Deck 15: Processes of Cultural Change

Question 1

When two societies with different cultures come into prolonged,first-hand contact,and one or both of these societies experience major processes of change,it is called:

A)diffusion.
B)acculturation.
C)innovation.
D)syncretism.
E)juxtaposition.

Answer 1

acculturation.

Question 2

One of the first and most prominent anthropologists to focus on these worldwide transformations was:

A)Franz Boas.
B)Eric Wolf.
C)Laura Nader.
D)William Jankowiak.
E)John Swetnam.

Answer 2

Eric Wolf.

Question 3

Ethnocide is represented by each of the following except:

A)systematic killing of men,women,and children among Native American populations during the Anglo-European settling of New England.
B)decimation of the Kung population as the result of disease.
C)movement of hunting and gathering peoples from their jungle environment to land that they are expected to farm.
D)resettlement of groups that were formerly enemies to the same reservation.
E)development of new and more devastating weapons as a result of innovation.

Answer 3

development of new and more devastating weapons as a result of innovation.

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the Yanomami is incorrect?

A)The Yanomami were repeatedly assaulted by miners and cattle ranchers wanting their natural resources.
B)The various invaders into Yanomami territory introduced sexually transmitted diseases and alcoholism.
C)Prior to the arrival of missionaries and foreign traders,the Yanomami did not have to deal with cultural change.
D)The Brazilian state sent in military units to protect the miners as they torched large swathes of forestland.
E)In the late 1960s,a measles epidemic killed hundreds of Yanomami.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about diffusion is incorrect?

A)Usually,cultures borrow selections that are most compatible with their existing culture.
B)The extent of cultural borrowing varies enormously.
C)Diffusion occurs consistently over time.
D)Cultures often adapt borrowed elements.
E)Cultures may undergo rapid change as a result of diffusion.

Question 6

The violent eradication of an ethnic group's collective cultural identity is called:

A)genocide.
B)ethnocide.
C)homicide.
D)extinction.
E)acculturation.

Question 7

The deliberate use of basic ideas in some practical application,such as making use of the knowledge of how electricity works to develop the telephone,is called a(n):

A)diffusion principle.
B)primary innovation.
C)modernization.
D)integrative mechanism.
E)secondary innovation.

Question 8

Acculturation differs from other types of processes of change because it always involves an element of:

A)improvement.
B)progress.
C)coercion.
D)innovation.
E)religious change.

Question 9

In Biblical times,chariots and carts were widespread in the Middle East,but by the 6th century,the old Roman roads had deteriorated so much that wheeled vehicles were replaced by camels.This illustrates that the processes of change is sometimes due to:

A)primary innovation.
B)secondary innovation.
C)diffusion.
D)cultural loss.
E)revitalization.

Question 10

Anthropologist Eric Wolf did all of the following except:

A)worked tirelessly on behalf of applied anthropology.
B)did extensive research on peasants.
C)focused intently on promoting ethics in anthropological research.
D)studied the transformative impact of capitalism on traditional societies.
E)explored how ideas and power are connected through the medium of culture.

Question 11

According to Stephen Jay Gould,"Wheels,like wings,fins,and brains,are exquisite devices for certain purposes,not signs of intrinsic superiority." Which of the following statements about the use of the wheel in the Middle East is correct?

A)Wheels were never appropriate vehicles in the Middle East and were never used there; camels have been used as beasts of burden since before Biblical times.
B)Wheels have always been used in the Middle East,as they are the most appropriate vehicle for traveling across deserts and were first invented there.
C)Wheels were once widespread in the Middle East,but by the 6th century A.D.,had been replaced by camels because the Roman roads had deteriorated and the camel was more suitable to the uneven terrain.
D)Camels were once widespread throughout the Middle East during Biblical times,but as civilization advanced,were replaced by vehicles that made use of the wheel.
E)Wheels were never introduced to the Middle East until the modern era.However,they were the first to use trains and other forms of rapid transportation.

Question 12

Which system was adopted by the French in 1795 and then adopted by neighboring countries?

A)Monarchy
B)Democracy
C)Metric
D)Decimal
E)Dewey decimal

Question 13

The British introduced cricket to "civilize" the Trobriand Islanders.What happened?

A)The Trobrianders were so upset at losing their traditional customs that they rebelled against the British rulers.
B)The Trobrianders gave up competitive sport altogether.
C)The Trobrianders accepted the game and played it the way the British played it.
D)The Trobrianders changed the game so that it became more like the traditional Trobriand contest involving display of prestige.
E)The Trobrianders preferred baseball to cricket.

