Q&A Hero

Q: Discuss some of the problems underlying phenotype-based racial classifications.

Q: Rather than attempting to classify humans into racial categories, biologists and anthropologists are A. denying the existence of any biological variation among humankind. B. attempting to create new categories based only on blood type. C. confident that earlier racial classifications are still valid. D. trying to verify anthropometric data from the turn of the century. E. seeking to explain why specific biological variations occur.

Q: Define racial classification. Describe how the modern anthropological approach to the study of human biological diversity differs from racial classification.

Q: Explain why differences in skin pigmentation exist among human populations around the world.

Q: List the effects colonialism and colonial nation-building have on "imagined communities" (e.g., ethnic groups, nationalities). Illustrate the answer with specific examples.

Q: Explain the notion of "imagined community."

Q: Define the term minority group and its position in the social-political hierarchy. Provide at least three different examples.

Q: The U.S. Census Bureau has found that A. the choice of "some other race" has increased since 1980. B. its racial categories are strictly biological. C. people do not have any trouble selecting one racial category. D. its racial categories are based on hyperdescent. E. its racial categories are the same as ones used in the Canadian census.

Q: An examination of racial classifications from around the world indicates that A. all cultures classify races similarly. B. the classification of racial types is an arbitrary, culturally specific process. C. the best racial classifications are based solely on phenotypical traits. D. the best racial classifications are based solely on genotype. E. the best racial classifications are based on both genotype and phenotype.

Q: "Race" is A. based on biology, while ethnicity is based on culture. B. only important in the United States. C. an achieved status. D. a scientifically defined characteristic. E. culturally constructed.

Q: A policy of ethnic expulsion or ethnic persecution may create A. social races. B. ethnic harmony. C. refugee populations. D. a plural society. E. multiculturalism.

Q: Which of these statements is NOT true? A. "Ethnicity is based on actual, perceived, and assumed cultural similarities among members of the same ethnic group." B. "People may change the amount of importance they place on ethnicity due to political or individual life changes." C. "Ethnic distinctions can be based on language and geography." D. "Unlike race, ethnicity derives from biological differences among human groups." E. "Ethnic distinctions can be based on religion, kinship, history, and race."

Q: Segregation in the southern United States and apartheid in South Africa provide two examples of A. situational discrimination. B. genocide. C. assimilation. D. de jure discrimination. E. de facto discrimination.

Q: ________ refers to a person's ability to emphasize different identities in different social contexts. A. Ethnic identity B. Racial substitution C. Situational negotiation of identity D. Discourse analysis E. Rotating core personality traits

Q: Nationalities are "imagined communities" because A. all were created by colonial governments. B. most members of a nationality will never meet. C. they are merely fictional constructs of the ruling intelligentsia. D. nationalities are comprised of many different ethnic groups and subcultures. E. the members of a nationality constantly compare their society to an idealized, quasi-historical past.

Q: Discrimination that is not legally sanctioned is A. ethnic discrimination. B. prejudicial discrimination. C. de jure discrimination. D. de facto discrimination. E. situational discrimination.

Q: ________ refers to the devaluing of a group because of its assumed behavior, values, abilities, or attributes. A. Discrimination B. Apartheid C. Assimilation D. Diaspora E. Prejudice

Q: ________ refers to the destruction of an ethnic group's culture. A. Genocide B. Prejudice C. Ethnocide D. Discrimination E. Diaspora

Q: The anti-Basque campaign waged during the Franco dictatorship in Spain is an example of A. forced assimilation. B. cultural relativism. C. status ascription. D. multiculturalism. E. an imagined community.

Q: The fact that ________ is a major difference between Brazilian and American racial classifications. A. Brazilians do not recognize racial differences B. American categories are purer than Brazilian ones C. Brazilian racial categories are based on genotype D. social race is determined in the U.S. at birth and does not change E. None of these answers is correct.

Q: ________ automatically places the children of a union between members of different groups in the minority group. A. Hypervitaminosis B. Polygyny C. Polyandry D. Hypodescent E. Hypogamy

Q: In Japan, burakumin A. are perceived as "pure" Japanese even though they are the offspring of interracial marriages. B. suffer from discrimination as members of a stigmatized minority group. C. enjoy the highest status of all racial groups. D. no longer face any discrimination. E. constitute a numerical majority.

