Cultural Anthropology Key Terms for Exam 1

what is anthropology

anthropology is the study of the full scope of human diversity historically and contemporarily that helps people that are different understand one another better

what is ethnocentrism

the perception of one’s own culture as the ‘norm', judging and evaluating other cultures based on one’s own culture

what is a cross-cultural and comparative approach

the approach by which anthropologists compare practices across cultures to explore human similarities and differences

what is cultural anthropology

the study of humans and the ways people have organized themselves to live together from past to present

what is ethnology

the analysis and comparison of ethnographic data across cultures

what is globalization

the worldwide intensification of interactions and increased movement of money, people, goods, and ideas within and across national borders

what is time-space compression

the rapid innovation of communication and transportation technologies associated with globalization that changes how people perceive space (distance) and time

what is flexible accumulation

the flexible strategies that corporations use to obtain profits in a globalization era

what is uneven development

the unequal distribution of the benefits of globalization

what is Anthro-vision

a framework for applying anthropological methods to business, finance, and daily life to overcome "tunnel vision" and spot hidden, qualitative, and cultural insights

what is enculturation

the process of learning culture

what is culture

a system of knowledge, beliefs, patterns of behavior, artifiacts and institutions that are created, learned, shared, and contested by a group of people

what are mental maps of reality

cultural classifications of what kinds of people and things exist, and assigning meaning to those classifications

what is cultural appropriation

the unwanted taking of cultural practices or knowledge from one group by another

what is unilineal cultural evolution

theory proposed by the nineteenth-century anthropologists that all cultures naturally evolve through the same sequence of stages from simple to complex

what is historical particularism

the idea that cultures develop in specific ways because of their unique histories

what is the interpretivist approach

conceptual framework that sees culture as a symbolic system of deep meaning

what is thick description

research strategy that combines detailed description of cultural activity with an analysis of the layers of deep cultural meaning in which those activities are imbedded

what is stratification

the uneven distribution of resources and privileges among members of a group or culture

what is hegemony

the ability of a dominant group to create consent and agreement within a population without threat of force

what is agency

the potential power of individuals and groups to contest cultural norms, values, mental maps of reality, symbols, institutions, and structures of power

what is ethnographic fieldwork

a primary research strategy that involves living and interacting with a community of people over time to better understand their lives

what is cultural relativism

understanding a group’s beliefs and practices within their own cultural context, without making judgments

what is participant observation

key anthropological research strategy involving both participation i.n and observation of the daily life of the people being studied

what is engaged anthropology

the application of the research strategies and analytical perspectives of anthropology to address concrete challenges facing local communities and the world at large

what is the anthropologist’s toolkit

the tools needed to conduct fieldwork, including informations, perspectives, strategies, and even equipment

what is a key informant

a community member who advises the anthropologist on community issues, provides feedback, and warns against cultural miscues

what is life history

form of interview that traces the biography of a person over time

what is a kinship analysis

a fieldwork strategy of examining interlocking relationships of power built on marriage and family ties

what is social network analysis

a method for examining relationships in a community, who do people turn to in times of need?

what are field notes

anthropologist’s written observations and reflections on places, practices, events, and interviews

what are zeros

elements of a story or a picture that aren’t shared but offer key insights into issues that might be too sensitive to discuss or display publicly

what is emic

an approach to gathering data that investigates how local people think and how they understand the world

what is etic

description of local behavior and beliefs from the anthropologists perspective in ways that can be compared across cultures

what is informed consent

key strategy for protecting those being studied by ensuring they are fully informed of the goals of the project and have given explicit consent

what is ethnography

the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures

what is holism

the anthropological commitment to look at the whole picture of human life across space and time (culture, biology, history, language)

what is ethnicity

a sense of historical, cultural, and sometimes ancestral connection to a group of people who are imagines to be distinct from those outside the group

what is the origin myth

a story told about the founding and history of a particular group to reinforce a sense of common identity

what is situational negotiation of identity

an individuals self-identification with a particular group that can shift according to social locations

what are identity entrepreneurs

political, military, or religious leaders who promote a worldview through the lens of ethnicity and use war, propaganda, and state power to mobilize people against those who they perceive as a danger

what is nation

a term once used to describe a group of people who shared a place of origin; now used interchangeably with nation-state

what is nation-state

a political entity located within a geographic territory with enforced borders, where the population shares a sense of culture, ancestry, and destiny as a people

what is multiculturalism

a pattern of new ethnic relations in which new immigrants and their children enculturate into the dominant national culture yet retain an ethnic culture

what is nationalism

the desire of an ethnic community to create and/or maintain a nation-state

what is imagined community

the invented sense of connection and shared traditions that underlies identification with a particular ethnic group or nation whose members will likely never all meet

what is diaspora

a group of people who live outside their ancestral homeland yet maintain emotional and material ties to home

what is the anthropocene?

the current historical era in which humans activity is reshaping the planet in permanent ways

what is a social institution?

sets of more or less stable relationships that organize activity by assigning different roles, responsibilities, and identities to its members. Defines cultural norms.

what are the types of key symbols?

summarizing symbols: stand for a complex set of ideas (flags, christ on the cross, etc)

elaborating symbols: consist of “root metaphors” and “key scenarios.”

root metaphor: provide a cognitive or analytical orientation to the world

key symbols: implies clear-cut modes of action appropriate to correct and successful

what are the three C’s of culture?

contingent → socially constructed

contested → disagreement about and contestation of meaning of cultural symbols

complicit → plays a role in systems of domination and inequality

what is cultural relativism

anthropological principle of understanding beliefs, values, and practices within their own cultural context rather than judging them by the standards of another

how did Franz Boas contribute to anthropology?

how did Margaret Mead contribute to anthropology?

1928 study of Samoan culture, used holism to explain why the experience of adolescence for Samoan females differed from that of American females by showing how the institution of the family defined roles and responsibilities. Was also considered to be significant, however, because she showed sexual behavior to be strongly shaped by enculturation.

how did Clifford Geertz contribute to anthropology?

contributed the idea of as a system of symbols

what is the social and cultural construction of reality

what is empirical inquiry?

principle of observation (??)

what is institutional racism

Racial discrimination within or by institutions

what is ethnogenesis

what does primordial mean