Exam 13: Religion

On what basis do people often make sense of the world, reach decisions, and organize their lives?

In many cultures, the first menstruation in women is seen as a powerful marker of womanhood and is frequently marked by ritual. In some cases, the young woman is separated from the larger social cohort and left in a state of isolation that may provide a time for reflection. According to anthropologist Victor Turner, what is this stage in the ritual process called?

In 1931, anthropologist Audrey Richards documented the chisungu ritual, performed in Zambia. What is this women-only ritual that centers on menstruation and marriage an example of in anthropology?

The text describes the Muslim saint shrine of Husain Tekri and the rituals that pilgrims to this shrine participate in to venerate this long-deceased Muslim martyr. What is one of the characteristics of this particular example that demonstrates the local adaptation and flexibility of religious practice?

Anthropologist Clifford Geertz suggests that religion is essentially a system of ideas. What was this system of ideas surrounded by?

Which of the following is considered a type of magic that involves performances that imitate the desired result?

What has the Catholic Church in the Chiapas region of southern Mexico been accused of promoting?

The Grateful Dead toured the country until the death of Jerry Garcia, the band's founder. They attracted a huge and devoted fan base, many of whom traveled long distances to see the band perform and partake of the hallucinogens commonly found at the concerts. What kind of religious practice might an anthropologist call such activity?

Which of the following is a person who sacrifices his or her life for the sake of his or her religion?

Whether studying a small temple in a remote village or the most famous Catholic cathedral in Rome, anthropologists try to convey each religion's sense of moral order, dynamic public expressions, and:

The author describes his own work in Chinatown and the appearance of a temple used by the Chinese religious communities there. People were observed praying at the altar and conducting themselves in a manner consistent with a religious site. What other function does the temple serve that is not religious?

Seo-yun is a mudang in South Korea. In her community, she acts as an intermediary between spirits or gods and the human world through rituals, songs, and ancestor worship. Which term best describes Seo-yun?

The phenomenal sales of epic works of fiction such as Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien center on magic as a real force in society. In Tolkien's work, the object of interest is a ring that gives the wearer great power. What kind of magic is Tolkien using in his fiction in regard to this particular object?

Which of the factors listed is helping to rejuvenate Catholicism in the United States?

The upheaval brought about by the Industrial Revolution led to profound changes in the nature of production and labor as well as the displacement of people as they sought out ways to make a living in the face of these changes. When French sociologist Emile Durkheim observed all of this, what did he call it?

Anthropologists are primarily interested in what aspect of religion?

In his work with the Azande people, E. E. Evans-Pritchard found that which of the following individuals are formally taught the knowledge of rituals and medicines and use that knowledge to thwart the work of a witch?

French sociologist Emile Durkheim argued that religion, particularly religious ritual, serves a crucial role in combating one's sense of anomie and in addressing larger social dynamics of alienation and dislocation. How did Durkheim define anomie, and what is a specific example of it in the world today? How does religious ritual help combat anomie? How does religious ritual address larger social dynamics of alienation and dislocation? How did these notions argued by Durkheim influence the anthropological approach to the study of religion?

What is a central argument that anthropologist Talal Asad presents about religion?

Anthropologists typically examine which of the following in order to understand religion's meaning and significance in the life of a community of people?