Name: ___________________________ Class: _________________ Date: __________
chapter 17
1. What is the difference between classic and contemporary ethnographic film? How
does ethnographic film differ from indigenous media?
2. Explain the concept of “photographic gaze.” Briefly list the visual media you
encounter in a day, such as social media, news, celebrity gossip magazines,
television, streaming video, websites, and advertising. Pick a seemingly neutral
photographic example and examine its photographic gaze. Who created the
image? Who is the intended audience? What kinds of contextual information
affects its interpretation? What are some clues to the worldviews of the owners,
editors, designers, videographers, and others who produced that example of
media?
3. How did Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins examine National Geographic
magazine’s “photographic gaze”? What methods did they use? What were the
implications of their findings?
4. Why did exhibitions of Middle Eastern and Islamic art increase after the 9/11 attack
on the World Trade Center in New York? What were the goals of the exhibits?
Were they achieved?
5. Rara appears to be a night of revelry and play. Describe the important religious and
political work it also performs. Then give an example that demonstrated the limits
of rara as a vehicle for political expression.
6. Give an example of a performance practice that illustrates what kinetic orality is.
How is kinetic orality acquired? Describe the circular relationship Kyra Gaunt
documented between the games her subjects play and commercial hip-hop culture
as it pertains to the construction of gender and identity.
7. Do spectators look at art using a universal gaze? In what way do Western fine art
institutions presume to have a universal way of perceiving or valuing art? How
does the anthropology of art confirm or challenge these presumptions of
universality? What is your position on the universality of the universal gaze?
8. Imagine you are a typical piece of “wood,” an African wood carving destined for a
Western consumer. Based on what you learned about African art markets in West
Africa and the United States from Steiner and Stoller’s research, trace your “social
life.” Begin with your transformation from raw material into an art object and
describe your journey to your final home with your consumer.
9. Are the acrylic paintings of the Western Desert Pintupi “authentic”? Explain why or
why not.
10. What gives an African carving value in the eyes of its typical Western consumer?
How do the local traders in Christopher Steiner’s study of the West African market
enhance the value of their products? And why do they do these things?
11. What does Paleolithic art reveal about ancient humans? Discuss the
archaeological findings in Africa and Europe.
12. How was early anthropology involved in creating the category of “primitive art”?
How have anthropologists of art changed the discipline’s approach?
13. Your Aunt Gladys loves Vincent van Gough’s Sunflowers so much that she owns
numerous reproductions. She has a Sunflowers mug, teapot, canvas tote bag,
stationary set, and bedspread, among other things. Why can she not have the
original painting too? Analyze the difference between her Sunflowers paraphernalia
and the original painting from an anthropological perspective.
14. How has the Western art world distinguished between fine, popular, and “primitive”
art? How does this perspective differ from the anthropological idea of art?
15. What is Morrinho? Describe its origins and what is has become. Is it now a game,
an art installation, a political statement, or some combination of them all? Explain
your answer.
16. The global availability of a multitude of communication methods has enabled the
use of media in new ways that can benefit indigenous communities. What is the
definition of indigenous media?
a.
the use of media by people who have experienced economic, political, and
geographic disruption to build alternative strategies for communication,
survival, and empowerment
b.
the use of media by indigenous communities in order to protest oppression
c.
the use of media by Western journalists to help indigenous communities
overcome economic and political barriers in their countries
d.
the use of media by postcolonial governments in order to help indigenous
groups improve their economic circumstances and get involved in politics
17. After observing missionaries, loggers, miners, and ranchers encroaching on the
Kayapo way of life in the Amazon basin of Brazil, Terence Turner founded the
Kayapo Video Project to provide the community with film equipment and training.
Kayapo-produced film and video are now powerful tools in their activism in the
global movement to protect the Amazon rain forest. Their films are examples of
a.
visual anthropology.
b.
mediascapes.
c.
ethnographic film.
d.
indigenous media.
18. New forms of communication founded on computer-and Internet-based
technologies that facilitate social engagement, work, and pleasure are considered
a.
a global mediascape.
b.
media worlds.
c.
social media.
d.
indigenous media.
19. ________ is the term for an ethnographic and theoretical approach to media
studies that focuses on the tensions that may exist when visual worlds collide in
the context of contemporary globalization.
a.
The global mediascape
b.
Media worlds
c.
Social media
d.
