Deck 1: What Is Anthropology

Question 1

Anthropology focuses on the role of __________ in shaping human behavior.

A) biology
B) values
C) culture
D) religion

Answer 1

culture

Question 2

Which of the following is a key feature that distinguishes anthropology as a separate area of study from other disciplines?

A) a focus on the origins of the earth
B) a focus on global environmental change
C) a focus on the concept of culture
D) a focus on technological advances

Answer 2

a focus on the concept of culture

Question 3

The __________ in anthropology uses data about the beliefs and behaviors in many societies to document both cultural universals and cultural diversity.

A) comparative perspective
B) holistic perspective
C) ethnographic approach
D) culture concept

Answer 3

comparative perspective

Question 4

Which of the following examples exemplifies a holistic perspective?

A) Inuit people eat a high fat diet with comes primarily from whale blubber.
B) The Kung! people use an economic system based upon reciprocity.
C) Bridewealth is exchanged in Maasi marriages in order to redistribute cattle and wealth within the population.
D) Feudal castles were common throughout Medieval Europe.

Question 5

__________ are populations of people living in organized groups with social institutions and expectations of behavior.

A) Communities
B) Cultures
C) Societies
D) Nations

Question 6

Chopsticks are an example of __________ culture.

A) symbolic
B) ancient
C) holistic
D) material

Question 7

Anthropological interest in the power relationship among individuals in tribal societies overlaps with which other discipline?

A) history
B) political science
C) psychology
D) biology

Question 8

The story "The Girl Who Took Care of the Turkeys" is similar to the __________ story.

A) Hansel and Gretel
B) Puss in Boots
C) Cinderella
D) Wizard of Oz

Question 9

Changes in clothing styles throughout a person's life is an example of __________.

A) globalization
B) the holistic approach
C) culture change
D) transformation

Question 10

The story "The Girl Who Took Care of the Turkeys" is a __________ narrative.

A) Zuni
B) Apache
C) Cherokee
D) Sioux

Question 11

The ethical standing of the girl in "The Girl Who Took Care of the Turkeys" is __________ Cinderella.

A) reversed from
B) the same as
C) similar to
D) critical of

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of anthropology?

A) it studies human societies
B) it focuses only on prehistoric societies and fossil species
C) it includes the study of human evolution and variation
D) it is concerned with both biology and culture

Question 13

The __________ is a perspective in anthropology that views culture as an integrated whole, no part of which can be completely understood without considering the whole.

A) global perspective
B) comparative perspective
C) cultural perspective
D) holistic perspective

Question 14

The learned values, beliefs, and rules of conduct shared to some extent by the members of a society that govern their behavior with one another is __________.

A) nationality
B) culture
C) ethics
D) citizenship

Question 15

The clothing people wear, including bell bottom jeans, is an example of __________.

A) culture
B) material culture
C) symbolic culture
D) materialism

Question 16

Anthropology is the study of __________.

A) dinosaurs
B) humanity
C) fossils
D) archaeology

Question 17

As opposed to Cinderella, "The Girl Who Took Care of the Turkeys" stresses __________ as its moral lesson.

A) individual rewards
B) self-interest
C) conformity
D) duty to others

Question 18

Selective borrowing is likely to take place in which of the following scenarios?

A) twin brothers exchanging music CDs
B) co-workers conversing about a local news story
C) a chef traveling to Thailand to learn new culinary styles
D) a toddler watching an educational children's television series

Question 19

The stereotypical ideas people have about individuals from other countries are examples of __________.

A) culture
B) material culture
C) symbolic culture
D) holistic perspective

Question 20

Which of the following is a subject that anthropologists would potentially study?

A) the religions and myths of Australian Aborigines
B) the effects of global warming
C) the extinction of dinosaurs
D) natural disasters

Question 21

The idea that indigenous societies are unchanged since early human history is __________.

A) a research hypothesis
B) relativistic
C) ethnocentric
D) ethnographic

Question 22

Which of the following scenarios illustrate the result of ethnocentrism?

