Anthropology 2009-2010: Unit Three Objectives/Terms
Chapter 2 “The Concept of Culture”, Chapter 9 “Marriage & the Family”, and Chapter 10 “Kinship and Descent”
Chapter 2 Objectives (pp. 86-107):
1. Explain the 3 components of culture.
2. Describe an important symbol in your life. Why is it important to you?
3. Why should race not be used as a synonym for culture?
4. Describe a subcultural group that you belong to. (Consider a possible subcultural group you are a part of at
DeLaSalle.)
5. Give an example of a behavior that is learned, but some people, unfamiliar with anthropology, might believe
is biological.
6. Applied Perspective, Anthropology and Architecture: Do you believe that the same procedures could be
used to design classrooms at schools that have large groups of students from a certain cultural
background? Why or why not?
7. What is cultural diffusion? How does it impact society? Give one example of cultural diffusion in your life,
either when you caused it or when you received it.
8. List the cultural universals in italicized print on page 99. Look at Table 2.1 and identify one of your own that
is not listed.
9. How is culture a much quicker and more efficient means of adaptation than a purely biological approach?
10. Cross-Cultural Miscue: What cultural group would you be most similar to when it comes to the distance
between you and a person you are speaking to?
11. What is meant by a small-scale society? What term is it replacing and why?
Chapter 2 Terms:
1. Culture (p.88)
2. Subculture
3. Enculturation
4. Cultural Universals
5. Cross-cultural Coaching
Chapter 9 Objectives (pp.182-209):
1. Explain the Nayar concept of marriage.
2. What are the three functions that marriage provides for families?
3. Explain de facto endogamy in the United States.
4. Why would a culture practice arranged marriage? What types of societies where you most likely find this
type of marriage?
5. How would you explain the large increase in the use of “matchmaking” websites in the United States in the
past 5 years?
6. What parts of the world prefer polygyny? Describe 3 advantages for this type of marriage. What could be 1
major disadvantage, as written on the top of the 2nd column on page 196?
7. How could polyandry help prevent land shortages in a region?
8. Which one of the four reasons given for the increase in the divorce rate in the U.S. do you believe to be the
number one factor today and why? (pp. 202-203)
9. Which residence pattern would you be willing to accept in the future, if you had to and why?
10. Explain the difference between a nuclear and extended family.
Chapter 9 Terms:
1. Family
2. Marriage
3. Incest Taboo
4. Exogamy
5. Endogamy
6. Levirate
7. Sororate
8. Monogamy
9. Polygyny
10. Polyandry
11. Bridewealth
12. Dowry
Chapter 10 Objectives (pp.210-235):
1. Explain the different types of Fictive Kinship.
2. Cross-Cultural Miscue page 217: What are your thoughts/reactions to this situation?
3. Cross-Cultural Miscue page 230: What are your thoughts/reactions to this situation?
Chapter 10 Terms:
1. Kinship
2. Consanguineal Relatives
3. Affinal Relatives