Question 1

Beyond Morgan's and Tylor's early anthropological work, no major theoretical paradigm in anthropology has embraced the role of evolution in cultural change.

Accepted Answer

Many major theoretical paradigms in anthropology have embraced the role of evolution in cultural change, such as cultural evolutionism, cultural ecology, and evolutionary anthropology.

Question 2

The etic perspective refers to a non-scientific perspective.

Accepted Answer

The etic perspective refers to an outsider or objective perspective, often used in scientific studies and research to observe and analyze a culture or phenomenon. It is opposite to the emic perspective, which refers to an insider or subjective perspective. Therefore, the etic perspective is scientific in nature, rather than non-scientific.

Question 3

Longitudinal research is the long-term study of a community, region, society, culture, or other unit, usually based on repeated visits.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research involves collecting data repeatedly over an extended period, which allows researchers to track changes and patterns over time.

Question 4

Morgan and Tylor, both considered among the fathers of anthropology, worked within the paradigm of unilinear evolution.

Accepted Answer

Both Morgan and Tylor are considered to be pioneers of unilinear cultural evolution, which suggests that all societies developed along a single trajectory from simple to complex.

Question 5

Briefly describe the nine characteristic field techniques of the ethnographer.How do they compare with the research techniques you have learned about in courses or readings in other academic disciplines?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly describe the nine characteristic field techniques...

Question 6

Boas and his students were strong proponents of cross-cultural comparisons, without which they could not validate their findings.

Accepted Answer

Boas and his students emphasized the importance of understanding cultures on their own terms rather than through direct comparison, arguing that each culture is unique and must be studied within its own context.

Question 7

The American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics prohibits anthropologists from working with governments on matters of national security.

Accepted Answer

The American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics does not explicitly prohibit anthropologists from working with governments on matters of national security. Instead, it emphasizes the need for transparency, informed consent, and the welfare of affected parties, allowing for such work under ethical guidelines.

Question 8

Manchester anthropologists Max Gluckman and Victor Turner made conflict an important part of their analysis, distancing themselves somewhat from Panglossian functionalism, the tendency to see things as functioning not just to maintain the system but to do so in the most optimal way possible.

Accepted Answer

Max Gluckman and Victor Turner did make conflict an important part of their analysis and distanced themselves from the tendency of Panglossian functionalism.

Question 9

Survey research is usually conducted through intensive personal contact with the study subjects.

Accepted Answer

Survey research can be conducted through different methods such as online surveys, mail surveys, phone surveys, and face-to-face interviews. However, with the advancement of technology, online surveys have become the most popular mode of survey research.

Question 10

Ethnography is increasingly multitimed and multisited, the result of a shift toward a recognition of the ongoing and inescapable flows of people, technology, images, and information that characterizes much of the world today.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately reflects the current trend in ethnography towards understanding the complex, interconnected nature of global phenomena.

Question 11

Survey research studies a small sample of a larger population.

Accepted Answer

Survey research typically collects data from a sample of individuals who are representative of a larger population, in order to draw conclusions about that population as a whole. It is not feasible or practical to conduct research on an entire population, so a sample is used to estimate the characteristics or attitudes of the larger group.

Question 12

Much of the history of anthropology has been about the roles and relative prominence of culture and the individual.

Accepted Answer

Anthropology has long debated and studied the interplay between culture and the individual, examining how cultural norms, beliefs, and practices shape individual behavior and vice versa. This topic has been central to the discipline since its inception.

Question 13

Given the realities of the contemporary world, anthropologists need to apply methods that protect their analyses from biases caused by external forces.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Given the realities of the contemporary world,...

Question 14

The emic perspective focuses on local explanations of criteria and significance.

Accepted Answer

The emic perspective is indeed concerned with understanding local views and interpretations of criteria and significance, as opposed to relying solely on outsider or "etic" perspectives.

Question 15

Despite the increasing popularity of team research among anthropologists, the best ethnographies are always the product of individual work.

Accepted Answer

While team research has its advantages, it is not necessarily the case that the best ethnographies are always the product of individual work. Some exceptionally successful ethnographies have been produced by teams of researchers.

Question 16

Among the classic works of processual approaches to culture is Edmund Leach's Political Systems of Highland Burma.This study made a tremendously important point by taking a regional rather than a local perspective.

Accepted Answer

Edmund Leach's Political Systems of Highland Burma took a regional rather than a local perspective and made a significant contribution to the processual approach to culture.

Question 17

The overall trend in anthropological theory has been from theories that put human agency at the center of cultural dynamics to paradigms that see evolution as the main force behind cultural change.

Accepted Answer

The overall trend in anthropological theory has been from evolutionary models to more culturally centered theories, not the other way around.

Question 18

Franz Boas's famous biological studies of European immigrants to the United States revealed and measured phenotypical plasticity, showing that the environment and cultural forces could change human biology.

Accepted Answer

Franz Boas's studies did indeed show that the environment and cultural forces could change human biology.

Question 19

This chapter's overview of the history of anthropological theory suggests that the discipline has made no important contributions to social theory in general.

Accepted Answer

The chapter's overview actually argues that anthropological theory has made significant contributions to social theory, particularly in the areas of culture, power, and diversity.

Question 20

Because there are so many anthropologists in the United States, the distinction between emic and etic does not apply to American culture.

Accepted Answer

The distinction between emic and etic perspectives can be applied to any culture, including American culture, regardless of the number of anthropologists studying it. Emic and etic perspectives are important tools for understanding cultural practices and beliefs from both an insider and outsider perspective.

Quiz 3: Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology