Anthropology Final exam notes

Marriage and Family (Chapter 9)

• Functions of Marriage: Establishes rights and obligations related to sex, reproduction, and child-rearing.

• Exogamy: Marrying outside a specific group.

• Incest Taboo: Prohibits sexual relations between certain relatives.

• Cross Cousins: Children of siblings of the opposite sex (mother’s brother’s children or father’s sister’s children).

• Parallel Cousins: Children of siblings of the same sex (mother’s sister’s children or father’s brother’s children).

• Theories Explaining the Incest Taboo: Biological, psychological, and social theories.

• Endogamy: Marrying within a specific group.

• Arranged Marriage: Marriage arranged by families.

• Bridewealth (Brideprice): Payment from the groom’s family to the bride’s family.

• Dowry: Property or money brought by the bride to her husband or his family.

• Bride Service: Labor provided by the groom to the bride’s family.

• Forms of Marriage: Monogamy, polygamy (polygyny and polyandry).

• Sororate: When a widower marries his deceased wife’s sister.

• Levirate: When a widow marries her deceased husband’s brother.

• Residence Patterns: Patrilocal, matrilocal, neolocal.

• Avunculate: The relationship between a mother’s brother and her children.

• Nuclear Family: A couple and their dependent children.

• Extended Family: Multiple generations living together.

Kinship and Descent (Chapter 10)

• Consanguineal Relatives: Relatives by blood.

• Affinal Relatives: Relatives by marriage.

• Descent Group: A group of people who share a common ancestry.

• Unilineal Descent: Descent traced through one parent only (matrilineal or patrilineal).

• Matrilineal Descent: Descent traced through the female line.

• Patrilineal Descent: Descent traced through the male line.

• Lineages: A descent group that can demonstrate their common descent from an apical ancestor.

• Clans: A descent group that claims common descent from an apical ancestor but cannot demonstrate it.

• Phratries: A unilineal descent group composed of supposedly related clans.

• Non-Unilineal Descent (Cognatic): Descent traced through both male and female lines.

• Double Descent: Tracing descent through both matrilineal and patrilineal lines for different purposes.

• Ambilineal Descent: Descent where individuals can choose to affiliate with either their mother’s or father’s descent group.

• Bilateral Descent: Descent traced equally through both parents.

• Residence Patterns: Patrilocal, matrilocal, neolocal.

Sex and Gender (Chapter 11)

• Sexual Dimorphism: Physical differences between males and females of a species.

• Biological and Cultural Determinism: The debate over whether biology or culture determines gender roles.

• Human Sexuality: The ways people experience and express themselves sexually.

• Alternative Genders: Genders that exist outside the male/female binary.

• Gender Roles: Culturally defined tasks and behaviors assigned to different genders.

• Gender Stereotypes: Oversimplified and often negative ideas about the characteristics of men and women.

• Gender Stratification: Unequal distribution of resources, power, and prestige between genders.

• Patriarchy: Male dominance in society.

• Matriarchy: Female dominance in society (debated if it exists).

• Gender Ideology: Cultural ideas about gender roles, identities, and stratification.

• Honor Killings: Homicides committed against individuals, usually women, for allegedly dishonoring their family.

• Dowry Deaths: Deaths of young women in India related to disputes over dowry.

• Purdah: The practice of concealing women from the eyes of non-family men.

• Female Infanticide: The killing of female infants.

• Gender and Language: Differences in how men and women use language.

• Sexual Asymmetry: The universal tendency for women to be in a subordinate position in society.

• Genderlects: Linguistic differences between men and women.

Social Stratification (Chapter 12)

• Dimensions of Social Inequality: Wealth, power, prestige.

• Ascribed Statuses: Social positions assigned at birth (e.g., race, caste).

• Achieved Statuses: Social positions attained through effort (e.g., education, occupation).

• Class: A system of stratification based on economic factors.

• Caste: A rigid system of social stratification based on hereditary status.

• Ethnicity and Race: Categories of social identity based on shared culture or physical characteristics.

• Essentialist and Constructionist Perspectives: Differing views on whether ethnicity is inherent or socially constructed.

• Forms of Inter-Group Relations: Pluralism, assimilation, acculturation, segregation, genocide, population transfer.

• Theories of Social Stratification: Functionalism/functional theory vs. conflict theory.

Political Organization and Social Control (Chapter 13)

• Types of Political Organization: Band, tribe, chiefdom, state.

• Pan-Tribal Mechanisms: Institutions that cut across tribal divisions.

• Segmentary Lineage System: A political system based on descent groups.

• Age Grades: Categories of people based on age.

• Age Set: A group of people born during a specific time period who move through age grades together.

• Theories of State Formation: Voluntaristic theory, hydraulic theory, coercive theory.

• Nation and State: Concepts related to political identity and organization.

