ANT 300 Exam 2 V1 | ANT 300 Cultural
Anthropology | Q&A with Rationale
(ANT300 Exam 2) | Nightingale College
1. Which descent system traces kinship exclusively through the male line, where children
belong to the father’s group?
A. Matrilineal descent
B. Bilateral descent
C. Patrilineal descent
D. Ambilineal descent
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Patrilineal descent is a system where an individual’s family membership is
traced through their father’s lineage. In these societies, property and social status are
typically passed down from father to son. This structure is common in many traditional
agricultural and pastoral societies.
2. What term describes the exchange of goods and services of roughly equal value, often
involving a clear expectation of return within a specified timeframe?
A. Generalized reciprocity
B. Negative reciprocity
C. Redistribution
,D. Balanced reciprocity
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Balanced reciprocity involves an explicit expectation of immediate or near-term
return of an equivalent gift or service. This type of exchange often occurs between people
who are more distantly related than those in generalized reciprocity. It serves to maintain
social ties while ensuring economic fairness.
3. In cultural anthropology, what is ‘polyandry’?
A. A marriage between one man and multiple women
B. A marriage between one woman and multiple men
C. A marriage between multiple men and multiple women
D. The practice of having no marriage at all
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Polyandry is a specific form of polygamy where a woman takes more than one
husband at the same time. This practice is relatively rare compared to polygyny but is
documented in cultures such as those in the Himalayas. It often functions to keep family
land intact by having brothers share a single wife.
4. Which political system is characterized by a centralized leader who holds formal authority
and whose position is usually hereditary?
A. Band
, B. Tribe
C. State
D. Chiefdom
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial
societies usually based on kinship. The chief holds a permanent position of power that is
often passed through a specific lineage. This system marks a transition between the
egalitarianism of tribes and the complex bureaucracy of states.
5. Arnold van Gennep identified three stages in a rite of passage. What is the middle stage
called?
A. Liminality
B. Incorporation
C. Separation
D. Aggregative
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Liminality is the ‘betwixt and between’ phase where a person has left their old
status but has not yet entered the new one. During this stage, individuals often undergo
trials or instructions and exist outside normal social structures. It is a period of transition
and ambiguity that is crucial for social transformation.
Anthropology | Q&A with Rationale
(ANT300 Exam 2) | Nightingale College
1. Which descent system traces kinship exclusively through the male line, where children
belong to the father’s group?
A. Matrilineal descent
B. Bilateral descent
C. Patrilineal descent
D. Ambilineal descent
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Patrilineal descent is a system where an individual’s family membership is
traced through their father’s lineage. In these societies, property and social status are
typically passed down from father to son. This structure is common in many traditional
agricultural and pastoral societies.
2. What term describes the exchange of goods and services of roughly equal value, often
involving a clear expectation of return within a specified timeframe?
A. Generalized reciprocity
B. Negative reciprocity
C. Redistribution
,D. Balanced reciprocity
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Balanced reciprocity involves an explicit expectation of immediate or near-term
return of an equivalent gift or service. This type of exchange often occurs between people
who are more distantly related than those in generalized reciprocity. It serves to maintain
social ties while ensuring economic fairness.
3. In cultural anthropology, what is ‘polyandry’?
A. A marriage between one man and multiple women
B. A marriage between one woman and multiple men
C. A marriage between multiple men and multiple women
D. The practice of having no marriage at all
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Polyandry is a specific form of polygamy where a woman takes more than one
husband at the same time. This practice is relatively rare compared to polygyny but is
documented in cultures such as those in the Himalayas. It often functions to keep family
land intact by having brothers share a single wife.
4. Which political system is characterized by a centralized leader who holds formal authority
and whose position is usually hereditary?
A. Band
, B. Tribe
C. State
D. Chiefdom
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial
societies usually based on kinship. The chief holds a permanent position of power that is
often passed through a specific lineage. This system marks a transition between the
egalitarianism of tribes and the complex bureaucracy of states.
5. Arnold van Gennep identified three stages in a rite of passage. What is the middle stage
called?
A. Liminality
B. Incorporation
C. Separation
D. Aggregative
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Liminality is the ‘betwixt and between’ phase where a person has left their old
status but has not yet entered the new one. During this stage, individuals often undergo
trials or instructions and exist outside normal social structures. It is a period of transition
and ambiguity that is crucial for social transformation.
