Religion and Ritual - ANTH 1010

These flashcards cover key concepts regarding religion and ritual in anthropology, detailing elements of culture, various rites, and significant anthropological theories.

Culture

Relies on learning, not only genetics, to survive in a given environment.

Elements of Culture

What you make (material culture), what you do (cultural practices), and what you think (worldview).

Religion

A unified system of beliefs and practices dealing with sacred things, often unexplainable through everyday logic.

Rites of Affliction

Healing practices that seek causes and cures for ailments or disasters.

Rites of Intensification

Regularly scheduled rituals aimed at increasing desired outcomes and reinforcing community bonds.

Rites of Passage

Rituals that change a person's status within the community, consisting of separation, transition, and incorporation stages.

Transition Stage

The liminal phase in rites of passage that may be prolonged and emotional, signifying a change in social status.

Matter Out of Place

The concept addressing human anxieties about categories that are not clearly defined, often reflected in taboos and rituals.

Mary Douglas

Anthropologist known for her work on taboos and rituals surrounding items and statuses that are considered 'neither one nor the other'.

Pangolin

An animal with scales and live young, illustrating the complexities of cultural categorization.