Midterm 1 Revised Study Guide

4-Subfields of Anthropology

• Physical/Biological

• Cultural

• Linguistic

• Archaeological

Comparative Method

Allows anthropologists to derive insights from careful comparisons of two or more cultures or societies

Culture

Refers to the taken for granted notions, rules, moralities, and behaviors within a social group that feel natural and suggest the way things should be

Ethnographic Method (definition, type of methodology, hallmark of which anthropology)

• Involves prolonged and intensive observation of and participation in the life of a community

• A qualitative methodology

• Hallmark of cultural anthropology

Applied Anthropology

Anthropological research commissioned to serve an organization’s needs

Holism

The effort to synthesize the study of human biology, prehistory, language, and social life all together in order to determine a single comprehensive explanation

Characteristics of Culture (5)

• Exosomatic

• Shared

• Learned

• Symbolic

• Changing

Quantitative Methods

Classify features of a phenomenon, count or measure them, and construct mathematical and statistical models to explain what is observed

Qualitative Methods

Aim to produce an in-depth and detailed description of social behaviors and beliefs (includes interviews and observations)

Cross-Cultural Perspective

Analyzing a human social phenomenon by comparing it to phenomenon in different cultures

Cultural constructions

Refers to the fact that people collectively “build” meanings through common experience and negotiation

Cultural Relativism

Taking a stance on a practice or belief only after trying to understand it in its cultural and historical context

Ethnocentrism

Viewing your own culture as the “basis for normal”

Cultural Boundness and Mental Maps of Reality both represent?

That our thinking is culturally derived, often unconsciously

Cultural Values

Symbolic expressions of intrinsically desirable principles of qualities (what is moral for a certain group)

Cultural Norms

Typical patterns of behavior, often viewed by participants as the rules of how things should be done

Traditions

Refers to the most enduring and ritualized aspects of a culture

Social Sanction

A reaction or measure intended to enforce norms and punish violations of a culture

Symbol

Something that conventionally stands for something else

Ethnohistory

Combines historical and ethnographic approaches to understand social and cultural change

Ethnoscience

The study of how people classify things in the world

Language Ideology

Refers to the ideologies people have about the superiority of one dialect or language and the inferiority of others

Field notes

Written records of information the anthropologist collects

Fieldwork

The primary, and immersive research method where anthropologists live within a community for an extended period of time to study culture through direct participation and observation

Genealogical Method

Determining if certain traits were passed in only certain families or in general (MBD = Mother’s brother’s daughter)

Life Histories

The history of a person’s (informat’s) life

What can life histories of elders tell us?

• How a person’s age influences their role in the community and how typical social roles unfold over a lifetime

• Reveals important aspects of social life

Informats

Someone who the anthropologist gets information from

Interviews

Systematic conversations with informants to collect data

Participant Observation

Systematic research strategy that is essentially “disciplined hanging out”

What are some challenges of studying culture? (3)

• Language barrier

• Isolation

• Stand-off nature

What are some methods of studying culture? (6)

• Participant Observation

• Interviews

• Field Notes

• Comparative Method

• Genealogical Method

• Life Histories

What are the ethical considerations in anthropological research (5)

• Respect

• Do No Harm

• Privacy

• Public Record

• Informed Consent

What is the main feature of Multi-Sited Research questions?

Research questions are complex and need to be adjusted to different sites

Race is…

A cultural construct but it becomes biology through society

Genotype

Genetic makeup of alleles

Phenotype

Physical characteristics from genes

Clinal Variation

The gradual and continuous and geographic change of biological traits across populations

What are AIMs?

Differences in alleles that can be used to vaugely predict your genetic make up

Genomic ancestry

Uses DNA to map population history, human migration, and individual lineage

3 Myths of Race

• Races were “pure” at some point

• Skin color = Race

• Different Genes for Different Races

Pigmentation levels around the world

Closer to the equator = darker

Closer to poles = lighter

Brazilian Race Classification System (5)

• 500 Racial Labels

• Physical Variation (Phenotype)

• Environment Influences

• Siblings can be of different races

• Socioeconomic Status

Facts about Race and Ethnicity as Constructs (3)

• Genes are not a good proxy for race

• Race is self-reported and everyone’s idea is different

• There is more diversity beyond “black” and “white"“

Advantages of Dark Skin (3)

• Protection from Folate Photolysis (UVB)

• Protection from Neural Tube Defects

• Protection from Sun burn / Skin Cancer (UVA)

Advantages of Light Skin (3)

• Vitamin D Production (UVA)

• Protects against Rickets

• Boosts immune system function

Descriptive Linguistics

The study of the formal structure of language (langue)

Productivity (language)

Ability to produce new and novel expressions

Arbitrariness (language)

Ability to assign a sign/symbol to anything

Displacement (language)

Ability to talk about things not present (abstract concepts)

Phone (language)

Individual sounds that native speakers make

Phoneme (language)

Smallest unit of meaningful sound (/f/ in Fill or Phone)

Morpheme (language)

Smallest sound unit with a definite meaning (duck :d-uh-ck)

Bound Morpheme

Cannot stand alone as a word and must be attached to a free morpheme ( -ing)

Free Morpheme

smallest unit of meaning in language that can stand alone as a word (cat)

Phonology

The structure of speech sounds

Morphology

How words are formed into meaningful units

What contributes to language loss? (3)

• Social Pressures

• Economic Pressures

• Political Pressures

Universal Grammar

The theory that all human languages share an underlying, innate structure, suggesting a genetically determined, biological capacity for language acquisition

Closed call systems

The limited, instinctual communication used by non-human primates and most other animals (Verbet monkeys)

Linguistic Relativity

The idea that people speaking different languages perceive or interpret the world differently because of differences in their languages

What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?

Language causes people to see the world in a certain way (linguistic relativity)

Focal Vocabulary

Language that reflects cultural and subcultural emphases (ex: Jargon)

Kinesics (communication)

Non-verbal communication (body language)

Sociolinguistics

The study of how sociocultural context and norms shape language use and the effects of language use on society

Code Switching

Heteroglossia: Alternating between two or more different languages during conversation depending on sex, age, and social status