IL 52 – Student Generated Final Exam Questions
What is the difference between Tylor and Ibn Khaldun’s theories about civilization?
According to Graeber, discuss modes of production in terms of social production?
Discuss Bernard’s theories of humanism, positivism, rationalism and empiricism.
How can you study human beings using the scientific method when their culture defines
their reasoning?
5. What did Adam Smith mean by “the invisible hand?”
6. How did Adam Smith describe the different stages of society?
7. What is the difference between gifts and trade?
8. How does society define ambition? Is it human nature or some humans’ nature?
9. How does solidarity for Durkheim change when capitalism takes place?
10. What does Durkheim mean by his analogy between the natural sciences and the social
sciences?
11. Compare and contrast the role of social theory from the viewpoint of different social
theorists we have studies.
12. In terms of power, how do you hold society together according to Max Weber?
13. Discuss Weber’s different stages of capitalism.
14. How does base determine superstructure according to Karl Marx?
15. How do people become alienated from their means of production? How does this affect
society?
16. How are Mielants’ ideas shaped by Wolf’s world system theory?
17. How does the German idea of “kultur” compare to the French idea of “civilization?”
18. How is Geertz influenced by Weber?
19. How do Graeber’s ideas reflect conflict within society?
20. How does Scott’s book demonstrate the importance of interpretive sociology?
21. How is the Green Revolution seen in Balinese culture?
22. How does the presence of passenger women challenge traditional Huli culture?
23. Judging by Kenny’s evaluation what effect does poverty have on social relations?
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Week 1
Compare and contrast the ways in which societal advancement is viewed by Tylor and Ibn
Khaldun.
Compare and contrast the ways in which societal advancement is viewed by Tylor and Franz
Boas.
Week 2
What is phenomenology?
In regard to Ibn Khaldun, what is the relationship between ‘asabiya and the specialization of
labor?
Week 3
Why are lesser developed shepherd societies more formidable militarily than more highly
developed societies with established settlements?
Why doesn’t the Kula ring ritual fit into Adam Smith’s idea of trade as the core of human
nature?
Why don’t the Ju/hoansi fit into Adam Smith’s idea of human’s innate self-interest?
Week 4
Explain the difference between mechanical and organic solidarity, and the collective conscience
of each.
How is organic solidarity like Smith’s invisible hand?
Week 5
Explain the three types of authority in bureaucracies. Which does Weber consider the best form
and why?
According to Weber, who has a monopoly on violence and why?
What is the difference between regular bureaucracies and an ‘iron cage’?
Week 6
What is the core of social life in Marx’s idea of society and why?
In the same sense as Tylor, Marx believes in a linear type of society. What is each progressive
step in the lineal hierarchy of Marx’s model of society?
What do Marx, Weber, and Durkheim all see as the problem of society?
Week 7
What does Wolf say about treating people as though they have no history?
Why does Mielants believe that the idea of the inevitability of rise of the West is flawed?
Week 8
According to Geertz, why is thick description and the actor’s point of view important?
According to Sahlins, how or why are traditions invented?
Week 9
What is Micaela di Leonardo’s idea that counteracts the man-the-hunter thesis?
Explain Graeber’s idea of interpretive labor.
How does capitalism separate productive of goods from production of people?
1. What is Tylor's idea of cultural evolution?
2. How did Franz Boas revolutionize the study of anthropology? 3. What is the difference
between "asabiya" and "umran" and how do they relate?
4. Describe Adam Smith's theory of the Invincible Hand. Use it on a real life example
5. How did civilization gain an upper hand on nomads with the specialization of labor?
6. What is the purpose of the Kula ring?
7. What's the difference between trade and gift according to Smith? 8. What are the differences
between mechanical and organic solidarity?
What type of solidarity can be found in the US today?
9. What is the role of state according to Durkheim?
10. What type of solidarity is based on the division of labor according to Durkheim?
11. What is enomie and how does Durkheim compare it to the anatomy of the body?
12. What is interpretative sociology and how does it relate to anthropology?
13. What is the Protestant Ethic? How does it relate to capitalism?
14. Describe Weber's definition of states and it's role with violence?
15. Compare Weber and Durkheim and their views on conflict.
16. How does Marx criticize the idea of family as a unit?
17. What does Marx respect and oppose of capitalism?
18. What is an epoch change?
19. What is Marx's idea of alienation? How does it relate to people being alienated from their
products?
20. How does Wolf relate to Marx and his ideals of class conflict?
21. How does Mielants relate to Adam Smith and the rise of capitalism?
22. What would mode of production look like if we conceptualized modes of production of how
to produce people?
23. What is the difference between French ideology and German ideology?
24. How does Geertz relate to Weber on the importance of interpretation?
25. How does Wolf critique Sahlins?
26. What is the idea of structural violence according to Graeber?
27. If there is no ideal realm for Graeber, what can be included in the acts of production
according to Graeber?
28. How would Durkheim view the society in Weapons of the Weak?
29. Would the Green Revolution be an epoch change in the society of Weapons of the Weak?
30. What is the purpose of pigs in New Guinea? How does it relate to Graeber's idea of
producing people?
