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Class 11 Anthropology Chapter 6 Cultural Anthropology
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Cultural Anthropology
Chapter – 6
EXERCISES
1. From which word does the term “culture” originate?
Ans: The term “culture” originated from “colere”.
2. Mention distinguishing feature that distinguishes man from other animals.
Ans: Do yourself.
3. Name the book in which Clyde Kluckhohn and Alfred Krober discussed various definitions of culture.
Ans: The book in which Clyde Kluckhohn and Alfred Krober discussed various definitions of culture- “Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions”.
4. E.B. Tylor defined culture in what year?
Ans: E.B. Tylor defined culture in 1871.
5. In which book did Tylor put forward the definition of culture?
Ans: Tylor put forward the definition of culture in his book “Primitive Culture”.
6. What do you understand by cultural tradition?
Ans: Cultural tradition, society is generally regarded as an aspect of culture and social anthropologists are often regarded as a variety of cultural anthropologists.
7. In which two groups of cultural traditions have been divided?
Ans: Two groups of cultural traditions have been divided into: material and non-material culture.
8. What are the two parts of culture?
Ans: The two parts of culture are:
(a) Material culture.
(b) Non-material culture.
9. Who first put forward the idea of cultural relativism?
Ans: Anthropologist Franz Boas put forward the idea of cultural relativism.
10. Mention two causes of cultural change?
Ans: Two causes of cultural change are:
(a) Cultural factors.
(b) Cultural forces.
11. What is cultural anthropology?
Ans: Cultural anthropology is the study and explanation of human culture and behaviour. All individuals live in a society, and all societies have their own cultures. The branch of anthropology that involves studying and analysing society and culture scientifically is known as Cultural Anthropology. Cultural anthropology studies the cultural heritage and lifeways of various ethnic groups living in various geographical and cultural environments of the world.
12. What is the culture?
Ans: Culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
13. Give the definition of culture put forward by Tylor.
Ans: The definition of culture put forward by Tylor: according to him, culture or civilization is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
14. What is culture according to Linton?
Ans: According to Linton “Culture is social heredity.”
15. What is enculturation?
Ans: A human baby born in a particular social environment, surrounded by the family, relatives, neighbours etc. This social environment has certain values, customs, laws, morals, behaviour etc and the child is nurtured in that socio cultural environment. The child gradually acquired the characteristics and norms of that culture and this learning process is known as enculturation. Enculturation in fact is an innate and continuous process through which a child socializes with the parents and other elderly persons. Most of the time, an individual learns his culture unknowingly by himself through enculturation. Enculturation teaches ab individual the accepted norms and values of his culture and society. The enculturation process is controlled sometimes by reward or inspiration, and sometimes by punishment too. This teaching tries to inculcate and uphold certain accepted norms and values. Hence, the individual knows and maintains accepted boundaries that are dictated by his society.
16. What is acculturation?
Ans: Acculturation can be defined as the process of change in cultural elements like customs, beliefs, artifacts, etc. that results from the contact of one or more cultures; it means the situation of change due to extensive borrowing from one culture to another.
17. What do you understand by ethnocentric and ethnocentrism.
Ans: Ethnocentric: The process of enculturation, people learn about their own culture and feel proud to be a part of it. People frequently believe that their culture is superior. The culture of each society in the world is unique. The uniqueness of the culture of society derives from some factors like the environment, history etc. A person who judges other cultures only in terms of his or her own culture and keeps a feeling that his or her culture is superior to others is known as ethnocentric. And this attitude is known as ethnocentrism.
Ethnocentrism: The attitude that only one’s society and culture is higher or better than others is not appreciated in anthropology. When a student or researcher of anthropology studies various cultures and societies, he od she should not be biased because each culture grows and evolves in its environment and has its history. Because ethnocentrism not only hinders deep understanding of other cultures , but it also hampers clear understanding of one’s own customs, morals, etc.
18. Write briefly about the innovation.
Ans: If an individual or a group of individuals makes any product or service more effective for society by implementing a new idea, than it can be said to be an innovation. Innovation can be referred to as adding something new or a change made to an existing product, idea, or field. Generally, a new way of doing work, a new work scheme, a new idea, new methods of production, or a new service of an organisation is said to be an innovation. Innovation can be defined as a new idea, product, or method that is translated into a good or service that creates value or for which customers are willing to pay. The essence of innovation is an improvement or the ability to create something better and then introduce it into the world. Innovation improves an already existing good or service by adding more value to that thing or service. On the other hand, invention means the process of creating or making up something or figuring out a way to do something, such as a device or service. The invention is something original or completely new and unheard of. For example, when the steam engine was created, it was invention, but the later introduction of modified versions like the diesel engine and electronic engine were innovations.
