture                                 fieldwork                              Edward B. Tylor              theories

descriptive linguistics             prehistory                             types of magic                sororate

ethnographer                         Primates                              norms                            the Masai

ethnohistorian                       parallel cousins                     honey-beer                      levirate

ethnology                             cross cousins                        behavioral ecology           polygyny

bridewealth                           ritual murder                         cattle complex                 pastoralism

types of reciprocity                patrilineage                           transhumance                  clan

moot                                   bride capture                         scarification                    hyena

heifer                                   kraal                                    clitoridectomy                 circumcision      

 

III.  There may be a few questions which can be answered by a phrase or perhaps even by a word.  These will come from the text, for which you should examine the questions on the relevant chapters and the summary at the end of each chapter; the ethnography on the Barabaig, for which you should also examine relevant quizzes and consider the points about the ethnography raised in class; classroom presentations; and the video about the Masai.  The following outline might help you organize your notes, but you might also check out the book’s website and links to chapter exercises:

 

I.  The Scope of Anthropology

            A.  How anthropology differs from related/similar academic disciplines

            B.  Branches of anthropology

                        1.  Physical anthropology and its subfields

                        2.  Cultural anthropology and its subfiekds

II.  The Concept of Culture

            A.  General definition and importance

            B.  Attitudes that hinder the study of cultures

            C.  Characteristics of culture

                        1.  Learned                                 4.  Integrated

                        2.  Shared                                   5.  Dynamic/changing

                        3.  Adaptive                                6.  Patterned

III.  Anthropological Theories

A.    Theoretical Orientations

1.  Early evolutionism and its proponents (Tyler) 2.  Historical Particularism and its proponents (Boas)

                   3. Cultural ecology                                                   4.  Political Economy

       5. Sociobiology and behavioral ecology                        6. Interpretive Approaches

            B.   Explanations and Theories

IV. Types of research in cultural anthropology

            A.  General Steps

                        1.  Collecting data (ethnography)  2.  Comparing data (ethnology)

            B.  Ethnography

                        1.  Participant observation - advantages and disadvantages

                        2.  Sample ethnography - The Barabaig