Cultural Anthropology Midterm

Chapters 1,2,14,17,8,11

Cultural Relativism

the idea that we should seek to understand another person’s beliefs and behaviors from the perspective of their own culture and not our own

Deductive

reasoning from the general to the specific; the inverse of inductive reasoning. Deductive research is more common in the natural sciences than in anthropology

enculturation 

the process of learning the characteristics and expectations of a culture or group 

ethnocentrism 

the tendency to view one’s own culture as most important and correct and as the stick by which to measure all others 

ethnography

the in-depth study of te everyday practices and lives of a people

hominin

humans and their close relatives and immediate ancestors

inductive 

a type of reasoning that uses specific information to draw general conclusions. IN an inductive approach, the researcher seeks to collect evidence without trying to definitively prove or disprove a hypothesis 

Paleoanthropologist 

biological anthropologist who study ancient human relatives 

participant -observation

a type of observation in which the anthropologist observes while participating in the same activities in which her informants are engaged

armchair anthropology

an early and discredited method of anthropological research that did not involve direct contact with the people studied

cultural determinism 

the idea that behavioral differences are a result of cultural, not racial or genetic causes 

cultural evolutionism

a discredited theory popular in nineteenth century anthropology suggesting that societies evolved through stages from simple to advanced

culture

a set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that are learned and shared. Together they form an all-encompassing, integrated whole that binds people together and shapes their worldview

enculturation

the process of learning the characteristics and expectations of a culture or group

ethnocentrism 

the tendency to view one’s own culture as most important and correct and as the stick by which to measure all other cultures 

functionalism

an approach to anthropology developed in British anthropology that emphasized the way that parts of a society work together to support the functioning of the whole

going native

becoming fully integrated into a cultural group through acts such as taking leadership position, assuming key roles in society, entering into marriage, or other behaviors that incorporate an anthropologist into the society they are studying

holism 

taking a broad view of the historical, environmental, and cultural foundations of behavior 

kinship

blood ties, common ancestry, and social relationships that form families within human groups

participant observation

a type of observation in which anthropologist observes while participating in the same activities in which their informants are

structural functionalism 

an approach to anthropology that focuses on the ways in which the customs or social institutions in a culture contribute to the organization of society and the maintenance of social order 

the other

is the terms that have been used to describe people whose customs, beliefs, or behaviors are “different” from one’s own

adaptive

traits that increase the capacity of individuals to survive and reproduceb

biocultural evolution 

describes the interactions between biology and culture that have influenced human evolution 

biomedical

an approach to medicine that is based on the application of insights from science, particularly biology and chemistry

communal healing

an approach to healing that directs the combined efforts of the community toward treating illness

culture-bound syndrome 

an illness recognized only within a specific cultre emo

emotionalistic explanation

suggests that illnesses are caused by strong emotions such as fright, anger, or grief

epidemiological transition

the sharp drop in mortality rates, particularly among children, that occurs in a society as a result of improved sanitation ad access to healthcare

ethno-etiology

cultural explanations about the underlying causes of health problems 

ethnomedicine

the comparative study of cultural ideas about wellness, illness, and healing

humoral healing

an approach to healing that seeks to treat medical ailments by achieving a balance between the forces or elements, of the body

maladaptive 

trait that decrease the capacity of individuals to survive and reproduce 

medical anthropology

a distinct sub-specialty within the discipline of anthropology that investigates human health and health care systems in comparative perspective

naturalistic ethno-etiology

views disease as the result of natural forces such as cold, heat, winds, or an upset in the balance of the basic body elements

personalistic ethno-etiology 

views disease as the result of the actions of human or supernatural beings 

placebo effect

a response to treatment that occurs because the person receiving the treatment believes it will works

shaman

a person who specializes in contacting the world of the spirits

somatic 

symptoms that are physical manifestation of emotional pain 

zoonotic

diseases that have origins in animals and are transmitted to humans

avunculocal

married individuals live with or near an uncle

bilateral descent 

descent is recognized through both the father and the mother’s sides of the family 

