The culture concept, ethnography, fieldwork methods, and cultural relativism from an intro cultural anthropology course.
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- What is culture in anthropological terms?
- The shared, learned, and transmitted beliefs, values, practices, and material objects of a group
- Why is culture considered learned rather than innate?
- It is acquired through enculturation and socialization within a group, not determined by biology or instinct
- What does it mean that culture is shared?
- Culture is held in common by members of a group who participate in and transmit it to one another
- How is culture transmitted between generations?
- Through socialization, enculturation, and education as elders pass it to younger members
- Define cultural relativism
- Understanding a culture on its own terms without judging it by the standards of another culture
- What is ethnocentrism?
- The tendency to view one's own culture as the standard and judge other cultures as inferior or strange
- Define ethnography
- A detailed descriptive study of the culture of a specific group based on fieldwork observation
- What is participant observation?
- Living among the people being studied, participating in daily activities while systematically observing
- Who is a key informant in fieldwork?
- A knowledgeable community member who provides detailed information and insights to the ethnographer
- How long does ethnographic fieldwork typically last?
- Usually one to two years minimum to achieve deep understanding of a culture
- What are fieldnotes?
- Detailed written records an ethnographer keeps during fieldwork documenting observations, conversations, and reflections
- What is reflexivity in anthropological research?
- Conscious reflection on how the researcher's own background and presence affects the research findings
- Distinguish etic from emic perspective
- Etic is outside, objective analysis by the researcher; emic is insider understanding of how people view their own culture
- What is culture shock?
- Disorientation and stress experienced when first encountering an unfamiliar culture during fieldwork
- How does language relate to culture?
- Language embodies and reflects cultural values, worldviews, and categories of meaning unique to each culture