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Cultural Anthro Final
Anthro of Religion/Kinship & Marriage
62
Anthropology
Undergraduate 1
04/29/2009

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Term
zadruga
Definition
extended family patrilocal household headed by a male household head and his wife, the senior woman; children considered part of household even if parents divorce and everyone supposedly treats all children the same despite if they belong to them
Term
tarawad
Definition
extended family matrilocal compound, with several buildings, its own temple, orchards, gardens, land holdings and is headed by a senior woman assisted by her brother
Term
descent group
Definition
permanent social unit whose members say they have ancestors in common, believe they share/descend from common ancestors
Term
matrilineal descent
Definition
people join the mother's group automatically at birth and stay members throughout life, include children only from group's women
Term
partrilineal descent
Definition
people automatically have lifetime membership in father's group, children of men in group included but children of women excluded
Term
unilineal descent
Definition
descent rule uses one line only either the male or female line
Term
lineage vs. clan
Definition
lineage uses demonstrated descent from apical ancestor and clan uses stipulated descent (just say they descend from)
Term
patrilocality
Definition
when couple marries, moves to husband's father's community (unilocal rule of postmarital residence)
Term
matrilocality
Definition
when couple marries, moves to wife's mother's community (unilocal rule of postmarital residence)
Term
ambilineal
Definition
doesn't automatically exclude either children of sons or daughters, but people can choose, belong to more than one, or change
Term
affinal
Definition
relatives by marriage, whether of lineals (son's wife) or collaterals (sister's husband)
Term
collateral relative
Definition
a genealogical relative who is not in ego's direct line (sister, brother, father's brother, mother's sister)
Term
lineal relative
Definition
any of ego's ancestors or descendants (parents, gparents, children, etc) on the direct line of descent that leads to and from ego
Term
endogamy
Definition
rule or practice of marriage btwn people of same group
Term
exogamy
Definition
rule requiring people to marry outside their own group
Term
genitor
Definition
biological father of a child
Term
levirate
Definition
custom by which a widow marries the brother of her deceased husband
Term
cross cousins
Definition
children of a brother and a sister
Term
parallel cousins
Definition
children of two brothers or two sisters
Term
polyandry
Definition
variety of plural marriage where woman has more than one husband
Term
polygyny
Definition
variety of plural marriage where the man takes more than one wife
Term
sororate
Definition
custom by which a widower marries the sister of his deceased wife
Term
animism
Definition
belief that all things have souls/spirits dwelling within them, found most often in foraging societies
Term
cargo cults
Definition
postcolonial, acculturative religious movements, common in Melanesia, that attempt to explain European domination and wealth and to achieve similar success magically by mimicking European behavior
Term
communitas
Definition
effervescent sense of community: sense of community you have by being collectively liminal, ex-shared with those who share the same experience of ritual (soror initiation)
Term
liminality
Definition
critically important marginal or in-btwn phase of a rite of passage; btwn life phases before new status is confirmed
Term
Rites of Passage
Definition
involve 3 steps: some sort of separation from society, a transition to a new identity, and re-incorporation within society
Term
ritual
Definition
stereotyped sequences of activities (involving gestures, words, and objects) performed in a set-apart place and designed to engage the supernatural on behalf of the actor's goals and interests
Term
symbols
Definition
objects, gestures, or words that represent meanings shared by their users; meaning of ritual is in how the various symbols relate to one another
Term
shamans
Definition
part-time religious practitioner who mediates btwn ordinary people and supernatural beings/forces; convince by talking in tongues, making offerings, etc. and are extremely respected/feared (first profession and division of labor)
Term
mana
Definition
impersonal force that can inhabit people/things, gives power or luck and can also be dangerous: Ex. four-leafed clovers, rabbit's foot, penny face up is lucky, but face down is unlucky, black eyed peas on New Years; is appreciated and sought out but can be dangerous (Polynesians with too much mana can't touch others because it will overpower and harm/kill other)
Term
religion
Definition
beliefs and practices pertaining to supernatural beings or forces, an ordered system of knowledge about the nature of the world and how to behave in it
Term
features of religion (3 components)
Definition
beliefs about supernatural (beings and powers), myths/histories about deeds/origins of supernatural, rituals to influence the supernatural including prayers, songs, etc.
