Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology – The Culture Concept (Vocabulary Flashcards)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key culture concepts and terms from theChapter on 'The Culture Concept' in Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.

Culture

A set of beliefs, practices, and symbols that are learned and shared; together they form an integrated whole that shapes worldview and lifeways.

The Other

A concept describing people whose customs or beliefs are different from one’s own; perspective determines who is considered the Other.

Armchair anthropology

An early, discredited method of anthropological research that studied cultures without direct contact with the people studied.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is superior and serves as the standard by which all other cultures are measured.

Cultural relativism

The principle that cultures should be understood from their own terms, rather than judged by outsiders’ standards.

Enculturation

The process of learning the characteristics and expectations of a culture or group.

Holism

A broad approach that considers the historical, environmental, and cultural foundations of behavior.

Kinship

Blood ties, common ancestry, and social relationships that form families within human groups.

Participant observation

A fieldwork method where the anthropologist participates in the same activities as informants while observing.

Structural-Functionalism

An approach focusing on how social institutions and customs function to maintain the organization and stability of society.

Functionalism

A British-origin approach explaining how different parts of a society work together to support the functioning of the whole; later criticized for underemphasizing change.

Going native

Becoming fully integrated into a cultural group (e.g., taking leadership roles, marrying) which can raise ethical concerns and blur researcher–subject boundaries.

Cultural evolutionism

A discredited 19th-century theory proposing that societies evolve through stages from simple to advanced.

Cultural determinism

The idea that behavioral differences are primarily caused by culture rather than biology or genetics.

A Study in Magic and Religion

An 1890 work by Sir James Frazier. Originally, The Golden Bough: A Study of Comparative Religions, one of the first books to describe and record magical and religious beliefs of different culture groups around the world. An example of armchair anthropology.

Sir James Frazer

A Scottish social anthropologist, he is best known for his work A Study in Magic and Religion.

Sir E. B. Tylor

An English anthropologist known for his work in cultural anthropology, particularly in defining culture and its development, and author of Primitive Culture, which emphasizes the evolution of social customs and beliefs.

Bronislaw Malinowski

A Polish anthropologist known for his contributions to fieldwork methods and participant observation in studying cultures. Wrote Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922).

The Argonauts of the Western Pacific (1922)

The first modern ethnography. It emphasized participant observation in studying the Trobriand Islanders' culture.

Off the veranda

A term coined by Bronislaw Malinowski to describe the practice of engaging directly with people in their environment during ethnographic research, thereby enhancing the understanding of cultural practices.

A.R. Radcliffe-Brown

A British social anthropologist who developed structural functionalism.

Franz Boas

A pioneering American cultural anthropologist known as the "Father of American Anthropology.” He emphasized the importance of cultural relativism and historical context in understanding cultures, challenging the prevailing ethnocentrism.

The Central Eskimo (1988)

A seminal ethnographic study by Franz Boas that explores the cultural practices, social structure, and environmental adaptations of the Inuit people.