Q. No. 2.
Define Culture and its major Characteristics; also discuss how the discipline of Anthropology is
different from other Social Sciences.
Professor E.B Taylor “Who said that culture was multifaceted set of knowledge, belief, art, law, morals,
customs and another capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of society”
- Culture is learned: Not by biologically but social interaction
- Culture is social: Learn culture in a society + Group phenomena
- Culture is inculated: Generation to Generation
- Culture is adaptive: Socially transmitted knowledge
Criteria Anthropology Other Social Sciences
Focus Study of humans in all aspects: Focus on specific areas like
culture, biology, history, and society (sociology), economy
language. (economics), or mind
(psychology).
Approach Holistic – considers all parts of Narrower focuses on specific
human life together. issues or systems.
Main Method Fieldwork (participant observation), Surveys, experiments, or data
spending a long time with people analysis.
studied.
Biological Aspect Looks at human biology, evolution, Usually does not study biology
and genetics (Biological or evolution.
Anthropology).
Subfields Includes cultural anthropology, Divided into specific fields like
archaeology, biological sociology, economics,
anthropology, and linguistic psychology, and political
anthropology. science.
Q. No. 3. Discuss major Socio-cultural and psychological barriers to change.
Type of Barrier Barrier Description
Tradition and Custom People stick to old ways that they have always done.
Cultural Relativism Some people do not want to change because they
Cultural like their own culture
Social Norms Different languages can make it hard to share new
ideas.
Cognitive Dissonance People may feel confused and resist change when
Psychological new ideas clash with old beliefs.
Group Dynamics Friends and groups can make it hard to change if
everyone wants to stay the same.
Power Structures People in charge may not want change because it
could take away their power.
Political Legislation and Policy Laws can keep things the same and make it hard for
change to happen.
Economic Interests Some businesses want things to stay the same
because they make money from it.
Q. No. 4. What are the major anthropological research techniques used to collect field data? Also,
discuss how Qualitative Research is different from Quantitative Research.
- Tools of Data Collection
- Questionnaires,
- Interview guides
- Observational checklists,
- Mapping,
- Field Notes,
- Videography,
- Genealogical Method,
- Oral Stories
Aspect Qualitative Quantitative
Nature of Data Deals with non-numerical data Involves numerical data or data
that can be quantified.
Purpose: Seeks to understand the "why" seeks to establish the "what,"
and "how" behind phenomena. "where," and "when."
Research Approach: Data collection methods may Uses a deductive approach
include interviews, focus (starts with a hypothesis and
groups, and ethnography. tests it using data).
Sample Size: Typically involves smaller, non- Involves larger, representative
representative samples samples
Analysis hematic, narrative, or content Statistical analysis is used (e.g.,
analysis is used correlation, regression)
Outcomes Provides rich, detailed insights Provides data that can be
into specific cases or generalized to a larger
phenomena population
Q. No. 6. What is the Anthropological definition of Religion and its major functions? Also, discuss how
the primitive religion evolved.
Edward Burnett Tylor (1871): Defined religion as "the belief in spiritual beings." He emphasized that
early forms of religion, such as animism, represented the simplest understanding of spiritual existence.
Émile Durkheim (1912): Described religion as “a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to
sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden.”
Major functions
- Social Cohesion
- Social Control
- Explaining the Unknown
- Emotional Comfort
- Cultural Identity
Evolution of Religion
- Animism and Shamanism
- Totemism
- Polytheism
- Monotheism
Q. No. 7. Describe the theory of Social Evolution given by Lewis H. Morgan & E.B.Tylor
Lewis H. Morgan
- Svagery
- Barbarism
- Civilization
Edward Burnett Tylor's Theory of Social Evolution
- Animism
- Polytheism
- Monotheism
Similarities and Contributions
- Both Morgan and Tylor believed in unilinear evolution, where societies progress through a fixed
sequence of stages
Criticism of the Theory
- Critics argued that it assumed all societies must follow a single, linear path of development and
often judged "primitive" cultures as inferior.
Write short notes on any FOUR of the following: (5 each)
(a) Acculturation & Enculturation
The process of learning our own culture is called enculturation
while the process of learning another culture is called acculturation
(b) Emic & Etic
Emic and Etic are two approaches used to study and understand cultures.
- The etic approach looks at a culture from the perspective of an outsider. It uses
objective, scientific analysis to compare cultures and find patterns or generalizations.
Example: A researcher observing a wedding in India and comparing it to weddings in
other countries to identify general trends about marriage customs.
- The emic approach looks at a culture from the perspective of someone within that
culture.
Example: A researcher studying a wedding ceremony in India by understanding what the
rituals mean to the people participating in them.
(c) Endogamy & Exogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying someone within a specific group, such as your own social
class, caste, religion, or tribe
Polygamy: A marriage system involving multiple spouses.
(d) Consanguine & Affine Relatives
Consanguineal: Blood relations (e.g., parents, siblings), Affinal: Relations through marriage (e.g.,
in-laws),
(e) Ethnocentrism
- Ethnocentrism is the belief that your own culture, beliefs, or way of life is better or more correct
than others. People with an ethnocentric view often judge other cultures based on their own
cultural standards.
Example: If someone thinks that eating with a fork and knife is the "right" way to eat, and judges
other cultures for eating with their hands or chopsticks, they are being ethnocentric.
(f) Neolithic Culture
Neolithic culture refers to the period when humans started farming, domesticating animals, and
living in permanent settlements. This period is also known as the New Stone Age and marked a
big shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture.