bridewealth

payments made to the bride’s family by the groom’s family before marriage

clan

a group of people who have general notion of common descent that is not attached to a specific biological ancestor

descent groups 

relationships that provide members with a sense of identity and social support based on ties of shared ancestry 

domestic group

a term that can be used to describe a group of people who live together even if members do not consider themselves to be family

dowry

payments made to the groom’s family by the bride’s family before marriage

endogamy 

a term describing expectation that individuals must marry within a particular group

exogamy

a term describing expectations that individuals must marry outside a particular group

extended family

a family of at least three-generations sharing a householdfa

family 

the smallest group of individuals who see themselves as connected to one another 

family of orientation

the family in which an individual is raised

family of procreation

a new household formed for the purpose of conceiving and raising children

household

family members who reside together 

joint family

a very large extended family that includes multiple generation

kinship

the term used to describe culturally recognized ties between members of a family, the social statuses used to define family members, and the expected behaviors associated with these statuses

levirate 

the practice of a women marrying one of her deceased husband’s brothers 

lineage

term used to describe ay form of descent from a common ancestor ma

matriarchal

a society in which women have authority to make decisions

matrilocal residence 

married individuals live with or near the wife’s mothers family 

neolocal residence

newly married individuals establish a household separate from the other family members

nuclear family

parent o parents who are in a culturally-recognized relationship, such as marriage, along with minor or dependent children

patrilateral cousin marriage 

the practice of marrying a male or female cousin on the father’s side of the family 

patrilineal descent

a kinship group created through the paternal line p

patrilocal residence

married individuals live with or near the husband’s father’s family

polygamous 

families based on plural marriages in which there are multiple wives, or in rarer cases, multiple husbands 

polyandry

marriages with one wife and multiple husbands

polygyny

marriages in which there is one husband and multiple wives

role 

the set of behaviors expected of an individual who occupies a particular status 

serial monogamy

marriage to a succession of spouses one after the other

sororate marriage

the practice of a man marrying the sister of his deceased wife

status 

any culturally-designated position that a person occupies in a particular setting 

stem family

a version of an extended family that includes an older couple and one of their adult children with a spouse ad children

unilineal

descent is recognized through only one line or side of the family

animatism 

a religious system organized around a belief in an impersonal super-natural force 

animism

a religious system organized around a belief that plants, animals, inanimate objects, or natural phenomena have a spiritual or supernatural element

anthropomorphic 

an object or being that has human characteristics 

cargo cult 

a term sometimes used to describe rituals that seek to attract material prosperity. The term is generally not preferred by anthropologists 

collective effervescence

the passion or energy that arises when groups of people share the same thoughts and emotions

cosmology

an explanation for the origin or history of the world c

cultural appropriation

the act of copying an idea from another culture and in the process distorting its meaning 

filial piety

a tradition requiring that the young provide care for the elderly and in some cases ancestral spirits

magic

practices intended to bring supernatural forces under one’s personal controlmi

millenarians 

people who believe that major transformations of the world are imminent 

monotheistic

religious systems that recognize a single supreme god

polytheistic

religious systems that recognize several gods

supernatural 

describes entities or forces not governed by natural laws 

zoomorphic

an object or being that has animal characterstics

cultural rules

internalized rules of behavior covering all aspects of life

Stages of Moral Panic 

1. Threat Defined 

2. Media amplifies

3. Public concern grows 

4. Authorities act 

5.  Panic Subsides 

Sacred

objects or ideas are set apart from the ordinary and treated with great respect or care

profane

objects or ideas that are ordinary and can be treated with disregard or contempt

Rules Governing Behaviors 

rules define proper conduct for individuals ad for society as a whole and are oriented toward bringing individual actions into harmony with spirituals beliefs 

Ritual

practices or ceremonies that serve a religious purpose and are usually supervised by religious specialists