AIR 74 · CSE 2025 · ANT1 · 84 pages

Harsh Nehara: ANT1 answer copy

28 answers by Harsh Nehara, as written in the test.

The questions

  1. Q1(a)Comment on the following in about 150 words each: (a) What is Anticipatory Socialization and how it facilitates social mobility?10 marks
  2. Q1(b)Concepts of 'Role Set' and 'Role Strain'.10 marks
  3. Q1(c)Distinguish 'Folkways' and 'Mores' using anthropological examples.10 marks
  4. Q1(d)Matrilineal Puzzle.10 marks
  5. Q1(e)Live-in relationships through anthropological lens.10 marks
  6. Q2(a)Examine the role of traditional dispute resolution mechanisms in tribal communities.20 marks
  7. Q2(b)What are the defining characteristics of a scientific discipline, and does Anthropology meet those criteria?15 marks
  8. Q2(c)Discuss the impact of Feminist and Women liberation movements on Marriage and Family.15 marks
  9. Q3(a)Discuss the 'Nature-Culture Dichotomy' and its critical examination in contemporary anthropology.20 marks
  10. Q3(b)Critically examine the relationship between anthropology and psychology in the study of culture.15 marks
  11. Q3(c)Discuss the nature of Law and Justice in simple societies citing suitable examples.15 marks
  12. Q4(a)Examine 'Symbolic Interactionism' as a theoretical perspective for understanding social stratification.20 marks
  13. Q4(b)How is the construction of power linked to the notion of conspicuous consumption and its impact on distributive justice.15 marks
  14. Q4(c)How do descent theories and alliance theories differ in their approaches to understanding kinship and social organization?15 marks
  15. Q5(a)Cross-cousin marriage and its anthropological significance.10 marks
  16. Q5(b)'Acculturation' and 'Transculturation' in the context of cultural contact.10 marks
  17. Q5(c)Concept of segmentary lineage in political anthropology.10 marks
  18. Q5(d)Reciprocity and redistribution with ethnographic examples.10 marks
  19. Q5(e)Applied anthropology and its role in contemporary societies.10 marks
  20. Q6(a)Discuss different forms of marriage and their functional significance in traditional societies.20 marks
  21. Q6(b)Discuss the anthropological perspectives on incest taboo with examples.15 marks
  22. Q6(c)Explain the concept of “prestations” in the context of ceremonial exchange.15 marks
  23. Q7(a)"Culture is both overt and covert, explicit and implicit." Discuss this statement anthropologically with suitable illustrations.20 marks
  24. Q7(b)The impact of globalization on indigenous peoples has been complex and multifaceted, ranging from economic and political marginalization to cultural commodification and appropriation. Elaborate.15 marks
  25. Q7(c)Elucidate the relevance of the concept of cultural relativism in the context of ethnographic fieldwork.15 marks
  26. Q8(a)The origins and practice of modern Anthropology are bound up with the colonial era. Discuss.20 marks
  27. Q8(b)Compare economic and political systems of the Nuer and Trobrianders.15 marks
  28. Q8(c)Explain the concept of "household" in anthropology and its distinction from "family".15 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 176 words written

Comment on the following in about 150 words each: (a) What is Anticipatory Socialization and how it facilitates social mobility?

Opening · a definition

None written.

Body · points

Anticipatory Socialisation is a form of reference group behaviour where an individual or group starts following norms & ways of their reference group before joining it.

Diagram
Reference Groups -> Coined by Hymes, it refers to a group to which an individual or other group consistently compare itself to.

Process of Anticipatory Socialisation

  1. Envy or sense of relative deprivation among group regarding reference groups
  2. Try imitating their practices & discard own practices contradictory to norms → e.g. lower caste giving up liquor
  3. Claim similar position & status
  4. If successful then become part of larger group.
  5. If retaliation by larger group then it leads to conflict.

Role in Social mobility

  1. Anticipatory socialisation is a way by which groups imitate higher positioned groups → e.g. Bhumij Claiming Kshatriya status
  2. Socialisation/Sanskritisation among lower caste & Westernisation among higher caste as ways to uplift status
  3. often leads to conflict & can also result in emergence of new category that is "marginal men" → e.g. Jatavs of Agra (Bernard Cohn) -> Not accepted as Rajputs, Neither as dalits

Close · a summary

Hence, reference group behaviour & anticipatory socialisation are crucial ways to study changes in social structure & hierarchy.