A) The seizure of Native American land by wealthy railroad owners in America's past.
B) Red Cross assistance at a refugee camp in Africa.
C) A three-day walk used to increase awareness of breast cancer.
D) A retaliatory military strike upon a known terrorist organization.

Question 23

Early evolutionary schemes for comparing human societies __________.

A) assumed European and American societies to be the most advanced
B) assumed that there were many paths to advancement in evolutionary processes
C) assumed that European societies had become dysfunctional
D) romanticized indigenous cultures as superior to western societies

Question 24

In which subfield of anthropology would a paleoanthropologist work?

A) biological anthropology
B) archaeology
C) cultural anthropology
D) linguistic anthropology

Question 25

__________ is a very significant part of culture change and globalization.

A) Progress
B) Culture contact
C) Adaptation
D) Civilization

Question 26

Which of the following groups are an example of an indigenous society?

A) Native Americans
B) African Americans
C) Italian Americans
D) the French

Question 27

__________ is the method by which comparative data on cultures and societies is gathered in cultural anthropology.

A) Ethnographic research
B) Ethnological research
C) Bibliographical research
D) Historical research

Question 28

__________ is an aspect of cultural anthropology involved with building theories about cultural behaviors and forms.

A) Ethnography
B) Fieldwork
C) Ethnology
D) Curation

Question 29

The Spanish colonization of South America in the sixteenth century A.D. is an example of __________.

A) culture change
B) civilization
C) globalization
D) comparative perspective

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT an example of ethnology?

A) Some Tibetans practice polyandry (plural marriage between one woman and multiple men) in order to satisfy economic needs.
B) Incest is taboo in all societies because inbreeding can cause birth defects in offspring.
C) Near Eastern populations adopted agriculture over 10,000 years ago.
D) Many Christians use religion as a means of coping with the loss of a loved one.

Question 31

Ethnology is a subfield within __________.

A) archaeology
B) biological anthropology
C) cultural anthropology
D) linguistic anthropology

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT an example of a biological anthropology career field?

A) primatologist
B) geneticist
C) forensic specialist
D) environmental consultant

Question 33

An anthropologist who works as a cultural resource manager most likely has training as what kind of anthropologist?

A) cultural anthropologist
B) archaeologist
C) biological anthropologist
D) linguistic anthropologist

Question 34

What is the term for the aspect of cultural anthropology involved with observing and documenting people's way of life?

A) research
B) fieldwork
C) ethnology
D) ethnography

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a method of ethnographic "fieldwork" research?

A) observation
B) colonization
C) documentation
D) data collection

Question 36

__________ plays a significant role in the preservation of indigenous cultures.

A) Paleoanthropological research
B) Ethnological research
C) Ethnographic research
D) Cross-cultural comparison

Question 37

Peoples who are now minority groups in state societies but who were formerly independent and have occupied their territories for a long time are called __________.

A) primitive societies
B) Indian societies
C) colonial societies
D) indigenous societies

Question 38

The terms Female Genital Mutilation and Female Circumcision reflect __________.

A) different procedures that are conducted on women in some cultures
B) different attitudes toward the same procedure
C) a medical versus non-medical understanding of a cultural practice
D) the need for more precise terms in anthropological research

Question 39

Early anthropological researchers favored what they considered to be __________.

A) rapidly changing indigenous societies
B) small, isolated indigenous societies
C) rural European villages
D) friendly and welcoming cultures

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a subfield of anthropology?

A) archaeology
B) social psychology
C) cultural anthropology
D) biological anthropology

Question 41

The belief that all rights and wrongs are relative to time, place, and culture, such that no moral judgments of behavior can be made is __________.

A) atheism
B) cultural relativism
C) ethical relativism
D) amoralism

Question 42

In 1996, the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals ruled __________ in the asylum case of Fauziya Kassindja.

A) that female circumcision is a valid cultural practice
B) that female circumcision is a form of persecution
C) that the United States has no jurisdiction over practices in Togo
D) that the United States can sue Togo

Question 43

The study of language and communication, and the relationship between language and other aspects of culture and society is called __________.

