CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

PREPARATION FOR FINAL EXAM

PART 1 – MCQs:
1. In anthropology, holism ________.
a) approaches the mind, body, society, and environment as whole and distinct influences on
the human condition
b) applies only to the study of the individual, not to society in general
c) considers human nature as the result of co-evolution
d) is a perspective on the human condition that incorporates religious elements
2. The anthropological perspective is considered "evolutionary" because ________.
a) the study of anthropology requires that anthropologists believe in Darwin's theory of
evolution
b) it requires that anthropologists place their observations in a framework that considers
change over time
c) anthropologists believe human nature is the result of co-evolution
d) anthropology studies the evolution of cultures
3. Franz Boas is known for ________.
a) classifying people into different races according to their "superior"• or "inferior"
attributes
b) studying the indigenous peoples of the Canadian west coast
c) his commitment to the perspective of cultural relativism
d) both B and C
4. Anthropological fieldwork ________.
a) typically results in an ethnography
b) is the main data-collection method of cultural anthropologists
c) involves elements of reciprocity and reflexivity
d) all of the above
5. An anthropologist who believes that human beings are born with no fixed essence would be
classified as a(n) ________.
a) idealist
b) essentialist
c) materialist
 d) socialist
6. ________ are attributes that make human beings distinct in the way they learn and interact
with the world.
a) Complex brains capable of symbolic thought and prehensile hands
b) Stereoscopic colour vision and prehensile hands
c) Bipedalism and complex brains capable of symbolic thought
d) Stereoscopic colour vision and complex brains capable of symbolic thought
7. ________ is NOT one of the Potts's three elements that made human culture possible.
a) Complex symbolic representation
b) Institutional development
c) Bipedalism
d) Symbolic coding
8. Transmission and reiteration are ________.
a) two modes of cultural transference
b) two of Potts's five foundations of culture
c) two methods of language acquisition
d) two ways to study for an anthropology exam
9. In the culture/cultures debate, ________.
a) anthropologists agree that it has been resolved
b) cultural anthropologists disagree with applied anthropologists
c) some anthropologists believe we should eliminate the use of both terms
d) some anthropologists want to create a single definition that encompasses both terms
10. Most anthropologists view human beings as ________.
a) biocultural organisms
b) strictly biological organisms
c) strictly cultural organisms
d) none of the above
11. ________ sets anthropology as a discipline apart from sociology.
a) The use of quantitative data
b) Clinical work
c) Comparative research
d) The use of surveys
12. Anthropologists reject the use of the terms ________.
a) race, civilized, and primitive
 b) culture, adaptive, and learned
c) symbolic, shared, and patterned
d) foreign, historic, and antiquated
13. ________ is a recorded and/or written description of a particular group.
a) Etymology
b) Primatology
c) Ethnography
d) Biography
14. Humans often make sense of their world through the use of ________.
a) rules
b) definitions
c) perspectives
d) symbols
15. Even within a single cultural tradition, the meaning of an object may differ depending on
________.
a) cost
b) size
c) context
d) colour
16. In early theories that gave rise to anthropology, what is meant by dualism?
a) That there are always two answers to any question.
b) That reality consists of two equal and irreducible forces.
c) That two theories are required to prove something.
d) That most cultures are built on two dominant principles.
17. Why do some biological anthropologists want to study nonhuman primates?
a) Because they are the closest living nonhuman relatives of human beings.
b) Because their behaviour is so close to human hunter gatherers.
c) Because they are in the process of evolving into primitive human beings.
d) Because there are patterns of sex and gender identity are the same as human beings.
18. If many people within a particular culture seem ethnocentric an anthropologist might think
that it was ________.
a) unusual, as most humans will naturally embrace cultural differences
b) because of a not very highly evolved culture
c) probably the result of male political dominance
 d) relatively normal as all people feel most comfortable within their own culture and
language group
19. What do anthropologists mean by human agency?
a) The capitalist system of contracts whereby one person represents another.
b) The capacity and ability to exercise some control over one's life.
c) Organizations that find and adopt orphan children.
d) The ability to act in the place of another.
