Studied by 0 peopleHow did anthropology originate?
Anthropology began as a colonial project, influenced by Europe's desire to classify and control colonized cultures.
What is the difference between social and cultural anthropology?
Social anthropology focuses on social structures, while cultural anthropology studies cultural meanings, beliefs, and practices
How is Canadian anthropology defined?
Canadian anthropology emphasizes Indigenous issues, colonial legacies, and cultural diversity, focusing on fieldwork in North America.
What marks the difference between classical and contemporary anthropology?
Classical anthropology focuses on categorizing non-Western societies, while contemporary anthropology emphasizes reflexivity, decolonization, and global connections.
What societal transformations occurred during the Age of Enlightenment (1700s-1800s)?
Enlightenment changed politics, economics, and philosophy, and the rise of modernity and capitalism.
How did 'Reason' shape Enlightenment thinking?
Reason emphasized freedom, knowledge, and natural order, driving progress and shaping modern science and philosophy. It introduced methods of reasoning (induction, deduction).
What are induction and deduction in scientific inquiry?
Induction makes generalizations based on specific observations (ex: collecting data and drawing conclusions)Â
Deduction starts with testing a general theory or hypothesis against specific observations or data. (ex: mathematical proofs)Â
Showed a move away from beliefs grounded in religion or superstition.
What is John Locke’s "tabula rasa" concept?
Locke described the human mind as a blank slate, with knowledge formed through experience and perception.
How did Thomas Hobbes view human survival?
Hobbes believed humans are driven by pleasure and pain, requiring societal structures to manage self-interest.
What is the concept of the social contract?
Individuals consent to societal rules for mutual benefit, critiquing authoritarian power (e.g., Rousseau’s ideas).
How did the Scientific Revolution (16th-17th centuries) change thinking?
It shifted from qualitative to quantitative reasoning, viewing nature mechanistically and emphasizing experimental methods.
How did capitalism and colonialism affect societies?
Capitalism commodified land, labor, and wealth, disrupting traditional structures in colonized societies.
How did European scholars view the colonized world?
They viewed it through a "primitive other" lens, reinforcing colonial dominance.
What were the two phases of colonialism?
The first, led by Spain and Portugal, tied to feudalism and Christianity. The second, led by France and England, driven by capitalism and industrialization.
How did the fur trade and the transatlantic slave trade impact Indigenous and African societies?
The fur trade devastated Indigenous food sources, and the transatlantic slave trade enslaved Africans for commodity production.
What is applied colonialism?
Actively using knowledge, institutions, and practices to govern and exploit colonized populations.
Was early anthropology considered "applied colonialism"?
Yes, it often contrasted European modernity with the "primitive Other," but Talal Asad argued its findings were too specialized for colonial administration.
How did colonialism impact anthropology after WWII?
Colonized peoples resisted, leading to independence and decolonization, but neocolonialism and ongoing social and economic ties persisted.
What is neocolonialism?
Neocolonialism refers to the continued social and economic dominance of former colonies by their previous rulers, even after independence
How did colonial policies lead to underdevelopment in low-income countries?
Colonial policies disrupted local economies, leading to inequalities in production and consumption, and ongoing territorial disputes, like the Six Nations land claim.
What is dualism in early anthropological thought?
Dualism refers to opposing forces, like mind vs. body or culture vs. biology, often privileging one aspect over the other in explaining human nature.
What is unilineal cultural evolution?
It’s the outdated theory that societies progress through fixed stages (savagery, barbarism, civilization), leading to scientific racism.
What was Franz Boas' major contribution to American anthropology?
Boas rejected unilineal evolution, promoting cultural relativism, diffusion of traits, and historical particularism—understanding each culture in its unique context.
What is cultural relativism?
Cultural relativism is the principle that cultures should be understood on their own terms, not judged by the standards of other societies.
How did post-WWII anthropology become more reflexive?
Anthropologists critically examined their role in perpetuating colonial power structures, becoming more aware of their influence on the subjects they studied.
What is positivism?
Positivism refers to the approach that seeks to study human societies and cultures through objective, scientific methods. However, it later faced criticism for oversimplifying human experiences and ignoring cultural context and meaning.
How did post-WWII anthropology become more reflexive?
Anthropologists critically examined their role in perpetuating colonial power structures, becoming more aware of their influence on the subjects they studied.
What is the tension between materialism and idealism in anthropology?
Materialism focuses on economic and power structures, while idealism emphasizes the role of ideas, beliefs, and culture in shaping societies.
What is Clifford Geertz's "thick description"?
It is an interpretive method that involves deeply contextualized analysis of cultural actions and symbols, viewing culture as a text to be interpreted.
What does postcolonial anthropology focus on?
It examines colonial encounters, power dynamics, and the lasting impacts of colonialism, while critiquing ongoing structural inequalities like racism.
What was the Enlightenment era characterized by?
It emphasized reason, questioning existence, and introduced key thinkers like John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Who was John Locke, and what concept did he introduce?How did the Scientific Revolution contribute to modern thought?
It established the basis of positivist thinking, distinguishing science from philosophy through empirical observation.
What economic shift occurred during the Enlightenment?
The transition from a feudal economic system to capitalism, driven by supply and demand and the commodification of resources
Who noted the commodification of previously valueless items, and what were some examples?
Eric Wolf noted the commodification of land, labor, and wealth as significant aspects of capitalism.
How did capitalism influence identity and perceptions of progress?
Capitalism shaped identities aligned with European industrial society and fostered a vision of modernity.
What is Terra Nullius?
A legal concept used to justify the colonial appropriation of land, claiming it was "empty" and unoccupied by civilized people.
Who are key scholars in social evolutionism, and what are their approaches?
Edward Tylor (idealist) emphasized the capacity for ideas, while Lewis Henry Morgan (materialist) focused on technological stages of evolution.
What is British Social Anthropology's synchronic approach?
It studies cultures in the "here and now," analyzing social forms and their functions in everyday life.
What did Franz Boas contribute to American anthropology?
Boas advocated for cultural relativism and historical particularism, rejecting unilineal evolution by considering historical context.
How did Canadian anthropology differ from its American and British counterparts?
Canadian anthropology emerged later, beginning in 1936, with a strong awareness of colonialism and power dynamics from the start.
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