Cultural Anthropology Final Exam Review

Culture

Culture is a complex system encompassing material, practical, and symbolic aspects of human life.

Cultural Relativism

Understanding cultures within their own context, avoiding judgment.

Ethnocentrism

Viewing one's own culture as superior to others.

Modernization

Involves technological, economic, and societal transformations driven by capitalism.

Harms & Reactions

Includes inequality, exploitative labor, and cultural shifts, sparking resistance movements.

Political Apology

Governments or institutions offering formal apologies for past injustices.

Band

Small, kin-based groups with informal leadership.

Tribe

Larger kin-based groups with some form of organized leadership.

Chiefdom

Hierarchical society led by a chief.

State

Centralized political organization with formal governance structures.

Cultural Reproduction

The process by which traditions, values, and knowledge are passed down through generations.

Cultural Appropriation

Adopting aspects of another culture, often without context or consent.

Ideological Reproduction

Systems reinforcing power imbalances, often benefiting elites.

Cricket

Colonial influence shaping cultural identities.

K-pop

Globalization and cultural adaptation in music.

Participant Observation

Immersing in a community to understand behaviors and interactions.

Interviews

Collecting data through conversations and direct engagement.

Ethno-Etiology

Culturally specific explanations for illness (e.g., spiritual possession).

Culture-Bound Syndrome

Illnesses recognized in certain cultures but not in others (e.g., Koro syndrome in Southeast Asia).

Animism

Belief in pervasive spiritual presence.

Agency Assignment

Attributing consciousness to objects (e.g., rivers, mountains).

Functions of Ritual

Unifying people through shared traditions and reinforcing hierarchies under the guise of tradition.

Rite of Passage

Stages: Separation → Liminality (transition) → Incorporation (completion).

Liminality

A phase where individuals are between social roles.

Max Weber's Protestant Ethic & Capitalism

Links religious values (hard work, frugality) to the rise of capitalist economies.

Imitative Magic

"Like affects like" (e.g., voodoo dolls).

Contagious Magic

Objects once connected remain spiritually linked (e.g., hair clippings used in spells).

Commodity Fetishism

The idea that objects (e.g., branded clothing) enhance status and popularity.

Animatism

Assigning agency and power to inanimate objects.

-scapes Framework

Includes Ethnoscapes, Financescapes, Technoscapes, Ideoscapes, and Mediascapes.

Classificatory Kinship

Broader categories (e.g., all male relatives as 'uncles').

Descriptive Kinship

Specific relationships (mother's brother vs. father's brother).

Parallel Cousins

Same lineage.

Cross Cousins

Opposite lineage.

Nodes

Represent individuals or organizations.

Edges

Connections between nodes.

Centrality

Highly connected individuals (e.g., influencers).

Weak Ties

Casual connections expanding opportunities.

Small Worlds

Most people are linked by 4-6 connections.

Multimodality

Different types of connections influencing social networks.

Professional Monday

A concept related to work-life rhythms.

Applied Topology

Mathematical frameworks applied to social structures.

Public Apology

Formal acknowledgment of historical or systemic wrongdoing.