20. Which statement best reflects how anthropologists view the role of history in theory?
a) Anthropologists agree that all cultural development happened in a historical sequence.
b) Anthropologists agree that each society develops without any reference to its history.
c) Some anthropologists embrace a historical perspective on culture while others reject it.
d) Some anthropologists see the effect of history as circular and repetitive in all cultures.
21. In addition to the traditional four subfields of anthropology which of the following two
focuses might often be associated with more than one of the four subfields?
a) Paleography and ethology.
b) Medical and applied anthropology.
c) Political anthropology in criminology.
d) Feminist and Marxist anthropology.
22. Will which of the four subfields of anthropology has the most concern with material culture
and technology?
a) Cultural anthropology.
b) Biological anthropology.
c) Anthropological linguistics.
d) Archaeology.
23. Some cultural anthropologists use ethnology as a research method and perspective. What
does an ethnologist do with cultural data?
a) They take a comparative approach to understanding cultural institutions and data.
b) They record and write down facts about elements of culture.
c) They compare human cultural motivation with the instincts of animals.
d) They apply their research findings to real-world problems.
24. How is paleoanthropology different than paleontology?
a) Paleoanthropology is influenced by Marxist anthropology while paleontology is not.
b) Paleontology has a cultural focus while paleoanthropology's focus is biological.
c) Paleoanthropology looks for the earliest human remains while paleontology looks at the
earliest nonhuman animal remains.
 d) Paleontology is not concerned with dating animal remains while paleoanthropology is
concerned with dating human remains.
25. One practical application of linguistic anthropology is to ___________ .
a) determine the relative superiority or inferiority of languages
b) to record and transcribe unknown, non-Western languages
c) teach people European languages to enhance their ability to communicate
d) design communication systems for the functionally deaf
26. Which of the following best characterizes the idea of a cultural pattern?
a) The behaviour and ideas that members of the specific society repeatedly pass on to one
another in the present and across generations.
b) The ideals of belief and behaviour preached by the dominant religious institutions.
c) The ideals of culture represented in dramatic plays and movies.
d) The parts of culture that are the same in every society.
27. Thinking about why and how one thinks about specific things is known as reciprocity.
a) True
b) False
28. Humans and apes share the ability to use symbolic coding, that is, using symbols to represent
elements of reality.
a) True
b) False
29. In extreme cases, cultural relativism can result in discrimination to the point of genocide.
a) True
b) False
30. The concept of co-evolution belongs to the holistic perspective on human nature.
a) True
b) False
31. Cultural anthropology is also known as social anthropology.
a) True
b) False
32. Informants, those who provide anthropologists with insights into their way of life, can also be
known as teachers, consultants, and friends.
a) True
b) False
33. Primates have not shown any signs of possessing culture.
a) True
 b) False
34. The elements that make up "traditional culture"• are adaptable and constantly changing.
a) True
b) False
35. Paleoanthropology is a discipline of archeology.
a) True
b) False
36. The comparative aspect of anthropology seeks to compare different human societies in order
to rank them.
a) True
b) False
37. Sociology and anthropology share in common many theoretical and philosophical
perspectives.
a) True
b) False
38. With mass education, ethnocentrism is no longer considered a problem in Western countries.
a) True
b) False
39. Cultural relativism means accepting every human belief and behaviour in every other society
that one may encounter.
a) True
b) False
40. Cultural evolution works through natural selection as Darwinian evolution does.
a) True
b) False
41. Medical anthropologists are concerned with both cultural and biological aspects of disease.
a) True
b) False
42. Edward B. Tylor came up with one of the earliest useful definitions of culture in 1871.
a) True
b) False
43. Material culture exists outside of the realm of symbols in all cultures.
a) True
b) False
44. Some early anthropological theorists believe that one had to ignore history as a factor in
understanding the workings of culture and society.
 a) True
b) False
45. The concept of culture became quite contested and debated in anthropology by the 1990s.
a) True
b) False
46. Every day, habitual, social behaviour is not really part of culture.
a) True
b) False
47. A symbol will always convey the same meaning within a particular culture.
a) True
b) False

