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Anthropology Past Paper MCQs
Anthropology 2024 MCQs
1 / 20
Marriage type in which one woman is allowed to have multiple husbands is known as:
Polyandry is a rare marital system where one woman has multiple husbands. Polygamy (A) is a general term for plural marriage, while Polygyny (C) refers to one man with multiple wives.
2 / 20
Hunting and gathering society, in which people acquire food by collecting wild plants and hunting animals of their region/territory, is also known as:
Foraging refers to subsistence based on wild resources. Horticulture (A) involves small-scale farming, and Pastoralism (C) focuses on herding animals.
3 / 20
The study of artifacts and excavation of material remains in historic sites to understand the past society is called:
Archaeology is the subfield of anthropology that focuses on studying past human cultures through material remains, such as artifacts, structures, and fossils. Physical Anthropology (B) deals with human biological evolution, while Primatology (C) studies primates.
4 / 20
The political leader who does not hold formal office and whose power comes from influence rather than authority is known as:
A Headman leads through personal influence in small-scale societies, unlike a Chief (A), who holds formal authority. "Lord" (C) is a feudal title.
5 / 20
The belief that a higher power may or may not exist is:
Agnosticism holds that the existence of deities is unknown or unknowable. Pantheism (C) equates God with the universe.
6 / 20
The following theorist believes that symbols serve as catalysts for social action and have predictable effects that motivate individuals and communities to act:
Turner studied symbols and rituals as drivers of social change. Geertz (A) focused on cultural interpretation, while Asad (C) critiqued power in anthropology.
7 / 20
If the siblings are from the opposite sex, their children are:
Cross cousins are children of opposite-sex siblings (e.g., father’s sister’s child). Parallel cousins (B) come from same-sex siblings.
8 / 20
The anthropological method in which the researcher immerses in the community and participates in their daily activities to gather research data is called:
Participant Observation is a key ethnographic method where anthropologists live among the people they study, engaging in daily life. Simple Observation (A) is passive, and In-depth Interviews (C) are structured discussions.
9 / 20
The famous book 'The Savage Mind' is written by:
Lévi-Strauss’s work explores structuralist anthropology. Boas (B) founded American anthropology, and Malinowski (C) pioneered functionalism.
10 / 20
The nineteenth-century theoretical orientation held that all human ways of life pass through a similar sequence of stages in their development:
Early theorists (e.g., Morgan, Tylor) proposed universal cultural stages. Multilinear (B) and Neo-evolutionism (C) are later, more nuanced models.
11 / 20
The process through which individuals learn their cultural values is called:
Enculturation refers to the lifelong process of learning one’s own culture. Acculturation (B) involves adopting aspects of another culture due to contact, while Transculturation (A) is a two-way cultural exchange.
12 / 20
The theoretical perspective claiming that technological and economic factors play an important role in shaping society is called:
Marvin Harris’s Cultural Materialism stresses material conditions (e.g., technology, ecology) as societal drivers. Diffusionism (C) focuses on cultural borrowing.
13 / 20
The norms about behavior that carry moral connotations are:
Mores are morally significant norms (e.g., taboos). Folkways (A) are casual customs, and Values (C) are abstract cultural ideals.
14 / 20
The term 'Cultural Ecology' was coined by the following anthropologist:
Steward developed Cultural Ecology, linking environment and culture. Leslie White (A) studied energy use, and Harris (C) refined materialism.
15 / 20
The mindset or conviction that one's own culture's morals, values, and customs are superior to those of other people is known as:
Ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture. Xenocentrism (A) is the opposite—preferring other cultures over one’s own. Ecocentrism (C) is an environmental philosophy unrelated to cultural bias.
16 / 20
A residence form gives a couple the option of living with either their husband's or wife's family is known as:
Ambilocal residence allows flexibility in choosing kin groups. Bilocal (A) is a less common term, and Neolocal (B) means living apart from both families.
17 / 20
The 'Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis' that language shapes a person's worldview by influencing their thoughts and perceptions is called:
This hypothesis argues that language affects cognition. Historical Particularism (A) emphasizes unique cultural histories, and Symbolism (C) is broader.
18 / 20
The subfield of anthropology in which anthropological knowledge is used to solve real-world problems is called:
Applied Anthropology involves using anthropological theories and methods to address practical issues, such as public health, development, and policy. Ethnography (C) refers to descriptive fieldwork, while Basic Anthropology (A) is more theoretical.
19 / 20
The Custom whereby a widower is expected to marry the sister of his deceased wife is called:
Sororate ensures familial alliances by requiring a man to marry his deceased wife’s sister. Levirate (A) is the opposite—marrying a brother’s widow. Surrogate (B) refers to a substitute in reproduction.
20 / 20
A person within a community who possesses specialized knowledge of that community and is considered an expert source of information for a fieldworker is called:
Key informants provide insider perspectives. Respondents (A) are general interviewees, and Interlocutors (C) are conversational partners.
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