Deck 7: Belief Systems

Question 1

What is the geographic location of the Nacirema people?

A) South America, near Belize.
B) North America, between Canada and Mexico.
C) Europe.
D) In the West.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is not found within Nacirema shrine rooms?

A) A charm box filled with potions.
B) A font for ritual cleansing.
C) A sacred vessel for excretion.
D) A table filled with seasonal fruits.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The holy-mouth-men serve an important function that combines:

A) Assorted tools and ritual torture.
B) Music and religious fervor.
C) Hypnotic trance and nerve blockers.
D) Powerful psychedelic drugs and long periods of eating.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The ethnographic view of the Nacirema is told from a(n):

A) Emic (insider) perspective.
B) Etic (outsider) perspective.
C) First-person perspective
D) Alternating perspective.

Question 5

This chapter is a satirical work based on what actual group?

A) Yaqui of the 19^th century.
B) Nacirema people of the great plains.
C) Americans of the 20^th century.
D) The French.

Question 6

Malinowski suggested that magic should be associated with:

A) The most important activities in any cultural setting.
B) Group leaders, such as the pitcher in baseball.
C) The least powerful group members, such as fielders in baseball.
D) Activities where outcomes depend highly on chance.

Question 7

As practiced by baseball players, rituals serve to:

A) Bring an element of personal control into the randomness of the game.
B) Disrupt the luck of the enemy team.
C) Prevent forbidden behaviors on the field.
D) Imbue items with special powers.

Question 8

Crossing bats or using the words "no-hitter" are examples of:

A) Ritual behavior.
B) Pre-game magic to ensure good luck.
C) Taboos that can bring bad luck.
D) Fetishized behavior.

Question 9

Gmelsh describes fetishes in baseball as:

A) Sexual behaviors related to game superstitions.
B) Everyday items imbued with luck.
C) Social relations represented within magical items.
D) Figurines or images that carry a player's spirit.

Question 10

Based on Gmelch's analysis of baseball, in which of these careers would you expect to find magical behaviors?

A) Long-distance trucking.
B) Teaching math.
C) Stock trading.
D) Architecture.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is true regarding witchcraft in Ghana?

A) Witchcraft is always an affliction given to others, leading to negative outcomes.
B) People are usually unaware that they have witchcraft powers until they are accused by a stranger.
C) Witchcraft powers may be used to "dewitch" others.
D) Women who have peaceful homes cannot be witches.

Question 12

A human rights perspective on witches camps leads ultimately to:

A) International calls to protect freedom of religion.
B) A drive toward economic development and modernity.
C) Marginalization of older women.
D) More idyllic camps modeled after 19^th century villages.

Question 13

Accusations of witchcraft are most often:

A) Associated with pre-existing family conflicts.
B) Motivated by distrust rather than money.
C) In response to unexplained weather.
D) Resolved within the legal system.

Question 14

When women cannot return home because there is "no peace in the house," this means:

A) That there is a lack of quiet space at their family home.
B) That they remain convinced that their witchcraft powers might return.
C) That family members are unable to enter the camp to retrieve them.
D) That there remains unresolved conflict in their family home.

Question 15

Overall, witches camps in Ghana are home to:

A) Older women suffering from isolation and banishment.
B) Children who have been sent to live with the witch.
C) Men who have been accused of witchcraft.
D) All of the above.

Question 16

Creationism as understood today has its roots in:

A) Coptic traditions from 1500 years ago.
B) 19^th and 20^th century Seventh Day Adventism.
C) Literal translations of the earliest known religious texts.
D) The Catholic Church's rejection of evolutionary theory.

Question 17

The developers of Kentucky's Ark Encounter are seeking:

A) The cultivation of legitimacy through entertainment.
B) A scientific understanding of the physics behind the Ark.
C) A new alliance of religious practitioners.
D) A decrease in cultural capital, since cultural capital is associated with science.

Question 18

For scientists promoting an evolutionary perspective, cultural capital comes from:

A) Debunking Ark reconstructions.
B) Service work within religious communities.
C) Publishing, museum displays, and research funding.
D) Reenacting the life of Charles Darwin.

Question 19

Peter Stromberg argues that entertainment is:

A) A powerful ideological system.
B) Essentially empty of meaning.
C) Dominated by know-nothing actors.
D) A poor way to advance a religious agenda.

Question 20

Creationism is best viewed as:

A) A misunderstanding of religious texts.
B) An anti-science political movement.
C) An active religious movement trying to claim legitimacy.
D) A poor model for citizenship.

Question 21

According to Dr. Luhrmann, the chief goal of anthropology is:

A) The study of prayer and folklore.
B) The way shared stories shape individual psychology and behavior.
C) How stories are socially constructed.
D) How people determine what is real.

Question 22

Which group does Dr. Luhrmann not consider a key audience for her work?

A) Anthropologists
B) Religious organizations
C) Psychologists and psychiatrists
D) The public

Question 23

Systems of belief that rely on magic or supernatural power are rational-they are just part of a different logic of rationality than scientific knowledge. Agree or disagree with this statement, using evidence from the text to support your position.

Question 24

Based on the readings in this section, what is the difference between magic and religion? Give examples of each, using the text to support your analysis.

Question 25

What type of object is a fetish? Using the readings in this section, describe at least three fetish objects and how they are used.

Question 26

How does entertainment link to both religion and magic? Provide examples from two different chapters in this section.

Question 27

Scientific knowledge follows many of the tenets of a belief system. Using evidence from this section, describe science as a belief system. Does this perspective make scientific knowledge less legitimate?