Question 1

Boas and his students were strong proponents of cross-cultural comparisons, without which they could not validate their findings.

Accepted Answer

Boas and his students emphasized the importance of understanding cultures on their own terms rather than through direct comparison, arguing that each culture is unique and must be studied within its own context.

Question 2

The overall trend in anthropological theory has been from theories that put human agency at the center of cultural dynamics to paradigms that see evolution as the main force behind cultural change.

Accepted Answer

The overall trend in anthropological theory has been from evolution-centered paradigms to theories that emphasize human agency and cultural dynamics. This shift occurred during the 1980s and 1990s, and is known as the "post-processual" or "post-modern" turn in anthropology.

Question 3

Despite the increasing popularity of team research among anthropologists, the best ethnographies are always the product of individual work.

Accepted Answer

While team research has become more common in anthropology, it is not necessarily true that individual work produces the best ethnographies. Both individual and team research can produce high-quality ethnographies, and the effectiveness of each approach depends on the research question, methodology, and dynamics of the research team.

Question 4

The American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics prohibits anthropologists from working with governments on matters of national security.

Accepted Answer

The American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics does not explicitly prohibit anthropologists from working with governments on matters of national security. Instead, it emphasizes the need for transparency, informed consent, and the welfare of affected parties, allowing for such work under ethical guidelines.

Question 5

Among the classic works of processual approaches to culture is Edmund Leach's Political Systems of Highland Burma. This study made a tremendously important point by taking a regional rather than a local perspective.

Accepted Answer

Edmund Leach's Political Systems of Highland Burma analyzed the political system of the Kachin people in the upland region of Burma, taking a regional perspective rather than a narrow local focus. This was a key feature of the processual approach to culture, which emphasized the importance of looking at broader socio-cultural systems and contexts in order to understand cultural phenomena.

Question 6

Much of the history of anthropology has been about the roles and relative prominence of culture and the individual.

Accepted Answer

Throughout its history, anthropology has debated the degree to which cultural norms and practices shape individual behavior and thought, or whether individual agency and choice have a greater influence on culture. This ongoing debate has led to various theoretical approaches and perspectives within the discipline.

Question 7

Beyond Morgan's and Tylor's early anthropological work, no major theoretical paradigm in anthropology has embraced the role of evolution in cultural change.

Accepted Answer

Many major theoretical paradigms in anthropology have embraced the role of evolution in cultural change, including cultural evolutionism, neo-evolutionism, and cultural ecology.

Question 8

Longitudinal research is the long-term study of a community, region, society, culture, or other unit, usually based on repeated visits.

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal research involves following a group or unit over an extended period of time, often involving repeated visits or measurements to track changes or trends. This allows for a deeper understanding of how and why things change over time, and is often used in social sciences and public health research.

Question 9

This chapter's overview of the history of anthropological theory suggests that the discipline has made no important contributions to social theory in general.

Accepted Answer

The chapter's overview actually suggests that anthropology has made important contributions to social theory, including the idea of cultural relativism, functionalism, structuralism, and symbolic anthropology. However, the chapter also acknowledges that anthropology has faced criticism and challenges throughout its history.

Question 10

Given the realities of the contemporary world, anthropologists need to apply methods that protect their analyses from biases caused by external forces.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Given the realities of the contemporary world,...

Question 11

Morgan and Edward Tylor, both considered among the fathers of anthropology, worked within the paradigm of unilinear evolution.

Accepted Answer

Both Morgan and Edward Tylor are associated with the paradigm of unilinear evolution in anthropology, which suggests that all societies progress through stages of development from savagery to civilization.

Question 12

Ethnography is increasingly multi-timed and multi-sited, the result of a shift toward a recognition of the ongoing and inescapable flows of people, technology, images, and information that characterizes much of the world today.

Accepted Answer

The statement accurately describes the current trend in ethnography towards acknowledging the complex and interconnected nature of today's world.

Question 13

Franz Boas's famous biological studies of European immigrants to the United States revealed and measured phenotypical plasticity, showing that the environment and cultural forces could change human biology.

Accepted Answer

This is true. Franz Boas, a famous anthropologist, conducted studies on European immigrants in the US and found evidence of phenotypical plasticity, which means that the environment and cultural forces can have an impact on human biology.

Question 14

Manchester anthropologists Max Gluckman and Victor Turner made conflict an important part of their analysis, distancing themselves somewhat from Panglossian functionalism, the tendency to see things as functioning not just to maintain the system but to do so in the most optimal way possible.

Accepted Answer

Max Gluckman and Victor Turner's focus on conflict in their analysis represented a departure from Panglossian functionalism, which emphasized the optimal functioning of systems.

Question 15

The etic perspective refers to a non-scientific perspective.

Accepted Answer

The etic perspective is actually a scientific perspective that involves studying a culture from an outsider's point of view, whereas the emic perspective involves studying a culture from an insider's point of view.

Question 16

Survey research studies a small sample of a larger population.

Accepted Answer

Survey research typically focuses on a subgroup of a larger population in order to draw conclusions about that population as a whole. This is why it is important to carefully select participants for surveys and to use appropriate sampling methods that can accurately represent the entire population.

Question 17

Briefly describe the nine characteristic field techniques of the ethnographer. How do they compare with the research techniques you have learned about in courses or readings in other academic disciplines?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly describe the nine characteristic field techniques...

Question 18

Survey research is usually conducted through intensive personal contact with the study subjects.

Accepted Answer

Survey research can be conducted through various methods including telephone interviews, online surveys, mail surveys, and in-person interviews, but intensive personal contact with study subjects is not always necessary.

Question 19

The emic perspective focuses on local explanations of criteria and significance.

Accepted Answer

The emic perspective is concerned with understanding phenomena from the local point of view or insider perspective, which includes examining the criteria and significance that are important to members of a particular culture or community.

Question 20

Since there are so many anthropologists in the United States, the distinction between emic and etic does not apply to American culture.

Accepted Answer

The distinction between emic and etic perspectives applies to all cultures, including American culture, and is fundamental to anthropological analysis. It is a useful theoretical framework for understanding both cultural differences and similarities from both an insider's (emic) and outsider's (etic) perspective.

Quiz 13: Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology