Anthropology 206: Cultural Anthropology
Study Guide for Exam 1 (100pts)
February 10, 2014
Short Answer
There will be a single short answer question on Exam 1. Below are the possible short answer questions. I will pick one of these
questions for the exam. Short answer questions are to be answered in an essay format unless otherwise noted.
1. Identify areas of research interest and/or questions that cultural anthropologists might be interested in asking on topics such
as: economics, health & wellness, or access to resources. Be able to provide an explanation for your answers. Review
Chapter 1, Worksheet #1, and ‘What is Anthropology?’ Lecture
2. Using the properties of language, discuss how human and non-human primates differ in their communication. Be as specific
as specific as possible in your discussion. Students may use an example to support their discussion.
3. Discuss the differences between qualitative and quantitative data. Provide an example of each form of data to support your
discussion.
Multiple-Choice and True & False Questions
What is Anthropology? Lecture
• Four subfields of anthropology - be able to distinguish between the subfields including a description of each subfield and
what the field studies
• Applied anthropology – be able to recognize examples of applied anthropology including medical anthropology
• Triangle of adaptation – What is this? Why is it unique to humans?
• What perspectives do anthropologists take that set them apart from other disciplines? Be able to identify these perspectives
Anthropological Theory Lecture
• Be able to identify scholar & theory (example: Boas and Historical Particularism)
• Know a summary of each theory’s main points
• Know what each scholar contributed or what beliefs they held
o Example: Morgan’s idea of technology propelling cultures through a single line of development
• Example question:
o Multiple Choice: Which of the following scholars of functionalism proposed the analogy that society is similar to
anatomical system?
Culture Lecture (Parts 1 & 2)
• Know all the terms we defined during lecture including but not limited to culture, society, symbols, worldview, cultural
knowledge, and levels of culture.
o Pay particular attention to enculturation, acculturation, and assimilation
• How is culture shared? How is culture learned?
• What is foot-binding? Know the information we discussed on this topic
• Be able to identify the cultural reasons for FGC
o Be familiar with the Senegal study discussed in class – goals, approach, & outcomes
• Human rights
o Cultural relativism – definition
o What are dowry death & bride burning?
o What country has banned women from wearing a full-face veil? How is this topic related to human rights?
Ethnicity and Race Lectures
• All the vocabulary terms discussed in these lectures
• Explaining Skin Color – be familiar with this discussion
• All examples discussed in lecture – Brazil, US, Japan, Kurdistan, Burakumin, Berlin Conference, etc
• Fish’s article on Brazil’s racial taxonomic system
• Ethnic conflict – examples of conflicts, definition of genocide
Fieldwork Lectures
• Scientific method – know the vocabulary words covered in class (science, myth, hypothesis, etc)
o Be able to recognize a description of science (testable, etc)
• Know the 4 steps to the scientific method
• How is fieldwork defined? What are the risks associated with fieldwork?
• Data collection – qualitative vs. quantitative
o Be able to recognize examples of each type of data
• Participant observation – description, advantages & obstacles
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Be able to identify the two types of interviews
o Be able to recognize a description of the two types of interviews
Renaud’s study in Senegal
o Why type of data did she gather?
o What did she conclude from the data she gathered?
Understand the medical anthropology approach
Which anthropology disciplines are blended in the medical anthropology approach? Be able to give an explanation to support
your answer
Nutrition in Malawi – know what was covered in class on this article
Language and Communication
• All definitions covered in lecture
o Example: terms associated with the structure of language
• Know why language is unique to humans
• Human Evol & Language: 1) Neanderthals 2) genetic evidence 3) fossil evidence
• Non-verbal communication
• Properties of language
• Language, Thought, and Culture
o Chomsky’s ideas
o Sapri-Whorf Hypothesis
• Focal Vocabulary
o Definition
o Know the examples discussed in class
• Juicing article – be familiar with the questions from Worksheet #2
• Communication among Non-human primates
Subsistence (Exam 1 will focus on Foraging and Horticulture)
• Responsible for the knowing the details discussed on foraging and horticulture
o Cultural groups discussed
o Article on the Inuit
• Know the names of the 5 means of making a living