Cultural Anthropolgy

Holism

considers all the aspects of human life and culture.

Enthocentlrism

exclusive, closed minded

Culture Relativism

not judging a culture but trying to understand it on its own terms; open minded

Anthropocene

the current historical era in which human activity is reshaping the planet in permanent ways

Historical Particularism

The idea, attributed to Franz Boas, that cultures develop in specific ways because of their unique histories.

Structural Functionalism

theoretical tradition claiming that every society has certain structures (the family, the division of labor, or gender) that exist to fulfill some set of necessary functions (reproduction of the species, production of goods, etc.)

Enthogrpaehic Fieldwork

beings with people, shapes anthropology, informs daily life

Individual

individual beliefs and actions

Institutional

embedded by structures

Radical Ideology

a set of popular ideas about race that allows the discriminatory behaviors of individuals and institutions to seem reasonable, rational, and normal

Sexuality

the complex range of desires, beliefs, and behaviors that are related to erotic physical contact and the cultural arena within which people debate about what kinds of physical desires and behaviors are right, appropriate, and natural

Kinships

social bonds based on blood, marriage, or adoption that join individuals into families

Lineage

direct decent from an ancestor

Clans

groups of families who claim a common ancestor

Patrilineal

when married, lifetime membership on father’s side

Matrilineal

membership on the mothers side

Neolocal

the newly married couple sets up its own residence; live apart from families

Class differences 

defined by material inequalities of power, status, and resources; extended/collateral

Forging Families

nuclear in families bonds 

Bride wealth

the gift of goods or money from the groom's family to the bride's family as part of the marriage process

Arranged Marriage

marriage orchestrated by the families of the involved parties

Divorce

The legal ending of a marriage

Polygyny

a man has more than one spouse

Polyandry

a female has more than one spouse 

Fraternal Polyandry

women weds two+ brothers

Serial Monogamy

divorce easy/common

Endogamy

marriage between people of the same social category