cultural anthropology final

What are the four fields of anthropology?

Cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.

Define ethnocentrism.

The belief that one's own culture or way of life is normal and natural, or superior to others.

What is cultural relativism?

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

What is the main focus of 'Body Ritual Among the Nacirema'?

To satirically examine American culture's obsession with body rituals and hygiene.

What is discussed in 'Innovation and the Incinerated Tongue'?

The history and cultural appropriation of Nashville hot chicken as a Black culinary innovation.

What are mental maps of reality?

Cultural frameworks that categorize and assign meaning to things.

Explain enculturation.

The process through which individuals learn their culture.

Differentiate between emic and etic perspectives.

Emic: Insider's perspective; Etic: Outsider's analytical perspective.

What is salvage ethnography?

The documentation of cultures and languages threatened with extinction.

Define gender performativity.

The concept that gender is an ongoing performance shaped by social norms rather than a fixed identity.

What is gender stratification?

Unequal access to power, prestige, and resources based on gender.

What is fictive kin?

People considered family but not related by blood or marriage.

Explain polygamy and its types.

Polygamy: Having multiple spouses. Types: Polygyny (multiple wives) and Polyandry (multiple husbands).

Define hypodescent.

The practice of assigning a child of mixed race to the subordinate racial group.

What is the AAA Statement on Race's stance on biological races?

Biological races do not exist; race is a social construct.

What is neoliberalism?

An economic approach emphasizing free markets, deregulation, and reduction of government intervention in the economy.

Define diaspora.

The movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established homeland.

Differentiate between illness and disease.

Disease: Biological health issue; Illness: Individual and cultural perception of health.

What is critical medical anthropology?

A field examining how economic and political systems influence health and healthcare.

What is liminality in rites of passage?

A transitional stage where participants are neither in their old status nor fully in their new one.

Define communitas.

A sense of camaraderie and equality experienced during collective rituals.

What are the three points of the culinary triangle?

Convenience, identity, responsibility.

What does 'Bee Larvae and Onion Soup' highlight?

The cultural relativity of food practices.

What is a nuclear family?

A family unit consisting of two parents and their biological or adopted children.

What is companionate marriage?

A marriage based on love, intimacy, and personal choice rather than social obligation.

Define fictive kin.

Non-biological relationships that are regarded as equivalent to family bonds, such as godparents or close friends.

What is gender stratification?

The unequal distribution of resources, rights, and privileges between genders.

Define intersex.

Individuals born with ambiguous or atypical sexual anatomy.

What does gender performativity mean?

The idea that gender is expressed through repetitive actions and behaviors rather than being an inherent trait.

What is Fordism?

A system of industrial production characterized by mass production and consumption.

Define neoliberalism.

A policy model that emphasizes free markets, privatization, and minimal government intervention in the economy.

What is diaspora?

The movement of a population from their homeland, often maintaining cultural connections to their origin.

What is the culinary triangle as discussed in 'The Political Economy of Obesity'?

It represents the balance between convenience, identity, and responsibility in food choices.

How does 'Feeding Lesbigay Families' relate to food and kinship?

It explores how LGBTQ+ families navigate traditional food practices and create new family rituals.

What is the focus of 'Mexicanas’ Food Voice'?

The use of food practices to assert identity and resistance among Mexican-American women.

Define critical medical anthropology.

A field studying how political and economic systems shape health outcomes and access to healthcare.

What is ethnomedicine?

Traditional healing practices and beliefs specific to a cultural group.

What is biomedicine?

A system of medical practice based on biological science, focusing on disease diagnosis and treatment.

What is liminality?

A transitional phase in rites of passage where participants are between their old and new statuses.

Define communitas.

A sense of camaraderie and equality experienced during collective rituals.

What is cultural materialism?

The theory that material conditions, including technology and economy, influence culture.

What does 'The Political Economy of Obesity' argue about food systems?

It critiques how industrialized food systems prioritize profit over public health, contributing to obesity.

How does 'The Struggle of Eating Well When You’re Poor' frame food consumption?

It highlights the challenges and stigma faced by low-income individuals in accessing nutritious food.

What is ethnology?

The comparative study of cultures, aiming to understand patterns of cultural similarities and differences.

Define norms.

Shared expectations and rules that guide the behavior of people within social groups.

What are values?

Deeply held beliefs about what is good, right, and important in a culture.

What are symbols in culture?

Objects, gestures, sounds, or images that carry particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture.

What does etic perspective mean?

An outsider's perspective, analyzing cultures using concepts and categories from outside the culture being studied.

Define sex.

The biological differences between males, females, and intersex individuals.

What does transgender mean?

A term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Define gender stereotypes.

Oversimplified and fixed ideas about the characteristics of males and females.

Define chosen families.

Non-biological relationships that provide emotional and practical support, often formed by LGBTQ+ individuals or those estranged from biological kin.

Define racial formation.

The process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the content and importance of racial categories.

What are social races?

Races that are socially constructed and recognized, rather than based on biological differences.

What is redistribution?

A system of economic exchange involving the collection and reallocation of resources by a central authority.

Define reciprocity.

The exchange of goods and services among individuals or groups, typically of relatively equal status.

What is market exchange?

The buying and selling of goods and services, often with a currency involved.

What is human microbiome?

The collection of microorganisms living in and on the human body, playing a key role in health and disease.

Define health transition.

The shift in health patterns as societies develop, including changes in life expectancy and the prevalence of diseases.

What are illness narratives?

Personal stories that people share to explain their experiences with illness.

Why has food been ignored in studies?

Historically, food was considered a trivial subject and not central to social or cultural analysis.

What is the culinary triangle?

A framework balancing convenience, identity, and responsibility in food choices.

Define martyr.

An individual who suffers or sacrifices their life for a religious or ideological cause.

What is a shaman?

A spiritual leader believed to have access to, and influence in, the spirit world.

Define magic.

Practices and beliefs used to influence supernatural forces for specific outcomes.