Chapter 1: The Essence of Anthropology Multiple Choice 1. Which of the following characteristics uniquely defines the anthropological approach? A. a concern with the study of humans B. a focus on human relationships and society C. a focus on humans as biological organisms D. a holistic perspective ANS: D TYPE: Conceptual PG: 3 2. The holistic anthropological perspective is expansive and inclusive and involves the study of human beings as: A. complex biological and cultural organisms B. interdependent cultural and social organisms C. interdependent psychological and biological organisms D. interconnected psychological and philosophical organisms ANS: A TYPE: Applied PG: 3 3. Which of the following is not a perspective of anthropology? A. a holistic perspective B. an ethnocentric perspective C. a cross-cultural perspective D. a long-term evolutionary perspective ANS: B Type: Conceptual PG: 3 4. One aspect that makes anthropology unique among social sciences is its traditional focus on: A. peoples of Caucasian and African descent B. European peoples C. non-Western peoples and cultures D. peasants and farmers ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 4 5. What perspective best helps guard most against culture-bound theories? A. a cross-cultural perspective B. a cross-cultural and long-term evolutionary perspective C. a long-term evolutionary and philosophical perspective D. all perspectives guard against culture-bound theories ANS: B TYPE: Conceptual PG: 4 6. What difference did Margaret Lock find between Japanese and North American perceptions of death? A. Japanese are more comfortable harvesting organs from those declared brain dead B. North Americans are more comfortable harvesting organs from those declared brain dead C. Japanese do not use human organ transplants D. North Americans do not classify people as brain dead ANS: B TYPE: Applied PG: 4 7. Individuals within all four subfields of Anthropology practice: A. ethnological anthropology B. applied anthropology C. development anthropology D. molecular anthropology ANS: B TYPE: Factual PG: 5 8. Which of the following is not a common practice within applied anthropology? A. collaboration between anthropologists and community members B. conducting research together as a team with community members C. solving specific problems D. involvement in issues of no practical value ANS: D TYPE: Applied PG: 5 9. Which of the following is not a characteristic of medical anthropology? A. brings together theoretical and applied approaches B. uses approaches from cultural and biological anthropology C. studies human sickness and health D. involves anthropologists who are sick ANS: D TYPE: Conceptual PG: 5 10. Another name for Cultural Anthropology is: A. sociology B. ethnology C. sociocultural anthropology D. ethnography ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 5 11. Which of the following describes how anthropologists study culture: A. anthropologists study individuals who are more "cultured" than others B. anthropologists study a society's shared and socially transmitted ideas C. anthropologists grow microbial organisms D. anthropologists do not study culture ANS: B Type: Applied PG: 5 12. The detailed description of a particular culture primarily based on fieldwork is called: A. ethnology B. ethnography C. forensic anthropology D. molecular anthropology ANS: B TYPE: Factual PG: 7 13. Location research is also known as: A. cultural resource management B. ethnology C. fieldwork D. site research ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 7 14. Participant observation: A. is the common term used for the ethnographic method B. is a common cross-cultural ritual C. is not used in anthropology D. is only used in chemistry ANS: A Type: Factual PG: 7 15. Which of the following best describes ethnology? A. cross-cultural comparative research B. detailed description of a particular culture C. study of customary patterns in human behavior D. participant observation research ANS: A TYPE: Conceptual PG: 7 16. All of the following are approaches that linguistic anthropologists may take except: A. studying the way languages change over time B. describing the way that a language is formed C. analyzing which languages are superior D. studying the relation between language and culture ANS: C TYPE: Applied PG: 8 17. All of the following are features of discourse studied by sociolinguists except: A. physical and psychological setting B. social rules C. purpose D. anatomy ANS: D TYPES: Conceptual PG: 9 18. Archaeology is the study of: A. human material remains and environmental data B. human fossils C. human skeletal remains D. ancient written documents ANS: A TYPE: Factual PG: 10 19. Shallow, restricted concentrations of charcoal commonly indicate: A. hunting sites B. food processing sites C. farming sites D. religious sites ANS: B TYPE: Conceptual PG: 10 20. The term "prehistory" refers to a period in which: A. people had no means of recording their thoughts B. there was no written record C. people had no history D. humans had not yet diverged from the primate line ANS: B TYPE: Conceptual PG: 10 21. The study of mummified skeletal remains providing evidence of early surgery is an example of: A. the garbage project B. bioarchaeology C. sociology D. ethnology ANS: B TYPE: Conceptual PG: 10 22. The Garbage Project is an example of: A. ethnoarchaeology B. contemporary anthropology C. ethnology D. ethnography ANS: B TYPE: Applied PG: 10-11 23. All of the following are important aspects of study in the Garbage Project except: A. how to decrease consumption levels in the United States population B. testing the validity of survey techniques C. understanding the differences between what people say and what they actually do D. understanding contemporary social issues affecting a United States population ANS: A TYPE: Conceptual PG: 10-11 24. Which of the following is not a federal act that provided the basis for Cultural Resource Management work in archaeology? A. National Preservation of Historic and Prehistoric Places Act of 1984 B. