ANTH Environmental and Ecological Anthropology

Question 1

What subfield of anthropology examines the relationships between human cultures and their natural environments?

Accepted Answer

Ecological anthropology

Answer

Environmental sociology

Answer

Human geography

Answer

Biocultural anthropology

Question 2

Julian Steward's concept of 'cultural ecology' emphasized that:

Accepted Answer

The natural environment is a primary driver shaping core cultural features

Answer

All cultures are equally adapted to their environments

Answer

Human cultures universally dominate and reshape their environments

Answer

Cultural practices determine how people perceive their environments

Question 3

What term describes the detailed, locally developed knowledge that indigenous peoples have about their local environment, species, and ecological processes?

Accepted Answer

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)

Answer

Ethnobiology

Answer

Indigenous science

Answer

Folk taxonomy

Question 4

The concept of a society's 'cultural niche construction' refers to:

Accepted Answer

How organisms, including humans, modify their environments to create ecological niches

Answer

The cultural practices that define a group's identity and social position

Answer

The ecological zone occupied by a particular cultural group

Answer

The process of adapting cultural practices to new environments

Question 5

What approach in environmental anthropology argues that local communities should be recognized as primary stewards of natural resources rather than states or corporations?

Accepted Answer

Environmental justice framework

Answer

Political ecology

Answer

Common property theory

Answer

Sustainable development

Question 6

What is 'political ecology' in anthropology?

Accepted Answer

The study of how political and economic forces shape environmental conditions and access to resources

Answer

The anthropological analysis of green politics and environmental movements

Answer

The ecology of political institutions in traditional societies

Answer

The study of how environmental conditions shape political systems