Cultural Anthropology Final Exam Key Terms

universal gaze

The idea that people from different cultures often look at or interpret the same image, performance, or object in surprisingly similar ways – as if there is a "universal" way of seeing things.

authenticity

perception of an objects antiquity, uniqueness, and originality within a local culture

ethnomusicology

the study of music in a cultural context

global mediascape

The flow of images, news, TV shows, movies, and social media content across the entire planet – how media from one country reaches and influences people in other countries, unimaginable a century ago

media worlds

ethnographic and theoretical approach to media studies that may exist when visual worlds collide in the context of contemporary globalization

when cultural visual elements from different parts of the world crash together, that collision creates a "media world" – and anthropologists study that world

subculture

Cohen - compromise solution between two contradictory needs: the need to create and express autonomy and difference from parents and the need to maintain the parental identifications’

Simple - a smaller group within a larger society that has its own distinct values, styles, language, and rituals – often formed in response to or in opposition to mainstream culture.

punk

1970’s subculture/social movement centered on anarchy and contesting conventional ways of thinking and behaving in society

bricolage

system of classification that makes no sense to outsiders

mass culture

Culture that is produced in large quantities for huge, undifferentiated audiences – often through industrial means (movies, network TV, pop radio, chain stores), often criticized as shallow or manipulative

popular culture

The set of beliefs, practices, objects, and entertainment that are widely liked or followed by ordinary people at a given time – as opposed to elite or folk culture. Pop culture is often dynamic, commercial, and spread through mass media.

the culture industry

A term coined by critical theorists (Adorno & Horkheimer) to argue that mass media and entertainment are industries that produce culture like factories produce cars

medical anthropology

the study of how culture, society, and biology interact to shape health, illness, and healing practices around the world. It asks: why do different people get sick, treat illness, or die in different ways?

medical ecology

the interaction of diseases with the natural environment and human culture

health

absence of disease or ailment, presence of physical, mental, and social well-being

illness

individual patient’s experience of being unwell

disease

discrete natural entity that can be clinically identified and treated by a health professional

sickness

the social role and public recognition of being unwell – how society labels, treats, and expects certain behaviors from someone who is sick. Sickness is the social status.

sick role

the set of expectations society has for someone who is considered “sick” – they are allowed to stop normal duties, seek help, and are not blamed for their condition, but they must try/show a desire to get better.

ethnomedicine

local systems of health and healing rooted in culturally specific norms and values

ethnopharmacology

documentation and description of the local use of natural substances in healing remedies and practices

biomedicine

practice (often associated with western medicine), that seeks to apply the principles of biology and the natural sciences to the practice of diagnosing diseases and promoting healing

medical pluralism

the intersection of multiple cultural approaches to healing

illness narratives

the personal stories people tell to explain their illnesses

human microbiome

the complete collection of microorganisms in the human body’s ecosystem

critical medical anthropology

approach to the study of health and illness that analyzes the impact of inequality and stratification within systems of power on individual an group health outcomes

political economy

structural adjustment policies

economic rules imposed by international lenders (like the IMF and World Bank) on poor countries in exchange for loans – requiring them to cut public spending (health, education), privatize services, and open markets. often criticized for worsening health.

international monetary fund

an international organization that lends money to countries in economic trouble – but often with conditions (austerity, privatization). Anthropologists study how IMF policies affect local health and well‑being.

nongovernmental organizations

private, nonprofit groups that work on health, development, human rights, or the environment – often filling gaps where governments fail. examples include Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam, Partners In Health.

world health organization

the United Nations agency that coordinates global health – sets disease classifications, runs vaccination campaigns, declares pandemics, and provides technical guidance to countries.

ebola

deadly viral hemorrhagic fever that spreads through contact with bodily fluids. Ebola outbreaks have occurred mainly in Central and West Africa. anthropologists study local responses, burial practices, and trust in healthcare workers.

big data

computational tools used to track diseases, only useful if you understand the social context.

creation myth

shared, often unexamined narrative that a group tells itself to justify its own activities, values, and sense of purpose.

UX

user experience, used by anthropologists to study how people interact with medical devices, health apps, or clinic forms – focusing on usability and cultural fit.

WEIRD thinking

western educated industrialized rich democratic

most studies/analyses are done on people from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies – who are not representative of all humans. WEIRD people often think more analytically and individualistically.

ground-level perspective

an approach in anthropology that starts with the daily lives, struggles, and voices of ordinary people – not with theories, policies, or statistics from above. it is “seeing the world from the dirt up.”

sub-prime mortgage lending

lending money to homebuyers with poor credit history, low income, or unstable jobs – often with higher interest rates. anthropologists study how this led to the 2008 financial crisis and its health impacts (foreclosure → stress, homelessness, worse health).

securitization

a financial process: bundling many loans (like mortgages) together and selling them as investments to banks and pension funds. anthropologists study how securitization disconnected lenders from borrowers, encouraging risky lending and later causing health crises.