Anthropology Telecourse Exam 5

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1.Anthropologists study religious beliefs in order to
prove the existence of a supreme being
search for the true metaphysical answer to the fundamental questions of human existence
discover and demonstrate the functions served by religions in human societies
show that science can answer most questions about what religions hold to be 'unknowns'
demonstrate the human capacity for self-delusion


2.A minimal definition of religion that would apply to all human societies would be, 'Religion is a belief in the existence of
good and evil.'
supernatural beings or powers.'
ancestral spirits.'
a supreme deity.'
souls and life after death.'


3.How have advances in scientific knowledge affected the practices of religion in Western societies?
The new uncertainties and problems posed by scientific 'breakthroughs' have probably contributed to a noticeable increase in religious beliefs and activity in recent years.
Belief in supernatural causation or intervention has noticeably decreased as science has explained more of the workings of the universe.
Science hasn't really had any effect on religious activity in Western countries because the two modes of thoughts are completely separate, self-perpetuating systems, with separate 'clientele.'
Science and religion have merged into a single universal set of known truths about the universe.
Religious beliefs continue to be held, but are increasingly acted on in private, as believers are ashamed to publicly admit their irrationality.


4.Beliefs in ancestral spirits generally
are associated with belief in souls which can exist apart from their bodies.
provide a sense of continuity in time from past to present to future.
attribute a continuation of very human emotions, needs, and behaviors to the spirits of the deceased.
are found in societies with strong unilineal descent systems.
all of the above tend to be characteristic aspects of beliefs in ancestor spirits.


5.When a Mayan farmer makes a sacrifice to the spirits of the forest he is about to cut down and burn in order to make a new corn garden, he is demonstrating a belief in what Anthropologists call
mana
ancestral spirits
creator gods
animation
animism


6.In which of the following societies would you expect to find a strong set of beliefs in goddesses, rather than in gods?
in food foraging societies, such as the Ju/'hoansi or the Inuit (Eskimos).
in pastoral societies such as the Basseri or ancient Hebrews.
in societies which practice intensive agriculture such as traditional Chinese.
in horticultural societies, such as the ancient farming peoples of the Mediterranean and Near East.
in societies which frequently engage in and glorify war and other forms of ritualized combat.


7.According to the definitions and descriptions in your text, which of the following from American culture would best illustrate the concept of animism?
in vampire movies, holding a cross in front of oneself to negate the power of evil.
the act of walking around, rather than underneath a ladder.
the depiction of scrubbing bubbles that are happy to be getting your sink clean.
the lucky charm or blue jeans a student wears to a final exam.
practicing yoga as a form of meditation.


8.Which of the following beliefs would you expect to find among the Mbuti pygmies of the Ituri forest?
a strong preoccupation with goddesses of fertility.
a view of the forest as being inhabited by the spirit beings of the animals and plants the Mbuti depend upon for food.
a belief in a pantheon of powerful, authoritarian gods, who are quick to discipline their Mbuti servants.
a focus on clan ancestors, who continue to be interested in the affairs of their living Mbuti descendants.
none of the above; foragers, like the Mbuti, are too primitive to have developed any beliefs complex enough to be termed 'religious'.


9.A shaman
usually operates as an individual - both in acquiring skills and/or power and in practicing
is almost always a woman.
would never be found in a modern industrial society.
usually belongs to a local organization of religious practitioners.
is usually appointed to a position as religious specialist by a community's political leaders.


10.Divination is
the final stage in taking the formal vows of priesthood
the transformation of a once living person into a semi-divine being such as a saint
the use of a magical procedure to discover the cause of a particular event.
the offering of a sacrifice to appease, or to request favors from, the local deities.
the process by which a shaman acquires supernatural powers.


11.A rabbit's foot (when detached from the rabbit and carried around by a human for good luck) would be an example of what Anthropologists call
animism
animation
divination
animatism
superstition


12.Shamans usually regard their ability to perform sleight-of-hand tricks for their clients as
a lucrative hypocrisy which fools their clients into believing they (the shamans) have supernatural powers which the shamans themselves don't believe in.
a proof of their supernatural powers, without which they would not be able to do these tricks.
genuinely supernaturally produced effects and not 'tricks' at all.
a form of fraud, in which they figure people deserve to be ripped off for being stupid enough to believe in supernatural powers.
a deceitfulness which they feel they must do in order to earn their fees, but of which they are deeply ashamed.


