Chapter 1 – The Essence of Anthropology
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Anthropology is
a. the study of Western culture primarily through the analysis of its folklore.
b. the study of humankind everywhere, throughout time.
c. the study of nonhuman primates through an analysis of their myth and folklore.
d. the study of the species Homo sapiens by analyzing its cultural but not its
biological dimensions.
e. the analysis of humankind from the subjective perspective of one group.
ANS: B DIF: Factual REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
2. What does it mean to take a “holistic perspective”?
a. To seek comparisons between cultures in order to understand what is universal in
human thought and behavior
b. To examine culture as a whole and how various parts are related, without
examining behavior as if it were a biological instinct
c. To seek interconnections and relatedness between various parts of human culture
and biology
d. To approach culture as a uniquely human practice that is the same everywhere and
is thus studied as if it were a whole
e. To view culture as changing and whole, but not subject to analysis and experiment
ANS: C DIF: Conceptual REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: New
3. A “culture-bound” theory is
a. a prediction that is bound to be fulfilled in a particular culture.
b. a theory developed by a cultural anthropologist rather than a physical
anthropologist.
c. a theory developed by a sociologist rather than a cultural anthropologist.
d. a theory based on assumptions common to a particular culture rather than deriving
from comparisons of many different cultures.
e. a theory based on comparison of cultures and not tied to a single cultural
worldview.
ANS: D DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
,4. The belief that one’s own culture is superior to another is called
a. discrimination.
b. holism.
c. ethnology.
d. ethnography.
e. ethnocentrism.
ANS: E DIF: Factual REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: New
5. How does the perception of organ transplantation differ between the U.S. and Japan?
a. It is performed more frequently in Japan because they have developed a more
efficient harvesting system.
b. It is rarely performed in Japan because they do not believe in a mind-body split.
c. It is performed more frequently in the U.S. because there is no belief in a mind-
body split.
d. It is rarely performed in the U.S. because the cultural system does not endorse the
idea of anonymous “gifts.”
e. The perception of organ transplantation does not differ significantly between the
U.S. and Japan.
ANS: B DIF: Applied REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 3 MSC: Pickup
6. Recent studies have shown that the unusual degree of separation of mother and infant in
Western societies has important consequences. Which of the following are not
consequences of the rather long degree of mother/infant separation in Western societies?
a. Decreases in the length of infant feeding
b. Prevention of early ovulation after childbirth
c. Increase in physical abuse of child
d. Increases in crying
e. Decreases in physical stimulation
ANS: B DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
, OBJ: 3 MSC: New
7. Cross-cultural studies show that in many non-Western cultures mother-infant “co-
sleeping” is the rule. Which of the following is not a benefit of mother-infant co-
sleeping?
a. Infants nurse more often
b. Infants receive more stimuli
c. Infants are less susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome
d. Mother gets at least as much sleep as mothers who do not sleep with infants
e. Infant begins to adapt to separation of space and individual identity
ANS: E DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 3 MSC: New
8. Which of the following is not one of the four branches of anthropology?
a. Archaeology
b. Linguistics
c. Biology
d. Cultural anthropology
e. Physical anthropology
ANS: C DIF: Factual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
9. Cross-cultural research that allows anthropologists to explain why differences or
similarities occur between groups is known as
a. ethnography.
b. biography.
c. ethnology.
d. ethnohistory.
e. ethnoarchaeology.
ANS: C DIF: Factual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
10. Cultural anthropology is the study of patterns of human behavior. These standards
a. are biologically inherited.
b. operate only when people are unconscious.
, c. can be studied only by sociologists.
d. focus on humans as culture producing and re-producing creatures.
e. are inherited and are studied initially by physical anthropologists.
ANS: D DIF: Conceptual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
11. The hallmark of ethnographic fieldwork is
a. participant observation.
b. formal interviews.
c. fieldnotes.
d. applied anthropology.
e. holism.
ANS: A DIF: Applied REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: New
12. In-depth descriptive studies of specific cultures are called
a. ethnologies.
b. ethnobotanies.
c. biologies.
d. ethnographies.
e. anthropologies.
ANS: D DIF: Factual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
13. Anthropologists doing fieldwork typically involve themselves in many different
experiences.They try to investigate not just one aspect of culture (such as the political
system) but how all aspects relate to each other (for example, how the political system
fits with economic institutions, religious beliefs, etc.). This perspective is called
a. holism.
b. ethnology.
c. comparison.
d. participation.
e. culture-boundedness.
