Cultural Anthropology: Key Concepts, Theories, and Ethnographic Methods

What does cultural anthropology study?

How humans live, think, organize, and give meaning to the world.

What are the main focuses of inquiry in cultural anthropology?

Beliefs, values, norms, social organization, economic systems, language, symbols, and identity.

What is the holistic approach in cultural anthropology?

It looks at culture as an interconnected system.

What does the comparative approach in cultural anthropology involve?

Studying different societies to find patterns and differences.

What is cultural relativism?

Understanding a culture based on its own values, not those of another culture.

What was the focus of British Social Anthropology?

How society functions and the role of social institutions.

What is the main idea of French Structuralism?

Human thought is universal and shapes culture.

How did Edward Tylor define culture?

As a complex whole including knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities acquired by humans.

What are the four key aspects of culture according to Tylor?

Learned, shared, symbolic, and integrated.

What is ethnocentrism?

Judging another culture by the standards of your own.

What are the pros of cultural relativism?

Reduces bias, promotes understanding, and helps anthropologists study cultures accurately.

What are the cons of cultural relativism?

Can justify harmful practices and makes moral judgment difficult.

What is the importance of Malinowski's ethnography?

It emphasizes a holistic approach to studying all aspects of life.

What are the three techniques used in ethnographic fieldwork?

Participant observation, interviews, and genealogies.

What are the core ethical issues in anthropology?

Do no harm, informed consent, and anonymity/confidentiality.

What did Boas argue about race?

He showed that environment shapes physical traits and rejected biological determinism.

What is scientific racism?

Using 'science' to justify racial inequality.

How do anthropologists view gender?

As socially constructed, not purely biological.

What role does advertising play in gender stereotypes?

It reinforces oversimplified ideas about gender roles and ideal bodies.

What is the concept of moral economy?

Economic behavior shaped by fairness and social relationships.

What are Polanyi's exchange principles?

Reciprocity, redistribution, and market exchange.

What is the significance of gift exchange in anthropology?

Gift-giving creates social obligation and carries social meaning.

What is a potlatch?

A ceremonial gift-giving feast among Indigenous groups.

What is the main difference between British Social Anthropology and French Structuralism?

British focuses on what culture does (function), while French focuses on how culture is structured in the mind (meaning).

What does the term 'diffusion' refer to in cultural anthropology?

The idea that cultures borrow from each other and are interconnected.