AIR 90 · CSE 2024 · ANT1 · 52 pages

Vaibhav Kumar: ANT1 answer copy

19 answers by Vaibhav Kumar, as written in the test.

The questions

  1. Q1(a)1.a) Linguistic relativity principle10 marks
  2. Q1(b)1.b) Auto-Ethnography10 marks
  3. Q1(c)Religion and Culture Ecology10 marks
  4. Q1(d)Problems of objectivity in Anthropological research10 marks
  5. Q1(e)Socio-Linguistics and Ethnography of Communication10 marks
  6. Q3(a)Discuss Victor Turner's concept of liminality and communitas in the context of religious rituals.20 marks
  7. Q3(b)How does qualitative and quantitative methods supplement each other in Anthropological research?15 marks
  8. Q3(c)Evaluate the debates around the use of participant observation as a research method in anthropology. What are the ethical and methodological controversies associated with this approach?15 marks
  9. Q5(a)Etic vs Emic Approach in Anthropological Research10 marks
  10. Q5(b)Contribution of Stephen Tyler to school of Cognitive Anthropology10 marks
  11. Q5(c)Code-Switching and its significance10 marks
  12. Q5(d)Survey Research method in Anthropology10 marks
  13. Q5(e)Practice Theory in Anthropology10 marks
  14. Q7(a)Summarize Margaret Mead's contributions to the study of gender and adolescence in Samoa. Also analyse the controversy sparked by Derek Freeman's critique of Mead's findings.20 marks
  15. Q7(b)Discuss Lewis Henry Morgan's evolutionary framework in anthropology. How did his theories reflect Western biases and assumptions about cultural superiority and progress?15 marks
  16. Q7(c)Explain Cultural materialism school of thought in Anthropology.15 marks
  17. Q8(a)Explain Tech-determinism approach of Leslie White in Anthropology. Also explain how Sahlins and service reconciled the debate between White and Steward.20 marks
  18. Q8(b)How did Boas's ideas challenge the prevailing theories of unilineal cultural evolution, and what were the implications for anthropological research?15 marks
  19. Q8(c)Compare and contrast the functionalist approaches of Bronislaw Malinowski and A.R. Radcliffe-Brown. What were their key contributions and criticisms?15 marks

The answers

Question 1(a) · 10 marks · 174 words written

1.a) Linguistic relativity principle

Opening · a definition

Linguistic relativity principle was given by [Sapir-Whorf], as their sapir-whorf hypothesis

Body · points

(1) It is based on the idea that language shapes our [world view] and our understanding of everything.

(eq) study of [Kuuk Thayyor] → Don't have words for cardinal directions of North-soith-East-West. So, [cyclical] understanding of directions.

(2) It coerces our [thought process] and unite our understanding of the world.

(eq.) [Yucatec] Maya don't have words for counting [specific] items unlike English numbers ⇒ so cannot [count] no. of items

(3) It shapes our [reality] and how we perceive things.

Eq. [John lucy] → Finnish have 2-D language whereas Swedish have 3-D. Finnish have [more accidents]

Principles to study language

  • Study children's concept development
  • Under experimental conditions

(eq.) Child acquisition of language shows it Hebrew is more gendered language → children acquire gender difference quicker (Alexander Guiora)

Criticisms (1) How does [bilingual] people able to think if language is coercive? (2) Extreme relativism. (3) No [empirical] methods of study

Close · a summary

[Sapir-Whorf] highlighted the importance of language in shaping our understanding of culture.