Deck 3: The Social and Cultural Construction of Reality

Question 1

Why do people believe in things that cannot be proven?

A)Human beings are essentially gullible and will believe almost anything.
B)Religious institutions hold great sway over human behaviour,social norms,and beliefs.
C)Language,ritual,myth,and other areas of social life persuade people of the correctness of their beliefs.
D)Human have a deep-seated need to believe in things that are not natural.

Answer 1

Language,ritual,myth,and other areas of social life persuade people of the correctness of their beliefs.

Question 2

Sapphire mining in northern Madagascar takes place in the territory of the Ambondromifehy.The Ambondromifehy doubt that sapphires are used as jewellery and speculate that they are used in the making of electronics,military vehicles,and even bombs.This seems to be a strange understanding;what is the best explanation offered by anthropologists?

A)Some people still do not have access to completely accurate information sources but this will change with the spread of the Internet.
B)The Ambondromifehy believe this because they were informed by outsiders that sapphires are used for other purposes.
C)All people must use existing beliefs and world views to speculate about things that are sometimes unknowable.
D)Everyone has mistaken beliefs that are nonsensical,but we should not judge other cultures without considering our own situation.

Answer 2

All people must use existing beliefs and world views to speculate about things that are sometimes unknowable.

Question 3

When speaking to someone else about a conversation we had,we might say that "She attacked my argument,and I had to defend my position." When we do this,what is the best explanation for what we are doing?

A)extending the meaning and understanding of one experience in terms of another
B)applying the domain of war to the domain of sport
C)saying something meaningless because you cannot physically attack an argument
D)explaining why someone else was wrong in a way that supports our perspective

Answer 3

extending the meaning and understanding of one experience in terms of another

Question 4

Because people grow up in difference cultural contexts,they often do not realize that many belief and practices are connected to a wider belief system.Euro-Canadian parents would likely see setting and enforcing a bedtime for children as part of being a good parent.The Dene Tha of northern Alberta would tend to see this as a sign of being an irresponsible parent.Why is that?

A)The Dene Tha do not believe in the importance of sleep for children.
B)The Dene Tha have a strong belief in personal autonomy and self-learning,so that such a requirement would be contrary to nature.
C)The Dene Tha strongly believe that it builds the character of children to perform chores at times during the night,so a strict bedtime is not necessary.
D)The Dene Tha do not believe a bedtime is important because a child will have time to catch up on sleep the next day.

Question 5

What is totemism?

A)the worship of totem poles
B)a symbol that serves as a physical representation for a group or clan
C)the idea that the human brain harbours primitive beliefs
D)the earliest known form of religion

Question 6

What is a Hamatsa in the Kwakwaka′wakw culture?

A)a ferocious animal spirit
B)an elaborate mask used in ritual dance
C)a dancer initiate
D)a ritual meal

Question 7

Which of these best demonstrates the relationship of symbolic actions to the key metaphor of the Kwakwaka′wakw?

A)The practice of using large open mouths and beaks of birds in art.
B)The practice of using canoes made of bark for trade.
C)The practice of offering respect to birds.
D)The use of fire in ritual ceremonies.

Question 8

Witchcraft might be viewed as irrational,but it remains an important cultural belief in many parts of the world.Why does this belief remain important?

A)Witchcraft explains why people are found to have died of unknown causes.
B)Witchcraft remains important because cultures are resistant to adopting scientific thinking that contradicts their cherished beliefs.
C)Witches have not been brought to justice to be exposed as frauds.
D)Witchcraft explains what appear to be unexplainable differences in people's success and prosperity.

Question 9

How did Aleister Crowley,one of the founders of modern magic and witchcraft,see each tarot card?

A)as a living being
B)as a portal to another realm
C)as a way to tap into supernatural energies
D)as a delusional trick

Question 10

How does the key metaphor of the Kwakwaka′wakw influence their interpretation of children's behaviour?

A)It suggests that children are misbehaving when they are not in bed when the sun sets.
B)It suggests that children's hunger must be tamed or it will lead to family problems.
C)It suggests that children must develop their own knowledge through practice,not books.
D)It suggests that magic must be used to stop children from stealing from others.

Question 11

Why are anthropologists interested in the study of myths?

A)because they are interested in the reasons why people believe in stories that are not true
B)because they are interested in what myths tell us about the origins of human religion
C)because they are interested in the role of the storyteller in society
D)because they are interested in stories that explain the past from a particular point of view

Question 12

Because people grow up in different cultural contexts,they often do not realize that many belief and practices are connected to a wider belief system.Which of these is NOT an accurate explanation of a belief?

A)The Dene Tha have such a strong belief in personal autonomy and self-learning that enforcing a bedtime would be contrary to nature.
B)The Cree hunter believes he or she must reciprocate the killing of an animal with gifts to other Cree and to the spirits because it shows respect for the power of "the other land."
C)The Mi′kmaq believe that people originally came from the Milky Way because they believe in the idea of life everywhere in the universe.
D)The Maori of New Zealand do not see humans as being separate from the land and other creatures,so they do not believe humans can own the physical world.

Question 13

What are "key scenarios"?

A)acts performed during a ritual
B)ideal situations that individuals in a culture strive for
C)stories or myths that portray cultural values and beliefs
D)acts performed only at specific times

Question 14

In the Kwakwaka′wakw Hamatsa (or cannibal)dance,the members of the Cannibal Society confront a cannibal and are bitten,but eventually succeed in enticing the Hamatsa to enter the house.If these rituals are a symbolic representation of reality,then which statement is most accurate?