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 C. Historic Preservation Act of 1966 D. Archaeological and Historical Preservation Act of 1974 ANS: A TYPE: Factual PG: 11 25. All of the following are characteristics of the study of physical anthropology except: A. primatology B. human adaptation C. human growth and development D. ethnology ANS: D Type: Factual PG: 12 26. Molecular anthropology is the anthropological study of: A. atoms and molecules B. genes C. language D. exchange networks ANS: B TYPE: Factual PG: 11 27. Paleoanthropology can best be described as the study of: A. Paleolithic hunters B. genetic commonalities among the primates C. early human tool-making D. human evolution ANS: D TYPE: Factual PG: 11 28. How is paleoanthropology unique among evolutionary studies? A. it takes a biocultural approach B. it focuses on non-human primates C. it traces the biological relationships between different human species D. it considers humans to be primates and related to monkeys ANS: A TYPE: Conceptual PG: 12 29. Genetic analysis indicates that the first human ancestors originated: A. 10-15 million years ago B. 7-10 million years ago C. 5-8 million years ago D. 2-5 million years ago ANS: C Type: Factual PG: 12 30. Which of the following is not studied by primatologists? A. living and fossil primates B. socio-economic status C. primate anatomy D. tool use ANS: B Type: Factual PG: 12 31. Anthropologists commonly study the basis of healthy human growth among living populations through all of the following except: A. physiology B. genetics C. hormonal development D. linguistics ANS: D TYPE: Applied PG: 12-13 32. Franz Boas found that one of the major differences between first-generation immigrants to the United States and their children was in the area of: A. education levels B. earning potential and access to resources C. height D. communicable diseases ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 12-13 33. The enlargement of the right heart ventricle among Quechua Indians is an adaptation to: A. cold weather B. high altitude C. poor nutrition D. farming ANS: B TYPE: Applied PG: 7 34. Short-term biological changes in response to particular environmental stimuli are referred to as: A. cultural adaptations B. environmental adaptations C. physiological adaptations D. biosocial adaptations ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 13 35. The identification of human skeletal remains is the primary focus of: A. criminology B. physical anthropology C. molecular anthropology D. forensic anthropology ANS: D TYPE: Factual PG: 13-14 36. The relationships between a forensic anthropologist and a forensic archaeologist can be likened to that between: A. a coroner and a pathologist B. a forensic crime investigator and a funeral director C. a forensic pathologist and a crime scene investigator D. a police investigator and a crime scene investigator ANS: C TYPE: Conceptual PG: 14 37. Which of the following individuals is a well-known forensic anthropologist? A. Clyde Snow B. Margaret Lock C. William Haviland D. Franz Boas ANS: A TYPE: Factual PG: 14-15 38. Applied physical anthropologists routinely use their expertise in all of the following areas except: A. public health B. gross anatomy laboratories C. the study of primates D. criminal investigations ANS: C TYPE: Applied PG: 14-15 39. What most distinguishes anthropology from other sciences is: A. its focus on humans as the central topic of study B. its use of biological data C. its use of social observations D. the diversity of ways in which scientific research is conducted ANS: D TYPE: Conceptual PG: 15 40. What does it mean to say that "Anthropology is an empirical science"? A. it focuses on the study of humans B. it works with hypotheses based on intuition C. it is based on observations D. it involves both qualitative and quantitative methods ANS: C TYPE: Conceptual PG: 16 41. What are the basic ingredients of science according to the authors? A. creativity and imagination B. imagination and skepticism C. skepticism and creativity D. rationalism and imagination ANS: B TYPE: Applied PG: 16 42. An explanation supported by a reliable body of data is called a: A. hypothesis B. law C. theory D. fact ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 16 43. What must cultural anthropologists do in fieldwork? A. step out of their own cultural comfort zone B. pretend they are a member of the society they are visiting C. collaborate with international teams working in the same area D. distort the data to fit their preconceived ideas since others are unlikely to visit the same remote location ANS: A TYPE: Conceptual PG: 16-17 44. All of the following are archaeological and paleoanthropological methods except: A. analyzing artifacts B. analyzing material culture C. processing fossils D. doing