The invention, innovation, and discovery act as forces for change in the culture. Changes in culture depend on the acceptance or rejection of new elements by the members of a given society. If the people of a society accept any innovation, invention, or discovery, then it will add newness to that society, and the acceptance of the newness will bring changes in the thoughts and work of the people of that society.
19. Mention the characteristics of culture.
Ans: The characteristics of culture are:
(a) Culture is man- made.
(b) Culture is learned or acquired.
(c) Culture is integrated.
(d) Culture is dynamic.
(e) Culture is changeable.
(f) Culture is cumulative.
(g) Culture is universal.
(h) Culture is abstraction.
(i) Culture is the vehicle of heritage.
(j) Each culture is distinct.
(k) Culture helps to mould human personality.
(l) Culture satisfies human needs.
20. Give an idea of the concept of culture.
Ans: Culture is a fundamental and significant concept in anthropology. It is not easy to describe a culture in one or two sentences because culture encompasses both material and non- material dimensions. In general, culture reflects literature, art, dance, song, etc. For example, when most people think about Assamese culture, they think of bihu, dhol, pepa, bongeet, borgeet, colorful japi, gamocha, pat- muga mekhela chador, Sarai of brass and so on. Similarly, when we think of Bengali culture, we think of Durga Puja, red- bordered sarees, Rabindra Sangeet, hilsa fish, and so on. Without a doubt, these are some of the features of Assamese or Bengali culture, but there are many more that contribute to the whole meaning of culture. Agriculture or other economic activities, religious activities, ethnomedicine, divination, houses, animals, and so on are also parts of an ethnic group’s culture, which is the sum of all of these.
The synonym term of culture in Sanskrit is Sanskriti, which means refinement of the soul. This indicates the refinement of social and religious performances in day-to-day life. The word culture comes from the root Latin word “colere” which means to cultivate. Here, cultivation means the cultivation of knowledge. This knowledge is not inborn and it is learned. It is the systematic knowledge of life. The knowledge of culture is the knowledge of the total way of life.
The anthropological concept of culture is broad. Culture means the verbal and non- verbal behaviour and material and non- material creatively of a group of people. So, the total way of life of an ethnic group is defined as the culture of that group.
21. Mention and explain the definition of culture given by Tylor.
Ans: In 1871, E.B. Tylor defined culture in his book “Primitive Culture” and it is considered the first scientifically explained definition of culture. According to him, culture or civilization is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
First, to clarify “that complex whole,” means an integrated unit that comprises diverse aspects of man’s activities, thoughts, and behaviours; that contains both physical or material as well as intangible or non-material aspects of culture.
Secondly, culture is “acquired by man,” which indicates that it is not genetically inherited or inborn in a person. It is a learning process rather than an instinctive quality. A child learns about culture from his or her parents, uncles, elder brothers and sisters, neighbours and other people. If a kid is born in Assam but raised and en cultured in China, he or she will speak Chinese and follow Chinese customs and traditions. Therefore, culture is taught and acquired, consciously or unconsciously.
Thirdly, culture is acquired “as a member of society “, which means that learning takes place within a group. Culture is a group phenomenon that is shared and experience by all members of the community.
Therefore, according to anthropologist Victor Barnouw (1985), “Culture is a way of life of a group of people, the configuration of all of the more or less stereotyped patterns of learned behaviour, which are handed down from one generation to the next through the means of language and imitation.”
22. Write about the two aspects of culture with examples.
Ans: The two aspects of culture are:
(a) Material or tangible culture: Material or tangible culture refers to cultural components that are visible and possess some structure. For example, a pen, a pencil, a book, a dress and accessories, a chef, a chair, a table, and a house.
(b) Non- material or intangible culture: The non- material components of culture are those that are invisible, or that we can only feel rather than see. Although we cannot physically touch these abstract objects, we can learn about and experience them. This aspect of culture is therefore referred to as non- material or intangible culture. For example, man’s ideas, thoughts, customs, values, idealism etc are included in intangible culture such intangible culture components. That possess some heritage values are termed as ‘Intangible cultural heritage.’
23. Write about enculturation.
Ans: Enculturation teaches an individual the accepted norms and values of his culture and society. The enculturation process is controlled sometimes by reward or inspiration, and sometimes by punishment too. This teaching tries to inculcate and uphold certain accepted norms and values. Hence, the individual knows and maintains accepted boundaries that are dictated by his society.
24. Explain the concept of cultural relativism.
Ans: The concept of cultural relativism: Culture relativism is like a directive principle to study various societies from an anthropological perspective. The customs of a society are not like those of another culture. Most of the customs of a society may be appropriate to their culture. The main essence of cultural relativism is that it helps to study other cultures taken an unbiased view and to understand one’s own culture perfectly. Cultural relativism teaches us to view all the customs of a society objective rather than ethnocentrically. It does not mean that there should not be a comparative study of different societies, but it should be remembered that an anthropologist is to study culture and society providing an accurate description and explanation rather than judgement from their preoccupied ideas and minds. The explanation of culture must be correct, practical, unbiased, logical, and free of influences from other cultures.
