Anthropology Midterm

four subfields of anthropology

biological, cultural, linguistic, archaeology

Biological or Physical Anthropology

human evolution

genetics

biological diversity

Archaeology

the study of past human cultures through artifacts, structures, and other material remains

Linguistic Anthropology

how language shapes culture and communication

Sociocultural Anthropology

Examines living cultures and societies

Focuses on living cultures, social practices, and community life

Ethnography

A research method and written study used mainly in cultural anthropology

A detailed study of a culture through close observation and participation.

Cultural Diversity

The variety of cultural expressions and practices within a society.

Culture

The shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that define a group of people

Long-Term Intensive Fieldwork

xtended, immersive research in a community to deeply understand its culture

Worldview

The overall perspective from which people interpret and understand the world

Dynamic Worldview

A worldview that changes and adapts with new experiences or knowledge

Static Worldview

A fixed worldview that resists change and holds traditional beliefs

Participant Observation

A research method where anthropologists live among people to observe and participate in daily life

Thick Description

A detailed, in-depth account of cultural practices that includes context and meaning

Cultural Relativism

Understanding a culture on its own terms without judging it by another culture’s standards

Cultural Determinism

The idea that culture shapes and determines human behavior

Culture Bound

Limited by the assumptions or values of one’s own culture

Ethnocentrism

judging another culture based on the standards of one’s own

Forced Assimilation

When a group is made to give up its culture and adopt another by coercion or law

Acculturation

The exchange of cultural features when groups come into continuous contact

Assimilation

The process where one group gradually adopts the culture of another, often the dominant one

Difference between Assimilation and Forced Assimilation

Assimilation can occur voluntarily; forced assimilation happens under pressure or compulsion

Melting Pot

A society where different cultures blend together into one dominant culture

Multicultural Society

A society that recognizes, respects, and preserves multiple cultural traditions

Ethnohistory

The study of cultures and indigenous peoples through historical records and oral traditions

Community of Memory

A group united by shared history, experiences, and cultural identity passed down through generations

Ethnocide

The deliberate destruction of a group’s culture while leaving its people alive

Tribalization

The process of forming or re-forming distinct tribal identities or communities

Ethnogenesis

The creation or emergence of a new cultural or ethnic identity

Nation-State

A sovereign political entity where the boundaries of a nation and a state largely coincide

Nation’s State

A political state that serves the interests or identity of a specific nation or cultural group

When we refer to culture as dynamic, what is being said?

Culture constantly changes and adapts over time through new ideas and influences

What does static mean for a culture or identity?

It means unchanging or fixed, with no adaptation or growth

Does static identity exist?

No, identity evolves over time as people and societies change

Multicultural family

A family made up of members from different cultural, ethnic, or national backgrounds

What are some characteristics other than race of a multicultural family?

Differences in language, religion, traditions, values, and social norms

What are some of the characteristics of a culture?

Shared beliefs, customs, language, symbols, values, and social behaviors

What are some ways that identity is managed?

Through self-expression, social interaction, adaptation, and negotiation across different contexts

Participant observation (Ingold)

A way of learning by living and engaging with people in their everyday lives, not just observing but participating to understand their world from within

Ethnography (Ingold)

The practice of describing and understanding human life through firsthand experience, focusing on relationships, context, and the meanings people give to their actions

For Ingold, what is the role of the anthropologist, and why does he feel this way?

Ingold believes the anthropologist’s role is to learn from people by sharing their lives and experiences. He sees anthropology as a collaborative practice where understanding comes through participation and empathy, not detached observation.

walk alongside others—to learn their world by living in it—so that knowledge grows through connection, not separation.

How does Haines define anthropology?

Haines defines anthropology as the study of humanity in all its diversity, focusing on understanding people’s behaviors, beliefs, and cultures within their social and historical contexts.

How does Haines define fieldwork?

Fieldwork, according to Haines, is the firsthand, immersive study of people’s lives—living among them, observing, and participating to understand their culture from the inside.

What are four reasons Haines says anthropology does more than just gain knowledge?

1. To understand human diversity and shared experiences.

2. To challenge assumptions about what is “normal” or “universal.”

3. To apply insights to solve real-world problems.

4. To foster empathy and cross-cultural understanding.

What are three important decisions Haines claims anthropologists made that shaped the field?

1. To study all people, not just the “exotic” or distant.

2. To use fieldwork as the foundation of research.

3. To value cultural relativism—understanding cultures on their own terms rather than through bias.

Why does Vogel argue that labels are bad?

Vogel argues that labels are bad because they oversimplify people’s identities, creating stereotypes that ignore individuality and complexity.

What can judging someone based on a label lead to?

Judging someone based on a label can lead to prejudice, discrimination, and misunderstanding, often causing unfair treatment or exclusion.

What can one do to better understand those who have a label attached to them?

To better understand people with labels, one can approach them with openness, empathy, and curiosity—listening to their stories instead of assuming what the label means.

What are some of the factors that caused the decrease in the number of Indigenous peoples between 1800 and 1900?

Disease, warfare, forced relocation, loss of land, and government assimilation policies

When did the first Americans arrive in North America?

Over 15,000 years ago via the Bering Land Bridge.

Native American population and characteristics before European contact?

