Chapter 12

Question 1

What is political anthropology?

Answer 1

Study the role of social power in human socitey

Question 2

What is power?

Answer 2

Represents the ability to transform a given situation

• Power cannot be reduced simply to physical force
• Power in society operates according to principles that:
• Are cultural creations affected by history
• May differ from one society to another

Question 3

What is social power?

Answer 3

Affects an entire group of people

Question 4

What are the three modes of social power?

Answer 4

• Interpersonal power (ability of one individual to impose their will on another)
• Organizational power (how individuals or social units limit actions of other in particular social settings)
• Structural power (Controls the allocation of social labor and organizes entire social settings)

Question 5

What is history?

Answer 5

Political anthropology has been divided in three phases:

• “Formative” era (1851-1939): initial anthropological commentaries on politics
• “Classic” era (1942-1960s): associated with British social anthropology rooted in functionalist theory
• Modern Ear (1970s-present): involved cross-cultural studies of political institutions

Question 6

How are political and economic anthropology closely linked?

Answer 6

• Many political struggles concern access to material resources
• Economic practices cannot be fully understood until the are related to political settings within which they are deployed
• A range of subsistence strategies are used in different political contexts

Question 7

Who are free agents?

Answer 7

Pursue their own self-interests and do not cooperate unless forced to do so

Question 8

How is power demonstrated?

Answer 8

By coercive and by persuasive means

Question 9

What are social obligations?

Answer 9

To restrict individuals from pursuing their own self-interest to the detriment of the group

• Individuals cannot be coerced, but must be persuaded to cooperate
• Individuals can resist conforming to another’s wishes

Question 10

What is domination?

Answer 10

Represents coercive rule

Question 11

What is ideology?

Answer 11

Is a worldview that justifies the social arrangements under which people live

Question 12

Who is Antonio Gramsci?

Answer 12

Argued that coercion alone is rarely sufficient for social control, distinguishing from hegemony

Question 13

What is hegemony?

Answer 13

• Involves the persuasion of subordinates to accept without question the ideology of the dominant group as the norm and as common sense, which reinforces the ‘ruler’ privileged position
• Is never absolute and always involves challenges

Question 14

What is counter-hegemonic or purposefully alternative cultural practices?

Answer 14

Can be developed by subordinate groups that threaten hegemony

Question 15

What is subordinate groups?

Answer 15

May create counter-hegemonic accounts of their experience of being dominated, acquire a following, and unseat their rulers

Question 16

What is hidden transcripts?

Answer 16

Are unofficial accounts of experiences by dominated individuals or groups

Question 17

What is citizenship?

Answer 17

Can be divided into legal citizenship and substantive citizenship

Question 18

What is legal citizenship

Answer 18

Is defined by the state and my be difficult for migrants to get

Question 19

What is substantive citizenship?

Answer 19

Are defined by the actions people take, regardless of legal status, to assert membership in the state