13.The concept that you could get question #13 on this test wrong, just because it's the number 13, would be an example of
animatism
animism
divine justice
the workings of Satan
imitative magic


14.In the 'Anthropology Applied' insert in chapter 13, the goal of the Anthropologist sent to study health-related beliefs of the Swazi was to
find ways to convince Swazi people of the ineffectiveness of their traditional cures, which were based on superstition.
teach Swazi people about germs and the dangers of poor sanitation and unclean water.
to develop programs to train traditional Swazi healers in Western medical theory and techniques.
to find ways to introduce Western medicines or techniques in ways that would be compatible with, and make use of, the traditional Swazi health care system.
to set up a series of regional health clinics which would give Swazi people easier access to the Western health care they clearly wanted


15.Which of the following behaviors would be the most logical consequence and clearest reflection of a belief in contagious magic?
not going out at night when ghosts are out.
putting money in the collection plate at church.
reading tea leaves or Tarot cards.
personally sweeping up all your hair clippings at the barbershop and taking them home to bury or flush down the toilet.
praying to your personal guardian spirit.


16.A major function of rites of passage is
to appease the gods who are angry at people's sins.
to provide a socially approved outlet for people with unstable personality problems.
to drive witches and sorcerers from the community.
to unite a whole community in a effort to avert disaster.
to signal the community that an individual now occupies a new status, and should be treated and will behave differently than before.


17.Which of the following would an Anthropologist consider to be a 'rite of intensification'?
the Christian Easter Sunday activites.
the Balinese Eke Desa Rudra ceremony.
the Asmat Bis ceremony.
the North American celebration of Thanksgiving.
all of the above


18.Which of the following would best qualify as a rite of passage?
celebrating Christmas by going to midnight mass.
consulting a palm reader.
graduation from high school or college.
wearing a lucky bracelet.
going to church every Sunday.


19.Beliefs in witchcraft can serve which of the following functions?
It can channel anxiety, hostility, and frustration toward scapegoats in a way that limits the disruption of a whole society.
It can work as a social control mechanism, to discourage anti-social behaviors that could get an individual accused of being a witch.
It can give people an explanation for misfortune and some ways of dealing with it and, thus, lessen anxiety.
All of the above are possible functions of witchcraft beliefs.
None of the above. Beliefs in witchcraft only generate more anxiety and hostility, and diverts people's energies from more useful, productive activities.


20.The film segment on American Indian religion (featuring a southwestern Pueblo group) illustrated which of the following?
the process of becoming a shaman
the paranoia caused by beliefs in witchcraft and sorcery
a revitalization movement
the mass mobilization effect of rites of intensification
a thorough-going, deeply felt animistic worldview


21.The term 'mana' refers to
a Melanesian Big Man who is also a shaman
the special currency Melanesians pay to their shamans for performing certain rituals
a drug-induced 'high' or state of religious ecstasy
a belief in the existence, in certain objects or persons, of an impersonal supernatural force, with no will to act on its own.
a sacred bread used on ceremonial occasions


22.The Balinese of Indonesia believe there are three worlds which are
the world of the past, the world of the present, and the world of the future.
the upper world of gods, the middle world of people, and the lower world of demons.
the world of art, the world of science, and the world of religion.
the world of the royalty, the world of the nobility, and the world of the common people.
the world of the physical being, the world of the mind, and the world of the spirit.


