Question 1

Understanding kinship systems is an important part of anthropology because

Accepted Answer

A)  it provides an objective, universal perspective on how people are related to one another. 
B)  kinship ties are important to the people anthropologists study; they are a key component of people's everyday social relations. 
C)  their study is part of the anthropological tradition established by the field's pioneers. 
D)  kinship ties are what triggered the split between the hominin line and the rest of the primates and is thus the defining aspect of our humanity. 
E)  it is the only aspect of anthropological study that the general public cares about. 
A)  it provides an objective, universal perspective on how people are related to one another. 
B)  kinship ties are important to the people anthropologists study; they are a key component of people's everyday social relations. 
C)  their study is part of the anthropological tradition established by the field's pioneers. 
D)  kinship ties are what triggered the split between the hominin line and the rest of the primates and is thus the defining aspect of our humanity. 
E)  it is the only aspect of anthropological study that the general public cares about. B

Question 2

In Arembepe, Brazil, a degree of community solidarity was promoted, for example, by the myth that everyone was kin. However, social solidarity was actually much less developed in Arembepe than in societies with clans and lineages. Why?

Accepted Answer

A)  Intense social solidarity requires not a myth but a biologically grounded genealogy that shows people's actual relatedness. 
B)  Arembepeiros who became successful were bound by social obligation to share their wealth. This powerful leveling mechanism worked against social solidarity. 
C)  In societies with clans and lineages, social solidarity is much more developed, because they have more elaborate kinship rituals than Arembepeiros do. 
D)  Intense social solidarity is possible only in societies having homogeneous ancestry. In Arembepe, high ethnic diversity weakens kinship ties. 
E)  Intense social solidarity demands that some people be excluded. By asserting they were all related-that is, by excluding no one-Arembepeiros were actually weakening kinship's potential strength in creating and maintaining group solidarity. 
A)  Intense social solidarity requires not a myth but a biologically grounded genealogy that shows people's actual relatedness. 
B)  Arembepeiros who became successful were bound by social obligation to share their wealth. This powerful leveling mechanism worked against social solidarity. 
C)  In societies with clans and lineages, social solidarity is much more developed, because they have more elaborate kinship rituals than Arembepeiros do. 
D)  Intense social solidarity is possible only in societies having homogeneous ancestry. In Arembepe, high ethnic diversity weakens kinship ties. 
E)  Intense social solidarity demands that some people be excluded. By asserting they were all related-that is, by excluding no one-Arembepeiros were actually weakening kinship's potential strength in creating and maintaining group solidarity. E

Question 3

Anthropologists are interested in kinship calculation, which is

Accepted Answer

A)  the position from which one views an egocentric genealogy. 
B)  the rules people use to determine their ethnic affiliation to a group. 
C)  the process by which people choose their postmarital residence. 
D)  the system by which people in a society reckon their kin relationships. 
E)  people's emic perspective on family values. 
A)  the position from which one views an egocentric genealogy. 
B)  the rules people use to determine their ethnic affiliation to a group. 
C)  the process by which people choose their postmarital residence. 
D)  the system by which people in a society reckon their kin relationships. 
E)  people's emic perspective on family values. D

Question 4

In North America, the relatively high incidence of expanded family households in the lower class is

Accepted Answer

A)  the reason why the families of lower-class urbanites are dysfunctional. 
B)  an important strategy the urban poor use to adapt to poverty. 
C)  maladaptive, since poor families should be smaller in order to cut down on expenses. 
D)  caused by bifurcate merging, a practice brought to the United States by Irish immigrants during the early part of the 20th century. 
E)  the result of enduring cultural ties to Europe. 
A)  the reason why the families of lower-class urbanites are dysfunctional. 
B)  an important strategy the urban poor use to adapt to poverty. 
C)  maladaptive, since poor families should be smaller in order to cut down on expenses. 
D)  caused by bifurcate merging, a practice brought to the United States by Irish immigrants during the early part of the 20th century. 
E)  the result of enduring cultural ties to Europe.

Question 5

Members of a clan are descended from a common apical ancestor.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

There are rights, duties, and obligations associated with kinship and descent. Many societies have both families and descent groups. Give an illustration of how obligations to one may conflict with obligations to the other. How does your example relate to your experience managing rights, duties, and obligations in your own family?

Accepted Answer

One illustration of how obligations to f

Question 7

A functional explanation attempts to correlate particular customs (in this case kinship terms) to other features of society.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Outside North America, Western Europe, and the European-derived cultures of Latin America, neolocal residence isn't all that common.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

What is the difference between kin terms and genealogical kin types? Why would an anthropologist want to make such a distinction? Can you see any problems with this distinction? In your everyday experience, do you distinguish between kin terms and genealogical kin types?

Accepted Answer

Kin terms refer to the specific words or

Question 10

Comparing notions of family between the United States and Brazil, the extended family still plays a central role for most Brazilians.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

A nuclear family includes ego, ego's parents, and ego's grandparents.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

What makes up ego's nuclear family of orientation?

