HSP3U Anthropology Test Review

Flashcards covering essential terminology and key concepts for the HSP3U Anthropology test review.

Archeology

The study of human history and prehistory through excavation and analysis of artifacts, structures, and other physical remains.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of another culture.

Bipedalism

The ability to walk on two legs, which is a key characteristic of hominins.

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture.

Hominin

A member of the human lineage after the split from the common ancestor with chimpanzees.

Participant Observation

A research method where the anthropologist immerses themselves in the culture they are studying.

Natural Selection

The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Rites of Passage

Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person's life, such as birth, adulthood, marriage, and death.

Feminist Anthropology

A subfield of anthropology that explores gender roles and the impact of gender on cultures.

Universal Grammar (UG)

A theory in linguistics suggesting that the ability to acquire language is innate to humans and is grounded in a set of grammatical rules shared across all languages.

Linguistics

The scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics.

Cultural Materialism

A theoretical framework that emphasizes materials and economic factors in the development of cultural practices.

Diffusion

The spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another.

Evolution

The change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations.

Values

Core principles and ideals upon which an individual, community, or culture is based.

Primate

Members of the order Primates, which includes humans, apes, monkeys, and prosimians.