Deck 2: How Anthropology Works: Methods of Inquiry

Question 1

The process that generates hypotheses is:

A) guessing
B) induction
C) experimentation
D) deduction

Answer 1

induction

Question 2

A belief is an idea that:

A) is in conflict with scientific ideas
B) has yet to be proved
C) has no real social value
D) cannot be subjected to scientific inquiry

Answer 2

cannot be subjected to scientific inquiry

Question 3

Science and belief systems:

A) are always in conflict with one another
B) ideally, both contribute to any human society
C) are separate areas of knowledge with no interaction
D) have been in conflict but now science is winning

Answer 3

ideally, both contribute to any human society

Question 4

Anthropology is all of the following EXCEPT:

A) scientific
B) based on a belief system
C) humanistic
D) holistic

Question 5

Past events in evolution or history or phenomena that cannot be seen:

A) are not open to scientific investigation
B) can be scientifically investigated only to a limited degree
C) can best be understood through belief systems
D) can be investigated by science just like visible, current phenomena

Question 6

Explain the difference between induction and deduction and tell what parts each plays in the scientific method.

Question 7

In what ways may a hypothesis be deductively tested?

Question 8

Why do never say in science that something has been "proved?"

Question 9

What is the meaning of "theory"
in science?

Question 10

Explain how science may investigate things that can't be seen, like gravity, or things that happened in the past, like evolution.

Question 11

What role do "preconceptions"
play in the process of doing science?

Question 12

What roles do belief systems play in culture systems and for individuals?

Question 13

Explain the difference between knowledge gained through science and knowledge gained through belief systems.

Question 14

How are science and belief systems related within a given cultural system?

Question 15

How do archaeologists apply science to the study of events and cultures of the past?

Question 16

How do cultural anthropologists apply science to their study of such abstract things as human culture and cultural systems?

Question 17

What does it mean to say that anthropology is a humanistic endeavor?

Question 18

Evaluate the claim that science has become a threat to society in the modern world.