Questions and Answers of Biological Anthropology

What are some of the characteristics of Japanese industrial corporations?
Define the term feminism. What are the goals of feminists in industrialized states? Do you agree with these goals? Why or why not?
What are the processes by which industrialization affects the status of elderly individuals? How can we explain the higher status of the aged in societies like Japan and Russia?
How do political systems differ in industrial societies compared to preindustrial societies?
In your experience, has secularization had an impact on your religious beliefs and practices?
What do anthropologists mean by the term globalization?
What do you see in your everyday life that results from the process of globalization?
What are the strengths and weaknesses in the three economic models of globalization in this chapter? What would you adopt or reject regarding these models?
What are the weaknesses in the approaches of Benjamin Barber and Samuel Huntington to understanding globalization?
How has globalization influenced bands, tribes, and chiefdom societies? Do you see any positive aspects of globalization presently for these societies? What do you think will happen to these
Compare and contrast the effects of colonialism on Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean.
How did globalization impinge upon the traditional economies of Latin American, African, and Caribbean countries?
What were some of the religious changes that came with Western expansion into Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean?
Compare the independence movements in Latin America and Africa.
What are some of the differences between the peripheral and semiperipheral countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean?
What do you think will enable the peripheral and semiperipheral countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean to develop their economies in the future?
How is the peasantry different in various Latin American, African, and Caribbean countries?
Compare and contrast the social structure of Latin America with that of Africa.
How have family and gender patterns in Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean been influenced by globalization?
What are the effects of urbanization on Latin America, Africa, and the Caribbean?
Compare and contrast the Western impact on India and on China.
How did demographic change occur as a result of globalization in the Middle East and Asia?
How did globalization impinge on the traditional economies of the Middle East and Asia?
How did religion change as a result of colonialism and Western influence in the Middle East and Asia?
Compare the independence movement in India with the revolutionary movement in China.
What are some of the differences between the oilproducing and non-oil-producing countries of the Middle East?
How has the peasantry changed as a result of globalization in the Middle East and Asia?
What are some of the stereotypes of family, marriage, and gender practices in the Middle Eastern Islamic countries?
Discuss some of the problems of ethnicity in the Middle East and Asia that have been influenced by globalization.
What are some of the factors discovered by ethnographers that have influenced the Islamic revitalization movements in the Middle East and Asia?
What was the basis of race classification in ancient societies?
What were the basic criticisms of racism developed by anthropology?
What are some examples that represent the difference between race and ethnicity?
What can we learn from primordialist and circumstantialist approaches to ethnicity?
How do patterns of assimilation and pluralism differ in various societies?
What can we learn from the ethnic group adaptations in U.S. society?
What is the basis of ethnonationalist movements today?
What is the doomsday model (neo-Malthusian approach)? How does it differ from the logic-ofgrowth model?
In your view, what are the positive and negative consequences of globalization?
What is the demographic-transition theory? Do you think that this model applies to all cultures in the world?
Why is there concern over the loss of biodiversity?
How can an anthropologist make a difference in the changing world of today? Or is the world in need of engineers and technicians who can invent new ways of solving problems? That is, how can the
What types of unanticipated problems has the implementation of the Green Revolution caused in areas where it was introduced? Are there any success stories, or is the verdict all negative?
What is the global economy? What types of changes have occurred in the world recently that are related to the globalization of the world economy?
What types of contributions can anthropologists make by studying ethnic conflict and religious movements?
What is applied anthropology? Erve Chambers suggests that there are different roles that applied anthropologists play. Discuss each of these roles as it applies to present-day applied anthropological
What is medical anthropology? What are some of the types of things that medical anthropologists do?
What is cultural resource management? What resources are being evaluated and preserved?
Examine the concepts of cultural relativism and ethical relativism. Can an anthropologist be involved in applied anthropology and adhere to either of these principles or views? Are there any problems
Is it possible to understand the values and worldview of another culture and not accept all of its practices and standards? In other words, can one be a cultural relativist and not an ethical
Do you think it is possible to adopt a humanitarian standard that would be accepted by everyone in the world? What might this view entail?
Is there such a thing as universal human rights?
As an anthropologist on a starship in the twenty-first century, you are a specialist in “first contact” situations. Briefly describe your goals and methods.
As an anthropologist, you find out about the existence of a group of humans in the Amazon rainforest that have never been contacted. How would you use the four subfields of anthropology to
How do anthropologists utilize the scientific method in their studies? What are the limitations of the scientific method in anthropological studies?