23.The Balinese ceremony of Eke Desa Rudra
demonstrates that on Bali, the whole populace is involved in celebrating major rituals
is primarily a ritual designed to appease ancestral spirits
is performed in great secrecy by high priests in isolated mountain monasteries
is a yearly ritual in which all Balinese repent for the sins of the past year and beg forgiveness from their gods
is a classic example of the revitalization movements called 'cargo cults'


24.In many cultures, young boys or girls go through elaborate initiation ceremonies to prepare them for adulthood. Often this process includes events symbolic of death, such as being rubbed with ashes or undergoing painful surgery. Anthropologists would probably consider this part of the process to be
the separation phase of a rite of passage
the transition phase of a rite of passage
the re-incorporation phase of rite of passage
the first fruits offering, or sacrifice stage of a rite of intensification
the thanksgiving celebration stage of a rite of intensification


25.Which of the following is the best example of divination?
participating in a cargo cult
wearing a symbol of your religious faith
having your fortune told by a palm reader or astrologer
attending a prayer meeting
going through a wedding ceremony


26.According to the television program on the Asmat of New Guinea, these people feel that they re-enact the creation of the world when they
cut down a sago or a mangrove
behead an enemy
carve an ancestor pole
drive spirits from their village
celebrate the birth of a new child


27.What is the status of the woodcarver in Asmat society?
He is the most honored person in the village and does not do other work.
It is similar to that of a traveling salesman, since he goes from village to village to do his work.
He is honored for his work, but must still prove his courage as a warrior.
Since most men of the villages are good woodcarvers, they must earn status in other ways.


28.In the Asmat religions tradition, eating the coconut of the sago palm is significant because it is viewed as
capturing the sago's spirit
similar to cannibalism
a source of fertility
containing the spirit of an ancestor
one of nature's perfect, complete foods


29.The Bis ceremony of the Asmat, honoring the dead, was not completed as traditionally it should have been, because
there were not enough pigs to sacrifice to satisfy the hunger of all the ancestral spirits
a raid from an enemy tribe forced the Asmat to interrupt the ceremony before all the rituals had been performed
one of the carved logs split down the middle, and this was taken to be a bad omen
a huge thunderstorm happened on what was supposed to have been the final day of the ceremony
the Asmat are no longer allowed, by the state government, to take enemy heads


30.Myths are particularly important, both to a culture and to Anthropologists studying that culture because.
they explain and justify religious beliefs and practices.
they reflect a culture's most deeply held assumptions about the nature of the universe and people's place in it.
they answer for people the ultimate troubling questions concerning the origins and meanings of life.
All of the above are valuable attributes of myths.
None of the above. Myths are just stories, and not true: therefore, they are not really relevant to understanding anything.


31.Which of the following does your text cite as an example of the kind of culture change called 'innovation'?
the Pilgrims of New England learning from the local Indians how to grow new crops.
the change from wheeled carts back to camels as a primary means of transporting things in the Middle East in Biblical times.
the Trobriand Islanders incorporating traditional native magic and dance into the way they played the British game of cricket.
the movement of people from the countryside to the growing cities in 'developing' countries, motivated by the hope of learning new jobs.
the discovery in the Middle East of the firing of clay to make it permanently hard, and then applying this new knowledge to make pottery containers.


32.The kind of change in which one culture borrows certain customs, items, or ideas from another is most accurately called
acculturation
diffusion
syncretism
invention
modernization


33.Which of the following best illustrates the process of diffusion?
the discovery of the firing of clay to make pottery
the overthrow of the Shah of Iran by the followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini
the use of kayaks in American sports
the performance of ceremonials by Pueblo Indians
the use of face-painting by Trobriand Islanders


34.Which of the following would come closest to what your text refers to as a 'primary' innovation?
Benjamin Franklin's discovery of 'electricity'
the invention of the light bulb
the development of electric ovens
the development of toy electric trains
All of the above were once 'brand new' and, therefore, constitute 'primary innovations.'


35.Your text uses the example of the reversion to use of camels as pack animals in many 6th century A.D. regions of the Middle East as an example of which of the following processes?
a nativistic (or revivalistic) revitalization movement in which these cultures sought to get rid of foreign influences.
an ethnocentric preference (in this case, for a slow-paced life), creating an obstacle to progress.
diffusion, in which the use of camels gradually spread from the arid lands, where they had originated, to many other regions.
culture loss, in which the wheeled carts previously used in these regions were given up in favor of the more practical camels.
secondary innovation, in which the long-established idea of using donkeys as pack animals was transferred to the recently domesticated camels.


