Question 1

Malinowski argued that his functionalist theory would be of great use to the colonial administrators and missionaries who &#34;need to exploit savage trade and savage labor.&#34;

Accepted Answer

Malinowski believed that his functionalist theory could be used by colonial administrators and missionaries to understand and work with the cultures and societies of the "savage" peoples they were encountering, particularly in regard to trade and labor relations. He saw functionalism as a tool for facilitating communication and cooperation between different groups.

Question 2

Launched during the Cold War, Project Camelot sought to employ social scientists to identify the causes of social rebellion, and the actions pro-US governments could take to undermine their political opposition.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Project Camelot was launched by the US government during the Cold War with the aim of studying potential social and political revolutions in developing countries, and to advise pro-US governments on how to suppress such uprisings. The project employed social scientists to conduct research and gather information on various countries and their potential for rebellion.

Question 3

Lacking any way to analyze conflict from a functionalist perspective, the anthropologist Max Gluckman simply ignored the &#34;rituals of rebellion&#34; that regularly occur in some African societies.

Accepted Answer

Max Gluckman was actually known for developing a functionalist approach to analyzing conflict in African societies, which he described as "rituals of rebellion." Therefore, it is false to say that he ignored these rituals.

Question 4

From Raymond Firth's perspective, &#34;social organization&#34; consists of the actual behavior of people, as opposed to the rules for behavior prescribed by social structure.

Accepted Answer

According to Raymond Firth, social organization refers to the actual behavior of people in society, rather than the formal rules and norms prescribed by social structure.

Question 5

Marcel Mauss argued that no gift is entirely &#34;free&#34; to the recipient, but always contains the expectation of some return.

Accepted Answer

Marcel Mauss, a French sociologist and anthropologist, proposed the concept of "gift exchange" in his book "The Gift" where he argued that all gifts involve social obligations and expectations of reciprocity, even if it is not explicitly stated. The recipient is expected to provide a return gift or engage in some form of social exchange, creating a sense of obligation and maintaining social relationships. Therefore, no gift is entirely "free" to the recipient.

Question 6

Anthropologists who study economic behavior in non-capitalist societies tend to agree with economists that rationality is universal to all human societies.

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists who study economic behavior in non-capitalist societies often argue that notions of rationality are culturally specific and context-dependent rather than universal. They suggest that economic decisions in these societies are influenced by factors such as social norms, morality, and tradition as well as individual self-interest.

Question 7

Adam Smith agreed with Hobbes in claiming that when people act in terms of their self-interest the result is conflict, abuse, and tyranny.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Adam Smith believed that when people act in their self-interest, the result can be beneficial to society as a whole through the invisible hand mechanism of the market. He argued that the pursuit of self-interest could lead to increased productivity, innovation, and societal wealth.

Question 8

Frederic Barth argued that his theory of transactionalism-and its assumption of reciprocity in social relationships-applies well within families or egalitarian societies, but breaks down in unequal situations like Swat Pathans.

Accepted Answer

Frederic Barth argued that his theory of transactionalism, which assumes reciprocity in social relationships, does indeed apply to unequal situations like those of the Swat Pathans, showing how even in hierarchical and unequal societies, social relationships can be understood through the lens of transactions and negotiations.

Question 9

Talal Asad argues that Barth's view of khan-tenant relations as reciprocal probably reflected the fact that he interacted the most with relatively powerful individuals and internalized their view of Swat Pathans society.

Accepted Answer

Talal Asad argues that Barth's interaction with relatively powerful individuals in Swat Pathans society led to his view of khan-tenant relations as reciprocal.

Question 10

According to Bourdieu, an individual's position in society was determined not just by his or her wealth, but also by symbolic, social, and cultural capital.

Accepted Answer

Bourdieu believed that an individual's social status was determined by not only their economic capital but also by their cultural, symbolic, and social capital. These forms of capital relate to an individual's education, cultural knowledge, networks, and recognition in social groups.

Deck 10: Anti-Structure and the Collapse of Empire