ANS: A DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
14. What is the primary purpose of practicing applied anthropology?
a. It provides case studies to determine the accuracy of new anthropological theories.
b. It establishes new fieldsites where future anthropologists can work.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Anthropology is
a. the study of Western culture primarily through the analysis of its folklore.
b. the study of humankind everywhere, throughout time.
c. the study of nonhuman primates through an analysis of their myth and folklore.
d. the study of the species Homo sapiens by analyzing its cultural but not its
biological dimensions.
e. the analysis of humankind from the subjective perspective of one group.
ANS: B DIF: Factual REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
2. What does it mean to take a “holistic perspective”?
a. To seek comparisons between cultures in order to understand what is universal in
human thought and behavior
b. To examine culture as a whole and how various parts are related, without
examining behavior as if it were a biological instinct
c. To seek interconnections and relatedness between various parts of human culture
and biology
d. To approach culture as a uniquely human practice that is the same everywhere and
is thus studied as if it were a whole
e. To view culture as changing and whole, but not subject to analysis and experiment
ANS: C DIF: Conceptual REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: New
3. A “culture-bound” theory is
a. a prediction that is bound to be fulfilled in a particular culture.
b. a theory developed by a cultural anthropologist rather than a physical
anthropologist.
c. a theory developed by a sociologist rather than a cultural anthropologist.
d. a theory based on assumptions common to a particular culture rather than deriving
from comparisons of many different cultures.
e. a theory based on comparison of cultures and not tied to a single cultural
worldview.
ANS: D DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
,4. The belief that one’s own culture is superior to another is called
a. discrimination.
b. holism.
c. ethnology.
d. ethnography.
e. ethnocentrism.
ANS: E DIF: Factual REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: New
5. How does the perception of organ transplantation differ between the U.S. and Japan?
a. It is performed more frequently in Japan because they have developed a more
efficient harvesting system.
b. It is rarely performed in Japan because they do not believe in a mind-body split.
c. It is performed more frequently in the U.S. because there is no belief in a mind-
body split.
d. It is rarely performed in the U.S. because the cultural system does not endorse the
idea of anonymous “gifts.”
e. The perception of organ transplantation does not differ significantly between the
U.S. and Japan.
ANS: B DIF: Applied REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 3 MSC: Pickup
6. Recent studies have shown that the unusual degree of separation of mother and infant in
Western societies has important consequences. Which of the following are not
consequences of the rather long degree of mother/infant separation in Western societies?
a. Decreases in the length of infant feeding
b. Prevention of early ovulation after childbirth
c. Increase in physical abuse of child
d. Increases in crying
e. Decreases in physical stimulation
ANS: B DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
, OBJ: 3 MSC: New
7. Cross-cultural studies show that in many non-Western cultures mother-infant “co-
sleeping” is the rule. Which of the following is not a benefit of mother-infant co-
sleeping?
a. Infants nurse more often
b. Infants receive more stimuli
c. Infants are less susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome
d. Mother gets at least as much sleep as mothers who do not sleep with infants
e. Infant begins to adapt to separation of space and individual identity
ANS: E DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 3 MSC: New
8. Which of the following is not one of the four branches of anthropology?
a. Archaeology
b. Linguistics
c. Biology
d. Cultural anthropology
e. Physical anthropology
ANS: C DIF: Factual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
9. Cross-cultural research that allows anthropologists to explain why differences or
similarities occur between groups is known as
a. ethnography.
b. biography.
c. ethnology.
d. ethnohistory.
e. ethnoarchaeology.
ANS: C DIF: Factual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
10. Cultural anthropology is the study of patterns of human behavior. These standards
a. are biologically inherited.
b. operate only when people are unconscious.
, c. can be studied only by sociologists.
d. focus on humans as culture producing and re-producing creatures.
e. are inherited and are studied initially by physical anthropologists.
ANS: D DIF: Conceptual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
11. The hallmark of ethnographic fieldwork is
a. participant observation.
b. formal interviews.
c. fieldnotes.
d. applied anthropology.
e. holism.
ANS: A DIF: Applied REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: New
12. In-depth descriptive studies of specific cultures are called
a. ethnologies.
b. ethnobotanies.
c. biologies.
d. ethnographies.
e. anthropologies.
ANS: D DIF: Factual REF: Anthropology and Its Fields
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
13. Anthropologists doing fieldwork typically involve themselves in many different
experiences.They try to investigate not just one aspect of culture (such as the political
system) but how all aspects relate to each other (for example, how the political system
fits with economic institutions, religious beliefs, etc.). This perspective is called
a. holism.
b. ethnology.
c. comparison.
d. participation.
e. culture-boundedness.
ANS: A DIF: Applied REF: The Anthropological Perspective
OBJ: 1 MSC: Pickup
14. What is the primary purpose of practicing applied anthropology?
a. It provides case studies to determine the accuracy of new anthropological theories.
b. It establishes new fieldsites where future anthropologists can work.