Indigenous media
20. The term ________ refers to global cultural flows of media and visual images that
enable linkages and communication across boundaries in ways that were
unimaginable a century ago.
a.
global mediascape
b.
media worlds
c.
ethnographic film
d.
indigenous media
21. ________ is the use of media by people who have experienced massive economic,
political and geographic disruption to build alternative strategies for
communication, survival, and empowerment.
a.
Mediascape
b.
Media worlds
c.
Ethnographic film
d.
Indigenous media
22. The presumed neutral viewpoint of the camera that in fact projects the perspective
of the person behind the camera onto human nature, the natural world, and history
is the called the ________ gaze.
a.
photographic
b.
universal
c.
national geographic
d.
visual
23. The decentralized production and circulation of new media, which is facilitated by
satellites, computers, and devices such as smartphones and tablets, has led to
new opportunities for
a.
activism.
b.
state control.
c.
global mediascapes.
d.
television.
24. The concept of “media worlds” implies that local realities now include the global
flow of images and media, which leads to more widespread communication across
geographic and cultural boundaries, which in turn can lead to
a.
political and economic tensions.
b.
increased reliance on technology around the world.
c.
tensions between social media users and nonusers.
d.
a narrowing of the global mediascape.
25. Faye Ginsberg’s phrase “media worlds” is useful because it highlights
a.
tensions that result from the collision of visual worlds.
b.
the erasure of local cultures as a result of globalized media.
c.
global cultural flows of media.
d.
tensions that result from participation in online virtual communities.
26. What makes the film Leviathan a unique experience?
a.
the fact that it is a multispecies ethnography
b.
its masterful dialogue and narrative arc
c.
its romantic approach to the fishing industry
d.
its use of scent to mimic the odors found on a fishing boat
27. What is indigenous media?
a.
videos made about indigenous peoples
b.
use of the media by those who have experienced significant disruption at a
local level
c.
films that are unusually clever in delivering a powerful message
d.
the type of media used by Native Americans
28. What was one of the unique production methods used in the film Leviathan?
a.
It was shot on black and white film.
b.
It has no musical soundtrack.
c.
It used verité-style camerawork.
d.
It was shot entirely using GoPro extreme sports cameras.
29. The film Exit Zero traces the journey of an anthropologist’s family as they cope with
a.
a loss of employment.
b.
cancer.
c.
migration.
d.
the loss of a parent.
30. Filmmakers Chris Boebel and Christine Walley documented the devastating impact
of globalization and the loss of industry in
a.
China.
b.
India.
c.
United States.
d.
Haiti.
31. What did Lutz and Collins conclude after their investigation of National Geographic
photos?
a.
They depict the harsh realities of life in many different places.
b.
They avoid images that might disrupt readers’ views of the world.
c.
They open up a broad cultural perspective that most readers would otherwise
never see.
d.
They help readers remember that peoples of the world are more alike than
different.
32. Which population made up the majority of the 40 million readers of National
Geographic at its peak?
a.
anthropologists and their students
b.
people over the age of forty-five
c.
students at elite high schools
d.
middle-class white people
33. Why did Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins analyze the photographic gaze of
National Geographic magazines?
a.
On average, more than 100 million people worldwide read it monthly.
b.
It was the only visual popular source of information about cultures of the
world before cable television.
c.
The gaze viewed other cultures through a humanistic lens.
d.
It allowed for an exploration of how visual images can influence cultural
perspectives and reader behaviors.
34. What is meant by the term photographic gaze?
a.
the view in the lens of the photographer
b.
the personal perspective of the photographer
c.
the relationship between the photographer and the distribution channel of
their work
d.
the view of the subject being photographed
35. The author states that Chinese immigrants he had never met recognized him on
the streets of New York. How was this possible?
a.
The author had shared copies of his work with members of New York’s
Chinatown.
b.
He was filmed in a festival video in China that was later viewed by immigrants
in New York.
c.
Photographs of the author were visible on book covers found in many local
bookstores used by immigrants.
d.
The author had violated copyright laws and was featured on police bulletins.
36. According to the author, what form of media connects Chinese immigrants to the
ritual life of their home village?
a.
letters
b.
cell phones
c.
festival videos
d.
newspapers and magazines
37. What form of technology emerged in the late twentieth century as a dominant form
of global communication, impacting art and art production?
a.
telephones
b.
the Internet
c.
television
d.
computers
38. What term does Arjun Appadurai use to refer to the global cultural flows of media
and visual images that enable linkages and communication across boundaries?
a.
critical transformation
b.
media worlds
c.
social media
d.
global mediascape
39. Aimee Cox is a cultural anthropologist who works with young women in homeless
shelters in Detroit. Through her fieldwork, she came to a greater understanding of
the power of anthropology. What does she suggest is the foundation of all culture?
a.
media
b.
music
c.
performance
d.
spoken language
40. In her ethnography The Games Black Girls Play (2006), ethnomusicologist Kyra
Gaunt analyzes the schoolyard songs and games created and performed by young
black girls. Which of the following is a conclusion she reached?
a.
