Exam 3: Method and Theory in Cultural Anthropology

The view that each element of culture, such as the culture trait or trait complex, has its own distinctive history, and that social forms (such as totemism in different societies) that might look similar are not comparable because of their different histories, is known as

Pentagon programs, including Project Minerva, draw on social science research to learn about national security threats. Why do social scientists object to the military determining which research projects are worth funding?

When an ethnographer uses an interview schedule to gather information from the field, this inevitably limits the researcher's capacity to ask and answer truly relevant questions.

Despite the increasing popularity of team research among anthropologists, the best ethnographies are always the product of individual work.

Recalling Chapter 2, on culture, and after reading this brief historical account of anthropological theory, what do you think is the relationship between individuals and culture?

Practice theory

Franz Boas's famous biological studies of European immigrants to the United States revealed and measured phenotypical plasticity, showing that the environment and cultural forces could change human biology.

All of the following are characteristic field techniques of the ethnographer EXCEPT

The American Anthropological Association Code of Ethics prohibits anthropologists from working with governments on matters of national security.

Boas and his students were strong proponents of cross-cultural comparisons, without which they could not validate their findings.