Question 1

Foraging economies are usually associated with which type of sociopolitical organization?

Accepted Answer

Foraging economies are typically associated with band societies, which are small, nomadic, and egalitarian groups of people. Band societies are characterized by relatively low levels of social stratification, with few formal leadership roles, and typically rely on a subsistence strategy that is based on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants.

Question 2

What is an age set?

Accepted Answer

An age set refers to a group of people who are born within a certain time span, usually a decade or two. This group is seen as a unit and often has specific duties and responsibilities within the society. Age sets are common in many African societies.

Question 3

Modern foragers are not Stone Age relics, living fossils, lost tribes, or noble savages. Still, to the extent that foraging has been the basis of their subsistence, contemporary and recent hunter-gatherers

Accepted Answer

Contemporary and recent hunter-gatherers can illustrate links between a foraging economy and other aspects of society and culture, such as their sociopolitical organization. They provide valuable insights into the ways in which societies organize themselves around subsistence strategies and how these strategies shape social, political, and economic structures. However, there is no evidence to suggest that they illustrate links between a foraging economy and the emergence of social stratification, the need for power or the social precursors to hegemony. Additionally, it is not accurate to say that they are the closest we can come to studying true human nature since human societies have evolved and changed over time.

Question 4

As a stark reminder that no society truly is isolated, this chapter's "Appreciating Diversity" segment describes how various levels of political regulation-local, regional, national, and international-now determine how contemporary people such as the Venezuelan Yanomami live their lives. All of the following are examples of this, EXCEPT that

Accepted Answer

The segment describes how political regulation affects the Yanomami people in various ways, including the expulsion of foreign missionaries, the dependence on military transportation, and the creation of the Yanomami Health Plan. However, Yanomami leaders being expelled by their own communities due to accusations of sorcery is not a result of political regulation.

Question 5

As illustrated by a comparison between the Basseri and Qashqai, two Iranian nomadic tribes, illustrates how as regulatory problems increase,

Accepted Answer

The comparison between the Basseri and Qashqai shows that as regulatory problems increase, political hierarchies become more complex. This is seen in the fact that the Qashqai, who faced more regulatory problems, had a more complex political hierarchy with multiple leaders and sub-groups, while the Basseri had a simpler structure with one leader. The other answer choices are not supported by the comparison.

Question 6

The Inuit song battle is

Accepted Answer

The Inuit song battle is a means of resolving disputes between individuals or groups without resorting to open conflict.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about political leaders in foraging bands is true?

Accepted Answer

Political leaders in foraging bands have no means of forcing people to follow their decisions because there is no formal system of governance or enforcement mechanisms. Decision-making is often done through consensus-building and persuasion.

Question 8

Anthropologist Susan Kent notes a tendency to stereotype foragers, to treat them all as alike. They used to be stereotyped as isolated, primitive survivors of the Stone Age. Another, more recent, common stereotype of foragers sees them as

Accepted Answer

The passage notes that there is a recent stereotype of foragers as "culturally deprived people forced by states, colonialism, or world events into marginalized environments." This suggests that choice B is the best answer. The other options, such as choice A, which presents foragers as peaceful and in touch with their inner selves, or choice C, which portrays them as ideal humans with the perfect diet and rhythm of life, are not supported by the passage. Choice D is also not the best answer, as the passage notes that foragers used to be stereotyped as isolated. Finally, choice E is explicitly ruled out, as the passage notes that foragers were stereotyped as survivors of the Stone Age, not the Bronze Age.

Question 9

How does a big man increase his status?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does a big man increase his...

Question 10

The status systems of chiefdoms and states are similar in that both are based on differential access to resources. Nevertheless, a key distinction is that

Accepted Answer

Chiefdoms are typically based on kinship ties, and differential access to resources is often tied to one's position within the kinship structure. In contrast, state status systems are usually more complex and stratified, with access to resources based on a variety of factors including wealth, education, and occupation. While both systems are based on differential access to resources, the specific factors that determine status are often quite different.

Question 11

Which of the following was NOT used by the traditional Inuit to handle disputes?

Accepted Answer

Courts of law were not used by the traditional Inuit to handle disputes. The Inuit relied on other methods such as blood feuds, song contests, killing of the offender, and kin ties to resolve conflicts.

Question 12

In the context of tribal societies, what is a "big man"?

Accepted Answer

In tribal societies, a "big man" is typically someone who creates his reputation through entrepreneurship and generosity to others. He does not hold a permanent political office or have hereditary rule, but rather gains influence through his own actions and relationships with others. He may be a leader, but he does not have excessive displays of power or divinity associated with him.

Question 13

Tribal societies, which are typically organized by village life or membership in descent groups, tend to be egalitarian. However, egalitarianism diminishes

Accepted Answer

As village size and population density increase, it becomes more difficult to maintain an egalitarian society. Greater numbers of people make decision-making more complex, and there may not be enough resources to go around, leading to competition and hierarchical structures.

Question 14

As an example of how virtually no one is immune from larger political and economic forces, the Yanomami tribal society of Brazil has suffered recent changes as a result of

Accepted Answer

The encroachment by gold miners and cattle ranchers has caused recent changes in the Yanomami tribal society of Brazil, demonstrating how larger political and economic forces can have a significant impact even on isolated and indigenous communities.

Question 15

Why is it important to remember that the chiefdom and the state, like many categories used by social scientists, are ideal types?

Accepted Answer

It is important to remember that the chiefdom and state are ideal types because they are labels that make social contrasts seem sharper than they really are. This means that although these categories may be useful in describing certain societies, they may not accurately reflect the complexity and diversity of human societies. Therefore, we must be mindful of their limitations and avoid oversimplifying the societies we study.

Question 16

A big man's position depends on all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Inherited inequality is not a factor that a big man's position depends on, as the concept of a "big man" in anthropological terms usually refers to someone who has earned their status through personal achievements such as hard work, generosity, personal charisma, and the creation of wealth, rather than through inherited status or inequality.

Question 17

Despite the analytical usefulness of learning about anthropologist Elman Service's typology of political organization into bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states, it is important to remember that

Accepted Answer

While Service's typology is useful for understanding the different forms of political organization found in various societies, it is important to remember that these polities do not exist in isolation. They are all embedded within larger nation-states, and their structures and dynamics are influenced by the broader political and economic systems in which they operate. Therefore, researchers need to be aware of the broader context of these polities and how they interact with other political entities.

Question 18

Noting that chiefdoms created the megalithic cultures of Europe, such as the one that built Stonehenge, Kottak reminds us that

Accepted Answer

The statement acknowledges the role of chiefdoms in the creation of megalithic cultures but also reminds us that chiefdoms, like states, are not completely stable and can fall apart.

Question 19

In which of the following forms of political organization is it most likely that the most important leaders will acquire their positions based upon personal background or ability, rather than heredity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In which of the following forms of...

Question 20

Kottak prefers the term sociopolitical organization to Morton Fried's term political organization in discussing the regulation or management of interrelations among groups and their representatives, because

Accepted Answer

Kottak prefers the term sociopolitical organization over political organization because Fried's definition is less applicable to non-state societies, where it may be challenging to detect any public policy. Sociopolitical organization better encompasses the regulation or management of interrelations among groups and their representatives in both state and non-state societies.

Quiz 8: Political Systems