🏛

Cultura
VOCABULARIO

Mental maps of reality: cultural classifications of what kinds of people & things
exist, & the assignment of meaning to those classifications

Unilineal cultural evolution: the theory proposed by 19th century

anthropologists that all cultures naturally evolve through the same sequence of
stages from simple to complex

Historical particularism: the idea, attributed to Franz Boas, that cultures

develop in specific ways because of their unique histories

society: the focus of early British anthropological research whose structure &
function could be isolated and studied scientifically

structural functionalism: a conceptual framework positing that each element of

society serves a particular function to keep the entire system in
equilibrium

interpretivist approach: a conceptual framework that sees culture primarily as

a symbolic system of deep meaning

thick description: a research strategy that combines detailed description of

cultural activity with an analysis of the layers of deep cultural meaning in which
those activities are embedded

power: the ability or potential to bring about change through action or influence

stratification: the uneven distribution of resources & privileges among

participants in a group or culture

hegemony: the ability of a dominant group to create consent & agreement

within a population without the use or threat of force

agency: the potential power of individuals and groups to contest cultural

norms, values, mental maps of reality, symbols, institutions, & structures of
power

Cultura 1
 ethnographic fieldwork: a primary research strategy in cultural anthropology
typically involving living & interacting with a community of people over an
extended period to better understand their lives

salvage ethnography: fieldwork strategy developed by Franz Boas to collect

cultural, material, linguistic, and biological information about Native American
populations being devoted by the westward expansion of European settlers

cultural relativism: understanding a group’s beliefs & practices within their own
cultural context, without making judgments → rejection of ethnocentrism

participant observation: a key anthropological research strategy involving

both participation in and observation of the daily life of the people being
studied

reflexivity: a critical self-examination of the role the anthropologist plays &

ff
an awareness that one’s identity a ects one’s fieldwork & theoretical
analysis

RESUMEN

What do anthropologists do?

Attempt to understand and explain complex human behavior

Norms/symbols/values/ways of seeing

Examine institutions that protect/promote cultural values

Examine strategies to navigate/negotiate norms

What is culture?

System of knowledge and beliefs

Patterns and of behavior: how do we decide and a choice

Artifacts

Institutions: ex. Western vs. Eastern PA divisions on WAWA vs Sheetz

Learned

Shared

Contested

Culture is learned and taught:

Family, school, friendships, multimedia, everyday life

Cultura 2
 Formal and informal

Process (enculturation)

Conscious and unconscious

Equally capable

Can learn any culture

Shared and Contested:

Shared experience

Communicate/establish patterns of behavior

Shared understandings

Constantly changing

Debate/challenge

Symbolic and Material:

Norms (social rules)

Ideas/rules behavior

Assumed Laws vs. Tradition (formal vs. informal)

Shared expectations

Who can you marry?

How are norms enforced? (Formal and informal)

Values:

What is important?

What is true?

What is right?

What is beautiful?

Shared standards?

Clarify goals

Informs actions

Symbols:

Cultura 3
 Convey meaning

Stands for something else

Wink vs. blink

Verbal and non-verbal

Carry greater meaning than physical material

Change over time

No. vs. No

Recitation:

Hobo-dyer map:

proportionate map of the landmasses, upside down, the map is shifted

and centralized Asia

Western countries are at the bottom

World Political Map:

Stretched out

Out of scale countries (ex. Greenland)

Antarctica not on map

Europe is centralized and enlarged

African is shrunken down in size

Culture Creates Mental Maps of Reality shapes our actions, how we think
about ourselves, how to behave, respond, and accept certain kinds of power

What can/does exist?

Shortcuts to navigate experience

Creates categories

Classify reality

Reflect power

Assume to be universal/natural/scientific

Assign meaning/value

Magic vs. science vs. religion

Cultura 4
 Anthropological theories of culture:

Evolutionary frameworks

Cultural evolution: naturally evolve through the same sequence of

stages from simple to complex

American historical particularism

Challenged biological/evolutionary determinism

British structural functionalism

Society as a living organism

Each element of society serves a particular function to keep equilibrium

in society

Culture and meaning

Culture as a symbolic system

Culture and Power:

Michael Foucault, Antonio Gramsci and Eric Wolf

Power (negotiated, understood and shared)

Ability to make change

Influence vs. threaten

Aspect of all human relationships

Uneven distribution of resources

Who is important? Central? Marginalized?

Fluctuates

Response comes with power: SA, poverty

Power and Institutions:

Schools → what do they teach?

Material power

Ability to exert authority through coercion/brute force

Hegemony

Create consent/agreement

Cultura 5
 Establish what is normal/natural/possible

Discipline own behavior (Foucault)

Human Agency:

Power is not absolute

Contest

Debate

Change

Challenge

Openly

Discreetly

Ex) American Disabilities Act

Cultura 6