Q: The dominance of Russian culture, language, and people in the former Soviet empire is an example of A. multiculturalism. B. cultural colonialism. C. hypodescent. D. enculturation. E. plural society.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a phenotypical trait? A. eye color B. facial features C. gender D. skin color E. enzyme production

Q: ________ refers to the view that cultural diversity in a country is something good and desirable. A. Assimilation B. Acculturation C. Enculturation D. Colonialism E. Multiculturalism

Q: Barth uses the term ________ to refer to a society that combines ethnic contrasts, ecological specialization, and economic interdependence of groups. A. colony B. broad-spectrum subsistence C. plural society D. imagined community E. assimilation

Q: ________ are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. A. Anglo-Americans B. Hispanics C. African Americans D. Asian Americans E. Native Americans

Q: ________ denotes policies and practices that harm a group and its members. A. Colonialism B. Racism C. Prejudice D. Ethnocentrism E. Discrimination

Q: ________ occurs when a dominant group compels a minority group to adopt the dominant culture. A. Attitudinal discrimination B. Genocide C. Forced assimilation D. Ethnocentrism E. Environmental racism

Q: Shamans are full-time religious practitioners generally found in state-level societies.

Q: Full-time priests are often found in band-level foraging societies.

Q: Magic, in the form of rituals, taboos, and sacred objects, is particularly evident in baseball.

Q: ________ is the term for identification with, and feeling part of, a cultural group, and exclusion from other cultural groups. A. Culture shock B. Ethnicity C. Cultural relativism D. Assimilation E. Ethnocentrism

Q: The term ________ identifies ethnic groups that once had, or wish to have or regain, autonomous political status. A. silent majorities B. captive nations C. colonies D. nationalities E. plural societies

Q: In theory, a biological race would be a(n) ________ isolated subdivision of a species. A. categorically B. culturally C. biologically D. ancestrally E. geographically

Q: Rites of passage involve three phases: separation, liminality, and totemism.

Q: Religion can be a powerful means of controlling society.

Q: In Melanesia, mana was a sacred force that could reside in people, animals, plants, and objects.

Q: According to Malinowski, religion provides people with emotional comfort during times of stress or uncertainty.

Q: In a rite of passage, people experiencing liminality together form a community of equals.

Q: By participating in a ritual, performers signal that they accept a common social and moral order.

Q: Communitas is the strong feeling of collective unity shared by individuals at the core of society, who define themselves in opposition to the society's liminal members.

Q: Religion is a cultural generalitythat is, it is found in most, but not all, societies.

Q: Witch hunts are an example of how religion can be used to limit deviant social behavior by instilling strong motivations to behave in a certain manner.

Q: Voodoo dolls are used to perform contagious magic.

Q: Contrast ritual behavior with ordinary behavior. Give examples of religious and secular rituals, and identify the main differences between such kinds of ritual.

Q: Discuss whether or not religion is becoming more or less important in contemporary American society. If you believe that religion is becoming less important, discuss what is replacing it.

Q: Define rite of passage. Identify three phases that ordinarily constitute a rite of passage. Provide at least two different examples to illustrate your answer.

Q: Discuss two cases in which religion has played an important role in social change.

Q: Explain the universality of religion.

Q: Define mana, and discuss the difference in the beliefs that surround mana in Melanesia and Polynesia.

Q: Discuss the ways religion may act as a form of social control. Identify how political leaders mobilize communities and gain support for their policies. Consider the connections between religion and politics in states, both ancient and modern.

Q: Which of these statements is NOT true? A. "Specific religious beliefs and practices vary cross-culturally." B. "Religion can be an instrument of societal change, even revolution." C. "Religion serves only to maintain social solidarity; it does not create or maintain social divisions." D. "Religion is a cultural universal." E. "State religions are presided over by full-time specialists."

Q: According to Tylor, religion evolved from polytheism to animism to monotheism.

Q: The religious specialist most frequently found among foraging bands is a A. full-time practitioner. B. shaman. C. witch. D. priest. E. totem.

Q: ________ are NOT an example of shamans. A. Priests B. Curers C. Palm readers D. Astrologers E. Mediums

Q: The largest religion in the world, in terms of number of practitioners, is A. Buddhism. B. Islam. C. Judaism. D. Hinduism. E. Christianity.