Black girls’ games are an important part of enculturation and identity
formation for young black girls.
b.
The unique movement and rhythm in black girls’ games is due to genetic
sharing across generations.
c.
Commercial hip-hop invents songs and vocal patterns, and girls imitate them.
d.
Girls’ games do not create kinetic orality.
41. Artistic expression is used in many ways in many different cultures. However,
common threads are often found between very different creative forms of
expression. What is the commonality between rara bands in Haiti and the dances
of young women living in homeless shelters in Detroit?
a.
Both are marginalized groups protesting inequality through artistic
expression.
b.
Both are marginalized groups raising money through artistic expression.
c.
Both are marginalized groups that use religion in tandem with artistic
expression.
d.
Both are marginalized groups that were able to get their work into fine art
museums.
42. After the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, many institutions tried
to foster intercultural understanding through art. What surprising discovery did
Jessica Winegar make about such efforts?
a.
Incidents of violence against Muslims increased.
b.
Muslim artists were welcomed into the world of high art.
c.
They reinforced stereotypes and existing dichotomies.
d.
Incidents of violence against Muslims decreased.
43. What is accomplished through the use of vulgar, sexual language and profanity in
the betiz songs played at rara festivals?
a.
They encourage people to be more sexual.
b.
They are a form of popular laughter in the face of daily conditions.
c.
They temper play with seriousness.
d.
They captivate the military.
44. What, in addition to adding to the festive air, do the songs used in a rara
performance accomplish for the local culture?
a.
They critique local political conditions.
b.
They give the performers a chance to improve their abilities.
c.
They allow local subcultures a chance to express themselves openly.
d.
They help the musicians become popular on the Internet.
45. What does Kyra Gaunt’s research into kinetic orality in U.S. playgrounds
demonstrate?
a.
Young black girls learn from imitating the music and gestures of hip-hop
performers.
b.
Black male hip-hop artists created a unique new art form.
c.
Kinetic orality is a unique rhyming pattern found in the south Bronx.
d.
Young black girls learn to perform rhythmic patterns of clapping and stomping
through socialization.
46. Ethnomusicologists would most likely study
a.
portraits in National Geographic.
b.
communication through social media.
c.
the use of playground rhymes by U.S. rap artists.
d.
the marketing of oceanic arts.
47. You are an anthropologist studying line-dancing culture in the southern United
States. You observe people who move, shout, and sing in synchronized groups
according to the music. What might you label this kind of music?
a.
percussive singing
b.
ethnomusicology
c.
kinetic music
d.
kinetic orality
48. What kind of anthropologist would study the trends in boy band culture and their
fans from the 1990s until today?
a.
visual anthropologist
b.
musical anthropologist
c.
ethnomusicologist
d.
historical anthropologist
49. Jessica Winegar’s study of art exhibits displaying Middle Eastern and Islamic art
after 9/11 suggests that the ability of art to serve as a “bridge builder” is severely
limited by
a.
popular opinions about what makes good art.
b.
beliefs about what constitutes “high art.”
c.
the political context in which art is selected and funded.
d.
the authenticity of the art that is displayed.
50. Jessica Winegar studied post-9/11 attempts by institutions to bridge cultural
differences with media. What category did she find was rarely featured at the
exhibits designed to improve relations?
a.
historical art
b.
female artists
c.
male artists
d.
music and rituals of Sufism
51. ________ is a musical genre combining body movement and voice.
a.
Ethnomusicology
b.
Kinetic orality
c.
Percussive singing
d.
Rhythm and blues
52. ________ is the study of music within its cultural context.
a.
Ethnomusicology
b.
Kinetic orality
c.
Percussive singing
d.
Rhythm and blues
53. While she conducted research for her doctoral dissertation, Aimee Cox worked at
a.
the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
b.
an online art gallery.
c.
a homeless shelter for young women.
d.
the Alley II Dance Company in New York.
54. In Haiti, Vodoun spirits are called
a.
betiz.
b.
pwen.
c.
Lent.
d.
lwa.
55. The rara genre that playfully criticizes political conditions of Haiti is
a.
betiz.
b.
pwen.
c.
Lent.
d.
lwa.