Question 14

The chance discovery of some new principle that can be applied in a variety of ways is called a(n):

A)primary innovation.
B)primary syncretism.
C)applied anthropology.
D)cultural adaptation.
E)secondary innovation.

Question 15

In 1493,Christopher Columbus introduced Europe to the American plant:

A)potatoes.
B)wheat.
C)coffee.
D)maize.
E)tobacco.

Question 16

As a result of prolonged first-hand contact between societies A and B,which of the following is least likely to occur?

A)The cultures of A and B might fuse,becoming a single culture with elements of both.
B)Society A might retain its distinctive culture,but lose its autonomy and come to survive as a subculture,such as a caste or ethnic group.
C)Society A might be wiped out by society B,with only a few scattered refugees living as members of the dominant society.
D)Societies A and B would each retain their distinctive cultures living side by side in peace,harmony,and prosperity.
E)Society B might be entirely destroyed by society A.

Question 17

According to the North American anthropologist Ralph Linton,about 90% of any culture's content comes from:

A)primary innovation.
B)diffusion.
C)invention.
D)syncretism.
E)revolution.

Question 18

All of the following statements about cultural change are correct except:

A)all cultures are capable of adapting to changing conditions.
B)not all change is positive or adaptive.
C)all cultures are equally well equipped for making adjustments in a timely way.
D)sometimes the pace of culture change increases dramatically.
E)elements of a culture may persist for long periods of time.

Question 19

One byproduct of colonial dealings with indigenous peoples has been the growth of and the use of anthropological techniques and knowledge for certain "practical" ends.

A)applied anthropology
B)ethnography
C)ethnology
D)quantitative anthropology
E)qualitative anthropology

Question 20

In acculturation,subordinate groups will often incorporate new cultural elements into their own culture,creating a blend of old and new.A reinterpretation of new cultural elements to fit them with already existing traditions is called:

A)innovation.
B)syncretism.
C)assimilation.
D)acculturation.
E)modernization.

Question 21

Which strategy did the Jivaroan-speaking Shuar of Ecuador not use to preserve their culture?

A)They adopted Christianity.
B)They turned large tracts of woodland into pasture for cattle.
C)They organized a corporate body that held land in common.
D)They required their schools to use the Shuar language.
E)They sought legal title to their indigenous lands.

Question 22

Which of the following is not a goal of the contemporary Qullasuyu revitalization movement in Bolivia?

A)Protecting indigenous cultural sites
B)Restoring indigenous customs
C)Overthrowing the national Bolivian government
D)Reclaiming pre-colonial sacred rituals
E)Recognizing the continuity among humans,animals,and plants

Question 23

The term "modernization":

A)is a relativistic rather than ethnocentric concept.
B)refers to the process of cultural and socioeconomic change whereby societies acquire the characteristics of industrialized societies.
C)refers to a global and all-encompassing process whereby modern cities development new types of subsistence.
D)can be used to show that all societies go through the same stages of evolutionary development,culminating in the urban-industrial state.
E)is not used by anthropologists.

Question 24

Whose work on river management and resettlement policies in West Africa has opened the ability of applied anthropologists to contribute to decision-making regarding international development projects?

A)Carol Jenkins
B)Margaret Mead
C)Darrell Posey
D)Rich Markins
E)Michael Horowitz

Question 25

Which of the following is not a phase typically associated with revitalization movements?

A)Normal state in which stress is low and the culture satisfies basic needs
B)Normal means of satisfying basic needs no longer functions
C)Emergence of a prophet or leader to guide a following
D)Mass emigration of the followers to other nations in order to spread the religion
E)State of cultural upheaval leading to domination and exploitation by outside force

Question 26

The most present threat to the Shuar people in the 1960s that precipitated cultural changes was:

A)disease.
B)imminent land loss.
C)gold mining.
D)drop in corn prices.
E)beginning of oil drilling on their lands.

Question 27

About 5,000 years ago,which of the following began occurring?

A)Cargo cults
B)Revolutions
C)Religion
D)Diffusion
E)Modernization

Question 28

More than 30 diseases new to human medicine have emerged in the past three decades.Researchers like Carol Jenkins,who worked in Papua New Guinea,believe that many of these emerged as a result of environmental destruction.Which of the following is not one of these "new" diseases?

A)Tuberculosis
B)Legionnaire's disease
C)Lyme disease
D)HIV/AIDS
E)Dengue fever

Question 29

founded the Institute for Development Anthropology and has made pioneering contributions to applied anthropology.

