Exam 7: Analyzing Sociocultural Systems

__________ remains a contested aspect of ethnographic research.

Ethnological research is used to investigate cross-cultural patterns and human universals.

Describe the differences between chiefdoms and states. Elaborate on how anthropologists use these terms to refer to particular political and economic patterns. Support your answer with specific examples.

People in band societies are joined together primarily through kinship affiliations.

__________ is a common characteristic of contemporary hunter-gatherer societies.

Explain how anthropologists use multivariate or multidimensional approaches in their research. Why is this important? How does this approach illustrate the intersection of the ways anthropologists collect and analyze data? Illustrate your answer with specific examples.

Intensive agriculture utilizes __________.

Some anthropologists argue that tribal groups emerged out of processes of subjugation and domination by complex state societies.

Political systems with centralized bureaucratic institutions that establish power and authority over large populations in a specific territory are known as __________.

An anthropologist accused of "reifying" a culture would be one who __________.

The European private trading companies that emerged prior to and during the Industrial Revolution formed part of an economic system known as __________.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using sociocultural evolutionary models and categories? How do contemporary sociocultural evolutionary models differ from those of the nineteenth century? Why do anthropologists continue to use categories such as bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states?

The major difference between state and prestate societies is __________.

Which of the following statements about a chiefdom is true?

Political leaders in band societies control economic resources and exercise far-reaching political power.

What was the Industrial Revolution? What circumstances led to its occurrence? Describe the effects it has had on today's world, particularly with respect to cultural interaction and change.

According to Jared Diamond, what circumstances contributed to the development of complex societies on the Eurasian continent?

Is there any difference between a newspaper reporter and an anthropologist reporting on his or her findings in another culture? Discuss the particular research methods anthropologists use as well as the ethical issues they consider.

Why is the term "tribe" problematic? What is the origin of the word and how has it been applied to describe people within and outside of anthropology? Write a well-supported argument for or against its continued use within anthropological circles today.

Which of the following is an example of archival data?