48. Anthropologists see art as all the ideas, forms, techniques, and strategies that humans use
to do what?
A. To describe what they think
B. To memorize the culture of the moments they create art
C. To memorize the society of creativity and inspiration
D. To communicate their creativity and inspiration

49. Cooking and building, fashion and oratory, decorating and dressing, and sewing and play
are all ________ through which artists and audiences communicate.
A. Media
B. Art
C. Lifestyle
D. Living art

50. Cross-cultural research leads anthropologists to argue that appreciation of art is acquired
through what social vector?

A. Acculturation
B. Enculturation
C. Cultural loss
D. Globalization
51. What is reflected in decisions about what is displayed as fine art?
A. Social cleavage
B. Social status
C. Wealth and power stratification
 D. Education and Lifestyle
52. Art in Western traditions is often associated with notions of what kind of culture?
A. High

53. Early anthropologists played an important role in the acquisition of art that came from
Oceania, Africa, and Latin America. What was it referred to at that time?
A. Primatology
B. Primitive art
C. Primary art
D. Pre-requisite art

54. The presentation of local art on the global scale may provide not only a means of
economic activity but also a venue to do what?
A. Assert local cultural identity in the face of rapid change
B. Assert local cultural identity to localise global art
C. Assert local cultural identity to ce
55. ______________ is creative word use on display that includes stories, myths, legends,
tales, poetry, metaphor.
A. Visual art
B. Verbal art
C. Musical art
D. None of these above

56. What form of technology emerged in the twentieth century as a dominant form of global
communication, impacting art and art production?

A. Computer art
B. Internet
C. Adobe Photoshop
D. 3D Art
57. What do ethnomusicologists study?
A. The music of the world, and music as an aspect of culture and society
B. The music of a particular community to record its culture and activities
C. The music of a local community to describe its culture and society
D. Any type of music.
58. You know things now that you did not know before this class; your world view has
changed. You now must:
A. World view will change again. You don’t have to do anything.
B. Make a corresponding change in the world.
 C. Change your beliefs but no need to change behavior
D. None of these above.
59. What is one of the crucial aspects of the anthropological approach to understanding art?
A. Displaying art to determine its economic value
B. Displaying art with detailed reference to its original context
C. Displaying art and match it with relevant historical context
D. None of these above.
60. According to the archaeological record, how old is evidence of human artistic
expression?
A. 100,000 years
B. 1,000,000 years
C. 100,000,000 years
D. None of these above
61. ________________ are stories that recount the deeds of supernatural powers and cultural
heroes in the past.
A. Legends
B. Epics
C. Myths
D. Tales
62. Idea that emotional or affective satisfactions people gain from religion are primary in
interpreting religion. This theory of religion is:
A. Sociological approach
B. Psychological approach
C. Intellectual/ Cognitive approach
D. None of these above
63. Which political organization closely links to nations?
A. Band B. State C. Chiefdom D. Tribe
64. Most …. are egalitarian
A. Bands
B. Secondary groups
C. Chiefdoms
D. States
65. Social control has 3 aspects: …………, social order, and punishment of offenses
A. conflict resolution B. peer control C. economic development D. entertainment
66. Social structure consists of institutions, social groups, statuses and …
A. Families B. companies C. laws D. roles
67. Government by divine guidance means …
A. theocracy b. Heredity rule c. Feudalism d. democracy
68. Ramadan is the fasting month of …
A. Buddhism
B. Islam
C. Judaism
 D. Christianity
69. Beef-eating is a taboo of …
A. Christianity
B. Buddhism
C. Islam
D. Hinduism
70. Where does the Pope reside in 21st Century?
A. Greece
B. Vatican
C. France
D. Italy
71. Which city is the birthplace of the three biggest world religions?
A. Athens
B. Cairo
C. Mecca
D. Jerusalem
72. Which country has the biggest Mahayana Buddhist community?
A. Vietnam
B. China
C. Thailand
D. Japan
73. Blood or consanguinal ties are the most common way we experience kinship. Our "kin"
is often taken to mean a brother or sister. Marriage, however, changes all of that.
Anthropologists refer to kinship established by marriage as _________________.
A. An affinal relationship
B. A family relationship
C. An acquaintanceship
D. A romatic relationship

