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Key anthropological terms and concepts 

Each discipline has a unique conceptual vocabulary. Learning this vocabulary in anthropology expands what we understand about the discipline and allows us to develop a rich, interconnect network of anthropological knowledge. Understanding and using this vocabulary also contributes to the development of your anthropological perspective on a variety of subjects. Below are the key terms/concepts you should know and be able to use as a result of taking this course.  You will encounter many of them in your readings and during class. 

To solidify your understanding of these terms/concepts and demonstrate your competence with their use, you will have an opportunity to take a quiz.  The quiz will be available for a limited period of time (see course schedule).  You may take the quiz up to three times to maximize your points.  This quiz is to be taken individually and without notes or other resources, such as the internet. The quiz is time limited to 30 minutes and will consist of multiple choice, true/false and matching questions. The quiz will also include questions from the readings. The quiz will be offered online. 

Where do I find definitions and examples?  Some definitions of anthropological concepts shared among all sub-disciplines, especially sociocultural anthropology) and examples may be found in the book: Culture and Contact (use the "Find" function and search the pdf) located in Canvas (Files). Many archaeological concepts may be found in the book: Deetz, Invitation to Archaeology (also in Canvas).  Many terms will be used and applied in assigned readings and during in-class discussions, and reliable online sources can also be helpful.  If you have any questions, please ask in class so that other students will learn from your questions. 

Learning Objective:  To help you develop a rich, interconnected network of anthropological knowledge, to prepare you to understand the concepts discussed in the readings and within archaeological and anthropological discourse. Learning the concepts will also help prepare you for future anthropology courses. 

Students considering anthropology as a major should develop a personal dictionary of these terms for use in future anthropology courses. 

Anthropological concepts shared among all sub-disciplines (emphasis on sociocultural anthropology)​

Cultural (or sociocultural) anthropology
Linguistic anthropology
Biological (or physical) anthropology
Archaeological anthropology
Applied anthropology
Political anthropology
Culture
Ethnography vs ethnology
Participant-observation
Holism vs comparativism
Cultural relativism
Ethnocentrism
Narrative
Globalization
Class
Race (read the American Anthropological Association's Statement on Race)
Ethnicity
Gender
Sex
Myth
Emic and etic views
Agency
Reflexivity
Religion
Ritual
Power
Worldview
Gift exchange
Reciprocity
Social organization
Ideology
Kinship system
Colonialism
Egalitarian
Stratification
Scaling (e.g., time and space and units of analysis)
Nativism
​Revitalization movements

Archaeology-focused terms:

​Inference
Assemblage
Material culture
AD, BC, BCE, CE, kya
Artifacts
Feature
Site
Band, tribe, chiefdom, state, empire
Complex societies and social complexity
Domestication
Material correlate
Diachronic and synchronic
Proxy variable or indicator
Correlation vs. causation
Positive, negative, and no correlation
Sampling
Generalizability
Mechanism
Archaeological culture
Stratigraphy
Uniformitarianism
Absolute and relative dating
Survey
Cultural resource management
Typology
NAGPRA
Typology
Classification
Diffusion


Biological Anthropology-focused terms: 

Evolution
Mechanism of evolution: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, gene flow (migrations)
Neo-Darwinian synthesis
Adaptation
Fitness
Natural selection
Species
Genotype
Phenotype
Niche construction
Modern humans
Primate
Monkey
Ape

Linguistic Anthropology-focused terms: 

Dialect
​Descriptive grammar
Prescriptive grammar
Speech community
Semiotic
Indexicality
​Dialogism
(click link for more information)



Rubric: 

The key concept quiz will be automatically scored and recorded within Canvas. 

Exceeds expectations:  The points you earned show a positive increase in values (or consistently high values) as the block progressed. At least one of your attempts was greater than approximately 90% of the points possible. 

Meets expectations: The points you earned mostly show a positive increase in values (or consistently moderate values) as the block progressed.  Most of your attempts were greater than approximately 80% of the points possible. 

Does not meet expectations:  The points you earned showed no clear trend in improvement over time or were consistently and relatively low values.  Most of your attempts did not exceed approximately 80% of the points possible. 
Scott Ingram, Creative Commons, Some Rights Reserved
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