Cultural Anthropology Exam #1

Anthropology

The study of human beings throughout all of history and across all societies.

Anything that has anything to do with people is anthropology, or is the potential subject of anthropological research

true

Anthropology is broken down into four fields

physical (or biological), cultural, archaeological, and linguistic anthropology.

Physical (or Biological) Anthropology

is the study of humans as biological organisms, studying human biology.

Major areas of physical anthropology study 

population genetics, primatology, epidemiology, human evolution/paleoanthropology, and forensic.

Population Genetics

The study of human DNA (ancestry tests provide an estimate of a person’s geographic ancestry, not ethnic identity). 

Primatology

The study of non-human primates, including their behavior, biology, and evolution. From a genetic standpoint, living beings that are genetically closest to humans (chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans).  

Epidemiology

the study of the origin and evolution of diseases. Diseases are not solely biological, but oftentimes, they’re very dependent on socio and cultural factors influencing their rates of transmission. 

Human Evolution/Paleoanthropology

the study of ancient human-like beings that are extinct. 

Forensics

When you apply knowledge of physical anthropology to a legal or courtroom context. (E.g. What was the cause of death? Approximately, how long has the body been deceased?)

Archeaology

the study of the human past through material remains, objects, and artifacts.

Artifact

any object that was produced by humans; nothing to do with age! they’re products of human creation and culture.

Cultural Anthropology

the study of present day or contemporary human culture (most similar to sociology).

Participant observation

is at the core of cultural anthropology; it involves living among a society or a group of people for an extended length of time, to gain an in-depth understanding of them and their way of life. The idea is to gain an immersive, first-hand knowledge of another society or group of people/ 

Ethnography

a written description of a group of people, their way of life, or of a particular community. Based on lengthy research, lengthy participant observation, amount of time spent living in another community to get a sense of what life is like. Produces a detailed account of what life is like so that others may learn from it. 

Lingustic Anthropology

the cross-cultural study of human communication. 

Language can be studied in two ways 

1) as a system (studying the formal aspects of language, such as rules of grammar, punctuation, syntax, etc.) 2) as a performance (studying the art and style of communication/how people communicate).

What is considered by anthropologists to be the single most important aspect of human culture? 

Language 

Unifying factor of the four fields of anthropology

at the end of the day, all these fields are all interested to some degree or another in human culture.  

Culture

Learned and shared beliefs, customs, and knowledge that someone acquires throughout their lifetime.

Culture is fluid and dynamic

True

Culture is static

False; culture continuously evolves and changes based on various factors.

Culture Shock

Discovering firsthand that other people do things differently and that your culture is not “natural or normal.” When someone has difficulty adjusting to the norms, the traditions, and the customs of a different society or a different group of people.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture through the standards of your own, with the belief that your culture is inherently "best" or "correct."

Cultural-bound Assumption

The failure to recognize that one’s respective cultural background is NOT “natural” or “universal” and to naively believe that it is. Naively assuming that the unique dynamics of one’s own cultural background are universal and therefore reflect the social/cultural conditions of other areas or the nation/world as a whole. (e.g. breakfast is the most important meal of the day) 

Four characteristics of culture

culture is 1) learned 2) shared 3) symbolic 4) changes over time 

Symbol

any object (verbal, written, visual, physical) that represents a more abstract concept

International Culture

customs and traditions that extend beyond national borders; aspects of culture that are found in several different nations (e.g. soccer, flags).

National Culture

customs and traditions that are shared by members of a particular country; serves as the “glue” that citizens share in common with another.

Subculture

cultural diversity within a larger nation; distinct cultural features associated with particular regions, groups, occupations, etc.  (e.g. hobbies such as working out, weight lifting, video games, reading, etc.) 

Local Culture

specific aspects of culture that are unique to a particular town, city, or neighborhood. (e.g. food/cuisine, local folklore, particular accents and dialects, sports teams)

Culture is conested

people will strongly disagree and stuggle over cultural meanings and differences; a society consists of people who come from different walks of life and who have had different social/cultural experiences. 

Four levels of culture

1) International 2) National 3) Subculture 4) Local

Globalization

The inter-connectedness of the different nations of the world, both economically and culturally

Culture often becomes deterritorialized

transported to new regions/societies outside from where it originated (e.g. mccdonald’s, pizza) 

Polynesia

A geographic and cultural region of Oceania where American Samoa is located

Oceania

The South Pacific Islands—consist of Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Tahiti, New Zealand and Easter Island; not one single Island, chains of islands

Football Island

Takes place in the tiny island society of American Samoa located in the South Pacific Ocean. Located in a region of the world called Polynesia. 

