ANT 234 Family, Kin & Groups Week 1 Quiz

All correct

Question 1. 1. To understand the practice of virginity testing in Turkey, one must first understand: (Points : 1)

        how Turkish villagers understand the reproductive process.

        the role of in-laws in the family structure.

        the history of the Ottoman Empire.

        the role of women in the Turkish family.

Question 2. 2. According to the anthropologist Paco Underhill, what factor most influences U.S. shoppers’ positive or negative experiences? (Points : 1)

        The products available in the store

        The spatial organization of a store

        Their perceived waiting times in the store.

        The prices of items in the store.

Question 3. 3. What makes cultural anthropology different from other forms of social science research? (Points : 1)

        The use of surveys

        The use of fieldwork and participant observation

        A focus on qualitative research

        The use of opinion polls         

Question 4. 4. Why do human rights activists usually reject moral and cultural relativism? (Points : 1)

        They have little interest in other societies and cultures.

        Their main focus is on international law.

        Relativism assumes that there is a universally accepted value system.

        Relativism requires observers to accept all values and practices.

Question 5. 5. Nancy Scheper-Hughes argues that anthropologists must: (Points : 1)

        strive to be as objective as possible.

        be critically grounded, morally engaged, and politically committed.

        not delve into local politics while engaging in research.

        try to maintain the idea of moral relativism.

Question 6. 6. The relativistic fallacy is the notion that: (Points : 1)

        certain cultural values are morally superior to others.

        the values of more traditional cultures are more humane than the values of industrial societies.

        one cannot make moral or ethical judgments about the beliefs or practices found in other cultures.

        it is impossible to not think your own values are better than other values.

Question 7. 7. What does it mean to view culture as a form of text? (Points : 1)

        This is a way to learn the underlying facts about foreign practices.

        This is a way of understanding the symbols associated with cultural practices and performances.

        This is a way of reducing the study of other cultures to books and articles.

        This is a way of avoiding the relativistic fallacy.             

Question 8. 8. According to Clifford Geertz, people impose meaning on their actions and experiences because: (Points : 1)

        without these, all actions and experiences would appear to be pointless and emotional.

        our brains compel us to do so.

        otherwise, they would be unsure of how to act.

        without such meanings outsiders would be unable to understand these experiences.

Question 9. 9. People differ in how they view the world because: (Points : 1)

        they live in different geographical locations.

        religions have different views of the world.

        cultures and hence cultural norms differ.

        of biological differences.

Question 10. 10. By examining the “Happy Meal” advertised by one fast-food chain, anthropologists can, among other things: (Points : 1)

        draw broad conclusions about American tastes in food.

        deduce how much our consumption patterns create waste and environmental damage.

        provide insights into industrial and agricultural history and gender roles.

        none of these

Question 11. 11. The chairs in a classroom are: (Points : 1)

        a traditional feature of higher education.

        an example of technology in the classroom.

        designed to place students in a specific posture.

        provided for student safety and comfort.

Question 12. 12. What can we learn from the anthropologist Richard Scaglion’s failed attempt to explain Newton’s law of gravity to his Abelam friends in Papua New Guinea? (Points : 1)

        In trying to explain the concept, we need a textbook.

        His audience had no science background and hence could not understand the concept.

        We might not actually understand much of what we take as scientific fact in our society.

        Newton’s law did not apply in this context.

Question 13. 13. Cannibalism is a practice historically found only in non-European societies. (Points : 1)

        True

        False

Question 14. 14. The common life events that all people experience differ mainly in the: (Points : 1)

        languages used to explain these events.

        meanings people give to these events.

        geographical locations in which these events occur.

        ways certain families explain and experience these events.

Question 15. 15. Sati is the practice of a widow burning herself on her husband’s funeral pyre in India. (Points : 1)

        True

        False

Question 16. 16. A warrior in Papua New Guinea who has a nose ornament can readily understand piercing-for-beauty in the Western world. (Points : 1)

        True

        False

Question 17. 17. Human attitudes toward death are generally similar. (Points : 1)

        True

        False

Question 18. 18. To assert that a man from a different society dressed in ceremonial attire looks odd demonstrates the ethnocentric fallacy. (Points : 1)

        True

        False

Question 19. 19. A relativist position assumes that a specific belief or behavior can best be understood: (Points : 1)

        in relation to other cultures with similar beliefs and behaviors.

        by finding a similar belief or behavior in your own culture.

        by dissecting and analyzing its structure and meaning.

        in relation to the cultural systems of meaning in which it is embedded.

Question 20. 20. In reading American football as a cultural text, it seems that Americans feel about football the same way they feel about: (Points : 1)

        the workplace.

        war.

        marriage.

        death.