ANTHROPOLOGY 345 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ACCURATE ANSWERS
Anthropology - Answers - The study of humanity past, present, and future
(anthro=human)
Holistic - Answers - Studies people from every possible angle - biological, cultural,
archaeological, linguistic, historical, and more.
Cross-Cultural - Answers - It considers every way of life in every place on earth.
Comparative - Answers - Compelling us to situate ourselves in global and historical
context
What are the three big questions asked by Anthropology? - Answers - 1. What are our
origins?
2. What is human nature?
3. How will the decisions we make today change the way we live tomorrow?
What are the three important sub-fields of Anthropology? - Answers - 1.
Paleoanthroplogy: study of fossil remains and genetic heritage through our origins.
2. Archaeology: study of material culture (more recent past); look through clues that
were left behind.
3. Cultural Anthropology: study of living, changing cultures.
What is the Nature vs. Nurture debate? - Answers - Nature: all humans have a basic,
fixed human nature which must be followed in order for us to be successful.
1. Evolutionary directives: basic human nature (genetic)
2. Few options: how to act and build cultures
3. Build a society based on those who have limited options.
4. Socio-biology: have to understand how people have social issues in the United
States (ex: rise of gender roles).
Nurture: what makes humans unique is our ability to make choices and to decide what
kind of behavior is appropriate to the values we want to live by.
1. Human make choices
2. Many options
3. Diversity is successful survival trait: more diverse, more adaptable to change
4. Cultural anthropology
What is culture? - Answers - A learned set of beliefs and behaviors that humans use to
create social networks, adapt to and change their environment in order to increase their
chances for survival.
, What is the "great paradox" of culture? - Answers - Cultures restrict our choices but it is
only through living within a culture that we become fully human (we need social
networks).
What are the three ways that culture is linked to identity? - Answers - 1. Gives us a
sense of belonging
2. Creates values that we have in common with others.
3. Creates a shorthand language for communication (symbols, gestures, language, etc.)
What is one non-human, important influence on cultural diversity? - Answers - The
environment
What important insight does Anthropology make concerning what it means to be
human? - Answers - All humans are capable of learning any cultural behavior.
What are 4 important contributions a culture makes to those who live within them? -
Answers - 1. Explanation of reality (exceptionally natural reality): comes from religion.
2. Goals to pursue: if you want to be successful, you need to fulfill goals (what becomes
important to you).
3. Meaning of life: depends/varies on culture.
4. Foundation of identity: gender, age, religion (fitting into culture).
What is enculturation? - Answers - Transmission process of culturally appropriate
beliefs, values, and behaviors.
What are three ways people can be enculturated? - Answers - 1. Ethics (rule of life):
things we are taught at an early age: honesty, kindness, compassion, obedience,
responsibility (carry these throughout life).
2. Laws (customs): all laws are supposed to embody the culture beliefs (teaching us the
rules of society).
3. Symbolic language: unwritten communication (national flags, economics, ribbons).
Attach our identities with them.
What do we mean when all cultures are dynamic? - Answers - All cultures change
(faster than others).
What is dominant discourse? - Answers - Short hand language where one word or
image will evoke a multitude of beliefs and means about ourselves and others.
What is cultural relativism? - Answers - To understand someone who is different than
you, have to try to see the world through their eyes.
What is ethnocentrism? - Answers - view of the world where the person thinks they are
right and everyone is wrong (opposite of cultural relativism).
What is fieldwork? - Answers - First hand gathering of information
VERIFIED ACCURATE ANSWERS
Anthropology - Answers - The study of humanity past, present, and future
(anthro=human)
Holistic - Answers - Studies people from every possible angle - biological, cultural,
archaeological, linguistic, historical, and more.
Cross-Cultural - Answers - It considers every way of life in every place on earth.
Comparative - Answers - Compelling us to situate ourselves in global and historical
context
What are the three big questions asked by Anthropology? - Answers - 1. What are our
origins?
2. What is human nature?
3. How will the decisions we make today change the way we live tomorrow?
What are the three important sub-fields of Anthropology? - Answers - 1.
Paleoanthroplogy: study of fossil remains and genetic heritage through our origins.
2. Archaeology: study of material culture (more recent past); look through clues that
were left behind.
3. Cultural Anthropology: study of living, changing cultures.
What is the Nature vs. Nurture debate? - Answers - Nature: all humans have a basic,
fixed human nature which must be followed in order for us to be successful.
1. Evolutionary directives: basic human nature (genetic)
2. Few options: how to act and build cultures
3. Build a society based on those who have limited options.
4. Socio-biology: have to understand how people have social issues in the United
States (ex: rise of gender roles).
Nurture: what makes humans unique is our ability to make choices and to decide what
kind of behavior is appropriate to the values we want to live by.
1. Human make choices
2. Many options
3. Diversity is successful survival trait: more diverse, more adaptable to change
4. Cultural anthropology
What is culture? - Answers - A learned set of beliefs and behaviors that humans use to
create social networks, adapt to and change their environment in order to increase their
chances for survival.
, What is the "great paradox" of culture? - Answers - Cultures restrict our choices but it is
only through living within a culture that we become fully human (we need social
networks).
What are the three ways that culture is linked to identity? - Answers - 1. Gives us a
sense of belonging
2. Creates values that we have in common with others.
3. Creates a shorthand language for communication (symbols, gestures, language, etc.)
What is one non-human, important influence on cultural diversity? - Answers - The
environment
What important insight does Anthropology make concerning what it means to be
human? - Answers - All humans are capable of learning any cultural behavior.
What are 4 important contributions a culture makes to those who live within them? -
Answers - 1. Explanation of reality (exceptionally natural reality): comes from religion.
2. Goals to pursue: if you want to be successful, you need to fulfill goals (what becomes
important to you).
3. Meaning of life: depends/varies on culture.
4. Foundation of identity: gender, age, religion (fitting into culture).
What is enculturation? - Answers - Transmission process of culturally appropriate
beliefs, values, and behaviors.
What are three ways people can be enculturated? - Answers - 1. Ethics (rule of life):
things we are taught at an early age: honesty, kindness, compassion, obedience,
responsibility (carry these throughout life).
2. Laws (customs): all laws are supposed to embody the culture beliefs (teaching us the
rules of society).
3. Symbolic language: unwritten communication (national flags, economics, ribbons).
Attach our identities with them.
What do we mean when all cultures are dynamic? - Answers - All cultures change
(faster than others).
What is dominant discourse? - Answers - Short hand language where one word or
image will evoke a multitude of beliefs and means about ourselves and others.
What is cultural relativism? - Answers - To understand someone who is different than
you, have to try to see the world through their eyes.
What is ethnocentrism? - Answers - view of the world where the person thinks they are
right and everyone is wrong (opposite of cultural relativism).
What is fieldwork? - Answers - First hand gathering of information
