IB Social and Cultural Anthropology Terms

Status and Role,

the relative social position of an individual and the part a society expects an individual to play in a given status

Examples of Status and Role

Status: father, caregiver, boss

Role: child, wife, mother, aunt

Gender Roles

Expected ways of behaving based on societies definition of masculinity and femininity

Conformity and non conformity

How you fit into the main culture you live among and what makes you standout that differs from the main culture you live among

Public vs private

How you act or live your life where others can see you in the society v how you act or live your life might not conform to the public way of living in the culture.

Examples of Public vs. Private

Publically you wear Burka ..privately at home you do not wear it.

Rite of passage

Ritual ceremonies intended to mark the transition from one phase of life to another

Modernity

Becoming modernized with the culture you live among by taking something from that culture and adapting it to fit your culture

Example of Modernity

The Amish take the frame of the bicycle and turn it into a scooter

Globalization

Allowing your whole culture to adapt something completely from the main culture you live among

Example of Globalization

Amish will use a phone

Family Organization

What positions each person has within the structure of your home

Gender relations

How the males and females and others of your family organization connect to each other

Examples of Gender relations

father to mother, granddaughter to grandfather

Marriages

The social recognized union of two or more people

Power and authority

The role the person in the society follows and authority what the role allows them to do

Examples of Power and authority

Determine what is right and wrong, determine who gets sacrificed, who gets to marry whom

Economic division of labor

The jobs that are normally assigned to people based on such things as gender and age

Economic space and place

where it is done (the location of making money)

Economic reciprocity

a relationship between two entities that involves a mutual exchange of gifts of goods,services, or favors. Inherent is the assumption that you will get something in return

Economic globalization

how has your society changed through the influences of an outside culture in how you now make money

Ethics

What is morally right and wrong

Justice

How a society determines right and wrong

Taboo

Behavioral or ideas considered immoral or evil and therefore forbidden

Good and evil

What your society determines is positive and negative

Honor and Shame

What your society has determined deserves high respect vs. low respect

Moral Globalization

How has your society's behaviors been changed by outside influences

Symbols

A sound or thing which has meaning given to it by the user

Religion

The practice followed by your culture

Myths

Stories that transmit a culturally meaningful messages about the universe, the natural and supernatural world, and a person's place within them

Rituals

Stylized and usually repetitive acts that take place at a set time and location

Witchcraft

The use of spells and invocations of spirits - usually negative use

Sorcery

The use of supernatural powers over others - usually negative use

Magic

Using ritual formulas to compel or influence supernatural beings or power to act in certain ways for good or evil purposes

Syncretism

Following ones beliefs and customs, and when they are not looking, going back to your own beliefs and customs

Commodification

The process of turning an aspect of someone's culture into our product (commodity) to be for sale on the market