36.The term 'modernization' reflects the belief that
anthropologists should assist societies that wish to change.
food-foraging and pastoral societies are superior to other culture patterns.
nonrenewable resources should be used carefully, if at all.
Western industrial societies are superior to traditional societies.


37.The blending of the form and tools of a cricket match with the dancing and display of Trobriand warfare is best seen as an example of
revitalization
syncretism
primary innovation
culture loss
rebellion


38.One of the consequences of the introduction of the snowmobile into Skolt Lapp culture has been
a greater efficiency and productivity in the management of the reindeer herds.
a shift towards a more egalitarian society.
a greater dependence on the outside world for necessary supplies.
a 'morale boost' for the men, who can better prove their masculinity and economic competence by handling these machines than they could just following the herds on skis.
All of the above have been clear and rapid results of the introduction of the snowmobile into Lapp life.


39.Which of the following processes of culture change virtually always involves the direct or indirect use of force against a people of a different cultural group?
diffusion
culture loss
acculturation
revitalization
All of the above must include force, as it is against human nature to be willing to change voluntarily.


40.Forced or repressive cultural changes, such as those resulting from colonialism or military conquest, usually have which of the following consequences?
a rapid development of mutual respect of the two cultures for each other.
a clear improvement in the quality of life for the colonized people.
fairly even two-way borrowing of cultural traits between the two cultures.
severe disruption of traditional community life in the colonized or conquered culture.
deliberate rejection and refusal of all elements of the colonizing culture by the colonized people.


41.Genocide is generally characterized by, or associated with, which of the following?
It is a recent historical development, only made possible by advances in military technology since World War II
It is often carried out in the name of progress by an alliance of economic, political, and religious interests.
It is, thankfully, finally a thing of the past, which could no longer be carried out in today's world.
It is something only religiously fanatical groups would think of or attempt.
It is so morally 'unthinkable' that, with the glaring exception of the Nazis in World War II, there are very few instances of attempted genocide in all of human history.


42.Which of the following kinds of culture change, by definition, occurs from within a society?
acculturation
syncretism
diffusion
culture loss
innovation


43.In the case of the Trobriand Islanders, which of the following native practices did the colonial administration succeed in reducing or eliminating?
the matrilineal kinship system
the wasteful giving away of food
the warfare between villages
the erotic dancing
All of the above were successful eliminated by the colonial governments.


44.In Trobiand style cricket,
the visiting team is always allowed to win, for fear that they would start a fight if they lost.
the host team is allowed to win, out of respect for the 'big man' who is organizing the competition.
each team does its best to 'trounce' the other team, in order to thoroughly humiliate them.
the losing team is obliged to give elaborate gifts of food to the winning team, thus adding a real economic incentive to the competition.
as in any European/Western style sport, the best team wins: a just reward for superior skill and training.


45.In what ways can magic be used in the playing of cricket on the Trobriand Islands?
Magic can be used only by the host village's shaman to influence the weather, to prevent rain.
Magic can be used by the umpire, to make the opponents' team miss the ball.
Magic can be used by the players to give themselves courage.
All of the above uses of magic occur and are an unquestioned part of the competition
None of the above is allowed. Any use of supernatural forces just wouldn't be cricket!!


46.Given the original nature of the game and the basic cultural values that cricket reflects, which aspect of the Trobriand version of cricket would probably be most difficult for a true British observer to take?
the changes in the form of the bat, ball, and wickets
the use of the game to express traditional rivalries and conflict between villages
the uneven number of players on the teams
the interruption of the playing by exuberant and explicitly erotic dancing displays
allowing women to play the game with the men


47.According to the culture change tape's 'update' on the !Kung (Ju/'hoansi) of the Kalahari in South Africa, how have their lives changed in the last 10-15 years?
In order to help protect the endangered game animals of the Kalahari, the !Kung, helped by the Namibian government, have become successful cattle ranchers.
In order to regain their rights to land and water, taken from them in the 1950's, many !Kung are becoming political activists, gaining the vote and developing local governmental structures responsive to their own needs.
In order to help the !Kung retain their traditional hunting-gathering life-style, the government has created a game preserve just for them, in which they alone have the right to hunt and forage.
Because they many no longer hunt, most !Kung now work for wages on the local white-owned ranches or a s guides for tourists on photographic safaris.
Because their culture has been so thoroughly destroyed, the !Kung are dying out as a people; they've given up trying to adapt to the new conditions.