oral life histories ANS: D Type: Conceptual PG: 20 45. The preserved remains of plants and animals that have lived in the past are called: A. fossils B. artifacts C. casts D. mummies ANS: A TYPE: Factual PG: 20 46. The areas in which archaeologists work are known as: A. fields B. grids C. composites D. sites ANS: D TYPE: Factual PG: 20 47. Physical remains dating to _____ million years ago are found with associated cultural remains. A. 7.0 B. 5.5 C. 3.0 D. 2.5 ANS: D TYPE: Factual PG: 20 48. The prehistoric refuse mounds found along coastal areas in North America were known as: A. dumps B. pits C. middens D. soil marks ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 21 49. The datum point is established in relation to the: A. physical surface of an area B. location of water C. grid system D. midden ANS: C TYPE: Conceptual PG: 21 50. If you cannot determine the exact age of an artifact, but you know by its composition that it is older than a known date, the dating technique used is called: A. chronometric dating B. relative dating C. superimposition D. absolute dating ANS: B TYPE: Applied PG: 22 51. Which of the following is a relative date? A. seriation B. potassium argon C. uranium series D. radiocarbon ANS: A TYPE: Factual PG: 22 52. Which form of dating involves the comparison of tree ring growth? A. faunal and floral series B. electron spin resonance C. dendrochronology D. fission track ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 23 53. If an ethnographic researcher shares stories with informants in order to exemplify the type of data he or she would like to collect, it is the use of a/an: A. eliciting device B. informal interview C. key consultant D. grid system ANS: A TYPE: Applied PG: 24 54. Why do ethnographers frequently utilize key consultants? A. these individuals know everything about the culture being studied B. key consultants are the anthropologists' best friends at all times C. key consultants spend time with ethnographers and provide explanations D. the key consultants are cultural informants who are willing to tell secrets ANS: C TYPE: Conceptual PG: 24 55. What is the primary advantage of using a comparative approach in anthropology? A. it allows researchers to determine which culture is superior B. it provides a broader basis for drawing general conclusions about humans C. it generates data on the fieldworker's own culture only D. all of the above ANS: B TYPE: Conceptual PG: 24 56. What is the name of the organization that oversees a code of ethics for anthropological research? A. United States Ethics Commission B. National Committee of Anthropological Research C. American Anthropological Association D. International Association of Anthropologists ANS: C TYPE: Factual PG: 26 57. One of the key causes of ethnic and religious conflict is: A. lack of education B. family background C. geographical location D. globalization ANS: D TYPE: Applied PG: 26-27 True/False 58. Anthropologists can be considered synthesizers. ANS: True TYPE: Conceptual PG: 3 59. A North American researcher disapproving of Japanese resistance to organ transplantation is an example of culture-bound theory. ANS: True TYPE: Applied PG: 4 60. A Japanese researcher disapproving of North Americans harvesting organs from individuals declared brain dead is an example of a culture-bound theory. ANS: True TYPE: Applied PG: 4 61. Anthropologist Elizabeth Guillette's study of the effects of pesticide exposure on children's performance of normal childhood activities in a Yaqui village in northern Mexico is an example of applied medical anthropology. ANS: True Type: Applied PG: 6 62. Participant observation means that the anthropologist should be involved in everything that a cultural group does in order to study them. ANS: False TYPE: Conceptual PG: 7 63. An ethnographer may work among stock brokers in New York City. ANS: True TYPE: Applied PG: 7 64. Only apes have a language as complex as human language. ANS: False TYPE: Conceptual PG: 8 65. Linguistic Anthropologists are interested in both spoken and written language. ANS: True TYPE: Applied PG: 8 66. Archaeology deals with a much greater time span than the other subfields of the discipline. ANS: False Type: Factual PG: 10 67. When available, historical documents are always preferred to the study of material remains. ANS: False TYPE: Conceptual PG: 10 68. The anthropological study of genes and genetic relationships is known as Genetic Anthropology. ANS: False TYPE: Factual PG: 11 69. Primatology is the study of living and fossil primates. ANS: True TYPE: Factual PG: 12 70. All primate species are endangered today. ANS: False TYPE: Factual PG: 12 71. NAGPRA is an acronym that stands for Native American Graves Protection and Return Act. ANS: False TYPE: Factual PG: 12 72. Studies of growth and development can provide data on the evolutionary history of humans. ANS: True TYPE: Conceptual PG: 12-13 73. All humans are members of the same species. ANS: True TYPE: Factual PG: 13 74. Anthropologists use both qualitative and quantitative research methods. ANS: True TYPE: Factual PG: 16 75. The fact that anthropologists gather data for testing makes it an empirical science. ANS: True TYPE: Conceptual PG: 16 76. Anthropologists do not have any biases or assumptions about the different groups they work with. ANS: False Type: Conceptual PG: 17 77. Any object made by humans is classified as an artifact. ANS: True TYPE: Factual PG: 20 