Anthropology Topic Wise Past Paper Questions

1. Anthropology and Social Anthropology

1. Discuss the fields and branches of anthropology. (2019)

2. Define anthropology. How is it different form other fields of Social Sciences in terms of
approach and methodology? (2018)
3. How perspective of Anthropology can be used to study global trends like global warming
and erosion of bio-adversity? (2017)

2. Culture and Socio-cultural Change

1. Discuss various conditions and factors responsible for social change and development in
simple societies. (2019)
2. Culture develops in response to the basic needs of human beings. Explain. (2018)
3. Define Culture and its major Characteristics; also discuss how the discipline of
Anthropology is different from other Social Sciences? (2016)
4. Discuss major Socio-cultural and psychological barriers to change. (2016)

3. Family, Marriage, Kinship and Social Organization

1. Discuss in detail family institution and its various types on the basis of structure, blood
relation, marriage, residence and succession. (2019)
2. Elaborate different types of kinship systems. Kinship affect political allegiances in Pakistan.
Explain. (2018)
3. What is incest taboo? Explain different theories about incest taboo. (2017)

4. Anthropological Research Methods

1. Give a distinction between technique, method and methodology. What tools of data
collection are usually used in Anthropology? (2019)
2. Discuss the issue of objectivity and subjectivity in the field of social research. Explain
whether or not objective research is attainable in social anthropology. (2018)
3. What are the major Anthropological Research Techniques which are used to collect field
data? Also discuss how Qualitative Research is different from Quantitative Research?
(2016)

5. Economic Organization

1. Define primitive economic organization. Discuss the scope and relevance of economic
organization with anthropology. (2019)
2. Economics systems evolved through reciprocity to redistribution and market system.
Explain. (2018)
3. Write a detailed account of gift exchange. Give samples from everyday life to substantiate
your answer. (2019)
4. Is this poverty which is the real cause of overpopulation or it is the population pressure that
is responsible for increasing poverty? Substantiate your argument by quoting relevant facts
and figures. (2017)

6. Political Organization

1. Discuss in detail the process of Social Control in primitive societies. (2019)

2. Religion is a significant commonality in Pakistani Culture. How sectarianism can be
controlled to use religion for national integration? (2018)

7. Religion in Anthropology

1. Discuss and compare various forms of divine religions with other world religion including
Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. (2019)
2. Religion is a significant commonality in Pakistani Culture. How sectarianism can be
controlled to use religion for national integration? (2018)
8. Applied Anthropology (Contemporary problems and Urban Anthro)

1. How applied anthropology can be utilized to solve the problems faced by humanity in
contemporary world? (2017)
2. What are the major Contemporary Social Problems of Pakistan? (2016)

9. Anthropological Theories

1. Define "animism" and state the evolutionary scheme of religion provided by E. B. Tylor.
(2017)
2. Describe the theory of Social Evolution given by Lewis H. Morgan & E. B. Tylor. (2016)

10. Short notes (5 Marks each) from Past Papers:

Category 1 - Culture: Acculturation & Enculturation | Neolithic Culture | Paleolithic Culture |

Ethnocentrism | Cultural relativism

Category 2 - Research: Emic & Etic | Research tools & Research Method | Ethnography |
Participant observation |

Category 3 – Marriage and Family: Endogamy & Exogamy | Consanguine & Affine Relatives |
Sororal Polygyny & Sororate | Uxorilocal residence & Virilocal Residence | Types of family

Category 4 – Applied Anthropology: Rural-urban migration | Applied anthropology and

community development

Category 4 – Kinship: Phratry & Moiety |