Millions lived in diverse, complex societies with trade, politics, and rich spiritual traditions

Number of Indigenous people before settlers?

Around 5 to 10 million lived in North America before European contact

What caused the number of Indigenous people to diminish by 95%?

Disease, violence, displacement, and forced assimilation from European colonization

What were the first African slaves referred to as?

Indentured servants

What drove the increase in slave trade in the U.S.?

The demand for labor in plantations and the growth of the cotton economy

Why were slave codes adopted?

To control enslaved Africans and legally enforce racial hierarchy

What did slave code regulations do?

Restricted movement, prohibited education, and denied basic rights to enslaved people

Industrial era migration (Significant events)?

Rise of factories, European immigration, and urban growth in the 19th century

Jim Crow Laws?

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction

The Great Migration?

Movement of African Americans from the rural South to northern cities (1910–1970)

In the post-industrial era, where did many migrants start coming from? Why?

Latin America and Asia, seeking jobs and opportunities after U.S. labor shortages

American Anthropological Statement on Race — what did they conclude?

Race has no biological basis; it’s a social and cultural construct

Haines, The Anthropological Vision (pages 4–8): What must all anthropologists consider?

The whole human experience — biological, cultural, and social contexts

What other factors should be considered by cultural anthropologists?

History, environment, politics, and economics shaping human life

What does Haines say about culture?

Culture is learned, shared, and constantly changing through human interaction

What does Haines suggest to better understand race?

Study it as a social idea shaped by history, not as a biological fact

What does Haines say about biological differences between races?

There are no significant biological differences; human variation is continuous

What do biological anthropologists cite as the main trait separating humans from primates?

Complex language and symbolic thought

Multiculturalism

The coexistence of diverse cultures, where different groups maintain their cultural identities within a shared society

Essentializing (Essentialism)

Reducing a group to fixed traits or stereotypes, ignoring individual differences or diversity within it

Difference Multiculturalism

Focuses on celebrating and recognizing cultural differences without challenging power inequalities

Critical Multiculturalism

Examines how power, privilege, and inequality shape cultural relations and demands structural change

Identity Politics

Political action or movements based on shared experiences of inequality among members of a social group

Politics of Identity

The process of negotiating and expressing one’s identity in relation to social and political contexts

What causes a social movement, or any movement, to be born?

Collective response to perceived injustice, inequality, or exclusion from power.

What was Rosa Parks’ significance?

Her refusal to give up her bus seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a symbol of resistance.

Malcolm X

Civil rights leader who promoted Black empowerment, self-defense, and racial pride

Martin Luther King Jr.

Leader of the Civil Rights Movement who advocated nonviolent protest and racial equality

What created the climate for discrimination that led to the Civil Rights Movement?

Segregation, racial violence, economic inequality, and institutional racism

Prior to the Civil Rights Movement, what type of multiculturalism caused Jim Crow Laws? Why?

Difference multiculturalism — it emphasized separation and “cultural differences” to justify racial segregation.

What were some of the resulting laws and policies that federal, state, and local governments used to divide whites and blacks?

Jim Crow laws enforcing segregation in schools, transportation, housing, and public spaces

Did businesses adopt similar policies? If so, what were some of their policies concerning race?

Yes — many practiced racial segregation in hiring, wages, and customer service (e.g., “whites only” counters)

The civil rights movement was a grassroots (bottom-up) process. This is an example of?

Collective action and community-based social change

What were some ways the grassroots movement gained national attention and helped pass the Civil Rights Act?

Peaceful protests, sit-ins, boycotts, marches, and media coverage exposing racial injustice

When a business uses identity as a way of advertising, this is an example of?

Identity marketing or cultural branding.

When politicians use identity to target a particular race for votes, this is an example of?

Identity politics or racialized campaigning

What is social identity (textbook)?

Social identity is how individuals define themselves in relation to social groups and categories

What is social identity (Eriksen)?

Eriksen defines social identity as how people understand themselves through their membership and interaction within social groups

What are some characteristics of social identity?

It’s shared, learned, flexible, context-based, and influenced by social relationships

What are examples of different types of social identity?

Race, gender, religion, nationality, profession, and political affiliation

Can one person have more than one identity? Do they change?

Yes, people hold multiple identities that can change with experience and context

Can identity change or shift, and at which level(s) can this occur?

Yes—identity can shift at individual, group, and societal levels

Is identity always real, or can it be perceived? In what way if any?

It can be both; identity may be self-defined or shaped by others’ perceptions

Why does group membership seem to shift as one moves from situation to situation?

Because people emphasize different aspects of identity depending on social context

What is relational identity? Can it shift?

Relational identity is how we define ourselves through our relationships with others—it can shift as relationships change.

What is situational identity? Can it shift?

Situational identity is how identity adapts to specific contexts or settings—it can shift based on environment or interaction.

What does Barth’s Model of ethnicity argue?

It argues that ethnic identity is both imperative (inborn) and situational (chosen or context-based)

What is imperative identity?

Imperative identity refers to traits you are born with, like race, age, or place of birth

What are examples of imperative identity?

Examples include being female, African American, or Native Alaskan

What is chosen identity?

Chosen identity is based on personal choice or experience, such as religion or profession