74. Different cultures define kinship differently. Common to many is the idea that kinship
helps everyone recognize who is related to who, which helps maintain the integrity of the
incest taboo. In addition, nearly every culture includes an explicit understanding of how
kinship confers rights around matters such as inheritance. More subtly, and often not
made explicit in the defining of kinship, are _________________
A. Bonds among relatives
B. Blood relationship
C. Close relations
D. Expectations placed on different relatives, such as mothers, fathers,
uncles, etc.
75. For most societies, until quite recently, a marriage was done to meet social obligations.
Only recently has love and pleasure become a reason to marry. Anthropology refers to
these marital bonds as...
A. Conscious marriages
B. Compassinate marriages
C. Religious marriages
D. Civil marriages

76. is a signal to describe what type of relationship?

A. Sibling relationship
B. Parent – child relationship
C. Deceased individual
D. Marriage relationship

77. is a signal to describe what type of relationship?

A. Sibling relationship
B. Parent – child relationship
C. Deceased individual
D. Marriage relationship

78. is a signal to describe what type of relationship?

A. Sibling relationship
B. Parent – child relationship
C. Deceased individual
D. Marriage relationship

79. is a signal to describe what type of relationship?

A. Sibling relationship
B. Parent – child relationship
C. Deceased individual
D. Marriage relationship
80. In the United States, law and custom forbid marriage to certain family members. These
laws and customs perpetuate:
A. Kindred exogamy
B. Kindred endogamy
C. Marriage among cross cousins
D. None of these above
81. _______________ is the social norm of marrying outside one’s social group.
A. Exogamy
B. Endogamy
C. Marriage among cross cousins
D. None of these above
82. In certain remote parts of Tibet, one woman will become married to all of the brothers in
a particular family. Which term best describes this practice?
A. Matrilineal system
B. Patrilineal system
C. Polyandry
D. Polygamy

83. In India, the compulsory practice of a bride's family providing gifts to the groom's family
upon marriage was outlawed in 1961, as it led to multiple cases of domestic violence.
This practice was best known as which of the following terms?
A. Dowry
B. Inherit
C. Polygamy
D. Polyandry
84. When we talk about marriage between two people who maintain an
exclusive relationship with one another while the marriage exists,
we're referring to marriage as a form of
A. Monogamy
B. Polygamy
C. Polyandry
D. Exogamy
85. Traditionally, Nuer men could be married to more than one woman
at the same time. Which term best describes this practice?
A. Monogamy
B. Polygyny
C. Polyandry
D. Exogamy
86. The family you are born into is known as the family of __________. The family people construct
when they reach adulthood and acquire a mate is the family of __________.
A. Orientation. Procreation
B. Procreation. Orientation
C. None of these above
D. Both of these above
87. The __________________ today is more myth than fact. Consisting, by definition, of a kinship
unit of a mother, father and offspring, many forces have changed this definition. Historically, it
came into existence during the industrialization of the nineteenth century.
A. Clan
B. Lineage
C. Nuclear family
D. Extended family
88. The long line of kings and queens that have ruled England have sometimes been a colorful
source of contention, some having been challenged on the basis of their legitimacy. This
particular genealogical tree depends on highly accurate documentation and is often referred to
as ___________________
A. Clan
B. Lineage
C. Nuclear family
D. Extended family
89. __________________ is a descent group constructed through mother's side of family
A. Unilineal
B. Ambilineal
C. Matrilineal
D. Patrilineal
90. While kinship is often thought of as a biological and culturally rule-bound process, recent
developments have opened the door to kinship that is accomplished __________
A. By religion
A. By hobbies
B. By choice
C. By love