Accepted Answer

A)  parents and siblings 
B)  spouse and offspring 
C)  extended family 
D)  lineal kin 
E)  collateral kin 
A)  parents and siblings 
B)  spouse and offspring 
C)  extended family 
D)  lineal kin 
E)  collateral kin

Question 13

The higher proportion of expanded family households among poorer Americans has been explained as an adaptation to poverty.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

"Anthropologists spend much of their time studying trivia like kinship." Do you agree with this statement? If so, why? If not, why not?

Accepted Answer

I do not agree with the statement that a

Question 15

In a bifurcate merging kinship system, which of the following would be called by the same term?

Accepted Answer

A)  F and MB 
B)  M and MZ 
C)  MB and FB 
D)  FZ and MZ 
E)  JR and BJ 
A)  F and MB 
B)  M and MZ 
C)  MB and FB 
D)  FZ and MZ 
E)  JR and BJ

Question 16

Kinship terminology is a classification system, a taxonomy or typology. More generally, a taxonomic system

Accepted Answer

A)  is based on how people perceive similarities and differences in the things being classified. 
B)  is accurate only when based on Western science. 
C)  is based on categories given by nature. 
D)  usually changes with every generation. 
E)  applies best to nonliving things. 
A)  is based on how people perceive similarities and differences in the things being classified. 
B)  is accurate only when based on Western science. 
C)  is based on categories given by nature. 
D)  usually changes with every generation. 
E)  applies best to nonliving things.

Question 17

A lineal kinship terminology

Accepted Answer

A)  is generally found in societies with patrilineal descent rules. 
B)  uses two terms to identify ego's parents' siblings: one term for both FZ and MZ and another term for both FB and MB. 
C)  is often found in association with the distinction between parallel and cross-cousins. 
D)  stresses relationships with collaterals. 
E)  uses the same term to refer to M and MZ. 
A)  is generally found in societies with patrilineal descent rules. 
B)  uses two terms to identify ego's parents' siblings: one term for both FZ and MZ and another term for both FB and MB. 
C)  is often found in association with the distinction between parallel and cross-cousins. 
D)  stresses relationships with collaterals. 
E)  uses the same term to refer to M and MZ.

Question 18

In some systems of kinship terminology, lineal and collateral relatives are grouped together under the same kinship terms, and in others they are not. In terms of the sociocultural setting in which these terminologies exist, discuss reasons for the differences.

Accepted Answer

The differences in grouping lineal and c

Question 19

In what kinds of situations would you expect to find ambilineal descent? Unilineal descent? Why?

Accepted Answer

Ambilineal descent is typically found in

Question 20

Although the nuclear family remains a cultural ideal for many Americans, nuclear families accounted for just 22.5 percent of American households in 2007. In fact, other domestic arrangements outnumber the traditional U.S. household more than four to one. All of the following are among the reasons for these trends EXCEPT that

Accepted Answer

A)  women are increasingly joining men in the workforce. 
B)  job demands compete with romantic attachments. 
C)  divorce rates have risen. 
D)  it is increasingly economically feasible for women to delay marriage and yet live away from their family of orientation. 
E)  contrary to expectations, the importance of kinship is growing in contemporary nations. 
A)  women are increasingly joining men in the workforce. 
B)  job demands compete with romantic attachments. 
C)  divorce rates have risen. 
D)  it is increasingly economically feasible for women to delay marriage and yet live away from their family of orientation. 
E)  contrary to expectations, the importance of kinship is growing in contemporary nations.

Exam 19: Families, Kinship, and Descent

Understanding kinship systems is an important part of anthropology because

In Arembepe, Brazil, a degree of community solidarity was promoted, for example, by the myth that everyone was kin. However, social solidarity was actually much less developed in Arembepe than in societies with clans and lineages. Why?

Anthropologists are interested in kinship calculation, which is

In North America, the relatively high incidence of expanded family households in the lower class is

Members of a clan are descended from a common apical ancestor.

A functional explanation attempts to correlate particular customs (in this case kinship terms) to other features of society.

Outside North America, Western Europe, and the European-derived cultures of Latin America, neolocal residence isn't all that common.

What is the difference between kin terms and genealogical kin types? Why would an anthropologist want to make such a distinction? Can you see any problems with this distinction? In your everyday experience, do you distinguish between kin terms and genealogical kin types?

Comparing notions of family between the United States and Brazil, the extended family still plays a central role for most Brazilians.

A nuclear family includes ego, ego's parents, and ego's grandparents.

What makes up ego's nuclear family of orientation?

The higher proportion of expanded family households among poorer Americans has been explained as an adaptation to poverty.

"Anthropologists spend much of their time studying trivia like kinship." Do you agree with this statement? If so, why? If not, why not?

In a bifurcate merging kinship system, which of the following would be called by the same term?

Kinship terminology is a classification system, a taxonomy or typology. More generally, a taxonomic system

A lineal kinship terminology

In some systems of kinship terminology, lineal and collateral relatives are grouped together under the same kinship terms, and in others they are not. In terms of the sociocultural setting in which these terminologies exist, discuss reasons for the differences.

In what kinds of situations would you expect to find ambilineal descent? Unilineal descent? Why?

What Is Anthropology

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Evolution and Genetics

Human Variation and Adaptation

The Primates

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Archaic Homo

The Origin and Spread of Modern Humans

The First Farmers

The First Cities and States

Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology

Language and Communication

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Political Systems

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Anthropologys Role in a Globalizing World

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