You are talking with a friend who asks, “Why would anyone want to study anthropology? What practical benefits can be gained from taking a course in anthropology?” How would you answer your friend?
What is the holistic approach, and how is it related to anthropology and its four subfields, as well as to other disciplines?
Your parents have phoned you to find out how things are going at college (translation: Do you need money?) and what you are studying. You tell them that you are learning about early hominids, the
What is natural selection, and how does it work? Give an example of natural selection in action.
Where were the earliest hominids found? Describe the hominid “Lucy.”
Discuss the emergence of the species Homo erectus. Where are these fossils found? How old are they?
Discuss the differences between Neandertals and modern Homo sapiens.
Describe the specific changes that characterized the evolution of technology from the Lower Paleolithic (Oldowan, Acheulian) through the Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian), and Upper Paleolithic periods.
Contrast the multiregional evolutionary model with the replacement model and hybridization and assimilation model.
Is skin color related to any environmental factors? Discuss whether different skin colors are more adaptive in different environments.
Should contemporary models of human evolution be classified as origin myths? Why or why not?
How do anthropologists differentiate culture from nonhuman animal behavior?
As a college student, you have probably heard about cultural diversity or multiculturalism and the changing demographics in the United States. What is multiculturalism? Why is it important to
Using an anthropological perspective, explain the statement “You are what you eat.”
After reading the section on dress codes and symbolism, pick another example of a form of dress or hairstyle and explain what it symbolizes to the individuals involved.
Can you distinguish ethnic groups from each other in your own society? How do you make that distinction?
If you were to create the Universal People, how would they behave and organize themselves? What would they believe? And how might they act?
Interpret the statement, “Every human is like all other humans, some other humans, and no other human.”
Discuss the differences between animal and human behavior. After reading this chapter, do you believe that humans have instincts?
What are some of the methods of enculturation used in your society? Give an example of how your own personality has been affected by enculturation.
Can anthropologists classify various cultures by identifying certain personality characteristics found among certain individuals, as did Ruth Benedict? Discuss the limitations of this approach.
Are cognitive and reasoning processes universal? What evidence do anthropologists have for agreeing or disagreeing with this opinion?
Are emotional expressions universal? To what extent are human emotions such as anger or jealousy similar or different around the world?
Describe a pattern of human behavior that you believe to be “normal” for your society, but that might be considered “abnormal” in another society.
Suppose you are studying chimp communication. What limitations will you have in teaching the chimps a human language?
Give some examples of unique human linguistic abilities.
Provide some examples of phonemes, morphemes, syntax, and semantic aspects of language.
Do you agree with Skinner’s or Chomsky’s view of language learning? Why?
Can you think of any ways in which language influences culture, or vice versa?
What types of body language or gestures are universally understood?
Discuss the principal differences between nineteenth century models of unilineal evolution and twentieth century neoevolutionary theories. Who were the principal proponents of each?
What are some of the weaknesses of the theory that there was only one source for the development of all civilizations?
Define historical particularism. Do you think that this approach can be used along with investigations of cultural evolution? Why or why not?
Compare and contrast the perspectives of the neoevolutionists, cultural ecologists, cultural materialists, and Marxists. Are these theoretical views similar in any way, or are they mutually exclusive
What are some of the criticisms that have been leveled against the cultural-ecology approach? Do you think these criticisms are valid? If so, how would you modify the cultural-ecology perspective to
Discuss the principal effects that the writings of Karl Marx have had on anthropological theory. Do you think that Marxist anthropology is the same as communist anthropology? Why or why not?
Compare and contrast the perspective of the symbolic anthropologists with the Marxists’ and cultural materialists’ perspectives.
Discuss the approach of feminist anthropology. What has feminist anthropology contributed to ethnographic studies?
What is postmodern anthropology, and how has it criticized traditional anthropology?
What are some of the things that cultural anthropologists have to do to prepare themselves for fieldwork?
What are some of the research goals of demographic anthropologists as they relate to fieldwork? Why is a demographic perspective important in anthropological research?
Do you think that technology is the primary source of sociocultural change? Do values play any role in sociocultural change?
What are the basic components of the economy and the division of labor?
What are the basic components or patterns of family and marriage from an anthropological view?
Have you ever gone through a rite of passage? If so, what was it? Have you experienced more than one? Pick one rite of passage that you have experienced and describe it in terms of Van Gennep’s

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