Intro to Cultural Anthropology Midterm Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary from the lecture notes for the Intro to Cultural Anthropology midterm review, designed to help students prepare for questions on definitions and critical topics.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is superior to others, often leading to the judgment of other cultures based on the standards of one's own.

Ethnographic fieldwork

A research method used in anthropology that involves living among people to observe their daily lives and cultural practices.

Participant observation

A key research technique in ethnography where the researcher immerses themselves in the community they are studying to gather data.

Time-space compression

The phenomenon by which advancements in technology and communication reduce the time and space between cultures, facilitating globalization.

Flexible accumulation

A term that describes the ways in which capital can be accumulated in flexible ways, enabled by new technologies and global markets.

Anthropocene

A proposed geological epoch that highlights the significant impact of human activity on the Earth's geology and ecosystems.

Culture

The shared beliefs, values, norms, and practices that characterize a social group.

Enculturation

The process by which individuals learn and adopt the culture of their society or group.

Norms

Societal rules that dictate appropriate behavior within a culture.

Values

Deeply held principles that guide the behavior and judgments of individuals within a culture.

Symbol

An object, gesture, or word that stands for or represents something else in a cultural context.

Mental maps of reality

The cognitive frameworks and representations individuals use to understand and navigate their world and culture.

Cultural appropriation

The adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of another culture, often without permission or acknowledgment.

Unilineal cultural evolution

A theory that suggests cultures develop in a linear progression from simple to complex forms.

Historical particularism

A perspective in anthropology that emphasizes the historical and cultural contexts that shape cultures, rejecting broad generalizations about culture.

Hegemony

The dominance of one group over others, influencing cultural norms and values in a way that supports the interests of the dominant group.

Agency

The capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices within a cultural context.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors can change gene expression and influence biological traits.

Salvage ethnography

A research approach that documents and preserves cultures at risk of disappearing.

Rapport

A positive relationship between researcher and participants, crucial for effective ethnographic studies.

Key informant

An individual who provides insider knowledge and insights that help researchers understand a culture.

Social network analysis

A method for studying social relationships and structures within a community.

Field notes

Detailed records of observations and experiences collected by ethnographers during their fieldwork.

Zeros

Elements that are absent or lacking from a cultural system, significant for understanding practices and beliefs.

Emic/etic perspectives

Emic refers to an insider's view of a culture, while etic refers to an outsider's analysis.

Informed consent

The process of obtaining permission from participants before involving them in research, ensuring they understand the study's purpose.

Anonymity

Protecting the identity of research participants to maintain their privacy.

Language

A system of communication using symbols, sounds, and gestures that convey meaning.

Speech community

A group of people who share a common language or dialect.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in a language that distinguish meaning.

Phonology

The study of how sounds function within a particular language.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language.

Syntax

The set of rules that govern the structure of sentences in a language.

Kinesics

The study of body language and nonverbal communication.

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

The theory that the structure of a language affects its speakers' worldview and cognition.

Lexicon

The vocabulary of a language; a collection of words and their meanings.

Prestige language

A language or dialect that is associated with high social status and power.

Code switching

The practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects within a conversation.

Language ideology

The beliefs and conceptions about language, its use, and its role in society.

Language loss

The process by which a language disappears as its speakers shift to other languages.

Race

A social construct used to categorize humans based on perceived physical differences.

Racism

Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against individuals of a different race.

Intersectionality

The interconnected nature of social categorizations, such as race, class, and gender, as they apply to a given individual or group.

Genotype

The genetic constitution of an individual, which can influence traits and behaviors.

Phenotype

The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Colonialism

The practice of acquiring and maintaining control over foreign territories or peoples.

Miscegenation

The interbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types.

White supremacy

The belief that white people are superior to those of all other races.

Hypodescent

The practice of assigning individuals of mixed race to the racial group of their lower-status parent.

Nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of native inhabitants against those of immigrants.

Racial ideology

A set of beliefs and ideas used to justify racial inequalities and stereotypes.

Ethnicity

A shared cultural heritage, often based on common language, history, and traditions.

Origin myth

A myth that explains the origins of a group or nation.

Ethnic boundary marker

Social or cultural characteristics that distinguish one ethnic group from another.

Genocide

The deliberate and systematic extermination of a particular group of people.

Ethnic cleansing

The forced removal of a particular ethnic group from a territory.

Melting pot

A metaphor for a society where many different types of people blend together as one.

Assimilation

The process where individuals from one culture adopt the practices of another, often losing their original culture.

Multiculturalism

The coexistence of diverse cultures in a society, often promoting equality and tolerance.

State

An organized political entity with a defined territory and government.

Nation-state

A state that derives its political legitimacy from a shared identity or culture among its citizens.

Nation

A large group of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, or historical experience.

Citizenship

The status of being a recognized member of a state, with associated rights and responsibilities.

Imagined community

A concept describing a nation as a socially constructed community, created by the collective imagination of its members.

Diaspora

The dispersion of a population from their original homeland.