Deck 9: Gender

Question 1

In what types of societies would you most expect to encounter sex/gender alternatives?

A)In industrial societies where there is little parental supervision.
B)In societies undergoing rapid change,because there is a need to constantly adjust gender roles.
C)In societies where there is a great deal of warfare and no way to resolve conflict.
D)In societies where monogamy is the only option for marriage.
E)In societies where androgyny is considered sacred and powerful.

Answer 1

In societies where androgyny is considered sacred and powerful.

Question 2

Which of the following beliefs is typical of the Sambia?

A)Homosexuals should be punished by stoning.
B)Only men can make men.
C)Women should endure but not enjoy sex.
D)One of the sexiest things you can do is eat your partner's hair lice.
E)Boys who are effeminate should not have sexual relations with girls.

Answer 2

Only men can make men.

Question 3

Among some subarctic hunting cultures,a family with no sons might perform a transformation ceremony for a daughter selected to "be like a man." As part of this ceremony,they tied dried bear ovaries to her belt to prevent menstruation and pregnancy.This description indicates that:

A)Subarctic Indian peoples need sex education as part of their modern school curriculum.
B)Hunting societies recognize that women are equal to men in their hunting ability.
C)These peoples recognize,as most people in the world do,the difference between sex and gender.
D)Gender categories for these societies are not divided into masculine and feminine.
E)For these people,cultural features could be as important in determining the gender of a child as biology.

Answer 3

For these people,cultural features could be as important in determining the gender of a child as biology.

Question 4

The masculine cultural belief in Spain that women's lust is a threat to male honor and dignity is:

A)A contemporary belief with no historical roots.
B)Realistic given the high rate of temporary male migration which leaves women unprotected at home.
C)Rooted in traditional Christianity where the lustful woman is symbolized by Eve as Adam's temptress.
D)A unique cultural pattern found in few other places in the world.
E)In contrast to traditional Christianity where women are regarded as dignified,virginal persons.

Question 5

Contemporary anthropological approaches to gender emphasize:

A)Questions about why there are so few women in anthropology.
B)Explanations for universal male dominance.
C)The central role of gender relations as a basic building block of culture.
D)The ways in which men in many cultures feel threatened by female empowerment.
E)Ways to increase women's power in contemporary society.

Question 6

In woman/woman marriages:

A)The wife and her female husband always have sexual relations.
B)The woman husband always takes on masculine characteristics.
C)The woman husband is someone who for a variety of reasons no man wanted for a wife.
D)The female husband may take on aspects of the male gender role such as participating in male initiation rituals.
E)Wives with female husbands are always regarded as inferior and stigmatized.

Question 7

The two-spirit are best described as:

A)Women who have become men through a surgical procedure.
B)Women and men who live with same-sex partners in a homosexual lifestyle.
C)Transsexuals who occupy both gender roles at all times.
D)Individuals who have no identifiable gender and work in society as partners to either gender.
E)Men who take on women's work and clothing and are considered to have supernatural powers.

Question 8

The important contribution of Margaret Mead's Coming of Age in Samoa was:

A)To introduce American readers to Pacific Island lifestyles.
B)To support the notion that you could have a socially conservative society with sexually permissive lifestyles.
C)To prove that homosexuality was one variety of normal sexual behavior.
D)To show that American ideas of adolescence were not universal.
E)To demonstrate the value of rites of passage in maintaining social solidarity.

Question 9

Margaret Mead's study of the Arapesh,Mundugamor,and Tchambuli showed that:

A)Women in all cultures have the same personality traits.
B)Only in the United States are women primarily concerned with child care.
C)The relationship between gender and personality varies with cultural expectations.
D)Where women work,they are more likely to be aggressive.
E)Where women's qualities are valued,men's qualities are likely to be devalued.

Question 10

One piece of evidence that supports a Freudian interpretation for male rites of passage is that:

A)They occur in all societies.
B)They are more common in cultures in which boys have strong identification with their mothers.
C)The imagery used in them seems to be closely associated with dreams.
D)They involve elements of repression and reaction formation.
E)Many of the themes they express seem closely tied to the id.