A)The ritual reflects an outdated worldview that no longer is relevant but still is enjoyable to perform as a spectacle.
B)The ritual represents ancient fears of cannibalism and the desire of the community to see a cannibal in person.
C)The ritual is an example of zombies as an important symbolic representation in a non-Western culture.
D)The rituals represent the possibility of transforming all members into moral human beings.

Question 15

Where do the metaphors through which the Kwakwaka′wakw understand and describe their life come from?

A)fighting and battle
B)marriage
C)sex
D)eating

Question 16

What is NOT a function of rituals?

A)to enact key metaphors
B)to allow us to set aside everyday existence
C)to bring about a change in world view
D)to produce special feelings for the participants

Question 17

What are "key metaphors"?

A)domains from which metaphors are borrowed extensively
B)metaphors that unlock doors into the meanings of a culture
C)metaphors used in ritual contexts
D)metaphors from literary domains

Question 18

Which of the following is the best general definition of a symbolic action?

A)an activity that dramatically depicts the meanings shared by a specific body of people
B)an encompassing picture of reality
C)a figure of speech in which linguistic expressions are taken from one area of experience and applied to another
D)a figure of speech in which ideas are expressed by analogy

Question 19

Why do the Kwakwaka′wakw believe they need to control hunger in their society?

A)to ensure a good hunting season
B)to keep evil spirits away from their children
C)to solve the problems of greed,conflict,and child-rearing
D)to ensure a plentiful supply of food for the group

Question 20

According to Jean-Guy Goulet's study of the Dene Tha in northern Alberta,what do the Dene believe is the only true knowledge?

A)personal knowledge
B)knowledge that comes from God
C)knowledge written in books
D)knowledge communicated by a parent to children

Question 21

Most Dene Tha are NOT Christians.

Question 22

Revitalization movements are attempts to construct a more satisfying culture.

Question 23

What happened at Wounded Knee in 1876?

A)The emperor Haile Selassie I gave a speech to Jamaican Rastafarians.
B)The Dene Tha were forcibly removed from their land after performing the Ghost Dance.
C)The Navaho fought and lost a battle with the cavalry of General George Custer.
D)The Sioux were massacred by the American army.

Question 24

Language and symbolic actions filter our views of the world.

Question 25

Anglican missionaries and their attempts to convert the Kwara′ae of the Solomon Islands were initially met with opposition.What is Ben Burt's explanation as to why they eventually converted?

A)The second wave of missionaries was more experienced with other cultures.
B)Independence came to the Solomon Islands.
C)The Kwara′ae wanted to learn about the power of the British colonizers.
D)Even though the Kwara'ae were opposed to the missionaries,they looked favourably on the religion and its benefits.

Question 26

In Vodou,what are the "lwa"?

A)dolls that pins are stuck into to harm others
B)African spirits linked to Catholic saints
C)spirits of cannibalized French colonists
D)zombies revived by witchcraft

Question 27

The use of specific key metaphors can dominate and even limit the way we understand many domains of our lives.

Question 28

The popular books The Lord of the Rings and The Mists of Avalon are too modern to be considered myths.

Question 29

What were the groups that adopted the "ghost dance" seeking?

A)a treaty that would offer them more land
B)the adoption of a modern way of life
C)a revival of a traditional way of life
D)a revival of tragic past events

Question 30

Who was the major prophet of the Ghost Dance revitalization movement?

A)Wovoka
B)Ougo
C)Danbala
D)Azaka

Question 31

There may not necessarily be any connection between being born at a certain time of year,the colour red,the planet Mars,and being dominant or aggressive.However,someone who believes in these meanings and associations may actually begin to assume these traits.

Question 32

First Nations women in the Yukon told Julie Cruikshank that glaciers interact with humans.

Question 33

Beliefs people have about their destiny in life always involve religion.

Question 34

Which of the following is a belief system that helps people cope with a life of poverty and hardship?

A)Glooscap
B)Malagasy
C)Djambe
D)Vodou

Question 35

Metaphor not only transfers language from one domain to another,it also transforms meaning.

Question 36

Metaphors are narratives or stories that explain cultural understandings of experiences.

Question 37

Symbolic actions render particular views of the world in a way that makes them seem correct and proper.

Question 38

What is the role of Rastafari in Jamaica?

A)a symbol of the acceptance of the values of capitalist society
B)a symbol of hope and salvation for all black people
C)an example of the domination of African politics in Caribbean cultures
D)an Ethiopian counterculture

Question 39

Which of the following does the word "Creole" refer to when used by anthropologists?

A)the formation of slave societies in which African and European cultures are blended
B)the name taken by Acadians after they were displaced to what is now Louisiana
C)a style of cooking that exemplifies the Southern worldview
D)the syncretistic process experienced by First Nations belief systems under colonialism

Question 40

Who was Ras Tafari?

A)the original dread-locked singer in Kingston,Jamaica
B)the man who became Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia
C)the man who founded the Rastafarian movement
D)a leader in the U.S.civil rights movement

Question 41

According to Durkheim,when people believe in God or "gods," they are referring to society,which is also an immortal force that acts on them in unseen ways.

Question 42

The Cannibal or Hamatsa dance has a bestial nature that teaches the Kwakwaka′wakw that some people are too ferocious to be part of society.

Question 43

A key scenario is a dominant myth.

Question 44

With the independence of Cameroon,the Maka's belief in witches and witchcraft has disappeared.