Question 1

Lewis Henry Morgan was a lawyer and banker of the late nineteenth century whose principal scholarship in anthropology was concerned with:

Accepted Answer

Lewis Henry Morgan's principal scholarship in anthropology was concerned with systems of human kinship. He is known for his work on kinship terminology and the classification of societies into different types based on their kinship systems, such as his famous distinction between “classificatory” and “descriptive” kinship systems.

Question 2

According to Malinowski, magic __________.

Accepted Answer

According to Malinowski, magic functions to relieve the anxieties of individuals. Malinowski argued that magic provided psychological relief for individuals when they faced uncertain and anxiety-provoking situations.

Question 3

E. B. Tylor and other eighteenth-century thinkers asserted that "primitives" around the world would eventually evolve through the stages of barbarism to become civilized like Europeans, but these "primitives" would need assistance from the civilized world to reach this ultimate, ideal stage. This perception that Western society is the center of the civilized world and non-Western societies are inherently inferior is called:

Accepted Answer

This perception that Western society is the center of the civilized world and non-Western societies are inherently inferior is called ethnocentrism. It is the belief that one's own cultural traditions and norms are superior to those of other cultures. It often leads to a lack of respect for other cultures and can result in discrimination and prejudice against them.

Question 4

The view that society consists of institutions that serve vital purposes for its people is known as:

Accepted Answer

The view that society is made up of institutions that serve essential functions for its people is known as functionalism. This perspective asserts that every part of society has a purpose or function that contributes to its overall stability and survival.

Question 5

In order for diffusionism to work as envisioned by the British and German schools, adherents had to assume or maintain all of the following ideas except:

Accepted Answer

Diffusionism focused on the spread of cultural traits, not specifically on technological aspects.

Question 6

The methodology Morgan used to investigate foreign cultures included:

Accepted Answer

Morgan used the distribution of questionnaires by travelers and missionaries to gather information about foreign cultures.

Question 7

One of Boas' principal criticisms of nineteenth century anthropologists was that:

Accepted Answer

Boas believed that anthropologists of the nineteenth century relied too heavily on armchair anthropology, or theorizing about cultures without actually conducting fieldwork or engaging with people from those cultures. Rather than sitting in an armchair and speculating about the behavior of non-Western cultures, Boas believed that anthropologists needed to conduct their own fieldwork and interact with members of the cultures they were studying in order to gain a more accurate understanding of their customs and beliefs.

Question 8

The opposite of cultural relativism is:

Accepted Answer

The opposite of cultural relativism is ethnocentrism. Cultural relativism is the belief that all cultures are equal and should be understood within their own cultural context, while ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture is superior to others.

Question 9

The existence of a "joking relationship" (one in which interaction is typified by friendly teasing) between a man and his brothers-in-law would be explained by anthropologist Radcliffe-Brown as:

Accepted Answer

Radcliffe-Brown viewed the joking relationship as a structured relationship whose function is to reduce potential hostility between a man and his brothers-in-law by providing a framework for friendly teasing and humor.

Question 10

The term "functionalism" in anthropology refers to the notion that:

Accepted Answer

Functionalism in anthropology refers to the idea that cultural practices and institutions serve specific functions in a society. This perspective emphasizes how different parts of a culture work together to meet the needs of individuals and the society as a whole. It also suggests that cultural practices can be analyzed in terms of how well they serve their intended purpose.

Question 11

According to Franz Boas, in order to conduct a historical particularist study of a society, one must adopt the notion of , or the belief that each society should be understood in terms of its own cultural practices and values.

Accepted Answer

Cultural relativism is the belief that each society should be understood in terms of its own cultural practices and values. This perspective was promoted by Franz Boas, who argued against the idea of a universal progression of cultures towards modernity, which was the basis of the evolutionary theories of his time. Boas believed that each culture should be studied on its own terms, and that there was no inherent superiority or inferiority in any particular culture. This approach is essential for a historical particularist study, which seeks to understand the unique historical and cultural context of a society.

Question 12

A major division in anthropology is between:

Accepted Answer

The most common and influential division in anthropology is the one between materialists (also known as cultural materialists) and culturalists (also known as idealists). Materialists believe that material and economic conditions determine social and cultural behavior, while culturalists focus on the ways that cultural meaning and symbols shape behavior. The other options presented are not major divisions in anthropology.

Question 13

Grafton Eliot Smith and William Perry, major figures associated with the school of British diffusionism in the early 20th century, proposed that:

Accepted Answer

Smith and Perry, as proponents of British diffusionism, argued that many cultural aspects worldwide originated from ancient Egypt, suggesting a single source of civilization.

Question 14

The concept of maintains that societal change occurs when societies borrow cultural traits from one another.

Accepted Answer

Diffusionism is the concept that describes how cultural traits such as beliefs, customs, and technology are spread from one culture to another. This idea suggests that societal change happens when cultures borrow traits from each other.

Question 15

The body of anthropological theory concerned with the spread of technology, religion, economic systems, art forms, and other expressions of culture is known as:

Accepted Answer

The body of anthropological theory concerned with the spread of technology, religion, economic systems, art forms, and other expressions of culture is known as diffusionism.

Question 16

An important aspect of theories of "unilineal evolution" was that:

Accepted Answer

Theories of unilineal evolution posit that human societies inherently progress through stages of development, with some societies being more advanced or civilized than others. This suggests a clear classification of human societies based on their level of civilization. The other options are not relevant to theories of unilineal evolution.

Question 17

The principal criticism of nineteenth-century theories of "unilineal evolution" is:

Accepted Answer

The principal criticism of nineteenth-century theories of "unilineal evolution" is that they were ethnocentric, holding that Western society was superior to all others. These theories were based on the idea that all societies evolved through the same stages of development, with Western societies being the most advanced. This perspective ignored the diversity and complexity of non-Western societies and their achievements in various areas such as science, art, and politics.

Question 18

L. H. Morgan was primarily interested in the evolution of:

Accepted Answer

L. H. Morgan was primarily interested in the evolution of the family. He observed and studied kinship relationships and family structures of various cultures around the world and wrote extensively about it in his book "Ancient Society." He proposed the theory of "evolutionary stages" in the development of human society, with the basic family unit being the earliest and most primitive form.

Question 19

Nineteenth century theories of "unilineal evolution" proposed that:

Accepted Answer

Unilineal evolution theories in the 19th century proposed that all human societies progress through a series of predetermined stages towards civilization. This idea of continuous progress towards a higher level of civilization is referred to as "unilineal" because it assumes that all societies will follow the same trajectory towards a common endpoint. This idea has since been widely criticized and rejected by contemporary anthropologists.

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

White's theory of cultural evolution suggests that cultures evolve based on their ability to harness energy. The use of nuclear energy represents a more advanced stage of energy harnessing compared to animal power, coal and steam, or human labor.

Quiz 6: Anthropological Explanations