25. Discuss cultural diffusion elaborately.
Ans: Cultural diffusion is the process by which cultural elements are borrowed from one society to another. That is, a society a accepts cultural elements from another society, and the borrowed elements are incorporated into the recipient group’s culture through a process known as diffusion. Borrowing is the process of the transfer of cultural elements from one society to another. There are lots of examples of diffusion. Buddhism from India was diffused to countries like China, Japan, Burma, etc. Likewise, the decimal system of India was spread to Arabian and European countries. Cultural changes due to cultural diffusion occurs among various communities and countries, when the new cultural elements are accepted by the recipient group, and they are socially or economically benefited. A borrowed cultural trait from, another culture may be modified to the extents that it is effectively used in harmony with the tradition of recipient group.
26. Discuss acculturation elaborately.
Ans: Acculturation can be defined as the process of change in cultural elements like customs, belief, artifacts, etc. that results from the contact of one or more cultures; it means the situation of change due to extensive borrowing from one culture to another.
Redfield, Linton, and Herskovits first developed the concept of accumulation in 1936. According to them, acculturation encompasses those occurrences when groups of people of different cultures come into first-hand contact with ensuring changes in the original cultural patterns of either group. Acculturation results not only changes in cultures but also bring more similarities between the cultures. The process of accumulation may be from one culture to another or between both cultures. But generally, the total way of life of the individuals of one culture begins to alter under the sway of another culture in the process of an accumulation.
Additional Questions
1. Write the definition of cultural anthropology given by Keesing?
Ans: The definition of cultural anthropology given by Keesing- “Cultural anthropology is the facet of Anthropology which describes and seeks general understanding about human ‘customs’ or ‘cultural behaviour ‘.”
2. Write the significance of tangible and intangible culture?
Ans: A culture is a combination of tangible and intangible elements. Though both tangible and intangible elements are considered separated entities, it is not possible to think of one without the other. As both are woven with each other, these two elements work by keeping a close interconnection. The concept of culture is completed by considering both tangible and intangible culture elements. For example, the religion of a society means not only the belief in God or supernatural power but also includes material things such as the altar, temple, offerings, etc. In bird’s eye view, tangible and intangible cultures are separated entities. In reality, both are closely related.
Material tangible and non- tangible cultural elements are both important as part of cultural heritage. Cultural heritage connects us to know our predecessors and history. Cultural heritage -tangible or intangible provides identity to a group of people to which of belonged. It is also regarded as the pride of a nation. Therefore, it is very important to know our heritage as well as to preserve it for future generation. Heritage are preserve it for future generation. Heritage are preserved through documentation. Tangible heritage can be preserved via museum. Many heritage sites are being converted to tourist spots, giving an economic value also.
3. Choose the correct answer:
(a.) Who defined “Cultural anthropology is the facet of Anthropology which describes and seeks general understanding about human ‘customs’ or ‘cultural behaviour’?
(i) R.L. Beals.
(ii) H. Hoijer.
(iii) Keesing.
(iv) A.R. Beals.
Ans: (iii) Keesing.
(b) Who wrote the book “Culture:A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions”?
(i) Alfred Krober.
(ii) E.B. Tylor.
(iii) A.R. Beals.
(iv) H. Hoijer.
Ans: (i) Alfred Krober.
(c) When did E.B. Tylor defined culture?
(i) 1817
(ii) 1781
(iii) 1872
(iv) 1871
Ans: (iv) 1871
(d) Who wrote the book ‘Primitive Culture’?
(i) Alfred Krober.
(ii) R.L. Beals.
(iii) E.B. Tylor.
(iv) H. Hoijer.
Ans: (iii) E.B. Tylor.
(e) When did Victor Barnouw define culture?
(i) 1985
(ii) 1958
(iii) 1858
(iv) 1895
Ans: (i) 1985
(f) The culture of society divided into how many categories?
(i) Three.
(ii) Four.
(iii) Two.
(iv) Five.
Ans: (iii) Two.
(g) Who put forward the concept of cultural relativism for the first time?
(i) Franz Boas.
(ii) E.B Tylor.
(iii) H. Hoijer.
(iv) R.L. Beals.
Ans: (i) Franz Boas.
(h) How many types of diffusion are there?
(i) Two.
(ii) Four.
(iii) Five.
(iv) Three.
Ans: (iv) Three.
(i) When did Redfield, Linton, and Herskovits first developed the concept of acculturation?
(i) 1963
(ii) 1863
(iii) 1936
(iv) 1963
Ans: (iii) 1936
(j) Bihu is the festival of which culture?
(i) Boro.
(ii) Assamese.
(iii) Bengali.
(iv) Missing.
Ans: (ii) Assamese.