31. What's negative agency and it's role in society?
32. Relate the subak system found in the Balinese to Durkheim's conscious collective?
33. The Green Revolution and it's effect on the Balinese?
34. What is the contradiction of the idea of racism in Brazil? 35. Why does Kenny call the little
children in Brazil "little entrepreneurs"?
1. What are Tylor and Rousseau's different views of "civilization?"
2. What is phenomenology and which theorists focus on this concept?
3. Compare and contrast Ibn Khaldun's idea of the evolution of society
w/ that of Adam Smith.
4. Discuss humanism vs. positivism.
5. Describe the concept of Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand."
6. Compare Durkheim's concepts of mechanical and organic solidarity.
7. Discuss how Durkheim relates the concepts of space and time to society.
8. What is Durkheim's main social concern and how does he believed this issue is addressed?
9. Describe Weber's concept of interpretive sociology and how Geertz expands on this.
10. Discuss the idea of the protestant ethic.
11. Define Marx's concept of epochal change and its role in history.
12. Discuss the role of production in Marx's theory, and the result of a capitalist system.
13. Discuss Wolf's criticism of anthropologists.
14. Compare Sahlin's and Eagleton's ideas of culture.
15. What is Graeber's biggest criticism of Marxian theory?
16. What is Di Leonardo's response to the "man the hunter" concept?
17. In Weapons of the Weak, how does Scott challenge Marxian theory?
18. Discuss the pros and cons of the Green Revolution in Bali.
19. Discuss the idea of negative agency in Wayward Women.
20. Who are the hidden heads of households and why are they referred to as this?
1. According to Bernard, what is the connection between social context and social theory?
2. Compare and contrast Ibn Khaldun and Tylor’s views on human nature/
3. Describe Adam Smith’s “invisible hand”
4. What are the similarities between umeran and asabiya?
5. Discuss Durkheim’s thoughts on space/time, society and religion
6. Compare the role of the state for each of the different social theorists
7. How is organic solidarity like Adam Smith’s invisible hand?
8. What is the difference between sociology and psychology according to Durkheim?
9. Compare and contrast mechanical and organic solidarity.
10. Compare Tylor and Durkheim’s views on societies.
11. Compare Smith and Durkheim’s division of labor.
12. How is Weber opposed to Durkheim?
13. How does Weber agree with Marx? How does he disagree?
14. Describe Weber’s views on class, status and parties.
15. Compare/contrast the theories on the division of labor on Smith, Weber, Durkheim and
Marx.
16. According to Marx, what is that relationship between those with property and those
without it?
17. Discuss the different spheres of influence according to Weber.
18. How does a society become a communist society?
19. What are Marx’s views on production and reproduction?
20. What are the differences between German and French views on culture?
21. Discuss the theories of culture in regards to Giertz, Sahlin and Eagleton.
22. Discuss Greber’s connection between structural violence and bureaucratic authority.
23. Compare the Green Revolution to Ibn Khaldun.
24. Compare the Green Revolution to the Agricultural Revolution.
25. Discuss the positive and negatives of the Green Revolution.
26. Discuss the relationship between structure and agency.
27. Describe why the Green Revolution proved to be negative in Bali.
28. How are households important to societies in Brazil?
Week 1:
What are the differences between rationalism, empiricism, and Kant?
What is Lastrucci’s definition of science?
Week 2:
What is ‘asabiya?
What is the difference of Europeans view of civilization compared to that of nonEuropean societies?
Week 3:
From an economic standpoint, is a standing army good or bad?
What did Malinowski's Kula Ring represent?
Week 4:
Does Durkheim agree with Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest that the strong should
survive and the weak should be left to die?
What are the two types of solidarity?
Week 5:
What is Weber's argument in his definition of states and how does it fit with his concept
of the Iron Cage?
Describe Weber's understanding of how modern capitalism evolved, particularly through
the Protestant Ethic.
Week 6:
Describe how Marx theories stem from a materialist position. (You are, therefore you think).
Describe the role of class interests and how differences in such interests between the
business class and working class function in capitalism.
Week 7:
According to Wolf, what has happened to the political economy model? What ideas does he
offer to fix this?
What ideas does Mielants have pertaining to the idea that the West is a superior cultural model to
which the world should follow?
Week 8:
In what ways does Alfred Geertz critique Tylor's idea of the "complex whole?"
According to Marshall Sahlins, what must one pay close attention to when it comes to studying
traditions?
Week 9:
What is Micaela di Leonardo’s “The Man the Hunter” debate? Why is this derogative to
women?
Week 10:
What is the Green Revolution? What disadvantages did it bring to local farmers?
Weapons of the Weak:
What effect did mono-cropping (the Green Revolution) have on Malaysian agriculture?
Wayward Women:
How is the reproductive power in Huli society commodified and how does this relate to
why Passenger women are so negatively perceived?
How is the nature of social solidarity different in Papua New Guinea than the United States?
The Balinese:
Through what means did the Green Revolution penetrate into Bali?
What major effects did the Green Revolution have on Balinese society?
Hidden Heads of Households:
What did the children in Hidden Heads of Households see as the most appropriate form
of government intervention?