A) historical linguistics
B) bi-lingual society
C) global linguistics
D) linguistic anthropology

Question 44

Prehistoric cultures are those that __________.

A) existed a very long time ago
B) existed in a time before written language was in use
C) did not have history
D) did not practice agriculture

Question 45

Which statement about cultural relativism is NOT true?

A) it requires that anthropologists attempt to understand other cultures on each culture's terms
B) it requires that anthropologists abandon their own ethical standards
C) it is a principle that is central to cultural anthropology
D) it is intended to counter the influence of ethnocentrism

Question 46

Archaeologists use __________ to construct models of past societies in order to understand them.

A) historical analysis
B) linguistic analysis
C) symbolic systems
D) material culture

Question 47

Linguistic anthropology focuses on all of the following, EXCEPT __________.

A) the relationship between language and culture
B) how language is used within society
C) how language is identified in the archaeological record
D) the effects of globalization upon indigenous languages

Question 48

There are currently how many speakers of the Eyak language?

A) zero
B) six
C) twenty-seven
D) one

Question 49

Which statement about Female Genital Mutilation is NOT true?

A) it is practiced predominantly in Islamic regions of Africa
B) it is associated with strongly patriarchal cultures
C) it began after the spread of Christianity and Islam
D) there are significant medical risks associated with the procedure

Question 50

__________ is the study of material culture.

A) Cultural anthropology
B) Archaeology
C) Paleoanthropology
D) Museum curation

Question 51

The languages of the Hupas, Navajos, and Apaches are all descendant from which ancestral language?

A) Latin
B) Prussian
C) Aleutian
D) Athabascan

Question 52

In response to campaigns against female genital mutilation, __________ African governments have outlawed it.

A) thirty
B) zero
C) two
D) sixteen

Question 53

Most female circumcisions are done by __________.

A) midwives
B) doctors
C) nurses
D) mothers

Question 54

An approach in anthropology that stresses the importance of analyzing cultures in their own terms rather than in terms of the culture of the anthropologist is __________.

A) holism
B) cultural relativism
C) ethnocentrism
D) comparative perspective

Question 55

There is sometimes tension between __________ and human rights.

A) anthropologists
B) ethnology
C) cultural relativism
D) ethnographic research

Question 56

A primary factor in the extinction of indigenous languages around the world is __________.

A) the spread of English and other languages of business
B) the spread of primary education
C) the spread of mass media
D) the availability of rapid worldwide travel

Question 57

The anthropologist Fuambai Ahmadu of Sierra Leone views female genital mutilation as __________.

A) a form of persecution
B) a symptom of patriarchy
C) an Islamic practice
D) an emotionally positive validation of womanhood

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT an example of an endangered language?

A) Yiddish
B) Sanskrit
C) Gaelic
D) Breton

Question 59

Groups who practice female genital mutilation defend it on __________ grounds.

A) political
B) medical
C) cultural
D) religious

Question 60

Which of the following is an example of cultural relativism?

A) The United States outlaws Female Circumcision.
B) An anthropologist advocates stopping infanticide on female children in India.
C) Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) fund local groups who try to teach safer methods for practicing Female Circumcision.
D) A student tries to understand why female infanticide is widespread in many Asian countries.

Question 61

Jane Goodall is famous for her years of research on __________.

A) gorillas
B) the Inuit
C) chimpanzees
D) the Nuer

Question 62

The findings of William Rathie's Arizona Garbage Project study best supports which of the following conclusions about American society?

A) According to an analysis of landfill composition, Americans consume too much fast food.
B) Despite in-depth analysis, there was no sufficient way to estimate the types of food consumed by Americans.
C) The actual percentage of fast food packaging did not support expert estimates of fast food consumption.
D) The average American was much healthier in the 1970's than in modern times.

Question 63

Biological anthropologists called __________ analyze human remains in the service of criminal justice and the families of disaster victims.

