ANTH Anthropological Theory and Methods 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What 19th-century anthropological theory held that all cultures evolve through the same universal stages from savagery to civilization?
- Unilineal evolutionism (Correct answer)
- Multilinear evolutionism
- Social Darwinism
- Diffusionism
Correct answer: Unilineal evolutionism
Unilineal evolutionism, associated with Lewis Henry Morgan and Edward Tylor, proposed that all societies pass through fixed stages: savagery, barbarism, and civilization.
Question 2: Which theoretical approach, developed by Marvin Harris, argues that material conditions (technology, environment, economy) primarily determine cultural practices?
- Cultural materialism (Correct answer)
- Historical particularism
- Symbolic anthropology
- Poststructuralism
Correct answer: Cultural materialism
Cultural materialism argues that infrastructure (technology and economy) shapes social structure and ideology, prioritizing material conditions in cultural explanation.
Question 3: What method involves comparing data across many societies to identify cross-cultural patterns and test hypotheses about human behavior?
- Cross-cultural comparative method (Correct answer)
- Ethnographic fieldwork
- Historical particularism
- Genealogical method
Correct answer: Cross-cultural comparative method
The cross-cultural comparative method uses databases like the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) to systematically compare cultural traits across societies.
Question 4: Which feminist anthropologist challenged male-centered accounts of human evolution with the 'Woman the Gatherer' model?
- Sally Slocum (Correct answer)
- Margaret Mead
- Ruth Benedict
- Sherry Ortner
Correct answer: Sally Slocum
Sally Slocum's 1975 essay 'Woman the Gatherer' critiqued androcentric 'Man the Hunter' narratives by emphasizing women's gathering activities in early human subsistence.
Question 5: In anthropology, 'reflexivity' refers to:
- The practice of examining how the researcher's own identity and position influence the research process (Correct answer)
- The ability of cultural practices to adapt and change over time
- The process of returning to a field site for follow-up research
- Comparing findings across multiple field sites
Correct answer: The practice of examining how the researcher's own identity and position influence the research process
Reflexivity requires researchers to critically examine how their own cultural background, power position, and subjectivity shape their observations and interpretations.
Question 6: What term describes the theoretical approach that examines how culture is reproduced and transformed through everyday practice and habit, associated with Pierre Bourdieu?
- Practice theory (Correct answer)
- Agency theory
- Praxis anthropology
- Performativity theory
Correct answer: Practice theory
Practice theory, developed by Pierre Bourdieu (and also Anthony Giddens), focuses on how human agency and social structure mutually constitute each other through everyday practices.
ANTH Anthropological Theory and Methods 2
What 19th-century anthropological theory held that all cultures evolve through the same universal stages from savagery to civilization?