Question 1

A major division in anthropology is between __________.

Accepted Answer

The major division in anthropology is between materialists and culturalists. Materialists see human behavior as largely determined by economic and environmental factors, while culturalists see human behavior as largely determined by cultural norms and values. This division shapes different approaches to studying human societies and cultures.

Question 2

The neoevolutionists' perspective differed from the nineteenth-century evolutionists' ideas in a number of ways. The neoevolutionists __________.

Accepted Answer

Neoevolutionists rejected the idea of unilinear evolution and did not equate complexity and progress. They also tried to minimize ethnocentric and racist biases in their approach. However, they did not necessarily assume that civilization was the pinnacle of sociocultural development.

Question 3

Explanations for the differences and similarities among societies have been many and varied throughout the development of anthropology. What are the basic premises, strengths, and weaknesses of the following ideas: unilineal evolution, diffusionism, and historical particularism?

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Question 4

Define psychological and structural functionalism. Do you think that these approaches are compatible with cultural ecology and cultural materialism? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

Discuss the principal effects that the writings of Karl Marx have had on anthropological theory. Support your answer with specific examples.

Accepted Answer

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Question 6

According to Leslie White's theory of the evolution of sociocultural systems, the most highly evolved culture would be one __________.

Accepted Answer

According to Leslie White's theory, cultural evolution is measured by the amount of energy that a society uses to maintain itself. Therefore, a society that uses nuclear energy, which is the most advanced and efficient form of energy production, would be considered the most highly evolved culture.

Question 7

What are some of the criticisms that have been leveled at the cultural ecological approach? Do you think these criticisms are valid? If so, how would you modify the cultural ecological perspective to take into account the criticism?

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Question 8

Symbolic anthropologists argue that human behavior cannot be explained through the use of the scientific method. Do you agree with their standpoint? Why or why not?

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

According to Julian Steward, the environment and the availability of resources has a definite influence on the form of social organization. This approach to studying cultural evolution, called __________, was exemplified nicely in his study of the social organization of the Shoshone during different seasons of the year.

Accepted Answer

Julian Steward's approach to studying cultural evolution is called cultural ecology, which examines the relationship between the environment and culture. This approach emphasizes how the availability of resources influences the form of social organization, and Steward illustrated this concept in his study of the Shoshone, who had different social structures during different seasons depending on the resources available. Cultural materialism, on the other hand, focuses on how material conditions shape human behavior, while environmental determinism is a theory that suggests that the physical environment determines the culture and development of societies. "Environmentally driven evolution" is not a commonly used term in anthropology.

Question 10

According to Bronislaw Malinowski, magic __________.

Accepted Answer

Malinowski believed that magic serves a psychological function of relieving the anxiety of individuals in situations where they lack control or knowledge. He did not argue that magic has a basis in supernatural powers or that it requires full participation of a society. He also did not dismiss the usefulness of magic for thinking people.

Question 11

Compare and contrast the perspectives of the cultural materialists and Marxists. Are these theoretical views similar in any manner, or are they mutually exclusive and contradictory in nature? Explain.

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Question 12

Feminist anthropologists have pointed out which of the following weaknesses in the ethnographic record?

Accepted Answer

Feminist anthropologists have noted that men have traditionally dominated the informant pool, leading to a skewed representation of gender relations and roles in cultures. This has resulted in an underrepresentation of women's experiences and perspectives.

Question 13

Explain how postmodernism has affected anthropological explanation. What is the postmodern critique of ethnography? Describe some of the changes to ethnographic research and writing that would be recommended by postmodernist anthropologists.

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

Which of the following theoretical orientations interprets cultures much like literary texts?

Accepted Answer

Symbolic anthropology interprets cultures by analyzing symbols and processes of meaning-making, similar to how literary texts are analyzed for their underlying meanings and themes.

Question 15

Discuss the principal differences between nineteenth-century models for unilineal evolution and twentieth-century neoevolutionary theories. Who were the principal proponents of each?

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Question 16

Karl Marx's approach to understanding society drew on the work of __________.

Accepted Answer

Karl Marx drew heavily on the work of Lewis Henry Morgan, particularly his theory of social evolution and his study of kinship systems. Morgan argued that all human societies evolve from simpler forms through stages of progress. Marx integrated this idea with his theory of historical materialism, which holds that social and economic conditions shape human history.

Question 17

Postmodernist anthropologists emphasize which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Postmodernist anthropologists emphasize that ethnographers need to recognize how they are influenced by their own societies. They argue that objectivity in research is impossible, as researchers are always influenced by their own cultural biases and experiences. Therefore, they advocate for reflexivity and self-awareness in anthropological research.

Question 18

The research strategy that focuses on technology, environment, and economic factors as key determinants in sociocultural evolution while dividing the sociocultural system into "infrastructure," "structure," and "superstructure" is called __________.

Accepted Answer

Cultural materialism, as proposed by Marvin Harris, is the research strategy that emphasizes technology, environment, and economic factors as primary in shaping human sociocultural evolution. It organizes the sociocultural system into three components: infrastructure (material conditions), structure (social organization), and superstructure (ideologies, values, and symbols).

Question 19

Compare and contrast the perspectives of the symbolic anthropologists with the Marxists and the cultural materialists.

Accepted Answer