| Study Guide for Exam #2 The 4 Domains of Culture (1) Economics Know generally the history of economic systems (when did foraging, pastoralism, horticultre, and intensive agriculture start) Be able to describe one economic system in detail (type of work, size of groups, gender relations, wealth and power, etc.) Know the differences between the various distribution systems--how they create social relations (personal vs. impersonal) and how they create inequality of wealth and power Have a general notion of consumption as a cultural matter (what and how groups consume, the symbolic value of goods, the regional/seasonal/ritual significance of consumption) (2) Kinship Understand what a corporate group is, what functions they serve, and how kinship and other-than-kinship principles can create them Understand the three principles of kinship: marriage, residence, descent Know the different types of marriage Understand the basic idea of exogamy and endogamy Know the different types of marriage exchanges (bride wealth, bride service, dowry) Know the different types of residence rules and what kind of households/gender relations they make Know about lineage systems and how to read a kinship chart (in other words, given a chart, can you tell who is or is not in the lineage?) Know what a society's kinship terminology tells about what is important to them (do not worry about remembering specific terminology systems) Know that there are other ways to form corporate groups besides kinship (age, gender, class, interest, race, etc.) Know a little about the "age grade" system and why a society uses it Know about social stratification, social mobility, and class/caste (4) Politics Understand that politics is often informal--no specialized political institutions Understand what internalized vs. externalized control means, and the relation to enculturation Know about positive/negative and formal/informal sanctions Know the three sources of power (authority, persuasion, coercion) Understand the concept of levels of "political integration" Know the four main political systems (band, tribe, chiefdom, and state). Be able to describe any one political system in detail (Do not worry too much about processes to re-establish "social harmony") (5) Religion Understand the notion of "agency" and the "extension of society to include non-human agents" Understand the "modular" nature of religion Understand the three functions of religion: explanation,control, and legitimation Understand the different kinds of religious beliefs (animism, animatism, ancestor spirits, and theism) Know the difference between a priest and a shaman Know about rituals, for example rites of passage and rites of intensification. Have some familiarity with the idea of myth as a "charter" for contemporary life (6) Other Be prepared to discuss an institution/practice/situation in which two or more domains are integrated (for example, religion and politics in interaction, or economics and politics, etc.) Be prepared to think about the four domains of culture and their integration in reference to American society |