Indigenization

the modification or adoption of certain aspects of globalized culture in order to make it better fit in with the standards of the local or national culture where it is being adopted/incorporated. 

Advantages of participant observation

highly detailed (extremely vivid and lurid; descriptive), tends to be more fun/real than quantitative or statistical research.

Disadvantages of participant observation

highly subjective! personal qualities about the researcher affect the research process; people tend to focus on what is most interesting to them; culture changes over time; it requires a heavy commitment of time and resources. 

Agency

the purposeful actions that people take in order to influence or change the culture and society around them; there is individual and collective agency! 

Popular Culture

refers to the arts and entertainments that the masses consume for leisure/recreation. 

Cultural Studies 

the academic study of pop culture and its social implications 

Counterculture

a subculture that openly or subtly stands in opposition to the mainstream values, norms, or traditions of a large society. Often perceived as controversial by the larger, mainstream society. May become mainstream over time (e.g. rap music) 

Racial Formation

the process by which social, economic, and political forces determine the context and importance of racial categories, and by which they are in turn shaped by racial meanings.

One-Drop Rule

has been used since the 1600s to classify people by race in the U.S. It states that any person with even one ancestor of sub-Saharan African ancestry is considered black, regardless of skin color.

Hypodescent 

a form of racial classification in which a person of mixed ancestry is automatically placed into the category of the less advantaged group

Intersectionality 

Recognizing that various factors (gender, race, age, religion, social class) are interconnected in shaping a person's overall experiences and culture

Essentialism

assuming homogeneity within a group; the view that groups have fixed, inherent characteristics that define them, leading to rigid classifications of people based on traits like race, ethnicity, or gender

Territory

A geographic area that is under the political rule of another nation and does not provide its own passports

Symbols

Examples of these include flags, money/currency, and language itself

Country

a politically independent geographic area that has its own government, provides national citizenship by birth or application, and issues its own passports for travel

"Fish out of Water" Analogy

people take culture for granted, it’s second nature; Most people are not truly aware of how profoundly their cultural upbringing has shaped they way they live their daily life until they find themselves in a different cultural environment

Western Samoa

Independent nation, former territory of New zealand (known for rugby players)

The 5 Scapes of Globalization

A framework identifying five dimensions of globalization: ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, finanscapes, and ideoscapes, each influencing cultural interactions and exchanges.

Ethnoscapes

refers to the flow of people across boundaries.

Technoscape

refers to flows of technology.

Ideoscape

refers to the flow of ideas.

Financescapes

refers to the flow of money across political borders.

Mediascape

refers to the flow of media across borders.

White (OMB Directive 15)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.

Black or African American (OMB Directive 15)

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

American Indian or Alaskan Native (OMB Directive 15)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

Asian or Pacific Islander (OMB Directive 15)

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Samoa.

OMB Directive 15 Classification of Latinos/Hispanics

an official ethnic group 

Hispanic or Latino (OMB Directive 15)

A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

OMB Protocol

The category which most closely reflects the individual’s recognition in his community should be used for purposes of reporting on persons who are of mixed racial and/or ethnic groups.

OMB Directive 15 Racial Categories 

White; Black or African American; American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian or Pacific Islander

Socialization

The process by which a person acquires their cultural background; All people have a cultural upbringing that has influenced the way in which they understand the world. 

Sport teams are a prominent example of local culture

• might be the local history of the city or area (Philly 76ers)

• local ethnic heritage (Minn. Vikings)

• A certain way of life/subculture (Dallas Cowboys)

• An occupation significant to the local area (Houston Oilers)

Regional vs. National Culture

What people think of the national culture of another country may, in fact, be regional (e.g. bull fighting and flamanco in Spain)

what makes culture so contentious

people disagree over culture and meanings of cultural symbols

Differences between Anthropology and Sociology

1) Generally speaking, traditionally, sociology has focused on Western nations (Germany, France, Britain, the U.S.), and anthropology has traditionally been more global/international in its focus.

2. Research methods: sociology = quantitative (statistical); anthropology = qualitative (participant observation)

Misconceptions of Anthropology

1) Anthropologists only study the great civilizations of the past, and that’s their sole focus. NOT TRUE! They also study contemporary cultures and civilizations, not just those of the ancient past.

2) Anthropologists only study non-Western, small-scale, hunting-and-gathering or tribal societies. NOT TRUE! They also study large, complex, industrial nations.

culture is highly dynamic

which provides each person with a “prism” or “filter” through which they view the world.