Question 11

Sexual relations in Mangaia:

A)Don't begin until men and women are in their thirties.
B)Are as common between men as between men and women.
C)Are a very serious and private matter,generally kept secret until the birth of children.
D)Take place in private,but with much public joking.
E)Frequently take place in public.

Question 12

Men in Andalusia,Spain generally view women as:

A)Angels.
B)Lustful.
C)Naive.
D)Trustworthy.
E)More intelligent than men.

Question 13

One of the world's most sexually repressed societies is the:

A)Inuit.
B)Irish of Inis Beag.
C)Peasant villages of Southern Spain.
D)Arapesh of New Guinea.
E)United States of America.

Question 14

The idea that gender is "constructed" means that:

A)Most cultures have few expectations about behavior as it relates to gender.
B)In a free society,like the United States,we can take on any gender characteristics we like.
C)Masculine and feminine are essentially the same in all cultures,and any differences across cultures are relatively superficial.
D)Gender is established by social norms and values rather than biology.
E)Gender traits are best analyzed with reference to material items,especially the built environment.

Question 15

The power of the hijras in Indian culture comes through their:

A)Practice of prostitution.
B)High entertainment standards of dancing and singing.
C)Attempts to completely identify with the goddess Bahuchara Mata.
D)Ownership of land and property.
E)Patronage by the British during colonial days.

Question 16

The hijra subculture:

A)Has no connection to the rest of Indian society.
B)Is ignored by Indian society.
C)Was introduced by the British into Indian society.
D)Has disappeared from Indian society.
E)Has a ritual role in Indian society.

Question 17

One area of recent success for hijras in India is:

A)Music.
B)Painting.
C)Film making.
D)Publishing.
E)Politics.

Question 18

The area of the world most associated with the two-spirit is:

A)Ireland.
B)West Africa.
C)Southern Spain.
D)Native societies of North America.
E)New Guinea.

Question 19

Which of the following is the most accurate description of Margaret Mead's impact on the gender issues in cultural anthropology?

A)She had little impact;her books weren't highly regarded.
B)Her work showed that gender was primarily a biological phenomenon.
C)Her work questioned the biologically determined nature of gender.
D)The fact that most of her work was about women showed that they were an important part of culture.
E)Though ignored in the U.S. ,Mead's work was hailed in Europe.Thus,gender studies were far more advanced in Europe than in the U.S.

Question 20

One reason that some societies allow women to take on male roles is:

A)To assure that there are enough sexual partners for everyone.
B)To allow every individual to fulfill their potential.
C)To assure that there are people to fill all important kin positions.
D)To grant recognition to women in societies that generally oppress women.
E)To allow elite women to represent their families.

Question 21

Despite the many difficulties they face,dagongmai continue to work in factories because:

A)They rarely have any other choices.
B)Their parents or husbands demand that they do so.
C)The life of a dagongmai is often better than it would be if the person had remained in their village.
D)They usually have large debts that they must pay off.
E)They believe that such work is their best way of finding a mate.

Question 22

According to anthropologist Laura Klein,Tlingit men:

A)Resent women's power.
B)Are supportive of women taking leadership roles in the community.
C)Blame women for the break-up of Tlingit families.
D)Share equally in domestic chores so women can work.
E)Initiate a high degree of domestic violence.

Question 23

An important source of status for women in Nukumanu was:

A)Drinking kareve.
B)Controlling swamp taro lands.
C)Weaving.
D)Fishing.
E)Wage labor.

Question 24

The rise of plow agriculture has generally:

A)Not affected women's status.
B)Lowered women's status.
C)Raised women's status.
D)Resulted in lower birth rates.
E)Increased women's longevity.

Question 25

Chinese factories hire dagongmei because:

A)They are a cheap source of labor.
B)They are likely to be better trained than other workers.
C)Since they are orphans,they are easily exploited.
D)The government provides extra cash incentives for companies that hire them.
E)They need to provide entertainment for their male workers.

Question 26

Which of the following is common in horticultural societies?