A)Eric Wolf
B)Michael Horowitz
C)Carol Jenkins
D)John Ury
E)Tim Ingold

Question 30

All of the following statements about cargo cults are correct except:

A)the cult promised resurrection of dead ancestors.
B)cargo cult believers tended to be rich natives and colonizers.
C)many cargo cults occurred in Melanesia.
D)the cult was based on the premise that Western riches would come to the natives.
E)cargo cult doctrine said that the rich white man would magically disappear through natural catastrophe.

Question 31

What is the adaptation process by which a people resist assimilation by modifying traditional culture in order to preserve their ethnic identity?

A)Acculturation
B)Syncretism
C)Diffusion
D)Accommodation
E)Modernization

Question 32

In the 1960s,the children of many middle- and upper-class families,trying to come to terms with the disparity between the ideologies expressed by their parents (e.g.,the importance of peace,equality,and individual freedom)and the reality of war,poverty,and individual constraints,tried to establish a more satisfying way of life.Many ran away from home to live in communes where they tried to abolish individual property and fulfill ideals of universal love.This is an example of:

A)revitalization.
B)modernization.
C)diffusion.
D)innovation.
E)syncretism.

Question 33

Traditions play an important role in all aspects of cultural change; however,among those listed below,they are most significant in:

A)diffusion.
B)syncretism.
C)accommodation.
D)assimilation.
E)modernization.

Question 34

Major changes in Skolt Lapp society occurred because:

A)men switched from reindeer herding to other sources of income.
B)the number of reindeer declined because of climate change.
C)snowmobiles were introduced to herd reindeer.
D)society became hierarchical instead of egalitarian.
E)women began to go to the university and get jobs outside the home.

Question 35

As modernization occurs,all of the following changes are likely to follow except:

A)increase in literacy.
B)decrease in the role of religion.
C)kinship plays a less significant role.
D)movement from commercial farming to subsistence production.
E)social mobility increases.

Question 36

Which of the following is a primary difference between an insurgency and a revolution?

A)Revolutions involve large-scale violence,while many insurgencies are peaceful.
B)Revolutions occur when there is an outside invasion,and insurgencies are internal events.
C)Insurgencies have limited objectives,while revolutionary movements are broader.
D)Revolutions are successful insurgency movements.
E)Insurgencies do not have single leaders; revolutions have charismatic leaders.

Question 37

A spiritual movement in reaction to disruptive contact with Western capitalism is also called a(n):

A)material cult.
B)syncretic movement.
C)modernization movement.
D)cargo cult.
E)animate.

Question 38

All cultures are capable of adapting to changing conditions.

Question 39

An organized armed resistance or violent uprising to an established government or authority is called a(n):

A)coup.
B)revolution.
C)insurgency.
D)mutiny.
E)insurrection.

Question 40

The development of a bureaucracy,expansion of educational opportunities,reduction in the spheres of social behavior in which religion and kinship play a role,and achievement replacing ascription as the basis for defining roles are all associated with:

A)modernization.
B)revitalization.
C)acculturation.
D)revolution.
E)syncretism.

Question 41

Brazil's indigenous peoples have shown that they are unable to resist and adapt to demands imposed upon them from outside.

Question 42

In Bolivia,the revitalization movement Qullasuyu promises material riches to indigenous Andean farmers.

Question 43

In China today,there is a shortage of women as marriage partners because of the one-child policy.

Question 44

The only problem with Horowitz's Senegal River Basin Monitoring Activity (SRBMA)model is that it is only applicable to the Senegal River Basin.

Question 45

Progress is a term that is often used by anthropologists who are involved in applied research working to improve the lives of indigenous peoples.

Question 46

Cargo cults occur primarily during moments of high social stress.

Question 47

Maize originated in Mexico.Today,more maize is grown each year worldwide than any other grain.

Question 48

Carol Jenkins' work in Papua New Guinea suggests that modernization may help eradicate most diseases.

Question 49

All modernizing societies undergo,in a fixed sequence,the stages of technological development,agricultural development,industrialization,and urbanization.

Question 50

A revitalization movement that attempts to overthrow an existing social structure with its accompanying ideology is called revolutionary.

Question 51

Paper,the compass,and gunpowder were all initially invented in Europe.

Question 52

Cultural absorption of an ethnic minority is called accommodation.

Question 53

Applied anthropology began in the 1960s as a way of improving life in developing countries.

Question 54

With the process of modernization,literacy and social mobility increase.

Question 55

To achieve self-determination,the Shuar abandoned their cooperative lifestyle and acquired individual titles to land.

Question 56

Eric Wolf helped expose counterinsurgency use of anthropological research in Southeast Asia.

Question 57

Diffusion is typically forced onto cultures.

Question 58

Diffusion can occur without acculturation.

Question 59

A typical policy associated with ethnocide is to outlaw a cultural group's language.