Key Terms Anth 2 Summer 2020 Nina Et Al Editors

1key Terms Anth 2 Summer 2020brown Nina Et Al Editors 2017

Students should become familiar with these following key terms and will be responsible for using them on the exams and ethnographic journal.

CHAPTER 1: cultural relativism, cultural determinism, ethnocentrism, functionalist, holism

CHAPTER 2: armchair anthropology, enculturation, ethnocentrism, kinship

CHAPTER 3: diaspora, emic, etic, ethnography, indigenous, kinship, land tenure, noble savage, participant observation, qualitative, quantitative, thick description

CHAPTER 5: agriculture, commodity chain, reciprocity, domestic economy, foraging, horticulture, mono-cropping, pastoralism, world system

CHAPTER 6: balanced reciprocity, consumption, generalized reciprocity, means of production, mode of production, negative reciprocity, political economy, redistribution, structural violence

CHAPTER 7: band, big man, bilateral descent, caste system, chiefdom, codified law, egalitarian, ideologies, legitimacy, lineage, matrilineal, nation, patrilineal, peasants, proletarianization, ranked social classes, state, stratified, tribe

CHAPTER 8: bridewealth, clan, descent groups, domestic groups, dowry, endogamy, exogamy, household, polygamous

CHAPTER 9: acculturation, assimilation, ethnicity, ethnogenesis, hypodescent, multiculturalism, one-drop rule, pigmentocracy, race, racial formation, reified, socially constructed

CHAPTER 10: binary model of gender, biological sex, biological determinism, gender, cisgender, heteronormativity, patriarchy, transgender, third gender

CHAPTER 11: animism, cargo cult, cosmology, magic, profane, reincarnation, religion, revitalization, rituals, rite of passage, sacred, supernatural

CHAPTER 12: glocalization, habitus, neoliberalism, syncretism, global north, global south

Paper For Above instruction

The exploration of key terms within cultural anthropology provides foundational understanding essential for analyzing human societies across time and space. These terms serve as critical tools for ethnographic study, enabling anthropologists to interpret cultural practices, social structures, and belief systems from both emic (insider) and etic (outsider) perspectives. This paper elucidates the significance of these key concepts by examining their relevance across various anthropological themes, emphasizing their role in fostering a comprehensive understanding of human diversity.

Beginning with theoretical frameworks, terms like cultural relativism and cultural determinism highlight contrasting perspectives on cultural practices. Cultural relativism encourages viewing cultures on their own terms, promoting respect and understanding, while cultural determinism posits culture as the primary influence on behavior. Understanding these concepts is vital for interpretative neutrality and avoiding ethnocentric judgments—a recurring theme exemplified through ethnocentrism. In examining societal functions, holism and functionalist approaches underscore the interconnectedness of social institutions and their roles in maintaining societal stability.

The foundational anthropological methods are exemplified through terms like armchair anthropology, participant observation, and thick description. These methodologies enable researchers to gather nuanced, context-rich data, emphasizing the importance of qualitative over purely quantitative approaches in capturing cultural complexity. Ethnography, as a detailed descriptive method, involves immersive fieldwork within communities, often exploring kinship systems, land tenure, and indigenous practices as noted in terms like kinship and land tenure.

Key themes such as economic systems are represented through concepts like agriculture, reciprocity, and world system. These reflect differing modes of production and exchange that shape societal organization. For example, balanced reciprocity fosters social cohesion, whereas negative reciprocity may involve exploitative exchanges. Similarly, the commodity chain and domestic economy highlight economic processes within cultural contexts. Theories of political economy and structural violence explain systemic inequalities and power dynamics, essential for understanding the persistence of social injustices.

Social structures and kinship are underscored through terms like big man, lineage, clan, and caste system. These illustrate diverse mechanisms of social complexity, from egalitarian societies to stratified hierarchies. Concepts such as patrilineal, matrilineal, and bilateral descent describe kinship systems that determine inheritance, social roles, and alliances. Additionally, social institutions like marriage involve customs of endogamy, exogamy, and practices such as bridewealth and dowry.

Identity and race have become central within anthropological discourse, especially with terms like ethnicity, hypodescent, racial formation, and socially constructed. These concepts help unpack how race and ethnicity are constructed and perceived, often used to justify inequalities, as exemplified in practices like the one-drop rule and pigmentocracy. Furthermore, contemporary debates about multiculturalism and ethnogenesis emphasize dynamic identities and cultural resilience amid globalization.

The discourse on gender and religion further broadens anthropological understanding. The social construct of gender, as distinguished from biological sex, is examined through terms like cisgender, transgender, and third gender. Religious beliefs and practices, including animism, cargo cult, cosmology, and rituals, illustrate how societies interpret and engage with the supernatural. Concepts such as sacred and profane help understand religious distinctions and their role in social cohesion.

Globalization and cultural change are encapsulated through terms like glocalization, habitus, neoliberalism, and syncretism. These reflect the dynamic processes shaping modern societies, influencing identities and cultural expressions worldwide. The dichotomy of global north and global south emphasizes economic and political disparities, highlighting ongoing struggles for equity and cultural representation in an interconnected world.

In sum, these key terms form the lexicon through which anthropologists explore, analyze, and interpret the complexities of human societies. Mastery of these concepts enables a nuanced understanding of cultural diversity, social organization, economic systems, belief systems, and global processes. As anthropology continues to evolve, these foundational ideas remain crucial in fostering inclusive, respectful, and comprehensive insights into human life across various contexts.

References

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• Harris, M. (1968). The rise of anthropological theory. Routledge.
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• Marcus, G. E., & Fischer, M. M. J. (1986). Anthropology as Cultural Critique. University of Chicago Press.
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