A) criminologists
B) medical anthropologists
C) physical anthropologists
D) forensic anthropologists

Question 64

Sickle-cell anemia probably evolved in __________.

A) the Mediterranean world
B) South America
C) Southeast Asia
D) West Africa

Question 65

The study of the fossil record, especially skeletal remains, to understand the process and products of human evolution is called __________.

A) paleoanthropology
B) archaeology
C) biological anthropology
D) forensic anthropology

Question 66

The global spread of humans from their African origins was made possible by __________.

A) the end of the Ice Age
B) the capacity for culture
C) the extinction of large predators outside Africa
D) a land bridge from Asia to North America

Question 67

Medical anthropology combines the fields of __________ in order to study health and disease in human populations.

A) linguistics and biological anthropology
B) archaeology and biological anthropology
C) cultural anthropology and biological anthropology
D) cultural anthropology and archaeology

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT an example of why archaeology is important, even when studying societies and time periods that have extensive written records?

A) It is important to gather as many artifacts as possible in order to supply museums with materials.
B) Due to cultural biases in literacy rates, there are many subcultures about which little is known.
C) Censorship laws and cultural bias have suppressed a large amount of written history.
D) Archaeology may be able to confirm or call into question written historical records.

Question 69

Although the prevalence of the sickle-cell anemia gene is higher in West Africa than in the United States, __________ prevent cells from sickeling, so fewer Africans than African Americans suffer from the disease.

A) tropical weather conditions
B) West African agricultural crops
C) traditional medicines
D) outdoor labor

Question 70

The sickle-cell trait confers some immunity to __________.

A) influenza
B) dysentery
C) malaria
D) yellow fever

Question 71

The study of human origins and biological diversity is __________.

A) archaeology
B) paleoanthropology
C) physical anthropology
D) forensic anthropology

Question 72

Which of the following statements about applied anthropologists is true?

A) Applied anthropologists may work for governments or corporations to further their interests at the expense of local and/or indigenous populations.
B) Applied anthropologists may analyze ancient human skeletal remains to recreate ancient human behavior.
C) Applied anthropologists may use computer modeling to understand the collapse of the Mayan civilization.
D) Applied anthropologists may identify when the first agricultural crops were domesticated.

Question 73

Which of the following is an example of archaeology helping solve the present day problems of people?

A) archaeologists' discovery of the techniques used for mummification
B) archaeologists advising civil engineers on road construction routes
C) archaeologists rediscovering ancient agricultural techniques that increased crop yields in the Andes
D) archaeologists' research on ancient medical techniques

Question 74

Archaeology is very well suited to the study of culture change because __________.

A) material culture changes more quickly than any other aspect of culture
B) changes in culture are most easily detectible in material culture
C) it is the most scientific of anthropology's subdisciplines
D) its range covers a great depth of time

Question 75

Biological anthropologists study __________ because it reflects the effects of both environment and culture on human biology.

A) human variation
B) economics
C) genetics
D) primatology

Question 76

Which of the following is NOT a reason that primatologists study non-human primates?

A) humans are primates
B) some non-human primates also have the capacity for culture
C) many non-human primates live in environments much like those in which the earliest human ancestors lived
D) non-human primates are easier to observe, especially in captivity

Question 77

The sickle-cell gene is often fatal to those who __________.

A) inherit it from only one parent
B) inherit it from both parents
C) get malaria
D) live in warm regions of the globe

Question 78

A/an __________ would work to assess the cultural impacts of a road building project and take measures to protect or remove important cultural finds.

A) archaeologist
B) contract archaeologist
C) museum curator
D) historical archaeologist

Question 79

In which of the following settings might one find applied anthropologists employed?

A) teaching paleoanthropology at a university
B) working for local governments to improve services
C) performing a case-study for a doctorate dissertation
D) studying the mating habits of non-human primates

Question 80

__________ is an area of study that uses the theories and techniques of anthropology to solve real-world problems.

A) Classical anthropology
B) Cultural anthropology
C) Applied anthropology
D) Relief work