Question 1

What field of anthropology studies monkeys and apes, but not human beings?

Accepted Answer

Primatology is the field of anthropology that studies non-human primates such as monkeys and apes. Evolutionary biology and paleoanthropology also study human evolution and ancestors, while paleoprimatology is a less commonly used term that combines aspects of both paleoanthropology and primatology.

Question 2

Participant observation as a research strategy is an essential part of which subfield of anthropology?

Accepted Answer

Participant observation is a core research strategy in cultural anthropology, which focuses on studying cultures and societies through their practices, beliefs, and values. Ethnological analysis, primatology, and descriptive linguistics are also subfields of anthropology, but they do not rely exclusively on participant observation as a research method.

Question 3

The theory of time-space compression suggests that the way we think about time and space has been transformed. What do anthropologists think might be the underlying reason for this?

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists suggest that the rapid innovation of communication and transportation technologies has led to the compression of time and space, as people and information can now be quickly and easily transported across long distances in short periods of time. This has transformed the way we think about time and space, as distances that once seemed far can now be easily traversed and connected through modern technologies.

Question 4

Ancient rift valleys and deep caves often contain human fossils that can provide clues about human evolution and the lives of our ancestors. What do we call an anthropologist who examines just the human evolutionary aspect of fossils?

Accepted Answer

A paleoanthropologist specifically examines human fossils to understand human evolution, whereas a prehistoric archaeologist generally studies all aspects of prehistoric cultures and societies, including material culture, architecture, and social organization. An archaeologist is a broader term that can refer to the study of any past human society or culture, while a paleoprimatologist is a specialist in the study of extinct primates, including early human ancestors.

Question 5

The Latin language of ancient Rome is no longer spoken routinely. What kind of work is needed to examine how Latin changed into the Romance languages of today (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian)?

Accepted Answer

Historic linguistics focuses on examining how languages change over time and can trace the historical development of Latin into the Romance languages of today. Descriptive linguistics typically focuses on analyzing the structure of a language in the present, while comparative research involves comparing different languages or language families. Classical linguistics is a broader field that encompasses the study of ancient languages and literature, but may not necessarily focus on the historical evolution of a specific language.

Question 6

Which discipline of anthropology studies human beings through the excavation and analysis of human material artifacts?

Accepted Answer

Archaeology is the discipline of anthropology that studies human beings through the excavation and analysis of human material artifacts, such as tools, pottery, and ruins of buildings.

Question 7

Anthropologists take a comprehensive approach to understanding human beings. They accomplish this task by:

Accepted Answer

The four-field approach, which includes cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, archaeology, and biological anthropology, allows anthropologists to take a comprehensive approach to understanding humans. This approach considers the past, present, and future of human societies and also incorporates the study of biology and participant observation.

Question 8

An anthropologist who has conducted fieldwork on Mormon fundamentalists and their marriage patterns wants to now compare those patterns to those of Muslim tradition. What would this require?

Accepted Answer

Ethnological analysis involves comparing and analyzing different cultures, which is what the anthropologist wants to do by comparing Mormon fundamentalist marriage patterns to those of Muslim tradition.

Question 9

The huge inflow of refugees from the wars in the Middle East to parts of Europe and Scandinavia has created a lot of social and political problems in those countries where the refugees wind up. What kind of anthropologist would offer useful input to the politicians making decisions about resettlement programs?

Accepted Answer

A cultural anthropologist would offer the most useful input to politicians making decisions about refugee resettlement programs because they study the cultural practices and beliefs of different societies. This would be particularly relevant in the case of refugees, who are likely to have different cultural backgrounds and practices from the societies to which they are being resettled. A physical anthropologist might provide insights into the health and well-being of the refugees, but would not necessarily have expertise in cultural issues. A holistic anthropologist would look at all aspects of human experience, but might not have the specific expertise in cultural practices that a cultural anthropologist would have. A sociolinguist would focus specifically on language issues, which might be relevant in some cases but not necessarily in all cases of refugee resettlement.

Question 10

What do we call an anthropologist working among a Native American group to map their spoken language into a written form?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive linguists specialize in analyzing and documenting the grammar, vocabulary, and phonetics of spoken languages. They work to capture and represent the sounds and structures of languages in a written form, which can include developing writing systems for previously unwritten languages. In this case, an anthropologist working to map a Native American group's spoken language into a written form would be considered a descriptive linguist.