48.In the same tape on culture change, how have the lives of the Mayan families studied by Hubert Smith, changed in response to modernization?
Because there is no work that pays living wages, most of the young men, especially, have given up, and now drink heavily and just 'hang out.'
Due to increased contact with outsiders, infectious disease has risen alarmingly; many people have died and there has been a serious drop in the Mayan village population.
The 'women's movement' has arrived in these villages, so that now many girls and young women are moving to Merida to take advantage of the greater schooling and work opportunities there.
Just as Smith predicted, the lure of the city has attracted so many young people that the traditional cooperative family life in the village has disintegrated.
Contrary to Smith's expectations, the connection to family and the corn fields remain strong, even among the young men who go to work in the city during the week.


49.Which of the following most accurately illustrates or reflects the concept of 'structural violence' as discussed by your text in chapter 16?
the use of military force to suppress popular rebellions.
the increase in incidents of wife-beating and child abuse in modern and modernizing cultures.
the observation that poor countries bear a disproportionately large share of the costs and very few of the benefits of development or modernization.
the almost ritualized feuds and battles among the street gangs in many Western urban centers.
the increased use of the death penalty considered as a legitimate means of social control on the part of centralized governments of nation-states.


50.Which of the following best illustrates the concept of cultural pluralism?
Native Americans are organizing themselves politically to achieve greater self-determination and autonomy.
Western-style clothing and food have spread to all parts of the world.
Over the past 5,000 years, there has been a trend for political units to become larger and fewer in number.
More and more countries are instituting population control measures.
Multinational corporations have offices and labor forces in many countries


51.Which of the following effects have global megacorporations had on international and domestic scenes as they expanded in the last 30-40 years?
A) Because multinational corporations cut across nation states, they have contributed to a form of global unity.
B) Multinational corporations have become so powerful that they have been able to influence national government decisions in ways that benefit the companies rather than the people.
C) Because multinational corporations are the 'product of the technological revolution', they have greatly increased the efficiency in the use of global resources.
a and b above.
all of the above.


52.It is possible today to eat a McDonald's hamburger in Japan and drink Coca-Cola in China; this is indicative of what trend?
International laws passed by the Food and Drug Administration.
The spread of an egalitarian ideology
The emergence of a global culture.
The development of cultural pluralism.
The tendency toward replacement reproduction


53.The demand by 'developed' countries for such items as coffee, tea, cotton, chocolate, and beef has had which of the following consequences?
An increase in the standard of living of the world's former 'subsistence farmers' who now have more reliable paid employment on plantations and ranches.
An increase in famine and poverty in the 'Third World', as former 'subsistence farmers' are pushed off their lands to make way for the huge farms/ranches, which produce cash crops for export.
A more efficient use of energy, water, and land resources as the superior 'agribusiness' technology and knowledge are applied to 'Third World' settings.
A lessening of population pressure in the cities, as urban workers can now return to the countryside as agricultural laborers.
A decrease in 'Third World' countries' national debts, as the proceeds from multinational agribusiness projects enable governments to pay off long-standing loans.


54.Global apartheid refers to
A) the prediction that in the future, South Africa will dominate the world economy.
B) the fact that whites, although they make up only one-third of the world's population today, have greater access to the world's resources.
C) the fact that nonwhites suffer a disproportionate share of the world's problems of hunger, pollution and overpopulation, and have a much greater chance of dying a violent death than do whites.
D) the fact that the structure of world society is very similar to that of South Africa
all of the above except a.


55.The belief that supernatural powers can be compelled to act in certain ways, for good or evil purposes, by using specific formulas is known as
Magic
Animism
Religion
Satanism
Revitalization




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