Anthropology

• What are the two main categories of theoretical perspectives in anthropology?

  Agency Centered and Structure Centered
• What does agency-centered perspective emphasize in anthropology?

  It emphasizes the capacity of humans to determine and dictate their lives.
• How do agency-centered perspectives view the relationship between agency and structure?

  They argue that people can utilize their personal choice to overcome their structures.
• What is the definition of structure-centered perspective?

  It views social life as determined by structures beyond human control.
• What is the main idea of conflict-centered perspectives in anthropology?

  Society tends to disharmony because people have different interests.
• How does cohesion-centered perspective view society?

  It sees society as a unified whole where each person fulfills a specific role.
• Who is associated with the cohesion-centered perspective?

  Emile Durkheim
• What does diachronic perspective focus on in anthropology?

  It studies society in relation to its changes over time.
• What is the focus of synchronic perspective in anthropology?

  It attempts to explain society at a given time without accounting for change.
• How does particularist perspective differ from universalist perspective?

  Particularist perspective emphasizes understanding societies within their specific context.
• What is the goal of universalist perspectives in anthropology?

  To uncover commonalities between all cultures across all times.
• What do materialist perspectives emphasize in anthropology?

  They explain human experience through tangible objects and material conditions.
• What is the focus of idealist perspectives in anthropology?

  They emphasize the activities and categories of the human mind in shaping culture.
• How do structure-centered perspectives view social action?

  They view social action as determined by social and material context.
• What does the term "synchrony" refer to in anthropology?

  It refers to the occurrence of events at the same time in society.
• What is the difference between perspectives and theories in anthropology?

  Perspectives are concepts used to describe and analyze theories, not to explain phenomena.
• What are the reasons for using theoretical perspectives in social and cultural anthropology?

  1. Understanding and Explanation
  2. Research Framework
  3. Comparative Analysis
  4. Generalization and Prediction
  5. Critical Analysis
  6. Interdisciplinary Dialogue
  7. Policy and Advocacy
  8. Ethnographic Practice
  9. Historical and Temporal Analysis

  10. Cultural Relativism
• What is the main idea of functionalism in anthropology?

  Functionalism views society as consisting of institutions that serve vital purposes for people.
• How did Emile Durkheim contribute to the understanding of functionalism?

  He claimed that society functions properly only if its members experience solidarity.
• What is the organic analogy in Durkheim's functionalism?


  It compares society to an organism where each part contributes to the whole's survival.
• What are social facts according to Durkheim?

  Social facts are laws, morals, values, and customs that govern social life.
• What is the role of laws in society according to Durkheim?

  Laws serve to protect society from violence and punish criminal behavior.
• How did the French Sociological School influence functionalism?

  It provided the fundamental precedent to understand functionalism as a system of interrelated parts.
• What is the main focus of British functionalists?

  They explored the relationships among different institutions and how they function in society.
• What divided the school of functionalism into two camps?

  The question of whether institutions serve the interests of society or the individual.
• What is Durkheim's approach to society based on?

  Order as opposed to conflict
• What are some key vocabulary terms associated with Durkheim's approach?

  • Consensus
  • Connection
  • Attachment
  • Solidarity
  • Togetherness
  • Community
  • Unity
  • Integration
  • Wholeness
  • Common understanding
  • Shared norms and values
  • Belonging
• What does functionalism view society as consisting of?

  Institutions that serve vital purposes for people
• How did British functionalists differ from unilineal theorists?

  They explored relationships among different institutions rather than focusing on origins and evolution
• Who were the two prominent figures associated with British functionalism?

  1. R. Radcliffe-Brown and Bronislaw Malinowski
• What is structural functionalism associated with Radcliffe-Brown focused on?

  • Social structures reflected in institutions
  • Institutions function to perpetuate the survival of society
  • Economic, social, political, and religious institutions integrate society
• What did Radcliffe-Brown define as the function of any recurrent activity?

  The part it played in social life as a whole
• What is dynamic equilibrium in the context of Radcliffe-Brown's theory?

  A state where all parts of society work together to maintain stability
• How did Radcliffe-Brown suggest norms for specific behaviors promote stability?

  By shaping obligations among different people in kinship relationships
• What is psychological functionalism associated with Malinowski focused on?

  • How society serves the individual's interests or needs
  • Use of cultural norms to satisfy individual needs
  • Analysis of magic among the Trobriand Islanders
• How did Malinowski illustrate psychological functionalism through fishing practices?

  By showing reliance on magic in dangerous fishing situations
• What role does magic play according to Malinowski's analysis?

  It reduces internal anxieties and tensions in uncertain situations
• What major life events do cultural beliefs help individuals adapt to according to Malinowski?

  • Birth
  • Puberty
  • Marriage
  • Death
• How does religion help minimize disruption in social groups?

  By reinforcing solidarity among survivors and providing comfort regarding death
• Who was the first to systematize standard anthropological methodology?

  Bronislaw Malinowski