A)Men's cults are closed to women.
B)Women earn their living by market trading.
C)Women control the cash crops,but men control subsistence crops.
D)Men are likely to adopt innovations rapidly,but women are not.
E)Women are key religious leaders.

Question 27

Increased globalization and the movement from rural agriculture to urban industrial employment:

A)Almost always benefits men at the expense of women.
B)Offers the promise of a better life for children,particularly girls.
C)Benefits men and women equally.
D)May benefit women more than men.
E)Almost always results in a decrease in the quality of life for women.

Question 28

In gender studies,the idea of the public/private dichotomy refers to the notion that:

A)Behavior of both men and women is different in the public sphere than in the private sphere.
B)Men act differently toward women in public than they do in private.
C)Women are able to maintain more power over men if their actions are public than if they are private.
D)Private relationships between men and women are threatened by public disclosure.
E)Societies are divided into a private world dominated by women and a public world dominated by men.

Question 29

Research on female initiation rites in New Guinea suggests that the principal idea expressed in such rites is:

A)The duty of women to serve their husbands.
B)The secret ritual dominance of women over men in these societies.
C)The fact that even though they marry,their primary obligations are to their own families,not their husbands'.
D)The principle of patrilineality.
E)The complementarity of male and female.

Question 30

Frequently,the effect of development projects has been to:

A)Improve the lives of women and children relative to men.
B)Decrease the quality of life for all members of a community.
C)Increase the disparity between men and women in a community.
D)Increase the availability of government jobs to women.
E)Allow women to access positions of prestige and power previously denied to them.

Question 31

Women's hunting among the Agata illustrates that:

A)Women are just as strong and fast as men.
B)Child rearing is really best done by the child's biological parents.
C)Women,in some situations,can bring home larger quantities of game than men.
D)The demands of child rearing can be adapted to economic needs.
E)Young girls are better hunters than young boys but after puberty,boys are better.

Question 32

All of the following are arguments commonly used to explain the existence of a gender hierarchy except:

A)Women's lowered status is due to the private/public dichotomy.
B)Women's status is higher in societies where they do not have any domestic duties and work,instead,outside of the home.
C)Women and men have differential status based on their distribution and exchange of resources.
D)The expansion of capitalism and colonialism has had enormous impact on non-Western gender hierarchies.
E)Male dominance correlates with the existence of ecological stress and warfare.

Question 33

In France,the growing number of Muslim immigrants has led to:

A)Greater tolerance of religion throughout French society.
B)A requirement that all students be taught Christianity in public schools.
C)A series of terror attacks aimed at forcing French authorities to officially recognize Islam.
D)The outlawing of headscarves in public schools.
E)Legislation that supported equal rights for men and women.

Question 34

Judith Brown found that initiation rites for girls are more likely to occur in:

A)Societies in which women hold roles of political importance.
B)Societies in which religion involves female priests.
C)Societies in which women are deeply oppressed by men.
D)Societies in which women continue to live in their mothers' houses after marriage.
E)Societies in which the avunculate is practiced.

Question 35

With the introduction of wage labor into Nukumanu,in the 19ᵗʰ century,women's status has:

A)Gone up economically,but down socially.
B)Declined economically and socially.
C)Increased in cultural and ritual importance.
D)Remained the same as prior to Western contact.
E)Increased as a result of their participation in the church.

Question 36

According to David Gilmore,similar ideas of manhood are almost a universal aspect of male behavior because:

A)Those who possess it are likely to be more successful in the search for mates.
B)Those who possess it are likely to be more economically successful.
C)It helps to assure that men fill their roles as procreators,protectors,and providers.
D)The need to establish hierarchy is a fundamental aspect of all human societies.
E)Women universally harass men who do not demonstrate machismo.

Question 37

For Muslims,wearing the hijab:

A)Varies substantially from culture to culture.
B)Is the same in all Muslim cultures since the Qur'an is the same sacred text.
C)Is generally required only of married women.
D)Is far more common in rural areas than in cities.
E)Is a practice that is rapidly disappearing.

