Cultural Anthropology Exam 3

Superstructure

how people make and find meaning

Religion

the cultural knowledge of the supernatural that people use to cope with the ultimate problems of human existence

Supernatural

that which is beyond the natural

Transcendental values

values that override people’s individual goals and desires 

Mana

a free-floating force found in things and places

Personified supernatural force

This force resides in supernatural beings

Worldview

the overarching framework of beliefs, values, assumptions, and concept through which individuals or cultures interpret and make sense of the world around them

Cosmology

Explains the way things are 

Mythology

Explains how things came to be

Sorcery

Magic to cause them 

Witchcraft

Similar to sorcery, through individuals may inherit or acquire power, sometimes without knowing it

Initiative magic

somebody manipulates something that looks like, imitates, reflects the intended target

Contagious magic

takes something that has been in contact with the intended target

Syncretism

The merging or fusing of beliefs or practices 

Rites of Intensification

acts designed to bring a community together