Question 1

Marvin Harris's studies (1974,1978)of how beliefs and rituals may function as part of a group's cultural adaptation to its environment are an illustration of

Accepted Answer

A)  how religion can play a prominent role in cultural ecology. 
B)  the dangers that religious effervescence can pose to the environment if it is not contained. 
C)  how nonhuman primates also have a capacity for religion, although it is very limited. 
D)  the dangers of extending the realm of religion to nature. 
E)  the fact that religion is evolutionarily adaptive. 
A)  how religion can play a prominent role in cultural ecology. 
B)  the dangers that religious effervescence can pose to the environment if it is not contained. 
C)  how nonhuman primates also have a capacity for religion, although it is very limited. 
D)  the dangers of extending the realm of religion to nature. 
E)  the fact that religion is evolutionarily adaptive.

Question 2

What term refers to the manipulation of the supernatural to accomplish specific goals?

Accepted Answer

A)  animism 
B)  magic 
C)  religion 
D)  a rite of passage 
E)  pantheism 
A)  animism 
B)  magic 
C)  religion 
D)  a rite of passage 
E)  pantheism

Question 3

By participating in a ritual,the participants signal that they accept the common social and ethical order prescribed by their religion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Animism,polytheism,and monotheism are the

Accepted Answer

A)  three kinds of religion that exist in the world today. 
B)  stages of ritual, according to Victor Turner. 
C)  stages, according to Edward Tylor, through which religion evolved. 
D)  stages through which all present-day religions have passed. 
E)  names for the three psychological needs that all individuals have, thus explaining the universality of religion. 
A)  three kinds of religion that exist in the world today. 
B)  stages of ritual, according to Victor Turner. 
C)  stages, according to Edward Tylor, through which religion evolved. 
D)  stages through which all present-day religions have passed. 
E)  names for the three psychological needs that all individuals have, thus explaining the universality of religion.

Question 5

Max Weber argued that the spread of capitalism was closely linked to the ethics and values of Catholicism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Émile Durkheim,an early scholar of religion,stressed what he termed religious effervescence.Anthropologists too have stressed

Accepted Answer

A)  that proper analysis requires separation of collective re-creation from collective religion. 
B)  the collective, shared, and enacted nature of religion, the emotions it generates, and the meanings it embodies. 
C)  the analysis of the use of behavior-altering drugs in religious experience. 
D)  the collective as well as individual universality of religion. 
E)  the qualities that make religion present in some societies but not in others. 
A)  that proper analysis requires separation of collective re-creation from collective religion. 
B)  the collective, shared, and enacted nature of religion, the emotions it generates, and the meanings it embodies. 
C)  the analysis of the use of behavior-altering drugs in religious experience. 
D)  the collective as well as individual universality of religion. 
E)  the qualities that make religion present in some societies but not in others.

Question 7

Bronislaw Malinowski found that the Trobriand Islanders used magic when sailing,a hazardous activity.He proposed that

Accepted Answer

A)  people turn to magic to instill psychological stress on their competitors, especially when the fish supply is very low. 
B)  magic actually reduced the fishing success of the Trobriand Islanders, but at least they did not feel directly responsible, since then they could blame it on bad luck. 
C)  magic was a surprisingly effective stand-in for proper fishing skills and experience, because it made people confident in their capabilities. 
D)  because people can't control matters such as wind, weather, and the fish supply, they turn to magic. 
E)  magic emboldened people to take more risks. 
A)  people turn to magic to instill psychological stress on their competitors, especially when the fish supply is very low. 
B)  magic actually reduced the fishing success of the Trobriand Islanders, but at least they did not feel directly responsible, since then they could blame it on bad luck. 
C)  magic was a surprisingly effective stand-in for proper fishing skills and experience, because it made people confident in their capabilities. 
D)  because people can't control matters such as wind, weather, and the fish supply, they turn to magic. 
E)  magic emboldened people to take more risks.

Question 8

Which of the following groups see a sharp divide between themselves and other religions,as well as between a "sacred" view of life and the "secular" world?

Accepted Answer

A)  mainline Protestants 
B)  Haredi Jews 
C)  Pentecostals 
D)  Hindus 
E)  Communitas 
A)  mainline Protestants 
B)  Haredi Jews 
C)  Pentecostals 
D)  Hindus 
E)  Communitas

Question 9

Religion and magic don't just explain things and help people accomplish goals-they also enter the realm of human feelings.In other words,

Accepted Answer

A)  they serve emotional needs as well as cognitive (i.e., explanatory) ones. 
B)  religion helps reduce differences by promoting brotherly love. 
C)  they determine the emotional well-being of all their practitioners. 
D)  they often lead to extreme psychological disruption and even mental illness. 
E)  they are psychologically and cognitively relevant, but these realms are well contained and have no effect beyond the mental well-being of the practitioner. 
A)  they serve emotional needs as well as cognitive (i.e., explanatory) ones. 
B)  religion helps reduce differences by promoting brotherly love. 
C)  they determine the emotional well-being of all their practitioners. 
D)  they often lead to extreme psychological disruption and even mental illness. 
E)  they are psychologically and cognitively relevant, but these realms are well contained and have no effect beyond the mental well-being of the practitioner.

