Deck 4: Economies and Cultures of Capitalism

Question 1

Kula gifts of shell necklaces and armbands circulate continually, and gain value based on:

A) Association with famous or successful kula partners.
B) Age of the necklaces or armbands.
C) The addition of very fine craftsmanship.
D) The presence of gold or other precious materials.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The Kwakiutl potlatch is a feasting ceremony where the goal is to:

A) Have guests all bring dishes and share among the crowd.
B) Have guests provide gifts for the host, much like a modern birthday party.
C) Have rivals compete to give away as much property as possible.
D) Calculate gifts that are not so extravagant that they cannot be reciprocated.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In many cultures, it is important that gifts not be too large, since:

A) A very large gift may seem to be a bribe.
B) Gifts that are too large may be impossible to recipricate properly.
C) Very large gifts indicate distrust.
D) Very large gifts may indicate that the giver is "showing off."

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In some cultures, such as the Kwakiutl of British Columbia and the Mount Hagen tribes of New Guinea, gift giving has become:

A) A localized replacement for warfare.
B) Very rare, due to the expansion of capitalism.
C) A ceremonial way of celebrating fertility.
D) More common, but focused on smaller and smaller gifts.

Question 5

Warren Hagstrom has studied gift-giving as a means of gaining recognition and status among:

A) Poor blacks in The Flats.
B) Indigenous groups in British Columbia
C) Publishing scientists.
D) Mount Hagen tribes of New Guinea.

Question 6

"Primitive money" is money that is traditionally used for:

A) Purchasing stone tools or simple wooden objects.
B) Reorganizing or stabilizing social relations.
C) Market purchases when cash is not available.
D) Very few things, since primitive money was too heavy to carry.

Question 7

Philippe Rospabé argued that primitive money was:

A) A way to recognize debts that cannot possibly be repaid.
B) A way to gain access to a bride or husband.
C) A familiar precursor to modern money.
D) A way to pay back very large debts.

Question 8

The term "bridewealth" is applied to:

A) Gifts that are given to the woman's family in exchange for a bride.
B) Gifts that are given to a woman's family to ensure the right to children from marriage.
C) Wealth that comes into a marriage from the bride's family.
D) Symbolic gifts presented to the woman's family in recognition of the value of a wife.

Question 9

According to Graeber, what would be the only truly appropriate gift to give in exchange for a woman?

A) Cattle.
B) Beads and precious metals.
C) Money.
D) Another woman.

Question 10

According to Graeber, which of the following came first?

A) Money as a means of simplifying trade.
B) Primitive money.
C) Debts as a form of social cohesion.
D) Credit as a market tool.

Question 11

As described by Laura Nader, the process of studying powerful groups and organizations is:

A) Ethnoeconomics.
B) "Studying Up."
C) Power Ethnography
D) Business Anthropology.

Question 12

The working space of banking analysts is called:

A) The Deck
B) The Bullpen
C) The Infield
D) Home Plate

Question 13

Workers within the bank form a rough hierarchy based on:

A) The number of years they have worked there.
B) The years of education and degree that they hold.
C) The type of university that they attended.
D) Whether they prefer the front office or the back office.

Question 14

Which of the following is the most prestigious?

A) The front office.
B) The middle office.
C) The back office.
D) All are equally prestigious.

Question 15

In Ho's ethnographic study, the focus is on:

A) Organizational charts and reporting structures.
B) Details of what people said, wore, and the physical context of the space.
C) Differences in salaries between workers.
D) Educational programs for bank employees.

Question 16

How did the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet contribute to the destruction of Hurricane Katrina?

A) It led to the deterioration of natural wetlands that would have protected the city.
B) It prevented the effective evacuation of the city.
C) It allowed flood waters to drain from the city more rapidly.
D) It was a major transportation route for aid supplies.

Question 17

Throughout the 1990s, Army Corps of Engineers projects relied on subcontractors for work that often:

A) Rebuilt levees using weak materials.
B) Benefited the oil industry rather than strengthening levees.
C) Focused on extending canals into subdivisions.
D) Left work incomplete.

Question 18

Following the disaster, funds for the recovery were distributed to subcontractors with contracts in the millions of dollars. Little of this money remained in the New Orleans area. This is an example of:

A) Disaster capitalism.
B) Development assistance.
C) Recovery capitalism.
D) Trickle-down economics.

Question 19

What is meant by the statement that the recovery of New Orleans was racialized?

A) The recovery was structured to maximize profit, so poor blacks received less.
B) Since poor neighborhoods were largely destroyed, the remaining areas of the city were wealthier.
C) The black population of New Orleans largely refused to accept aid.
D) The recovery was managed ineffectively so everyone suffered.

Question 20

Recovery efforts in New Orleans resulted in thousands of poor blacks leaving the city. The inequality of recovery:

A) Was a new racism imposed following the hurricane.
B) Relied on a military presence in the city for forced removal.
C) Built on pre-existing inequalities in the city.
D) Could not have been avoided, since the disaster was unexpected.

Question 21

What is involved in studying the "social and cultural lives of products"?

A) The people and social configurations emerging from and leading to the life cycles of products.
B) Interviews with products, observations of products at work.
C) Solo work outside the corporate realm.
D) Understanding the physical and chemical properties of materials as well as their engineering tolerances.

Question 22

What questions arise for Dr. Cefkin regarding the development of autonomous cars?

A) How will the rewards accrue, and what happens to the economic shifts in terms of job displacements, etc.?
B) How will disposal of old cars impact the environment of the future?
C) How will universal access to car travel shape culture?
D) What will the development of autonomous cars mean for other technological forms?

Question 23

The first two chapters in this section focus to some degree on gifts. The second two focus on cultures of capitalism. What are two differences between a gift-based economy and a capitalist economy? Use evidence from the text to support your points.

Question 24

Humans are by nature generous, especially within their own social groups. Agree or disagree with this statement. Be sure to support your position using evidence from the text.

Question 25

Define disaster capitalism. Is disaster capitalism a misuse of capitalism, or an example of capitalism working as intended? Give at least two reasons for your answer.

Question 26

Graeber argues that bridewealth is important because no actual price can equal the value of a human being. Assuming that Graeber is correct, how would you explain the recurrence of the slave trade?

Question 27

Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street is an example of Studying Up. How are anthropological studies of remote groups useful for anthropologists who want to "study up?" Give at least two examples based on the text.