Question 38

What does a Manam (a group in New Guinea)girl display at the time of her initiation?

A)Jewelry that she has made.
B)Food that she has prepared.
C)Wealth her parents and clan have contributed for the event.
D)Pigs that she and her sisters have raised.
E)New dances that she has developed to display her personality.

Question 39

Tlingit women generally consider men to be:

A)The only ones who can hold political office.
B)Physically weaker than women.
C)Irresponsible with money.
D)Unable to conduct ceremonies accurately.
E)The only ones who can properly accumulate wealth and handle money.

Question 40

All of the following are common attributes of gender relations in pastoral societies except:

A)Frequent warfare.
B)Male-centered kinship systems.
C)Joint male-female ownership of herds.
D)Male dominance overall.
E)Male-female control over the distribution of herds.

Question 41

There are many different ways of showing maleness cross-culturally,but there is no culture in which prestige is not part of it.

Question 42

As the cultivation of taro among the Nukumanu has declined,women have become more dependent on men.

Question 43

Female initiation rites in New Guinea stress the powers that women have over men.

Question 44

In some Muslim countries,such as Tunisia,the wearing of the veil is discouraged.

Question 45

Historically,when agricultural societies have entered the cash economy,the position of women has improved.

Question 46

The Native American "two spirit" is best described as an effeminate homosexual.

Question 47

Margaret Mead was an important early cultural anthropologist who emphasized the importance of culture in gender behavior.

Question 48

Some sexual interactions,such as kissing,are practiced universally,while others are not.

Question 49

Men in "San Blas," Spain assert that all women are "seductresses and whores."

Question 50

The cultural differences between males and females are due entirely to biology,although they are sometimes understood differently from one culture to another.

Question 51

The solidarity of women in horticultural societies is mainly based on their participation in religious cults and associations.

Question 52

Alternative,or multiple sexes and genders have been found only in Native North America.

Question 53

The public/private dichotomy is particularly important in foraging societies.

Question 54

Politics is a traditional role for hijras.

Question 55

Anthropological research shows that psychic conflict and rebellion are characteristic of adolescence in all societies.

Question 56

One anthropological perspective understands male initiation as a type of fertility cult.

Question 57

Gender is the social,cultural,and psychological constructs that are imposed on the biological differences of sex.

Question 58

Hijras are born as men but undergo a surgical procedure to remove their genitals.

Question 59

In recent years,women in Iran have moved away from wearing the burka in public.

Question 60

"Inis Beag," a community near Galway in Ireland,is known as one of the most sexually naïve of all the world's societies.

Question 61

What do anthropologists explain as the primary importance of male initiation rites?

Question 62

How have gender relations frequently been affected by foreign aid and development programs in agricultural societies?

Question 63

What is a hijab?

Question 64

What is meant by the concept of "gender hierarchy"?

Question 65

Under which type of subsistence system would you expect more gender equality and why?

Question 66

How is the hijab a symbol of the complexity of gender relations cross-culturally?

Question 67

What do anthropologists mean by saying that there is a "cultural construction of gender"?

Question 68

In what types of societies do we frequently find sex/gender alternatives?

Question 69

How is sexual behavior also a cross-cultural value?

Question 70

Among foragers such the Ju'/hoansi the idea of maleness is associated with prestige in a different way.Describe how ridicule and shaming are used to diminish prestige in this society.

Question 71

What was the primary role of the two-spirit in most Native American societies?

Question 72

What is the primary role of hijras in Indian society?

Question 73

In most societies,how did European colonialism impact alternative genders?

Question 74

Many anthropologists agreed that women's lower status in society was caused by the private/public dichotomy.Ernestine Friedl disagreed.What were her arguments against this position?

Question 75

Describe theoretical contributions of Margaret Mead in the area of gender studies in anthropology.

Question 76

Compare and contrast gender relations in horticultural and pastoral societies.

Question 77

Distinguish between sex and gender.

Question 78

What widespread characteristics might we expect to find associated with the idea of maleness cross-culturally?

Question 79

Describe gender relations in foraging societies.

Question 80

What is a dagongmei?