Question 1

Higher wages and improved benefits for workers in core nations are possible only because an added surplus from the periphery enables companies to maintain high profit margins.

Accepted Answer

Core nations rely on the surplus extracted from the periphery to maintain their high standards of living and wages for workers. This surplus allows companies to maintain high profit margins, which in turn allows for improved benefits and wages for workers in core nations.

Question 2

What is the world system perspective, and why is it important in anthropology?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the world system perspective, and...

Question 3

What was the Industrial Revolution, and how did it differ from previous life in villages, towns, and cities? Why is this topic relevant to an anthropologist?

Accepted Answer

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Question 4

When indigenous peoples are incorporated into modern nation-states, they usually become part of the impoverished classes.

Accepted Answer

This is often the case due to a variety of factors including colonization, discrimination, and displacement from traditional lands and resources. Indigenous peoples often have limited access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities, which can perpetuate a cycle of poverty.

Question 5

French colonial strategies incorporated both direct and indirect rule.

Accepted Answer

French colonial strategies in Africa incorporated both direct and indirect rule. Direct rule involved the imposition of French laws and customs on the colonies, while indirect rule involved using local leaders to govern on behalf of the French.

Question 6

The distinction between small-c communism and large-C Communism is an example of arbitrary concepts defined in the social sciences.

Accepted Answer

The distinction between small-c communism (referring to a broad spectrum of social, political, and economic ideologies advocating for a classless system) and large-C Communism (referring to specific political movements and ideologies associated with Marxist-Leninist parties and states) is not arbitrary but is based on specific historical, ideological, and organizational differences.

Question 7

Colonialism refers to the solicitation by peripheral countries of political and financial assistance from core nations.

Accepted Answer

Colonialism is the opposite - it refers to the domination and exploitation of peripheral countries by core nations for their own political and economic benefit.

Question 8

Weber argued that without Catholic ethic and values, capitalism and industrialism would have never spread beyond England.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Weber argued that without Catholic ethic and...

Question 9

With the spread of industrialization, the existence of indigenous economies, ecologies, and populations has become threatened all over the world.

Accepted Answer

The spread of industrialization has led to the endangerment of indigenous economies, ecologies and populations.

Question 10

Weber argued that the only true capitalists were Protestants, and people who believed in any other faith could never fully mature as capitalists.

Accepted Answer

Weber did argue that Protestantism, particularly Calvinism, had an influence on the development of capitalism, but he never claimed that only Protestants could be true capitalists.

Question 11

Neoliberalism refers to a revival of Adam Smith's classic economic liberalism, which suggests that governments should not regulate private enterprise and that free market forces should rule.

Accepted Answer

Neoliberalism aims to limit government intervention in the economy and promote free market competition as a means of achieving economic growth and efficiency. This is consistent with the core principles of Adam Smith's classical liberalism.

Question 12

How did the views of Marx and Weber on stratification differ? Relate their views to the modern global stratification system.

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

Many of the political, linguistic, religious, and economic distinctions among the countries of West Africa today are artifacts of colonialism.

Accepted Answer

Colonialism played a major role in shaping the political, linguistic, religious, and economic distinctions among the countries of West Africa today. European powers established colonial borders that ignored pre-existing ethnic boundaries, leading to conflicts and tensions. They also imposed their own languages, religions, and economic systems on the region, contributing to the diverse identities and disparities that exist today.

Question 14

Belgian colonial administrators were careful to use culturally significant differences to distinguish between the Hutus and Tutsis.

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

Life in nations in the periphery is characterized by high percentages of poverty and frequent food shortages brought on by a high level of stratification between a small number of large landowners and landless workers.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true as countries in the periphery (developing countries) often have high levels of poverty and limited access to resources, resulting in frequent food shortages. Additionally, there is often a large gap in wealth and land ownership between a small minority of wealthy landowners and a large majority of landless workers.

Question 16

What is the world capitalist economy? When did it originate, and what are its features? What are core, semiperiphery, and periphery? What is their relationship to world capitalism?

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

The British notion "white man's burden" is similar to the French concept mission civilisatrice in that both were racist ideologies used to justify the colonial efforts of their respective countries.

Accepted Answer

Both the British notion of "white man's burden" and the French concept of mission civilisatrice were racist ideologies used to justify the colonialism of their respective countries. Both were based on the belief that white European nations had a moral obligation to bring "civilization" and "progress" to less "advanced" non-European societies.

Question 18

The United States originally started out as a peripheral nation, but by 1900 it had asserted itself as a member of the industrialized core.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. In the 19th century, the United States was considered a peripheral nation due to its relative isolation from the European centers of power and its reliance on agricultural and resource-based industries. However, by the turn of the 20th century, the US had emerged as an industrial powerhouse, with a growing economy, advanced technology, and significant influence in global affairs.

Question 19

Mass production has led to critical consumption as people are forced to make careful decisions regarding what is needed and what is excess.

Accepted Answer

Mass production has actually led to a culture of overconsumption and a focus on constantly acquiring more goods and products. This has resulted in many people accumulating excess possessions and clutter in their homes.

Question 20

Ethnocide refers to the intentional destruction of an ethnic group's traditional customs, beliefs, and behaviors.

Accepted Answer

Ethnocide is a form of cultural genocide where a dominant group intentionally destroys an ethnic group's culture and traditions to assimilate or have cultural superiority over them.

Quiz 23: The World System and Colonialism