Question 1

Why is it important to remember that the chiefdom and the state, like many categories used by social scientists, are ideal types?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are labels that make social contrasts seem sharper than they really are. 
B)  They distinguish political and sociopolitical analyses among social scientists. 
C)  They represent social goals that politicians should strive to achieve. 
D)  They ensure that the field of anthropology remains more scientific. 
E)  They are useless in sociopolitical analysis. 
A)  They are labels that make social contrasts seem sharper than they really are. 
B)  They distinguish political and sociopolitical analyses among social scientists. 
C)  They represent social goals that politicians should strive to achieve. 
D)  They ensure that the field of anthropology remains more scientific. 
E)  They are useless in sociopolitical analysis.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about political leaders in foraging bands is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  They are the most dominant males in the largest, most powerful descent group. 
B)  They have no means of forcing people to follow their decisions. 
C)  They maintain control by conquering foreign territories. 
D)  They maintain power by nurturing strong ties with the commoner class. 
E)  They have inherited special access to strategic resources. 
A)  They are the most dominant males in the largest, most powerful descent group. 
B)  They have no means of forcing people to follow their decisions. 
C)  They maintain control by conquering foreign territories. 
D)  They maintain power by nurturing strong ties with the commoner class. 
E)  They have inherited special access to strategic resources.

Question 3

Status in chiefdoms and states is based primarily on differential access to resources.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

In the Igbo women's war, women used song, dance, noise, and "in-your-face" behavior to attempt to subvert formal authority, but women did not gain any greater influence.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

The Yanomami of Venezuela and Brazil have descent groups, which span more than one village and are

Accepted Answer

A)  matrilineal and primarily dependent on foraging. 
B)  without gender stratification. 
C)  patrilineal and exogamous in nature. 
D)  purely horticultural. 
E)  typically led by a female leader. 
A)  matrilineal and primarily dependent on foraging. 
B)  without gender stratification. 
C)  patrilineal and exogamous in nature. 
D)  purely horticultural. 
E)  typically led by a female leader.

Question 6

The presence and acceptance of which of the following is one of the key distinguishing features of a state?

Accepted Answer

A)  gender differences in terms of access to resources 
B)  generosity, even at the fiscal level 
C)  the authority of charismatic leaders 
D)  rapport between the elites and commoners 
E)  stratification 
A)  gender differences in terms of access to resources 
B)  generosity, even at the fiscal level 
C)  the authority of charismatic leaders 
D)  rapport between the elites and commoners 
E)  stratification

Question 7

In which of the following forms of political organization is it most likely that the most important leaders will acquire their positions based on personal background or ability, rather than heredity?

Accepted Answer

A)  tribal societies 
B)  imagined communities 
C)  chiefdoms 
D)  feudal states 
E)  agrarian, preindustrial states 
A)  tribal societies 
B)  imagined communities 
C)  chiefdoms 
D)  feudal states 
E)  agrarian, preindustrial states

Question 8

Most band and tribal societies in the world today are completely cut off from the rest of the world.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

With the rise of states, kinship's role in society continued to grow and dominate daily activities.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Noting that chiefdoms created the megalithic cultures of Europe, such as the one that built Stonehenge, Kottak reminds us that

Accepted Answer

A)  all chiefdoms end up becoming states. 
B)  all powerful chiefdoms required elaborate stonework to be recognized by competing groups. 
C)  chiefdoms that failed to become states did not have enough stone. 
D)  chiefdoms have been among the rarest forms of social organization throughout human history. 
E)  chiefdoms and states can fall as well as rise. 
A)  all chiefdoms end up becoming states. 
B)  all powerful chiefdoms required elaborate stonework to be recognized by competing groups. 
C)  chiefdoms that failed to become states did not have enough stone. 
D)  chiefdoms have been among the rarest forms of social organization throughout human history. 
E)  chiefdoms and states can fall as well as rise.

Question 11

In the context of tribal societies, what is a "big man"?

Accepted Answer

A)  a hereditary ruler 
B)  someone who holds a permanent political office 
C)  a leader who has tremendous power because he is regarded as divine 
D)  a person who creates his reputation through entrepreneurship and generosity to others 
E)  a leader who avoids excessive displays of generosity 
A)  a hereditary ruler 
B)  someone who holds a permanent political office 
C)  a leader who has tremendous power because he is regarded as divine 
D)  a person who creates his reputation through entrepreneurship and generosity to others 
E)  a leader who avoids excessive displays of generosity

Question 12

Pantribal sodalities function to integrate the community by providing a series of important nonkin relationships.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Modern foragers are not Stone Age relics, living fossils, lost tribes, or noble savages. Still, to the extent that foraging has been the basis of their subsistence, contemporary and recent hunter-gatherers

Accepted Answer

A)  illustrate the social precursors to hegemony. 
B)  illustrate links between foraging economies and the emergence of social stratification. 
C)  can illustrate links between foraging economies and other aspects of society and culture, such as their sociopolitical organization. 
D)  suggest that the most basic motive driving human survival is the need for power. 
E)  are the closest we can come to studying true human nature. 
A)  illustrate the social precursors to hegemony. 
B)  illustrate links between foraging economies and the emergence of social stratification. 
C)  can illustrate links between foraging economies and other aspects of society and culture, such as their sociopolitical organization. 
D)  suggest that the most basic motive driving human survival is the need for power. 
E)  are the closest we can come to studying true human nature.