78. Most living organisms eventually become fossils. ANS: False TYPE: Conceptual PG: 20 79. Archaeologists use only absolute dating techniques to date fossils. ANS: False TYPE: Factual PG: 22 80. Anthropology is well equipped to grapple with globalization. ANS: True TYPE: Conceptual PG: 26 Fill in the Blank 81. Theories based on assumptions about the world and reality that come from the researcher's own particular culture are referred to as ______________ theories. ANS: culture-bound TYPE: Factual PG: 4 82. __________ anthropology can be used to solve practical problems. ANS: Applied TYPE: Conceptual PG: 5 83. Comparative cross-cultural research is called _______________. ANS: ethnology TYPE: Factual PG: 7 84. The slang words used by North Americans to refer to money -such as dough, greenback, dust and loot--could be a product of _______________. ANS: linguistic relativity Type: Conceptual PG: 9 85. The study of material remains in order to describe and explain human behavior is known as _______________. ANS: archaeology TYPE: Factual PG: 10 86. The period of time before the advent of the written record is known as _______________. ANS: prehistory TYPE: Factual PG: 10 87. The Garbage Project is an example of contemporary _______________. ANS: archaeology TYPE: Applied PG: 10 88. In the United States, most archaeological fieldwork is carried out as __________ . ANS: cultural resource management TYPE: Factual PG: 11 89. Human evolutionary studies are also known as _________________. ANS: paleoanthropology TYPE: Factual PG: 12 90. Biologically, humans are considered to be __________. ANS: apes TYPE: Factual PG: 12 91. Physical anthropologists examine the biological mechanisms of growth as well as the impact of ________________ on the growth process. ANS: environment TYPE: Applied PG: 13 92. A tentative explanation is known as a/an: _______________. ANS: hypothesis TYPE: Factual PG: 16 93. The standards by which societies operate are also called its __________. ANS: culture TYPE: Conceptual PG: 16 94. Any object fashioned by humans is known as a(n) _______________. ANS: artifact TYPE: Factual PG: 20 95. A midden is a _______________. ANS: prehistoric refuse mound TYPE: Factual PG: 21 96. In archaeology, dating is most frequently expressed with the acronym "bp" which stands for _______________. ANS: before present TYPE: Factual PG: 22 97. Open-ended conversations in ethnographic research are called _______________. ANS: informal interviews TYPE: Factual PG: 24 98. The worldwide interconnectedness of natural resources, trade goods, human labor, finance capital, information, and infectious diseases is _______________. ANS: globalization TYPE: Factual PG: 26 99. Politically organized territories that are internationally recognized are called _______________. ANS: states TYPE: Factual PG: 28 Short Answer 100. How would you define a holistic perspective? ANS: A focus on interconnections and interdependence of all aspects of the human experience in all places, including biological and cultural, in the present and deep into the past. PG: 3 TYPE: Applied 101. Compare the different beliefs about the body in reference to harvesting organs in North America and Japan? ANS: In North America the body is viewed as a machine that can be repaired making the practice of organ transplantation acceptable. Here the body and the mind are separate. By contrast, in Japan, a person's identity is located throughout the body making organ transplantation less acceptable. PG: 4 TYPE: Applied 102. Name the four fields of Anthropology. ANS: Physical Anthropology, Archaeology, Linguistic Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology PG: 4 TYPE: Factual 103. What are the two main components of Cultural Anthropology? ANS: The two main components are ethnography and ethnology. PG: 7 TYPE: Factual 104. How do linguistic anthropologists contribute to our understanding of the human past? ANS: They do studies of genealogical relationships among language speakers and their spatial distributions over time, estimating how long speakers of those languages have lived where they do. PG: 8 TYPE: Conceptual 105. What is Cultural Resource Management? ANS: It is a specialty within archaeology involving excavation, documentation and preservation of the country's prehistoric and historic heritage required by state and federal laws. PG: 11 TYPE: Factual 106. Why is it important to study other non-human primates? ANS: We learn scientifically grounded perspectives on behavior of our early ancestors, appreciation for our closest living relatives, and greater understanding of what makes humans unique. PG: 12 TYPE: Conceptual 107. What kinds of information can forensic anthropologists gather from human skeletal remains? ANS: Sex, age, handedness, population affiliation, existing trauma, stature PG: 14 TYPE: Applied 108. What is reflexivity and why do anthropologists utilize it? ANS: They use self-reflection as a part of their observations in order to constantly check for their own biases and assumptions while they work. PG: 17 TYPE: Conceptual 109. What kinds of things can be considered material culture? ANS: Material culture refers to the durable aspects of culture and can include anything from tools, the remains of a house, to a cell phone as long it is given some kind of meaning by humans. PG: 20 TYPE: Applied 110. Distinguish between absolute and relative dating as used in paleoanthropology and archaeology.