Anthropology Terms: Culture, Ethnocentrism, Holism, Methods, and Subsistence, Quizzes of Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Download Anthropology Terms: Culture, Ethnocentrism, Holism, Methods, and Subsistence and more Quizzes Introduction to Cultural Anthropology in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Culture DEFINITION 1 what people have, say, do, and what they think TERM 2 Cultural Relativism DEFINITION 2 an approach to the world, an attempt to understand (not judge) the assumptions and beliefs, open-minded(opposite of ethnocentrism) promotes respect and toleranceall about suspending judgment - different cultures aren't wrong or right they're differentex) eating weird foods - like guinea pig is south americarespecting cows in india whereas we eat themthey way people dress in different cultures - African neck rings TERM 3 Ethnocentrism DEFINITION 3 Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with concern to language, behavior, customs, and religion. being focused on one group and thinking that your groups tendencies are the best way to do things TERM 4 Material Culture DEFINITION 4 Refers to the relationship between artifacts and social relations. What people have ex) technology, we live in the age of i-phones, laptops and competition over trendy clothes TERM 5 Holism DEFINITION 5 athropology is holistic - you have to look at the big picturecontext is critical - you can't view culture or human behavior in isolationex) history is crucial in understanding cold war (arms race etc) or its difficult to understand a culture without being immersed in it."whole is greater than the sum of its parts". - you can't understand the topic without looking at the whole picture TERM 6 Methods DEFINITION 6 different branches of anthropology have different methods. Methods are the hallmark of anthropology TERM 7 Participant-observation DEFINITION 7 main tool of the cultural anthropologist participating as much as possible with the people one is studying TERM 8 Ethnography DEFINITION 8 descriptive, based on direct fieldwork, focuses on a single culture or subculture TERM 9 Ethnology DEFINITION 9 comparative, uses data collected by ethnographers (they dont have the time to be in the actual field), generalizes over cultures or subcultures and generates theories about human behavior TERM 10 Applied Anthropology DEFINITION 10 Applied Anthropology refers to the application of the method and theory of anthropology to the analysis and solution of practical problems. turning research to the study of real-world problems to come up with sustainable solutions, focuses on working with the community to promote changeex) professor Barker's work in the Marshallese islands TERM 21 Carrying Capacity DEFINITION 21 the number of individuals of a particular species that can be supported successfully in a given environmentthe maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the environment. TERM 22 Sustainability DEFINITION 22 means forever, it will last into the future as far as we can predict and beyond. Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. TERM 23 Nomad DEFINITION 23 a way of life that requires moving across the landscape to wherever resources are available. People may follow the rain to find resources. Ex) the fumali cattle herders of Mali. They cant carry much because they have to travel long distances probably live in huts is a member of a community of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. TERM 24 Contamination DEFINITION 24 accidental or deliberate contamination of the food supply is a serious issue in our modern system of food production. Ex) accidental e.coli poisoning in beef and leafy greans or salmonella poisoning from a peanut factory. Ex) and deliberate contamination of products from china with the chemical Melamine Contamination is the presence of a minor and unwanted constituent in a material, in a physical body, in the natural environment - ex) the marshall islands becoming a nuclear testing site TERM 25 Environmental Justice DEFINITION 25 Whose way of life is sustained? How is it fair whose life is sustained and whose is not?Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.