Untitled Flashcards Set

Four field anthropology

The study of anthropology that encompasses cultural, linguistic, archaeology, and biological anthropology.

Cultural anthropology

The branch of anthropology that studies how cultures are constructed by humans to create meaning.

Anthropological method

A systematic approach to studying humanity through empirical research, fieldwork, and contextualization.

Empiricism

A philosophical and scientific concept that emphasizes the role of experience and observation in the formation of knowledge.

Fieldwork

A research strategy aimed at understanding a local community through intense interaction over time.

Contextualization

The research approach that elucidates the dynamic relationships between phenomena on different scales.

Ethnography

A research method that involves studying people in their own environment.

Thick description

An analysis of social actions that includes both physical behaviors and their contextual interpretations.

Emic perspective

An approach focusing on how local people understand their world through their own cultural lens.

Etic perspective

An anthropologist's description of behavior and beliefs, allowing for cross-cultural comparison.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one's own culture.

Habitus

The self-perceptions and tastes shaped by external influences throughout one's life.

Nature vs. culture

The debate regarding the factors that determine human behavior and potential.

Making the familiar strange

The anthropological perspective that helps us see our own cultural practices in a new light.

Social business

The way people exercise power and create identities through social discourse.

Symbolic/interpretative culture

Culture seen as a collection of shared ideas that informs behavior and meanings.

Subjective vs. objective research

The need for researchers to reflect on how their identities shape their perspectives.

Holism

The commitment in anthropology to understand the full picture of human life.

Thick description

The study of how individuals interpret symbols and meanings in their cultures.

Ethnographic fieldwork

Involvement of researchers in cultures to gather data about lives and attitudes.

Positionality

Factoring in researchers' identities, such as race and gender, in their studies.

Reflexivity

An ongoing self-evaluation of how a researcher’s position affects their research.

Armchair anthropology

An early anthropological approach based on written accounts without direct contact with subjects.

Salvage anthropology

A fieldwork strategy aimed at documenting cultures threatened by Western expansion.

Experimental ethnography

An approach that utilizes innovative techniques to study everyday cultures.

Intersectionality

A framework for analyzing how overlapping identities affect life opportunities and social structures.

Culture

A complex system of learned, shared, contested, symbolic, and material practices.

Norms

Rules about how people should behave in specific situations.

Values

Fundamental beliefs that guide judgments of what is important or moral.

Social Darwinism

A discredited theory that cultures evolve through an unvarying sequence of stages.

Race

A socially constructed category with no biological grounding, used to divide humans.

Colonialism

The practice of extending power and control over other regions to exploit resources.

Racism

Patterns of thought and policies that perpetuate inequality among racial groups.

Cultural relativism

The principle of understanding beliefs in their cultural context without imposing external judgments.

Polyvocality

Incorporating multiple voices in ethnographic writing to give insight into various perspectives.

Kinship

The cultural system that defines social relations and family ties among people.

Nuclear family

A family structure composed of two parents and their children.

Multispecies ethnography

Research that considers interactions among various species to expand perspectives on the world.

Relatedness

A broader concept of connection that goes beyond traditional kinship definitions.

Feminist anthropology critiques of bloodline

Criticism of the metaphor of bloodline concerning social power dynamics and inheritance.

Stratification

The unequal distribution of resources and privileges in any group or society.

Egalitarian society

A society where resources are shared and there is little hierarchy or violence.

Ranked societies

Societies where wealth is equal but prestige and status are unequally distributed.

Class-based societies

A system where economic factors create unequal access to resources and power.

Social reproduction

The process through which social classes and their associated privileges are passed down.

Cultural capital

The non-financial social assets that influence one's social mobility.

Disability rights movement

The activism focused on societal barriers faced by disabled individuals rather than the disabilities themselves.

Politics

Social practices through which power relations are established and negotiated.

Miners, Body ritual among the nacirema

A critique of anthropological detachment that highlights cultural practices in America.

Bohannan, Shakespeare in the bush

An exploration of cultural interpretations revealing the limitations of perceived universality.

Geertz, Deep play - notes on the Balinese cockfight

Analysis of cockfighting as a meaningful social event reflecting cultural identity.

Hurston, Mules and men

A collection showcasing African American folklore through an anthropological lens.

Hurston, Location of Franz Boas with the African American struggle

Examination of Boas' influence on cultural relativism and the challenge to scientific racism.

Smedley, Race and the construction of human identity

A critique of race as a social construct and its historical implications on society.

Abu-Lughod, Do Muslim women really need saving?

Arguments against Western perceptions of Muslim women, highlighting cultural complexity.

Govindrajan, The goat who died for family

Study of kinship and care in rural India through the lens of animal sacrifice.

Butler, Kinship beyond the bloodline

A challenge to traditional kinship definitions focusing on broader relational structures.

Holens, Chapter 4: How the poor suffer

Analysis of structural forces that perpetuate poverty and social inequalities.