ANTHRCUL 101 UMICH EXAM 1
What is Anthropolgy - Answers :The study of humans across time and space. The
Scientific and Humanistic study of human beings encompassing the evolutionary history
of humanity, physical variation amongst humans, the study of past societies, and the
comparative study of current day human societies and cultures
Greek words that make up Anthropology and what they mean - Answers :Anthropos -
humankind
Logos - study, word
What this means: Anthropology is holistic and comparative - Answers :holistic -
considers the whole of culture, not just certain aspects
comparative - takes all the different subfields and uses them to create a bigger picture,
and how cultures work
Familiarization and Defamiliarization, and their functions within anthropology - Answers
:Familiarization - understandings cultural life, customs, and patterns you might not
already be familiar with
Defamiliarization - looking at things we are already familiar with for fresh perspective
4 subfields of anthropology - Answers :archaeology, biological, cultural, linguistic
Juane Quick-To-See Smith State Names painting as an example of defamiliarizing
"Michigan" - Answers :She defamiliarizes Michigan by bringing us back to the root of its
name, seeing as it is from indigenous roots, and obscuring the names derived from
Europeans; furthermore, she obscures state and national boundaries, as they were
much less defined in the times of Native Americans
Zhang Qian, Herodotus, and Ibn Battuta and their early examples of "ethnography" -
Answers :Zhang Qian - 2nd century BCE, who took extensive travel reports along the
Silk Road
Herodotus - 5th century BCE, recorded history and wrote about the cultural
backgrounds of the places he traveled to
Ibn Battuta - 14th century CE, scholar and traveler who traveled all around Asia and
Africa and wrote a memoir about his journeys
Ethnography - Answers :the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples
and cultures.
Anthropology's origins in the Enlightenment Era - Answers :Anthropology was originated
as a sort of social science to characterize the way people act in the laws of nature
Colonialism - Answers :Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose
its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
, Major differences between 19th century anthropology and contemporary anthropology -
Answers :In the 19th century, anthropology was used as a means of colonialism to
justify the subjugation of people, while characterizing many foreign societies as primitive
(think missionaries). Now, it is more about understanding differing cultures, directly
working with communities, and engaging in ethics.
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy - plane example, ultrasocial behavior and why it's important -
Answers :Plane example of the fact that people can sit in a plane and not rip each other
to shreds distinguishes humans from other animals (ex: a crying baby, understanding
the position of the mother); ultrasocial behavior is the eagerness to collaborate, even
with non-kin and strangers, which is uniquely human.
Characteristics of Culture - Answers :1. Culture is shared
2. Culture is learned
3. Culture is changable
4. Culture is symbolic
5. Culture is all-encompassing
6. Culture is integrated
Cultural universals vs. generalities vs. particularities - Answers :Universals = present in
every culture, usually rooted in biology; Generalities = present in multiple cultures
Particularities = present in one culture
Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism - Answers :Ethnocentrism- the principle of using
one's own culture as a means or standard by which to evaluate another group or
individual, leading to the view that cultures other than one's own are abnormal or inferior
Cultural relativism- the principle of understanding other cultures on their own terms,
rather than judging or evaluating according to one's own culture
Means of Cultural Change - Answers :Diffusion (Direct, forced, indirect), Independent
Invention, Acculturation
Direct Diffusion - Answers :between two cultures that trade with, intermarry among, or
wage war on one another
Forced Diffusion - Answers :when one culture subjugates another and imposes its
customs on the dominated group
Indirect Diffusion - Answers :across one or more intervening cultures without first-hand
contact
Acculturation - Answers :(n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures
of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend
What is Anthropolgy - Answers :The study of humans across time and space. The
Scientific and Humanistic study of human beings encompassing the evolutionary history
of humanity, physical variation amongst humans, the study of past societies, and the
comparative study of current day human societies and cultures
Greek words that make up Anthropology and what they mean - Answers :Anthropos -
humankind
Logos - study, word
What this means: Anthropology is holistic and comparative - Answers :holistic -
considers the whole of culture, not just certain aspects
comparative - takes all the different subfields and uses them to create a bigger picture,
and how cultures work
Familiarization and Defamiliarization, and their functions within anthropology - Answers
:Familiarization - understandings cultural life, customs, and patterns you might not
already be familiar with
Defamiliarization - looking at things we are already familiar with for fresh perspective
4 subfields of anthropology - Answers :archaeology, biological, cultural, linguistic
Juane Quick-To-See Smith State Names painting as an example of defamiliarizing
"Michigan" - Answers :She defamiliarizes Michigan by bringing us back to the root of its
name, seeing as it is from indigenous roots, and obscuring the names derived from
Europeans; furthermore, she obscures state and national boundaries, as they were
much less defined in the times of Native Americans
Zhang Qian, Herodotus, and Ibn Battuta and their early examples of "ethnography" -
Answers :Zhang Qian - 2nd century BCE, who took extensive travel reports along the
Silk Road
Herodotus - 5th century BCE, recorded history and wrote about the cultural
backgrounds of the places he traveled to
Ibn Battuta - 14th century CE, scholar and traveler who traveled all around Asia and
Africa and wrote a memoir about his journeys
Ethnography - Answers :the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples
and cultures.
Anthropology's origins in the Enlightenment Era - Answers :Anthropology was originated
as a sort of social science to characterize the way people act in the laws of nature
Colonialism - Answers :Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose
its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.
, Major differences between 19th century anthropology and contemporary anthropology -
Answers :In the 19th century, anthropology was used as a means of colonialism to
justify the subjugation of people, while characterizing many foreign societies as primitive
(think missionaries). Now, it is more about understanding differing cultures, directly
working with communities, and engaging in ethics.
Sarah Blaffer Hrdy - plane example, ultrasocial behavior and why it's important -
Answers :Plane example of the fact that people can sit in a plane and not rip each other
to shreds distinguishes humans from other animals (ex: a crying baby, understanding
the position of the mother); ultrasocial behavior is the eagerness to collaborate, even
with non-kin and strangers, which is uniquely human.
Characteristics of Culture - Answers :1. Culture is shared
2. Culture is learned
3. Culture is changable
4. Culture is symbolic
5. Culture is all-encompassing
6. Culture is integrated
Cultural universals vs. generalities vs. particularities - Answers :Universals = present in
every culture, usually rooted in biology; Generalities = present in multiple cultures
Particularities = present in one culture
Ethnocentrism vs. Cultural Relativism - Answers :Ethnocentrism- the principle of using
one's own culture as a means or standard by which to evaluate another group or
individual, leading to the view that cultures other than one's own are abnormal or inferior
Cultural relativism- the principle of understanding other cultures on their own terms,
rather than judging or evaluating according to one's own culture
Means of Cultural Change - Answers :Diffusion (Direct, forced, indirect), Independent
Invention, Acculturation
Direct Diffusion - Answers :between two cultures that trade with, intermarry among, or
wage war on one another
Forced Diffusion - Answers :when one culture subjugates another and imposes its
customs on the dominated group
Indirect Diffusion - Answers :across one or more intervening cultures without first-hand
contact
Acculturation - Answers :(n.) the modification of the social patterns, traits, or structures
of one group or society by contact with those of another; the resultant blend
