1. One of the shortcomings of the theory of historical particularism is:
- the emphasis on past societies rather than contemporary ones.
- an emphasis on environmental influences.
- an overemphasis on sociocultural differences.
- an emphasis on the significance of diffusion. (My answer) Over several years Boas formulated a theory of culture that became known as historical particularism. Boas rejected using environmental factors to explain the unique characteristics of Pacific Northwest cultures. He also downplayed the significance of diffusion from other cultures (Nowak & Laird, 2010).
2. Because most known societies prohibit incest, it can be considered:
- a religious issue.
- a cultural universal.
- a biologically driven instinct.
- an ethnocentric behavior.
3. The value of ethnographic data is based on authentic human relationships established over time.
4. Which of the following is not a part of cultural relativism?
- We should view other ways of acting, thinking and feeling as just as valid as those of our own culture.
- This approach requires that the anthropologist search for the rationality of actions and beliefs that seem puzzling.
- We should not view foreign lifeways as inferior to our own. (My answer) First, cultural relativism is a moral stance that requires anthropologists to suspend moral and ethical judgments when interacting with a culture different from their own. Second, cultural relativism is a methodological strategy that allows the anthropologist to pay specific attention to the uniqueness of a culture. Third, the strongest meaning of cultural relativism stands in stark opposition to cultural universals. We can call this "epistemological cultural relativism," because the anthropologist takes the position that cultures are unique and therefore knowledge about different cultures is almost inherently not comparable (Nowak & Laird, 2010).
- Anthropologists should not have personal opinions or make judgments.