Anthro 3ac Midterm 1 (UC Berkeley) UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Boas against evolutionism and diffusionism. introduced cultural relativism. concerned
w/ others perspectives; how are groups of people different from us.
Malinowski participant observation. engaged w/ people he studies. allows the field
experience change him so he can learn. language is key to understanding a
culture in its own context. facts/evidence/objectivity. studied the Kula exchange.
Hurston "Research" formalized curiosity - her own way she honed her language and understood how
to interact. studies her own roots in Florida, gains access through Big Sweet. need
to study ourselves and narratives part of our own culture to better understand.
Mauss "Techniques of the body" ways people know how to use their body across societies. Ex: walking, table
manners, carrying baby. individuals imitate those in their society, creating a cycle
of similar habits across communities. separated into four techniques: sex, age,
efficiency, transmission. all bodily gestures and dispositions are shaped by
biological, sociological, and psychological factors.
Schneider "american kinship" for americans, relative is someone related by blood or marriage. two major
cultural orders in american kinship: 1. the order of nature (kinship proper,
consanguinity) 2. the order of law (relations of marriage/fosterage/adoption,
affinity). all american kinship is based on the symbol of sex.
Stack "personal kindreds" studies the Flats and the relationships of the people there. draws distinction
between 'natural and social parenthood.' societal norms in one environment
versus another. Essential Kin = who actively takes responsibility. ex: teen
pregnancy is more so celebrated, kid still knows who biological mom is. but
whoever raises the child is Mama.
, Hayden "gender, genetics, and generation" lesbian mothers reconfigure the american cultural assumption of what biology
means bc of their connection to kid. blood is a symbol of kinship, it's embraced
and dispersed. dispels traditional forms of american kinship. generative agency.
MacKinnon "temperamental difference" cousin marriage compromises the central distinction in kinship theory between
consanguinity and affinity. - Cousin marriage used to be common in the 19th
century but a distinction between genetic induced diseases was discovered.
Dubois "the concept of race" not the color that binds us but shared experience of suffering/slavery. chosen as
representative of the US for inauguration of Nigerian president. feels visceral
connection to Africa. identifies with his blackness but befriends all whites. realizes
he has no genetic relation but still feels connection.
Gould "why we shouldn't name races" all humans belong to one species: homosapiens. when race describes difference
among humans, it becomes subspecies. BUT categories dont describe biological
difference/geographic variation within one species. SO, use of race creates false
impression of biological difference. argues: 1. we can reproduce with each other
and 2. we dont even classify animals as subspecies so why would we do the same
for us.
Marks "black, white, other" shows how non-cemented racial categories are. biological looks dont correlate
with culture. cant use biology to create races.
Mintz "sweetness and power" historical anthropology. explores sugar and huge role it plays on individuals life
today bc of slavery. triangular sale trade (north america - europe - africa) and
slave economy. power provided sugar at a terrible cost. slavery was central in
changing our cultural tastes and orienting them towards sugar.
ethnography A detailed description of a particular culture primarily based on fieldwork. writing
of an ethos (culture).
ethnology subfield of anthropology dealing with human races, their origin, distribution,
culture, etc. Boas
participant observation a key anthropological research strategy involving both participation in and
observation of the daily life of the people being studied
specifyin' Stack. the manner in which you put people in check. ex: specifying on the girl who
was trying to claim her child back from the Mama in the Flats
Imponderabilia of everyday life Malinowski. the ethnographer is not only interested in what the natives do but
what they think. why does someone do what they do?
cultural relativism ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not make judgments on the
standards of one's own culture. no one culture is superior.
habitus Mauss. the totality of learned, bodily skills, habits, dispositions, styles, etc. we
acquire habits through imitation, training, repeating. largely automatic - difficult to
reflect on once acquired.
jooks Hurston. where 'jukebox' comes from. roadside social interactions.
Questions and CORRECT Answers
Boas against evolutionism and diffusionism. introduced cultural relativism. concerned
w/ others perspectives; how are groups of people different from us.
Malinowski participant observation. engaged w/ people he studies. allows the field
experience change him so he can learn. language is key to understanding a
culture in its own context. facts/evidence/objectivity. studied the Kula exchange.
Hurston "Research" formalized curiosity - her own way she honed her language and understood how
to interact. studies her own roots in Florida, gains access through Big Sweet. need
to study ourselves and narratives part of our own culture to better understand.
Mauss "Techniques of the body" ways people know how to use their body across societies. Ex: walking, table
manners, carrying baby. individuals imitate those in their society, creating a cycle
of similar habits across communities. separated into four techniques: sex, age,
efficiency, transmission. all bodily gestures and dispositions are shaped by
biological, sociological, and psychological factors.
Schneider "american kinship" for americans, relative is someone related by blood or marriage. two major
cultural orders in american kinship: 1. the order of nature (kinship proper,
consanguinity) 2. the order of law (relations of marriage/fosterage/adoption,
affinity). all american kinship is based on the symbol of sex.
Stack "personal kindreds" studies the Flats and the relationships of the people there. draws distinction
between 'natural and social parenthood.' societal norms in one environment
versus another. Essential Kin = who actively takes responsibility. ex: teen
pregnancy is more so celebrated, kid still knows who biological mom is. but
whoever raises the child is Mama.
, Hayden "gender, genetics, and generation" lesbian mothers reconfigure the american cultural assumption of what biology
means bc of their connection to kid. blood is a symbol of kinship, it's embraced
and dispersed. dispels traditional forms of american kinship. generative agency.
MacKinnon "temperamental difference" cousin marriage compromises the central distinction in kinship theory between
consanguinity and affinity. - Cousin marriage used to be common in the 19th
century but a distinction between genetic induced diseases was discovered.
Dubois "the concept of race" not the color that binds us but shared experience of suffering/slavery. chosen as
representative of the US for inauguration of Nigerian president. feels visceral
connection to Africa. identifies with his blackness but befriends all whites. realizes
he has no genetic relation but still feels connection.
Gould "why we shouldn't name races" all humans belong to one species: homosapiens. when race describes difference
among humans, it becomes subspecies. BUT categories dont describe biological
difference/geographic variation within one species. SO, use of race creates false
impression of biological difference. argues: 1. we can reproduce with each other
and 2. we dont even classify animals as subspecies so why would we do the same
for us.
Marks "black, white, other" shows how non-cemented racial categories are. biological looks dont correlate
with culture. cant use biology to create races.
Mintz "sweetness and power" historical anthropology. explores sugar and huge role it plays on individuals life
today bc of slavery. triangular sale trade (north america - europe - africa) and
slave economy. power provided sugar at a terrible cost. slavery was central in
changing our cultural tastes and orienting them towards sugar.
ethnography A detailed description of a particular culture primarily based on fieldwork. writing
of an ethos (culture).
ethnology subfield of anthropology dealing with human races, their origin, distribution,
culture, etc. Boas
participant observation a key anthropological research strategy involving both participation in and
observation of the daily life of the people being studied
specifyin' Stack. the manner in which you put people in check. ex: specifying on the girl who
was trying to claim her child back from the Mama in the Flats
Imponderabilia of everyday life Malinowski. the ethnographer is not only interested in what the natives do but
what they think. why does someone do what they do?
cultural relativism ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not make judgments on the
standards of one's own culture. no one culture is superior.
habitus Mauss. the totality of learned, bodily skills, habits, dispositions, styles, etc. we
acquire habits through imitation, training, repeating. largely automatic - difficult to
reflect on once acquired.
jooks Hurston. where 'jukebox' comes from. roadside social interactions.
