Cultural Anthropology Review

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary related to cultural anthropology, including definitions and examples.

Cultural Relativism

The principle that an individual's beliefs and activities make sense in their own culture.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own cultural group is centrally important and superior to others.

Xenocentrism

The belief that other cultures or societies are superior to one's own.

Coming of Age / Rites of Passage

A ceremony or event marking an important stage in someone's life, especially adulthood.

Primatology (Cooperation)

• Apes have been seen hunting together and protecting one of their group's body from zoo keepers but it has not been proven to be coordinated efforts.

• In an experiment with heavier and heavier stones chimps have learned how to ask for help from humans but not other apes, they can even offer help.

• In another experiment that needs two chimps to pull a string on both sides to get food, in some groups the chimps need to have two different trays of food or else they fight. In other apes that are more friendly towards each other the experiment works fine with only one tray.

• But another thing is limiting their cooperation, emotions and impulsivity.  In an experiment where the tray they pointed at would be given to the other chimp, they never learned to point at the one with less nuts, not overcoming their greed. They can oversee this using symbols like numbers.

• They can do things together and cooperate in that sense but not towards a common goal, and will not encourage or teach others.

Biological Profile

Determination of sex, approximate age, stature, and ancestry based on skeletal analysis.

Bipedalism

The trait of habitually walking on two legs.

Feral Children

• Reintegration into society is extremely difficult

• Language developed by socialization and social cues

• The first few years of life are crucial to our development

• Critical period theory supported for language

Material Culture

All physical objects that humans create and/or give meaning to.

Non-Material Culture

Thoughts, behaviors, values, beliefs, ideas, language, rules, customs, skills, and myths shared by a culture.

Culture Definition

Culture is the set of meanings, beliefs, values, and rules for living shared by groups and societies as the source of their identity.

Radiometric Dating

A process used to determine the age of an object by measuring the amount of radioactive material it contains.

Noam Chomsky's Theory

The theory that rules for language acquisition are innate; all humans have an inborn capacity for language.

Lucy

A significant Australopithecus afarensis fossil that provides insights into human evolution.

4 reasons Growing up has changed

1. Technological revolution - It takes longer to prepare yourself for a knowledge economy than it idd for a manufacturing company.

2. Sexual Revolution - We test mariage partners before we commit. Better choices at 28 then 18.

3. Women Revolution - Huge range of opportunities for young women. Time to develop skills for the workplace.

4. Youth Revolution - Unparalleled adventure and risk taking without anyone depending on you.

Vanuatu Rites of Passage

1. To secure a gods favour, a sacrifice to ensure the survival of the community 

2. Dates back 15 centuries

3. Religion of Animism

4. Originally held after the Yam harvest

5. The higher the jump and better the blessing therefore better crop and prosperity of the community

6. Personal test of strength, bravery, and faith

Unoja Culture

1. They sell jewelry in order to earn money, which they use to live and start a school which is open to anyone

2. They also build their own houses

3. I think it is an example of cultural evolution because it is taking a aspect of their culture and trying to change it by showing an example that women can be independent

Kaladhazi Culture

1. They are christians, women have to be virgin before getting married

2. There are strict rule on the girls contact with guys, no kisses, hugs, or private meeting and even these meeting have to happen in their house

3. Buyers value intelligence and looks

4. They want to keep their culture alive which is why they marrying other Kalaidzhi people

5. Some of the younger people were saying that they don't like the idea of selling off the girls but that its tradition

Biological vs Social

• Bio :  Sexual maturity, secondary sex characteristics

• Soci :  Culture (tradition), legal rights, responsibilities, challenges

5 social markers of growing up

• Higher education

• Finding a job

• Leaving home

• Getting married

• Having children

Neck Rings (Myanmar)

1. Bronze rings worn around their necks, wrists, and knees

2. Once expected but is becoming more and more shunned by the younger population

3. Fewer than 100 across Myanmar which is 300-400 several decades ago

Bullet Ants

1. Special gloves infested with Amazon Bullet ants

2. To be a true warrior you need to wear them 20 time and for more than 10 minutes

3. A test if you can take on adult responsibilities and makes you a better men

4. Medicine man leads the participant in a dance around a pole

Japan Seijinshiki

1. Girls get their hair, makeup, and dress in kimonos (Rented of their mothers)

2. Men wear western style suits of the traditional hakama 

3. When you turn 20, welcoming new adults into japanese society

4. Happens on the second monday of January but in a lot of place it happens on the sunday before

5. Community event or reunion with live music and speeches 

6. Go to a shrine to pay respects and go out and celebrate later, now being able to drink

Primatology (Imitation)

• There were multiple chimps using the spears to hunt.

• Apes have been seen both copying their parents in the wild and humans in non-natural environments.

• There was an experience where they taught one ape how to solve a problem and saw others in their group and from other groups replicate.

Primatology (Intelligence)

• They can see and tell if they are responsible for an action. 

• A Chimp has been trained to recognize numbers 1-9 and be able to tap them in order but it takes as much effort to teach 5 and 6.

• Another chimp has been taught English indirectly and its vocabulary is up to 3000 words.

• They can tell what others can see and not but not more complex mind reading,  they can also copy others movements and skip steps to get to food faster.

Forensic Anthropology

The application of physical anthropology to legal cases, usually with a focus on the human skeleton.

Sex, age/teeth, stature, ancestry

1. Sex  

   1. Male

      1. Pelvic arch is more narrow (v)

      2. More pronounced brow ridge

      3. Mastoid process is larger

   2. Female

      1. Pelvic arch is wider (u)

      2. Less pronounced brow ridge

      3. Mastoid process is smaller

2. Age

   1. Dental development (teeth can give you Age, Identity (like fingerprints), Deit, and overall health)

   2. Skeletal maturation (sutures in skull close at 24)

3. Stature 

   1. Approximate age

      1. Length of femur, estimated ¼ of your height

4. Determined Ancestry - Bones retain “biogeographical” information that is found in our DNA 

Antemortem, Perimortem, Postmortem

1. Antemortem - Before death

2. Perimortem - Time around death

3. Postmortem - After death

Hominins

• A Human or Human ancestor 

• Ex. Australopithecus afarensis, a member of the human family from 3.2 million years ago

Charles Darwin theory

He proposed the species either had to evolve and change or they would die off in the changing environments.

Fossil

Preserved remains of biological matter

Language

A communication system consisting of words used in a structured way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture.

How does language adapt

• Language can adapt to the environment

• Ex. Silbo whistling - getting sound across large areas without a puddled sound or meaning

The brain (Broca/Wernicke)

• Broca's area (speech selection) - identified in our ancestors over 1.8 million years ago

• Wernicke’s area deals with language comprehension

Body Language

• Gesture can mean different things in different languages/areas

• The gestures them self can be different despite meaning the same thing