Anthropology Theory Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover key concepts and terms from the lecture notes on anthropological theories and critical perspectives.

Reflexivity

Examination of one’s own beliefs, reactions, and motives.

Postmodernism

Response to enlightenment, production of knowledge.

Postcolonialism

Critiques knowledge of westerners looking at societies around the world.

Decolonization

The process of undoing the effects of colonization in different situations.

Power

something we all have. Not just restrictive from the top but also generative because we can all use power to accomplish things. It’s not something you hold but rather something you exercise. It’s everywhere, it’s creative, Foucault considers power to be a technology for politics.

Structure

Invisible pillars of society seen in institutions like religion and education.

Practice Theory

Recognizes that individuals within a society have diverse motives and varying degrees of power.

Gender

Cultural identification of how one presents themselves.

Feminism

Challenges social structure understanding and fights for equality and equity between sexes.

Intersectionality

The concept that different categories of identity interact and compound, such as race, gender, class.

Queer Theory

Considers queer as a social position related to power and resistance.

Thick description

Rich and detailed accounts of the meanings and interpretations of human behavior.

Autoethnography

Uses a researcher's personal experience to critique cultural beliefs and practices.

Subjectivity

process of treating or perceiving a person or thing as having individuality. Recognizes the importance of personal narratives and identities, highlighting unique interpretations of experiences.

Objectivity

Treating a person or thing as devoid of individuality or agency.

Discourse

Written or spoken communication focusing on power relationships in society.

Cultural reproduction

Transmission of existing cultural values and norms from generation to generation.

Performativity

Gender identities are created through repeated performances and expressions.

Performative utterance

A sentence which describes and changes reality simultaneously.

Binary opposition

Two theoretical opposites strictly defined against one another.

Patriarchy

A male-run society where men make most of the societal decisions.

Heteronormativity

The assumption that everyone is naturally heterosexual, seen as the ideal.

Biopower

A form of power that regulates human life at both individual and population levels.

Third gender

A gender identity existing in non-binary systems that offers roles separate from male and female.

Docile bodies

Bodies trained to conform to societal norms and expectations through discipline

Discipline

Produces individuals both as objects and agents, through mechanisms like group punishment.

Agency

The power individuals have to resist and effect change in their own lives.

Nadleehi

Described as both male and female, connected to their surroundings and vary across situations.

Geertz

Writes about experience with his wife in Bali, specificallly pertaining to cockfights in a Balinese community. Didn’t seem to take a reflexive approach, as he stated his own opinion about what Balinese people think, but didn’t provide the original quote. He also generalized and stereotyped a lot.  

Medicine

Wrote an autoethnography about her own experiences within her own community and communities she studied as an anthropologist. Describes the conflict with being a Native American and an anthropologist. Is very reflexive about her role in her community and anthropology.

McClaurin

Wrote something of an autoethnography by using her own person experiences; trying to make a strategy so black feminists can take back some agency. Reflective about authority.  

Haraway

Challenges how articles are written and focuses on taking your voice back; not allowing the powers that have been to place guardrails on your experiences. Reflexivity.

Said

Comparative literature; he compares different authors/anthropologists in his writing and their view of the East. Talks about knowledge and power. Reminded me of Paige West and her understanding of translation. Postcolonialism.

Atalay

Indigenous Archaeology, decolonizing practices. Reframing archeological research to be driven by, in collaboration with, and relevant to indigenous communities. It challenges colonial history and aims to integrate native perspectives. Involves fundamental shifts in arhcaeological theory, practice and power dynamics between archaeologists and indigenous people. 

Hau’ofa

Talks about different Polynesian communities and their world view; explains how culture has been forever changed by colonialism and Christianity. Postcolonialism

Foucault

A historian, studied Structural Functionalism. His writing focuses on the gap in between discipline, norms, etc.; also discussed power and sex; argues that sex was more present in discourse then we were led to believe.  

Bonilla-Silva

Grew up in Puerto Rico. Studies the role of race in society and ethnic conflict historically. Writing feels careful and thoroughly explained. Argues that racism is less overt than now. Race is a structure in our society.

Farmer

Was an MD and also had a phD in anthropology. Worked in Haiti and Rwanda and wanted to spread healthcare around the world. Mentions hospitals are empty because the people cannot afford it. 

Slocum

Wrote woman the gatherer which was a direct criticism of Man the Hunter.

Gutmann

Says that anthropology studies man as ‘human’, meaning our understanding of what it means to be a man (male) is underrepresented in research.  

Butler

Confronts the binary; talks about the universal patriarchy. Talks about the performance of gender.  

Hill Collins

Distinguishing features of black feminist thought. Highlights black feminist history, interconnectedness of race, class and gender. How black women experience challenges with traditional feminist ideas, that are often ignored. They are not ‘outsides” but are also “outsides within”. 

Battle-Baptiste

Black feminist archaeology. Outlines basic tenets of black feminist though and research. How improvements can be made to contemporary historical archaeology. Demonstrates the use of Andrew Jacksons Hermitage

Ahmed

Feminist Killjoys. Someone who disrupts norms and calls out sexism, often being labeled as a ‘spoilsport’. Mentions the refusal some people have to participate in oppressive systems. And often women experience backlash for challenging the norm.

Epple

Translating a word directly means that the context of the word may be missed. It says that culture matters when considering what is the ‘norm’ and what is queer.

Stryker

Transgender history, Homonormativity, and disciplinarity. The ideas that LGBTQ+ people should conforms to heterosexual norms for acceptance. Disciplinary fields like gender studies, sexuality studies, and history contribute to the reproduction of these norms, sometimes at the expense of trans voices.