Exam 2 ANTHRO 100 Chapters 6,7 & cultural anthropology fieldwork methods

What is cultural anthropology?

The study of human cultures, including beliefs, behaviors, and social systems.

What is culture?

Learned, shared, symbolic patterns of behavior and thought.

What is ethnocentrism?

Judging another culture by the standards of your own.

Why is cultural anthropology important?

It helps us understand human diversity and challenge assumptions about "normal" behavior.

What is cultural relativism?

Understanding a culture on its own terms without judgment.

What is fieldwork?

Long-term, immersive research where anthropologists live with the people they study.

What is ethnography?

A detailed written account of a culture based on fieldwork.

What is participant observation?

A method where researchers both observe and participate in daily life.

What are "rich points"?

Moments of confusion that reveal cultural differences and lead to deeper understanding.

What is the "dialectic of fieldwork"?

The idea that researchers and participants influence and learn from each other.

Why is fieldwork subjective?

Because researchers bring their own perspectives and biases.

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex is biological; gender is cultural and social.

What is sexuality?

A person's sexual attraction, identity, and behaviors.

What does it mean that gender is socially constructed?

Gender roles and expectations are created by culture, not biology.

What is gender performativity?

The idea that gender is expressed through repeated behaviors and actions.

What is intersectionality?

The idea that gender interacts with race, class, and other identities.

Are gender roles universal?

No, they vary widely across cultures.

How does culture shape the body?

Through beauty standards, expectations, and practices.

What is kinship?

A system of social relationships based on blood, marriage, or adoption.

Is kinship biological or cultural?

Both, but it is largely shaped by culture.

What is bilateral descent?

Tracing family through both mother's and father's sides.

What is unilineal descent?

Tracing family through one line only (mother or father).

What is patrilineal descent?

Descent through the father's line.

What is matrilineal descent?

Descent through the mother's line.

What is marriage in anthropology?

A culturally recognized union that defines rights and responsibilities.

What is monogamy?

Marriage between one person and one spouse.

What is polygyny?

One man married to multiple women.

What is polyandry?

One woman married to multiple men.

What is endogamy?

Marrying within a specific social group.

What is exogamy?

Marrying outside a specific social group.

What is a nuclear family?

Parents and their children.

What is an extended family?

A family that includes relatives beyond the nuclear unit.

What is the role of family in society?

Provides support, socialization, and care for members.

How does culture influence gender?

It shapes roles, expectations, and identities.

How does kinship organize society?

It structures relationships, inheritance, and responsibilities.

Why is ethnography important?

It provides deep, detailed understanding of cultures.

What is a key goal of anthropology?

To understand and explain human diversity.