Question 10

In Melanesia,mana is an essential sacred life force that resides in people,animals,plants,and objects.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

According to Edward Tylor,religion evolved from polytheism to animism to monotheism.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Religion can be used as a powerful means of controlling society.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Animism,belief in souls or doubles,is thought by some to be the earliest form of religion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Like ethnicity and language,religion is associated with social divisions within and between societies and nations.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

________ magic is based on the belief that whatever is done to an object will affect a person who once had contact with it.

Accepted Answer

A)  Contagious 
B)  Imitative 
C)  Serial 
D)  Sequential 
E)  Simultaneous 
A)  Contagious 
B)  Imitative 
C)  Serial 
D)  Sequential 
E)  Simultaneous

Question 16

Discuss two cases illustrating religion's role in social change.

Accepted Answer

One case illustrating religion's role in

Question 17

To Kottak,the widespread U.S.belief that recreation and religion are separate domains is both ethnocentric and false.Further,it may be taking the "fun" out of religion.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Robert Bellah (1978)coined the term world-rejecting religion to describe most forms of Christianity,including Protestantism.More generally,world-rejecting religions

Accepted Answer

A)  are shamanistic religions that reject the encroachment of capitalism and modernity. 
B)  reject the material world and focus on the body's internal biological balance. 
C)  are a recent historical phenomenon. 
D)  tend to reject the natural-the mundane, ordinary, material, secular-world and focus instead on a higher realm of reality. 
E)  focus on the effects that heavenly bodies such as the moon, sun, and Mars have on social life. 
A)  are shamanistic religions that reject the encroachment of capitalism and modernity. 
B)  reject the material world and focus on the body's internal biological balance. 
C)  are a recent historical phenomenon. 
D)  tend to reject the natural-the mundane, ordinary, material, secular-world and focus instead on a higher realm of reality. 
E)  focus on the effects that heavenly bodies such as the moon, sun, and Mars have on social life.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about religion is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is a cultural construction, therefore not a reality. 
B)  It can both create and maintain divisions within society. 
C)  It is sometimes a source of conflict. 
D)  It is, in some cases, ecologically adaptive. 
E)  It can both create and maintain social solidarity. 
A)  It is a cultural construction, therefore not a reality. 
B)  It can both create and maintain divisions within society. 
C)  It is sometimes a source of conflict. 
D)  It is, in some cases, ecologically adaptive. 
E)  It can both create and maintain social solidarity.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about religion is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The functions of religious beliefs and practices vary with the society. 
B)  Religion is often an instrument of societal change, even revolution. 
C)  Religion serves only to maintain social solidarity; it does not create or maintain societal divisions. 
D)  Political leaders never mix religion with politics. 
E)  Religious beliefs can help regulate the economy. 
A)  The functions of religious beliefs and practices vary with the society. 
B)  Religion is often an instrument of societal change, even revolution. 
C)  Religion serves only to maintain social solidarity; it does not create or maintain societal divisions. 
D)  Political leaders never mix religion with politics. 
E)  Religious beliefs can help regulate the economy.

Exam 21: Religion

Marvin Harris's studies (1974,1978)of how beliefs and rituals may function as part of a group's cultural adaptation to its environment are an illustration of

What term refers to the manipulation of the supernatural to accomplish specific goals?

By participating in a ritual,the participants signal that they accept the common social and ethical order prescribed by their religion.

Animism,polytheism,and monotheism are the

Max Weber argued that the spread of capitalism was closely linked to the ethics and values of Catholicism.

Émile Durkheim,an early scholar of religion,stressed what he termed religious effervescence.Anthropologists too have stressed

Bronislaw Malinowski found that the Trobriand Islanders used magic when sailing,a hazardous activity.He proposed that

Which of the following groups see a sharp divide between themselves and other religions,as well as between a "sacred" view of life and the "secular" world?

Religion and magic don't just explain things and help people accomplish goals-they also enter the realm of human feelings.In other words,

In Melanesia,mana is an essential sacred life force that resides in people,animals,plants,and objects.

According to Edward Tylor,religion evolved from polytheism to animism to monotheism.

Religion can be used as a powerful means of controlling society.

Animism,belief in souls or doubles,is thought by some to be the earliest form of religion.

Like ethnicity and language,religion is associated with social divisions within and between societies and nations.

________ magic is based on the belief that whatever is done to an object will affect a person who once had contact with it.

Discuss two cases illustrating religion's role in social change.

To Kottak,the widespread U.S.belief that recreation and religion are separate domains is both ethnocentric and false.Further,it may be taking the "fun" out of religion.

Robert Bellah (1978)coined the term world-rejecting religion to describe most forms of Christianity,including Protestantism.More generally,world-rejecting religions

Which of the following statements about religion is NOT true?

Which of the following statements about religion is NOT true?

What Is Anthropology

Culture

Applying Anthropology

Doing Archaeology and Biological Anthropology

Evolution and Genetics

Human Variation and Adaptation

The Primates

Early Hominins

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

Ethnicity and Race

Making a Living

Political Systems

Gender

Families, Kinship, and Descent

Marriage

Arts, Media, and Sports

The World System and Colonialism

Anthropologys Role in a Globalizing World

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