Term
generalizations about religion (3 functions)
Definition
intellectual (answers why questions and provides meaning to existence), social (supports societal institutions, sanctions human conduct), psychological (reduces anxiety with set of rules to live by, but also increases in some ways)
Term
origins of religion
Definition
need to explain the world's origins, sickness, and death; provides reasonable explanations for unreasonable events
Term
totem
Definition
an animal, plant, or object considered related to a kin group or individual and viewed as sacred; one will have taboos on the treatment of one's totem (such as how to handle holy books or weed in rasta case)
Term
taboo
Definition
set apart as sacred and off-limits to ordinary people and prohibition backed by supernatural sanctions; are basically bans on 4 things: eating certain foods (pork for jews), entering certain places, killing certain animals (totem character), having sexual/intimate relations with certain people
Term
revitalization movements
Definition
movements that occur in times of change, in which religious leaders emerge and undertake to alter or revitalize a society; result of desire to create an amazing sense of community and creating a new identity (in a shared opposition of something usually), also results from trying to think globally but live locally
Term
syncretism
Definition
cultural mixes, including religious blends, that emerge from acculturation - the exchange of cultural features when cultures come into continuous firsthand contact; combining religions to make new one (can include extra views)
Term
umma
Definition
the Islamic nation or worldwide community
Term
Hadith
Definition
oral tradition related to the words and deeds of the prophet
Term
madrassas
Definition
a Muslim religious seminary that holds militant Islam at core of teachings (at most of them)
Term
sharia
Definition
rule of Islamic law; form of theocracy in Muslim nations (even some places where Muslims are minority)
Term
apostate
Definition
one who abandoned the faith
Term
shaheed
Definition
an honorable martyr that is celebrated
Term
hudna
Definition
ceasefire, truce in order to regroup and attack at an appropriate time (for as long as ten years because thats how long Mohammed waited)
Term
zakat
Definition
tithe of 2.5% so everyone does it, some countries' gov'ts collect it; the political economy of terrorism
Term
Al Qaeda
Definition
"the Base" (its Sunni, but specifically Wahhabist), extremist Sunni movement involving militant Islamist creeds and terrorist behavior (such as suicide bombings)
Term
Five Pillars of Islam
Definition
five duties incumbent on every Muslim: profession of one god and Muhammed as messenger, prayers towards Mecca 5 times a day, zakat, fasting during Ramadan, and the hajj (these 5 are essential to Sunni Islam)
Term
hajj
Definition
pilgrimmage to Mecca that Muslims are obliged to make at least once in lifetime if they can afford it (walk 7times around Ka'ba, touch the Black Stone (Tektite), and symbolically stoning the devil)
Term
Ramadan
Definition
month of daytime fasting (but nighttime feasting), celebrates month of Mohammed's vision; most restaurants in Muslim countries close during month by gov't sanctions
Term
Wahhabism
Definition
conservative form of Sunni Islam, advocating a return to practices of the first 4 caliphs (3ish generations) of Islamic history, primary doctrine is the uniqueness and unity of God; founded by Muhammed bin Abdi al-Wahhab who thought all other Muslim practices were impure, tried to take over Saudi, but settled for it being the official religion of country (Osama, Taliban, and Al-Qaeda are best known subscribers while Shiites and non-Wahhabi Sunnies are considered infidels)
Term
Mujahedeen (Mujahideen)
Definition
person engaged in jihad
Term
jihad
Definition
"struggle in the way of God" (against one's self, of the tongue, of the hand, and of the sword), usually used in military context
Term
fatwa
Definition
religious opinion on Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar (binding in Sunni and non-binding in Shia); Ex. on national level, where Islamic law is basis, fatwa is debated prior to law being issued)
Term
Muhammed (Mohammed)
Definition
b. about 570 near Mecca, used to be 100s of deities but he decided was only one (Allah) and Karesh opposed him b/c what was preaching threatened economic stability of pilgrimmages, so he went to Medina where his mom was important, became head of state and is start of combination of church and state
Term
Islam
Definition
act of submission or recognition of unity of God and the prophethood of Mo; first perm. intro of monotheism among Arabs - Muslim: one who has submitted- "a true believer"
Term
enculturation
Definition
social process by which culture is learned and transmitted across the generations
Term
spread of Islam (Arabic)
Definition
doctrine is that Islam will become worldwide religion and any nation that is not the house of Islam is domain for war (Dar al-Islam = house of Islam, Dar al-harb=house of war)
Term
antimodernism
Definition
rejection of modern in favor of what is perceived as an earlier, purer, and better way of life
Term
fundamentalism
Definition
describes antimodernist movements in various religions; assert identity separate from the larger religious group from which arose; advocate strict fidelity to the "true" religious principles on which the larger religion was founded
Term
reciprocity (Rasta view)
Definition
if one is wealthy, have that at expense of someone else, so if person isn't seen to share their wealth it can result in very unfortunate outcomes
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