Question 14

How does a big man increase his status?

Accepted Answer

A)  The term big man refers to the liminal state a Kapauku youth enters before marriage; he accumulates wealth as a way of funding the wedding and paying the bride price. 
B)  Big men are typically war leaders, and as such must have a standing supply of "grievance gifts" to compensate the families of warriors who die under their command. 
C)  The primary means of becoming a big man is the wearing of a tonowi shell necklace, which is imported from the coast and is therefore quite expensive by Kapauku standards. 
D)  Big men are village heads who are trying to turn their achieved status into something more permanent; the standard way of doing this is through conspicuous symbolic displays of wealth. 
E)  Big men do not keep the wealth they accumulate; instead, they redistribute it to create and maintain alliances with political supporters. 
A)  The term big man refers to the liminal state a Kapauku youth enters before marriage; he accumulates wealth as a way of funding the wedding and paying the bride price. 
B)  Big men are typically war leaders, and as such must have a standing supply of "grievance gifts" to compensate the families of warriors who die under their command. 
C)  The primary means of becoming a big man is the wearing of a tonowi shell necklace, which is imported from the coast and is therefore quite expensive by Kapauku standards. 
D)  Big men are village heads who are trying to turn their achieved status into something more permanent; the standard way of doing this is through conspicuous symbolic displays of wealth. 
E)  Big men do not keep the wealth they accumulate; instead, they redistribute it to create and maintain alliances with political supporters.

Question 15

A comparison between the Basseri and Qashqai, two Iranian nomadic tribes, illustrates how as regulatory problems increase,

Accepted Answer

A)  political hierarchies become more complex. 
B)  rules regarding crime and punishment become more severe. 
C)  pastoralists are less likely to interact with other populations in the same space and time. 
D)  silence becomes the best strategy for avoiding conflict. 
E)  age sets begin to disintegrate. 
A)  political hierarchies become more complex. 
B)  rules regarding crime and punishment become more severe. 
C)  pastoralists are less likely to interact with other populations in the same space and time. 
D)  silence becomes the best strategy for avoiding conflict. 
E)  age sets begin to disintegrate.

Question 16

A big man's position depends on all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  creation of wealth superior to that of others. 
B)  personal charisma. 
C)  generosity. 
D)  hard work. 
E)  inherited inequality. 
A)  creation of wealth superior to that of others. 
B)  personal charisma. 
C)  generosity. 
D)  hard work. 
E)  inherited inequality.

Question 17

According to Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault,

Accepted Answer

A)  overt violence is critical in order for a state to succeed in dominating its population. 
B)  anatomically modern humans have a long way to go in the process of evolution, since they are so easily tricked into believing that forms of state control are both natural and good. 
C)  if state institutions such as prisons and schools are able to control people's bodies, their minds will follow. 
D)  it is easier and more effective to dominate people in their minds than to try to control their bodies. 
E)  anthropologists have no business studying the process of how the dominant ideology becomes internalized, since this is the job of psychologists and political scientists. 
A)  overt violence is critical in order for a state to succeed in dominating its population. 
B)  anatomically modern humans have a long way to go in the process of evolution, since they are so easily tricked into believing that forms of state control are both natural and good. 
C)  if state institutions such as prisons and schools are able to control people's bodies, their minds will follow. 
D)  it is easier and more effective to dominate people in their minds than to try to control their bodies. 
E)  anthropologists have no business studying the process of how the dominant ideology becomes internalized, since this is the job of psychologists and political scientists.

Question 18

As an example of how virtually no one is immune from larger political and economic forces, the Yanomami tribal society of Brazil has suffered recent changes as a result of

Accepted Answer

A)  encroachment by gold miners and ranchers. 
B)  village raiding among tribal groups. 
C)  the involvement of NGOs in their internal political affairs. 
D)  being overrun by the more expansion-minded Nilotic peoples. 
E)  modern-minded big men amassing so much wealth that people have begun to regard them as chiefs. 
A)  encroachment by gold miners and ranchers. 
B)  village raiding among tribal groups. 
C)  the involvement of NGOs in their internal political affairs. 
D)  being overrun by the more expansion-minded Nilotic peoples. 
E)  modern-minded big men amassing so much wealth that people have begun to regard them as chiefs.

Question 19

Which of the following was NOT used by traditional Inuit to handle disputes?

