Chapter 15 in Cultural Anthropology

Agency

An individual's ability to make independent choices and act upon his/her will.

Community of practice

A group of people who engaged in a shared activity or vocation, such as dance or medicine.

Cultural Performance

A performance such as a concert or a play.

Discourse

Widely circulated knowledge within a community.

Hegemonic discourses

Situations in which thoughts and actions are dictated by those in authority.

Hegemony

Power so pervasive that it is rarely acknowledged or even recognized, yet informs everyday actions.

Performativity

Words or actions that cause something to happen.

Performing culture

Everyday words and actions that reflect cultural ideas and can be studied by anthropologists as a means of understanding a culture.

Personal front

Aspects of one's clothing, physical characteristics, comportment, and facial expressions that communicate an impression to others.

Polysemy

Settings, situations, and symbols that convey multiple meanings.

Presentation of self

The management of the impressions others have of us.

Reflexivity

Awareness of how one's own position and perspective impact what is observed and how it is evaluated.