91. Colonialism is MOST appropriately described as the practice by which a nation-state extends
political, economic, and military power beyond its own borders over an extended period of time
to secure access to which of the following?
A. Service
B. Raw materials
C. Goods and service
D. Commodity chain
92. ______________ is a practice of clearing land for cultivation; also called swidden farming.
A. Foraging
B. Agricultural production
C. Slash and burn agriculture
D. Labor immigrants
93. A new cell phone may have glass from Kentucky, a processor made in France, and a
body made in Korea. These parts may then be assembled in China and warehoused in
California before going to a store in your hometown. Which of the following terms BEST
describes the steps involved in creating and getting the phone to the point of sale?
A. Globalisation
 B. Supply chain
C. Logistics
D. Commodity chain
94. _______________ is more common than ___________________ because, where sex ratios are
not equal, there tend to be more women than men.
A. Polygyny. Polyandry
B. Polyandry. Polygyny
C. Endogamy. Exogamy
D. Exogamy. Endogamy
95. _______________ is usually practiced in response to specific circumstances, and in conjunction
with other marriage formats. In other cultures, polyandry resulted from the fact that men
traveled a great deal, thus multiple husbands ensured the presence of a man in the home.
A. Polygyny
B. Polygamy
C. Polyandry
D. All of these above.
96. In which of the following countries, same-sex marriage is NOT legal?
A. Argentina
B. Australia
C. Vietnam
D. Austria
97. In the second half of the twentieth century, Turkish authorities outlawed the use of Kurdish
language and symbols in an effort to eliminate not only Kurdish culture, but even Kurdish
identity . What is this type of cultural change?
A. Enculturation
B. Acculturation
C. Deculturation
D. Innovation and diffusion
98. __________________ is the process of acquiring one’s culture, ordinarily as a child, in
interaction with other members of one’s society
A. Enculturation
B. Acculturation
C. Deculturation
D. Innovation and diffusion
99. __________________ is the process of acquiring a “second culture,” usually as an effect of
sustained and imbalanced contact between two societies. Members of the “weaker” society are
compelled to adopt aspects of the dominant society
A. Enculturation
B. Acculturation
C. Deculturation
D. Innovation and diffusion
100. _________________ is the destruction of a group’s culture, without necessarily killing
any of the members of the culture;
A. Ethnocide
 B. Genocide
C. Deculturation
D. Massacre
101. In modern times, the Nazi “final solution” against European Jews is the very face of
_________________ for most people, but it is by no means the only one.
A. Ethnocide
B. Genocide
C. Deculturation
D. Massacre
102. In the late nineteenth-century American slogan, “Kill the Indian to save the man.” This
meant erasing the Indian-ness from Indian people, so that they would become “regular
Americans”. This is called _________________.
A. Ethnocide
B. Genocide
C. Deculturation
D. Massacre
103. _________________ is a type of revitalization movement in which elements of two or
more cultural sources are blended into a new and more satisfying cultural arrangement
A. Innovation and diffusion
B. Syncretism
C. Enculturation
D. Millenarianism
104. Which of the following art is NOT an UNESCO heritage?
A. Art of Xòe dance of the Tai people in Vietnam
B. Art of Bài Chòi in Central Vietnam
C. Practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms
D. Art of Wife-stealing of the H’Mong people

PART 2 – SHORT ESSAY

■ How does a Vietnamese myth or legend/ epic or tale manifest Vietnamese culture? Please
provide a story you know and explain how they are associated.

How to answer it?

1. Introduction: Name a story you choose.
2. Explain how it is central to Vietnamese culture:
2.1 Culture No.1 (e.g. beliefs)
2.2 Culture No.2 (e.g. values)
2.3 Culture No.3 (e.g. behaviors/ symbols)

3. Conclusion
■ Please choose a (political, economic or socio-cultural) event in the last 100 years that you
think made a great impact on cultural change in Vietnamese society. Explain why and how it
occurred.

How to answer it?

1. Introduction: Name the event you chose.
2. Explain why and how it impacted on cultural changes:
2.1 Cultural impact No.1
2.2 Cultural impact No.2
2.3 Cultural impact No.3
3. Conclusion