Exam 2: Culture

In his research conducted in the Trobriand Islands, Bronislaw Malinowski (1884-1942) employed an early form of what type of anthropological theory?

What approach might you employ if you want to study the specific role that religion plays in maintaining societal well-being in a particular group of people?

Humans learn culture from the people and cultural institutions that surround them. When does this learning occur?

Which of the primary effects of globalization would you focus on if you were interested in how communities in Mexico were influenced by workers in New York City?

Define human agency and how it relates to culture and power. Provide examples of how individuals engage in human agency. Next, discuss how human agency may be used to challenge various aspects of culture and power, providing a minimum of two examples for each. What are some of the implications of this relationship between agency and culture/power?

Mental maps of reality constitute one of the four elements that anthropologists often consider when conducting cross-cultural research. Define mental maps of reality and discuss the two important functions that mental maps of reality play regarding culture. Provide a concrete example for each of the two functions. Conclude by discussing why anthropologists should consider a group of people's mental maps of reality when trying to understand their culture.

Which student of Franz Boas explored the unique patterns and integration of cultural traits and entire cultures?

Ten-year-old Davi is getting dressed to go to a wedding at a synagogue. When his parents see that he's wearing jeans and a t-shirt, they tell him that he needs to wear a suit instead. What are Davi's parents teaching him?

How do scientists describe the independent microorganisms (comprised of about 90% of our 100 trillion cells) in the human body?

Which anthropologist advocated most explicitly for thick description?

In her book Liquidated: An Ethnography of Wall Street, Karen Ho combines a detailed description of cultural activity with an analysis of the layers of deep cultural meaning in which those activities are embedded. Her research is an example of ________.

Margaret Mead's fieldwork in Samoa was controversial in part because she examined sexual freedom, and considered sexual behavior to be a matter of ________.

Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) described hegemony as one of two primary aspects of power. Define hegemony and provide at least two concrete examples of how it serves as a form of power. What is the second aspect of power that Gramsci described and how does it differ from hegemony? Which of the two aspects of power do you believe is likely to be more effective and why?

Franz Boas (1858-1942) rejected unilineal cultural evolution, instead suggesting that different cultures arise as the result of very different causes, and will vary widely. What do we call his approach?

Define and distinguish between the approaches of historical particularism and structural functionalism in early anthropology. Who developed each of these approaches, and what do these approaches examine when working to learn about other cultures? How did these two approaches differ from the preceding approach of unilineal cultural evolution?

Which of the following processes is intensifying the exchange and diffusion of people, ideas, and goods worldwide, creating more interaction and engagement among cultures?

Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) described two aspects of power. One was material power. What characterized the other aspect described by Gramsci?

The advertising industry is key in igniting human desires for goods and services, which fuels the culture of consumerism. How does the power of advertising compare to the power of hegemony in influencing what people consider to be the "norm" in their cultural experiences? Are there any interconnections between the culture of consumerism and political organization in society today? Is there any evidence that suggests advertising is also used as a tool in politics to support and to institute hegemonic ideologies of certain groups who hold power within societies? Please provide concrete examples with each of your answers.

What is one field you may explore if you want to study the complex relationship between culture and biology?

Anthropologists attempting to understand humans and their interactions engage with what concept as both a definition and theoretical framework?