Bachelor of Social Science Anthropology Flashcards
7 cards from real BSocSc Bachelor of Social Science practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Bachelor of Social Science Anthropology flashcards as text
Which anthropological concept refers to the practice of studying a culture from the perspective of its own members rather than imposing outside frameworks?
Answer: Cultural relativism
Cultural relativism holds that a culture's beliefs and practices should be understood on their own terms, without external judgment.
In kinship terminology, what does a 'bilateral descent' system mean?
Answer: Descent traced equally through both parents' lines
Bilateral descent recognizes kin relationships through both the maternal and paternal lines equally, as is common in the United States.
Which of the following best describes the concept of 'liminality' as developed by Victor Turner?
Answer: An in-between threshold state during ritual transition
Liminality describes the ambiguous, transitional phase in a rite of passage where individuals are 'betwixt and between' social statuses.
What is 'participant observation' in ethnographic fieldwork?
Answer: Immersing oneself in daily community life while systematically recording observations
Participant observation involves living within a community, taking part in its activities, and systematically documenting behavior and meanings.
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (linguistic relativity) proposes that:
Answer: The language people speak shapes how they perceive and think about the world
Linguistic relativity argues that the structure and vocabulary of a language influence its speakers' worldview and cognitive categories.
Which term describes the process by which minority cultures gradually adopt elements of a dominant culture while retaining some of their own traits?
Answer: Acculturation
Acculturation refers to cultural change that occurs when two cultures come into sustained contact, with minorities often adopting dominant cultural elements.
In Clifford Geertz's interpretive anthropology, what does he mean by 'thick description'?
Answer: Interpreting the layered meanings and context behind cultural behaviors
Thick description involves not just recording what people do but interpreting the webs of significance and cultural context that give those actions meaning.