Anthropology Exam Review – Key Vocabulary

These vocabulary flashcards summarize core concepts, theorists, case studies, and definitions from the lecture notes, providing a concise review for exam preparation.

Bands

Small, kin-based hunter-gatherer groups that constantly split and reform while occupying a specific territory.

Chiefdom

Elman Service’s intermediate political stage between tribe and state, characterized by hereditary leadership and ranked social structure.

Power (anthropological definition)

The ability or potential to bring about change through action or influence.

Modern Western State

A political entity that emerged in the sixteenth century, marked by centralized authority and territorial sovereignty.

Monopoly on the Legitimate Use of Force

Max Weber’s fundamental feature of the modern state: only the state may rightfully employ or authorize violence within its territory.

Political Anthropology

Anthropological subfield that arose after World War II to study power, authority, and political systems cross-culturally.

Cultural Materialism

Theory (e.g., explaining Aztec sacrifice) that cultural practices develop in response to material needs such as environment and resources.

Magic (anthropological category)

Ritual practices intended to compel supernatural forces, such as Louisiana Voodoo doll rituals for blessing or cursing.

Émile Durkheim on Religion

Saw religion as a social process fostering solidarity; feared its decline would heighten individual alienation and suicide rates.

Karl Marx on Religion

Viewed religion as 'the opium of the people' that dulls awareness of social inequalities produced by capitalism.

Clifford Geertz’s Definition of Religion

A system of ideas surrounded by powerful symbols that establish moods and motivations in people.

Communitas

Victor Turner’s term for intense community spirit and bonding that rituals (e.g., graduation) create among participants.

Liminality

The transitional, in-between phase of a rite of passage when normal social roles are suspended (e.g., seclusion during first menstruation).

Rite of Passage

A ritual marking a person’s transition from one social status to another, such as Japan’s Coming of Age Day.

Anthropological Approach to Art

Seeks to contextualize artistic processes and meanings within the cultural, social, and historical settings in which art is produced.

Visual Anthropology

Explores the production, circulation, and consumption of visual images and how they shape culture and identity.

Global Mediascape

Arjun Appadurai’s term for worldwide flows of media and images that connect people across boundaries.

Photographic Gaze (Lutz & Collins)

The analytic concept showing how National Geographic images construct cultural perspectives and influence readers.

Abidjan Art Consumers (Steiner)

Western tourists and art dealers who purchase locally produced art in Côte d’Ivoire, shaping its production and value.

Warehouse (Paul Stoller)

New York City redistribution hub through which much African art passes before reaching U.S. markets.

Medical Anthropology

The study of health, illness, and healing that applies anthropological methods to solve public-health problems.

Disease vs. Illness

Disease: biological health problem; Illness: individual’s lived, cultural experience of sickness.

Medical Pluralism

Coexistence and use of multiple healing systems (e.g., tuina, herbalists, clinics, botánicas in NYC’s Chinatown).

Growth of Medical Anthropology (1980s)

Expansion driven by intensive fieldwork that proved effective for addressing public-health issues.

WHO Definition of Health

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Paul Farmer’s Cange Project

Improved rural Haitian health beginning with the provision of clean drinking water.

Gun Violence as Public Health Issue

Case used to show how cultural factors intersect with health outcomes in the United States.

Green Revolution in Bali (Failure)

World Bank program collapsed because it ignored farmers’ practical and spiritual knowledge.

Lia Lee Case

Demonstrates how ignoring medical pluralism and cultural differences can harm patient outcomes.

Social & Cultural Forces in Health

Analytic focus used by Lindenbaum, Simmons, and Farmer to address and resolve health crises.

Frans de Waal on Primate Violence

Research challenging the notion that aggressive impulses are inherently rooted in primate nature.

Nordstrom’s Mozambique Ethnography

Documented how communities resist war’s political violence through daily social cooperation.

Exit Zero (Film)

Illustrates globalization and deindustrialization effects following local steel-mill closures.

State as Illusion (Cohesion)

States appear fixed but are constantly reshaped by leaders, legislation, and interactions with other entities.

Global Cultural Recognition

Example: Chinese immigrants recognized an anthropologist from festival videos circulated transnationally.