Term
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Definition
| The study of human nature, society and past |
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Term
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Definition
| cultural, biological, applied; archaeological, linguistic |
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Term
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Definition
| Holistic perspective; culture; biocultural perspective; cultural relativism |
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Term
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Definition
| Change in heritable characteristics of a population; change in allele frequencies in a population; descent with modification (Darwin) |
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| Forces/Mechanisms of biological evolution |
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Definition
| mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, natural selection |
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Term
| Impacts of forces of evolution on genetic variation WITHIN & AMONG populations |
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Definition
Mutation increases within populations, increases between
Gene flow increases within, decreases between
Genetic drift decreases within, increases between
Natural selection decreases OR stabilizes within, increases between |
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Term
| Primates' General Characteristics |
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Definition
grasping hands and feet;
stereoscopic color vision/reduced reliance on smell;
increased encephalization/reliance on learned behavior: elaborate social behaviors, long period of juvenile dependency, sophisticated communication systems |
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Term
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Definition
| grasping, stereoscopic vision, dentition, large brains, reproduction (single births, fetal development) |
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Term
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Definition
| Modern human characteristics appeared at different times, evolved at different rates |
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Term
| Modern humans are distinguished by: |
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Definition
| pattern of locomotion, dentition (no canines, thicker enamel), brain size (larger) and organization, reproduction (longer juvenile dependency, longer gestation, later sexual maturity, shorter birth interval), behavior (social behavior more complex and varied) |
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Term
| Why do anthropologists argue that 'biological race' is not valid when discussing biological variation? |
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Definition
| Human "races" are collective identities based on social distinctions linked to ASSUMED biological distinctions. Biological variations in humans are NOT sharply bounded or consistent. |
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Term
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Definition
| phenotypically-distinct, geographically-bounded populations of a given species |
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Term
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Definition
| Repeated patterns in behavior, understanding, and acts; not random. Human cultures are symbolic - things, actions and discourses have no intrinsic meaning, but rather meaning is read into them by creator, observer, and/or user. |
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Term
| Characteristics of human culture |
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Definition
| Holistic; created, constructed, and built by people; dynamic; reproducing and modifying |
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Term
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Definition
| Method used by anthropologists to gather info by living as closely as possible to the people whose culture they are studying while participating in there lives as much as possible |
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Term
| Why is field work essential? |
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Definition
| Fieldwork is an extended period of close involvement with the people they study, during which anthropologists collect most of their data. |
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Term
| Major Divisions of the Paleolithic |
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Definition
| Lower (Oldowan, Acheulean); Middle (Mousterian); Upper |
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Term
| Important Developments of Paleolithic |
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Definition
| Stone tool technologies (formal, curated tools and diversified tool assemblages); fire; shelter and clothing; compound tools |
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Term
| How do metaphors and myth reflect and shape perceptions and understandings of the broader world? |
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Definition
| Metaphors assert existence of meaningful links between elements from different domains. Myths' truth seems self-evident because they integrate personal experiences with a wider set of assumptions about how society or the world must operate. |
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Term
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Definition
| "Ideas and practices that postulate reality beyond that which is immediately available to the senses." (Bowen 2002) |
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Term
| General forms of religious practice |
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Definition
| Relationships with supernatural (individual and communal); Institutionalized practice (Ritual); Cultural institutions (organized churches) |
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Term
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Definition
| Shamans, Mediums, Prophets, Priests |
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Term
| How do people use religion to achieve ends? |
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Definition
Provides basis for social groupings and means for coping with stress of uncertainty & death;
Provides worldview explaining structure of world & society, moral rules for behavior; mobilizes individuals for action |
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Term
| Characteristics that distinguish Australopithecines from modern apes & from genus Homo |
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Definition
Australopithecines: just beginning to walk on two legs, U-shaped jaws w/ large canines & molars and protruding teeth, small brains, little culture beyond a simple hunter-gatherer society and minimal tools
Homo: all bipedal, parabolic jaws with evenly-sized non-protruding teeth, large brains, and complex societies with symbolism, clothing, more tools, and funerals |
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