Q: Witch hunts are an example of religion's function as A. a revitalization movement. B. shamanism. C. a form of social control. D. a mechanism for reducing fear and uncertainty. E. a rite of passage.

Q: Cargo cults are A. an example of religion as a form of social control. B. a type of revitalization movement in response to new contact with industrial societies. C. based on the popular style of pants with many pockets. D. religious organizations within the United States that meet in large warehouses. E. rites of passage found among the Betsileo of Madagascar.

Q: Induction into the U.S. Marine Corps and going through the Native American vision quest are both examples of A. revitalization movements. B. generalized reciprocity. C. totemism. D. rites of passage. E. imitative magic.

Q: ________ is the term for the marginal or in-between phase of a rite of passage. A. Voodoo B. Mana C. Taboo D. Liminality E. Animism

Q: Witchcraft accusations are often aimed at A. powerful politicians. B. individuals who are widely respected in a community. C. socially marginal people. D. upstanding citizens. E. prominent religious leaders.

Q: Communitas is A. social inequality that is accepted even by those who are less privileged. B. a feeling of great social solidarity, equality, and togetherness. C. anxiety about the meaning of life. D. the Latin word for mana. E. the supernatural.

Q: The bodies and possessions of Polynesian chiefs are considered taboo because chiefs A. were the primary totems for Polynesian descent groups. B. occupied a liminal place in society. C. were considered to be ritually impure. D. were practitioners of contagious magic. E. were imbued with a great amount of mana.

Q: The use of voodoo dolls is an example of A. imitative magic. B. contagious magic. C. taboo. D. animism. E. superstition.

Q: Malinowski found that the Trobriand Islanders used magic A. as a means of increasing social solidarity. B. to increase the bountifulness of the yam harvest. C. in psychologically stressful situations, such as sailing. D. as a means of leveling Europeans who refused to redistribute their wealth. E. to kill their adversaries during intertribal warfare.

Q: ________ have arisen in colonial situations in which local people have regular contact with outsiders but lack their wealth, technology, and living standards. A. Shamanistic cults B. Revitalization movements C. Rites of passage D. Structuralist movements E. Cargo cults

Q: As a part of cargo cults, supernatural beings were invoked by ________ to intercedeto kill or otherwise deflate the European big men and redistribute their wealth. A. rites of passage B. revitalization movements C. syncretism D. taboos E. magical leveling

Q: Sequences of words and actions used during rituals are A. ritual scripts. B. rites of passage. C. taboos. D. liturgical orders. E. communitas.

Q: Rites of passage usually consist of three phases: A. uncertainty, anxiety, and solace. B. ritual, purification, and absolution. C. separation, liminality, and incorporation. D. aggregation, celebration, and liturgical orders. E. confusion, ecstasy, and nirvana.

Q: ________ frequently occurs during the liminal phase of a rite of passage. A. Reversals of ordinary behavior B. Intensification of social hierarchy C. Formation of an implicit ranking system D. Use of secular language E. Adherence to social norms

Q: The cargo cults of Melanesia predated the arrival of Europeans in the region.

Q: The cargo cults of Melanesia paved the way for the unified political action of indigenous communities.

Q: Totems are animals, plants, or geographical features from which members of a totemic group claim to be descended.

Q: According to Tylor, religion evolves through the sequence of A. olympianism, polytheism, monotheism. B. animism, polytheism, monotheism. C. mana, polytheism, monotheism. D. animism, cargo cult, monotheism. E. polytheism, animism, monotheism.

Q: ________ was one of the founders of the anthropology of religion. A. Emile Durkheim B. Anthony Wallace C. Victor Turner D. Edward B. Tylor E. Bronislaw Malinowski

Q: Polytheism refers to A. belief in a single, all-powerful god. B. the second stage of a revitalization movement. C. the third phase of a rite of passage. D. belief in a force that animates all living things. E. belief in multiple gods.

Q: All rituals occur in sacred contexts.

Q: ________ involves full-time religious specialists. A. Communal religion B. Shamanic religion C. Olympian religion D. Mana E. Taboo

Q: Belief in mana was especially prominent in A. the North Pacific Coast of North America. B. Madagascar. C. ancient Greece. D. Melanesia. E. sub-Saharan Africa.