Question 1

There is little evidence that anthropology was a form of "applied colonialism" because

Accepted Answer

Anthropology's findings often being too specialized for direct use by colonial administrators and the complex, variable motives of anthropologists highlight that the discipline cannot be simplistically labeled as "applied colonialism."

Question 2

As discussed in the text, Talal Asad emphasizes that, in regard to colonialism,

Accepted Answer

Asad argues that colonialism has always been an integral part of the reality that anthropologists have sought to understand, indicating that it has been a significant factor in shaping the contexts within which anthropological research has been conducted.

Question 3

Independence was granted to most European colonies

Accepted Answer

Most European colonies gained their independence after World War II, as the war weakened European powers and accelerated decolonization movements.

Question 4

American anthropologists in the 1930s

Accepted Answer

American anthropologists in the 1930s believed in the possibility of studying social and cultural change impartially and scientifically, reflecting the era's emphasis on developing anthropology as a rigorous academic discipline.

Question 5

Political independence for colonies

Accepted Answer

Political independence often did not lead to significant economic changes for former colonies, as many continued to be economically dependent on or influenced by their former colonial powers or other global economic structures.

Question 6

Continued economic and political influence by former colonial powers following the political independence of their former colonies is called

Accepted Answer

Neocolonialism refers to the practice where former colonial powers continue to exert influence over their former colonies, often through economic, political, or cultural pressures, even after these territories have achieved formal political independence.

Question 7

Anthropologists make sense of the variety of forms of human society across space and over time through

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists study human societies by seeking universals in the human experience, analyzing individual societies in detail, and categorizing societies to understand their diversity and commonalities. This comprehensive approach helps them understand the variety of human societies across different locations and historical periods.

Question 8

A typology is a

Accepted Answer

A typology is a classification system used to categorize, organize, or group things based on shared characteristics or traits.

Question 9

When Europeans in the Age of Discovery were first getting to know other societies, they were most struck by

Accepted Answer

Europeans were often struck by what they perceived as the absence of certain social forms and institutions that they considered fundamental to their own societies, such as structured government systems or codified legal systems, in the societies they encountered. This perception was influenced by their own cultural biases and a lack of understanding of the complex and different ways other societies were organized.

Question 10

The theory that proposed a series of stages through which all societies had passed or must pass to reach civilization is called

Accepted Answer

Unilineal cultural evolutionism is the theory that suggests societies progress through a series of stages towards civilization. This perspective was prominent in the anthropology of the 19th and early 20th centuries, proposing a single path of cultural development.

Question 11

Which of the following was NOT a stage in the unilineal cultural evolutionists' model?

Accepted Answer

Unilineal cultural evolutionists proposed a model of cultural evolution that progresses linearly from Savagery, through Barbarism, to Civilization. Tribalism was not considered a distinct stage in this model.

Question 12

Those groups possessing domesticated plants and animals but that never attained a phonetic alphabet and the art of writing were classified as

Accepted Answer

Barbarians were historically referred to as groups that had developed agriculture and domesticated animals but had not developed a written language or phonetic alphabet. This classification is based on a now-outdated and ethnocentric system of categorizing cultures and societies.

Question 13

Colonial officials were often distrustful of anthropologists' motives because

Accepted Answer

All of the options provided are reasons why colonial officials might be distrustful of anthropologists. Anthropologists often developed sympathies for the colonized peoples, were not necessarily supporters of colonialism, and their research could expose the exploitative nature of colonial programs.

Question 14

In Africa, British officials occupied the top of the colonial hierarchy and employed traditional rulers (elders, chiefs, etc.) as their intermediaries with the common people. This is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Indirect rule was a system of governance used by the British in their colonies where they governed through the existing local power structures, employing traditional rulers as intermediaries.

Question 15

British anthropologists call themselves social anthropologists because of their focus on

Accepted Answer

British anthropologists are known as social anthropologists due to their emphasis on studying social structures, which includes the relationships and organizations within societies.

Question 16

The creation of a structural-functional typology of African political systems was the outcome of work by

Accepted Answer

Fortes and Evans-Pritchard are credited with the creation of a structural-functional typology of African political systems through their work, which focused on understanding the organization and function of social structures within African societies.

Question 17

The enduring aspects of a society's social forms, including its political and kinship systems, are called

Accepted Answer

Social structures refer to the enduring aspects of a society, including its political and kinship systems, norms, and institutional frameworks that shape social interactions and relationships.

Question 18

The major distinction in the contemporary social structural classification of forms of human societies discussed in the text is between _____ and _____ societies.

Accepted Answer

The major distinction in contemporary social structural classification of human societies is between centralized societies, which have a defined hierarchy and governance structure, and egalitarian societies, where there is an attempt to maintain equal power and status among its members.

Question 19

A small, egalitarian social grouping whose members neither farm nor herd, but depend on wild food resources is called a

Accepted Answer

A band is a small, kin-based group found among foragers, where members rely on wild food resources rather than farming or herding, and is characterized by egalitarian social structures.

Question 20

An egalitarian society whose members raise domesticated plants or animals for food is called a

Accepted Answer

Tribes often engage in subsistence farming or pastoralism, where the community collectively works to raise domesticated plants or animals for food, reflecting more egalitarian social structures compared to the hierarchical structures seen in chiefdoms and states.

Quiz 4: How Has Anthropological Thinking About Cultural Diversity Changed Over Time