• Social Control: Mechanisms to regulate behavior.

• Formal and Informal Means of Social Control: Laws vs. customs.

• Social Norms: Expected standards of behavior.

• Law: Formal rules enforced by political authority.

• Warfare: Organized conflict between groups.

Religion (Chapter 14)

• Origin and Functions of Religion: Explanations for the existence and role of religion.

• Animism and Totemism: Belief in spirits and symbolic association with animals or plants.

• Magic and Religion: Ways to influence supernatural forces.

• Rituals: Formal, repetitive behaviors.

• Rites of Passage: Rituals marking transitions in life stages.

• Pilgrimage: A journey to a sacred place.

• Types of Religious Organization: Individualistic cults, shamanism, communal cults, ecclesiastical cults, polytheism, monotheism.

• Revitalization Movements: Efforts to create a new culture.

• Prophet: An individual who receives divine revelation.

• Revelation: The communication of divine knowledge.

• Syncretism: The blending of religious traditions.

• Cargo Cults: Religious movements in Melanesia based on the expectation of receiving western goods.

• Christian Fundamentalism: A conservative religious movement within Christianity.

• Islamic Fundamentalism: A conservative religious movement within Islam.

• Religious Nationalism: The fusion of religious and national identities.

The Arts (Chapter 15)

• What is Art?: Creative expression.

• Characteristics of Art: Skill, aesthetics, meaning.

• Aesthetics: The study of beauty.

• Fine Arts and Folk Arts: Elite vs. popular art forms.

• Forms of Art: Visual, musical, verbal.

• Ethnomusicology: The study of music in culture.

• Verbal Arts: Oral traditions, storytelling.

• Social Functions of Art: Communication, social cohesion, social control.

• Art as a Form of Social Control: Reinforcing norms through creative expression.

Cultural Change and Globalization (Chapter 16)

• Inventions and Innovations: New creations and ideas.

• Diffusion: The spread of cultural traits.

• Theories of Cultural Change: Modernization theory, world system theory.

• Globalization: The increasing interconnectedness of the world.

• Colonialism: The political, social, economic, and cultural domination of a territory and its people by a foreign power for an extended time

• Neocolonialism: The continued economic and political influence of former colonial powers over their former colonies.

• Indigenous Peoples: Native inhabitants of a region.

Questions for the article on Napoleon Chagnon and his study of the Yanomamo:

1. What is Chagnon’s theoretical approach and main argument in explaining the prevalence of violence among the Yanomamo? How does his explanation differ from that of other anthropologists?

Chagnon’s theoretical approach is rooted in evolutionary biology and sociobiology. His main argument suggests that violence among the Yanomamo is linked to reproductive success; men who engage in violence have more wives and offspring. This contrasts with other anthropologists who emphasize social, economic, or political factors as drivers of violence, rather than primarily biological ones.

2. What were the main criticisms of Chagnon’s research among the Yanomamo? Who is Patrick Tierney and what was his goal in publishing the book “Darkness in El Dorado”?

The main criticisms of Chagnon’s research include allegations that he misrepresented the Yanomamo as inherently violent, manipulated data, and exacerbated conflict among different Yanomamo groups. Additionally, critics claimed that his methods were unethical and harmful to the population he studied. Patrick Tierney is an investigative journalist who wrote "Darkness in El Dorado," which accused Chagnon and others of causing a measles epidemic and other harm during their research. Tierney's goal was to expose what he considered unethical and damaging anthropological practices.

3. Discuss the reaction of the anthropological community and the American Anthropological Association to Chagnon’s research and his conclusions about the Yanomamo culture.

The anthropological community had a mixed reaction to Chagnon’s research. Some anthropologists supported his work, finding his evolutionary explanations of Yanomamo behavior insightful. However, others strongly criticized his methods and conclusions, raising concerns about ethical issues and the potential for misrepresentation. The American Anthropological Association (AAA) investigated some of the allegations against Chagnon. Ultimately, the AAA did not find sufficient evidence to support all the claims, but the controversy led to increased scrutiny of ethical standards in anthropological fieldwork.

4. What are some of the ethical issues involved in fieldwork among people who have had little previous contact with outsiders? Use the article in answering this question.

Ethical issues in fieldwork among previously uncontacted people include:

• Informed Consent: Ensuring that participants fully understand the research and its potential impacts.

• Do No Harm: Avoiding actions that could negatively affect the health, safety, or cultural integrity of the community.

• Confidentiality: Protecting the privacy and anonymity of individuals and communities.

• Representation: Accurately and respectfully portraying the culture and experiences of the people being studied.

• Exploitation: Avoiding taking advantage of the community for personal or professional gain.

• Impact of Introduction: Recognizing that even well-intentioned research can have unintended consequences, such as the spread of disease or the