Accepted Answer

A)  song contests 
B)  blood feuds 
C)  killing of the offender 
D)  courts of law 
E)  kin ties 
A)  song contests 
B)  blood feuds 
C)  killing of the offender 
D)  courts of law 
E)  kin ties

Question 20

Which of the following is/are NOT typical of state-level societies?

Accepted Answer

A)  a purely foraging-based subsistence strategy 
B)  a specialized decision-making system 
C)  class stratification 
D)  intensive, managed agriculture 
E)  boundary maintenance systems 
A)  a purely foraging-based subsistence strategy 
B)  a specialized decision-making system 
C)  class stratification 
D)  intensive, managed agriculture 
E)  boundary maintenance systems

Why is it important to remember that the chiefdom and the state, like many categories used by social scientists, are ideal types?

Which of the following statements about political leaders in foraging bands is true?

Status in chiefdoms and states is based primarily on differential access to resources.

In the Igbo women's war, women used song, dance, noise, and "in-your-face" behavior to attempt to subvert formal authority, but women did not gain any greater influence.

The Yanomami of Venezuela and Brazil have descent groups, which span more than one village and are

The presence and acceptance of which of the following is one of the key distinguishing features of a state?

In which of the following forms of political organization is it most likely that the most important leaders will acquire their positions based on personal background or ability, rather than heredity?

Most band and tribal societies in the world today are completely cut off from the rest of the world.

With the rise of states, kinship's role in society continued to grow and dominate daily activities.

Noting that chiefdoms created the megalithic cultures of Europe, such as the one that built Stonehenge, Kottak reminds us that

In the context of tribal societies, what is a "big man"?

Pantribal sodalities function to integrate the community by providing a series of important nonkin relationships.

Modern foragers are not Stone Age relics, living fossils, lost tribes, or noble savages. Still, to the extent that foraging has been the basis of their subsistence, contemporary and recent hunter-gatherers

How does a big man increase his status?

A comparison between the Basseri and Qashqai, two Iranian nomadic tribes, illustrates how as regulatory problems increase,

A big man's position depends on all of the following EXCEPT

According to Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault,

As an example of how virtually no one is immune from larger political and economic forces, the Yanomami tribal society of Brazil has suffered recent changes as a result of

Which of the following was NOT used by traditional Inuit to handle disputes?

Which of the following is/are NOT typical of state-level societies?

What Is Anthropology

Culture

Doing Anthropology

Evolution, Genetics, and Human Variation

The Primates

Early Hominins

The Genus Homo

The First Farmers

The First Cities and States

Language and Communication

Making a Living

Families, Kinship, and Marriage

Gender

Religion

Ethnicity and Race

Applying Anthropology

The World System, Colonialism, and Inequality

Anthropologys Role in a Globalizing World

Filters

Exam 12: Political Systems

Why is it important to remember that the chiefdom and the state, like many categories used by social scientists, are ideal types?

Which of the following statements about political leaders in foraging bands is true?

Status in chiefdoms and states is based primarily on differential access to resources.

In the Igbo women's war, women used song, dance, noise, and "in-your-face" behavior to attempt to subvert formal authority, but women did not gain any greater influence.

The Yanomami of Venezuela and Brazil have descent groups, which span more than one village and are

The presence and acceptance of which of the following is one of the key distinguishing features of a state?

In which of the following forms of political organization is it most likely that the most important leaders will acquire their positions based on personal background or ability, rather than heredity?

Most band and tribal societies in the world today are completely cut off from the rest of the world.

With the rise of states, kinship's role in society continued to grow and dominate daily activities.

Noting that chiefdoms created the megalithic cultures of Europe, such as the one that built Stonehenge, Kottak reminds us that

In the context of tribal societies, what is a "big man"?

Pantribal sodalities function to integrate the community by providing a series of important nonkin relationships.

Modern foragers are not Stone Age relics, living fossils, lost tribes, or noble savages. Still, to the extent that foraging has been the basis of their subsistence, contemporary and recent hunter-gatherers

How does a big man increase his status?

A comparison between the Basseri and Qashqai, two Iranian nomadic tribes, illustrates how as regulatory problems increase,

A big man's position depends on all of the following EXCEPT

According to Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault,

As an example of how virtually no one is immune from larger political and economic forces, the Yanomami tribal society of Brazil has suffered recent changes as a result of

Which of the following was NOT used by traditional Inuit to handle disputes?

Which of the following is/are NOT typical of state-level societies?

What Is Anthropology

Culture

Doing Anthropology

Evolution, Genetics, and Human Variation

The Primates

Early Hominins

The Genus Homo

The First Farmers

The First Cities and States

Language and Communication

Making a Living

Families, Kinship, and Marriage

Gender

Religion

Ethnicity and Race

Applying Anthropology

The World System, Colonialism, and Inequality

Anthropologys Role in a Globalizing World

Filters