Cultural Anthropology
Midterm Study Guide
Review the following anthropological concepts. Look to your quizzes as aides, and make sure you can apply the vocabulary words in
context and to the Annual Editions readings.
These people are important!
-What (who) Anthropologists study
-The 4 traditional fields of Anthropology
-Paleontolgist
-Primatologist
-Glottochronologist
-The barrel model of culture
-The many facets of Culture
-Signal vs. Symbol
-What the general vocabulary of a culture can tell us about that culture
-The three types of gendered division of labor
-Differences between child rearing in the U.S. vs. traditional food foraging societies
-Native American views on the third gender
-Ethnography vs. Ethnology
-The holistic perspective
-Hypothesis vs. Theory vs. Doctrine
-Globalization
-Nationalism
-Ethnohistory
-Applied Anthropology
-Multi-site Anthroplogy
-Urgent Anthropology
-Advocacy Anthropology
-Pluralistic Society
-Subculture
-Cultural Relativism
-Participant Observation
-Ethnocentrism
-Gender vs. Biological Sex
-Key Consultant
-Qualitative vs. Quantitative data
-Human Relations Area Files
-Species
-Phonology vs. morphology
-Kinesics vs. proxemics
-linguistic nationalism
-ethnolinguistics
-code switching
-Egyptian hieroglyphs – when they first arose
-Enculturation
-Adaptation
-Factors responsible for the formation of personality
-Modal personality and core values
-Intersexual vs. transgender
-Ecosystem
-Horticulture vs. Agriculture vs. Pastoralism vs. Industrialism vs. Food Foraging
-Generalized reciprocity vs. balanced reciprocity vs. negative reciprocity
-Leveling mechanism vs. conspicuous consumption vs. Potlach
Know the various ethnic psychoses
on your handout!
The Zhutwasi/San Bushmen
The Trobriand Islanders
Bronislaw Malinowski
Herodotus
Annual Editions prep:
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Check out the Critical Thinking questions from the end of each article, some of these will be picked out
and asked of you on the Midterm.
Review these particular articles…
Queer Customs
Ethnographic Empathy and the Social Context of Rights
Eating Christmas in the Kalahari
Tricking and Tripping
The Untold Story of the Amputees
How Language Shapes Thought
Famous Names: The World of Business
Shakespeare in the Bush
The Inuit Paradox
Ties That Bind
Who Needs Love!
Being Indigenous in the 21st century
Where Fat is a Mark of Beauty
Rising Number of Dowry Deaths in India
Body Ritual among the Nacirema
Make sure you can critically apply vocabulary words to the Annual Editions stories, and the other way around.
For example, you will need to know:
Queer Customs
What is Culture? Why are the basic categories of all cultures so similar? To what extent are there
variations on the basic themes? What is the difference between “culture” and “society”
Ethnographic Empathy and the Social Context of Rights
Why does the author describe Enkop as having little agricultural potential and little infrastructure? How
is it that Esther’s father did not fit the commonly viewed stereotype of the traditional conservative
pastoral father and, yet, decided to marry off Esther at the age of 14? Why is pastoralism becoming
increasingly difficult for the region of Enkop? How is it that marriage and the social networks are of
continuing importance in this context?
Eating Christmas in the Kalahari
Why did Lee wish to slaughter an ox for the Bushmen? What was it about the Bushmen ways of life
and Lee’s role as an anthropologist that led to their reactions to his generosity?
Etc…