Question 11

Many large corporations-Walmart, General Motors, and others-routinely operate larger numbers of factories in places like China in order to take advantage of very cheap wages, putting workers in their home country out of a job. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of flexible accumulation, which refers to the practice of multinational corporations seeking out the most profitable locations for production, often at the expense of workers in other countries.

Question 12

The scientific discipline that looks at genetics, evolution, the fossil record, and our closest relatives in the animal kingdom in order to gain a greater understanding of what it means to be human is known as:

Accepted Answer

Physical anthropology is the scientific discipline that focuses on the biological and physical aspects of humans and their closest relatives in the animal kingdom. It examines genetics, evolution, the fossil record, and the physical characteristics of humans in order to better understand what it means to be human. While evolutionary biology and primatology also deal with these topics, they have a narrower focus than physical anthropology, which is specifically concerned with the biology and physical traits of humans. Cultural anthropology, on the other hand, focuses on the study of different cultures and societies.

Question 13

What type of anthropologists explore all aspects of living human culture-from war and violence to love, sexuality, and child rearing-and look at the meanings that people from all over the world place on these things?

Accepted Answer

Cultural anthropologists explore all aspects of living human culture, including topics such as war, violence, love, sexuality, and child rearing, and aim to understand the meanings and values people from different cultures place on these things. Ethnologists and holistic anthropologists are also involved in the study of culture, but their focus may be more limited or broader than cultural anthropologists. Sociolinguists, on the other hand, study language use and social communication within a culture.

Question 14

Human beings have long been migrant, moving themselves, their material goods, and even ideas from one part of the world to another. What makes this process, which is now called globalization, seem so different today than in the past?

Accepted Answer

Intensification refers to the increased speed, volume, and widespread impact of global flows of goods, capital, people, and culture. This aspect of globalization is what distinguishes it from earlier instances of migration and cultural exchange. The four-field approach is a methodology used in anthropology, migration is a component of globalization but not unique to it, and ethnocentrism is a mindset that has existed throughout history and is not specific to globalization.

Question 15

Changes in communication technology that have allowed military spouses to switch from mailing letters to their partners in Afghanistan to chatting with them on Skype are an example of what dynamic of globalization?

Accepted Answer

The shift from mailing letters to using Skype for communication exemplifies time-space compression, a dynamic of globalization where technological advancements make it possible to communicate across long distances instantly, effectively shrinking the perceived distance between people or locations.

Question 16

Nepali workers building roads in India, Filipino maids in Saudi Arabia, and Turkish street repairmen in Germany are examples of which global dynamic?

Accepted Answer

The described examples illustrate increasing migration, which refers to the movement of people from one place to another, either within a country or across national borders, for various reasons, such as seeking better economic opportunities, fleeing conflicts or persecution, or reuniting with family members. The examples show how people from poorer countries often travel to wealthier ones to perform low-skill or menial jobs that locals may not want or are not qualified to do.

Question 17

What kind of researchers work to record languages that are disappearing by finding the last speakers and making recordings and dictionaries to preserve them for the future?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive linguists are experts in studying and documenting languages, including producing dictionaries and grammars. This includes the documentation of endangered and extinct languages. They often work with speakers of these endangered languages to record their words and phrases for preservation. The other choices (historic linguists, cultural anthropologists, and sociolinguists) have different areas of focus and do not typically specialize in documenting endangered languages.

Question 18

In the "Social Life of Things," we follow the path of a shoe. In this example, a corporation in the United States makes a large profit. At the same time, almost half of the people in Senegal live in poverty and many children suffer poor living conditions. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of uneven development as it shows how the wealth and profit generated by the corporation in the US is not benefiting the people in Senegal, where poverty and poor living conditions are prevalent. The economic and social development is not evenly distributed, leading to disparities and inequalities between different regions and communities.

Question 19

When companies move their production facilities around the world to take advantage of cheaper labor and lower taxes, what is this called by anthropologists?

Accepted Answer

This is called flexible accumulation, a term coined by anthropologist David Harvey to describe the practice of multinational corporations moving their production facilities around the world in search of cheaper labor, lower taxes, and more favorable regulations. This allows companies to maximize profits by taking advantage of the different economic conditions and incentives offered by different countries.

Question 20

Global poverty has risen dramatically over the past twenty years, and is generally considered a sign of what by anthropologists?

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists consider the rise of global poverty to be a sign of uneven development, which refers to the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities across different regions and social groups. This can arise due to a variety of factors, including historical legacies of colonialism and globalization, political instability, and social inequalities.

Quiz 1: Anthropology in a Global Age