56. The rara genre that features vulgar lyrics laced with sexual innuendo is called
a.
betiz.
b.
pwen.
c.
Lent.
d.
lwa.
57. Why did a military attaché fire on the rara band?
a.
Rara has no limits.
b.
The critique was too enough.
c.
The lwa were angered.
d.
Haiti’s powerful elites disapprove of obscenity.
58. Rara festivals celebrate ________ during ________.
a.
Voudon; Lent
b.
national history; a military holiday
c.
Haitian martyrs; Easter
d.
religious rituals; Christmas
59. What kinds of normally silenced expression are given license in rara?
a.
Voudon and political critique
b.
military history
c.
Christian music
d.
nationalist discourse
60. Authenticity is an important component in the international art trade, and to how art
is viewed in general. What does the author mean by authenticity?
a.
the perception of an object’s intrinsic beauty
b.
the perception of an object’s antiquity, uniqueness, and originality within a
local culture
c.
the perception of an object’s actual value within a local culture
d.
the perception of an object’s impact on a culture
61. Imagine that you are a West African trader trying to sell a piece of African art to a
Western art collector who is visiting Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Which item would you
likely be able to sell at the highest price?
a.
a new mask from a local street art stall
b.
a clay figurine of unknown origins
c.
a wooden carved figure that, though dirty and imperfect, seems authentic to
Western buyers
d.
a traditional pair of earrings from a local museum gift shop
62. When asked about the recent introduction of acrylic paint to depict local stories and
designs, the Pintupi declared that their artwork is
a.
tourist art.
b.
produced authenticity.
c.
authentic, traditional, and true.
d.
in order to inflate their prices.
63. In Christopher Steiner’s ethnography, who acquired locally produced art to sell in
urban markets?
a.
Muslim traders
b.
African farmers
c.
Western businesspeople
d.
Western tourists
64. An intrinsic way of perceiving art—thought by many in the Western art world to be
found across cultures—that informs what people consider to be art or not art is the
________ gaze.
a.
photographic
b.
universal
c.
national geographic
d.
visual
65. West African carvers often artificially stain, age, and dirty their creations to fit
Western buyers’ ideals that African art should be
a.
primitive.
b.
historic.
c.
contemporary.
d.
hand-crafted.
66. What global forces are predominantly at work as a result of local steel mill closures
in the film Exit Zero?
a.
unemployment and offshore production
b.
pollution and environmental loss
c.
loss of pensions and homes
d.
flexible accumulation and deindustrialization
67. The art traders of Côte d’Ivoire actively engage in the construction of
a.
political protest.
b.
religious meaning.
c.
identity.
d.
authenticity.
68. The global circulation of local art provides economic opportunity as well as a venue
to
a.
assert local cultural identity in the face of rapid change.
b.
lead to local art being considered a new form of high art.
c.
have an impact on social dynamics within the producers’ communities.
d.
help the local cultures become connected to the Internet.
69. Transnational West African art traders often rely on a network of
a.
relatives who can provide false credentials for the artists entering the country.
b.
fictive kin who may offer advice and a place to stay.
c.
tourists who have already purchased all the pieces they want.
d.
high-end clients.
70. What is the predominant U.S. redistribution hub of the African art that Paul Stoller
studied?
a.
art museums
b.
a French art gallery
c.
the Warehouse in New York City
d.
San Diego, California
71. Where is the art known as “wood” and “mud” primarily produced?
a.
South Africa
b.
West Africa
c.
East Africa
d.
Central America
72. What term describes a viewer’s perception of an object’s antiquity, uniqueness,
and originality within a local culture?
a.
aesthetics
b.
popularity
c.
authenticity
d.
value
73. In Steiner’s research among the art traders of Abidjan, what characteristic was
pivotal in determining the monetary value of art?
a.
the artists’ formal training
b.
the buyers’ perceptions of an object’s authenticity
c.
the length of time required to produce it
d.
the combination of colors (e.g., black and yellow are preferred)
74. In Christopher Steiner’s ethnography of art in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the primary
consumers of locally produced art were
a.
Muslim traders.
b.
African farmers.
c.
Western businesspeople.
d.
Western tourists.
75. What is one of the crucial aspects of the anthropological approach to
understanding art?
a.
ignoring the influence of Western art in a non-Western context
b.
ignoring the “social life” of art as it moves beyond local borders
c.
studying how art connects to social norms and values as well as to economic
and political systems and events
d.
supporting the ways in which museums display sacred ritual objects as art
76. How do West African art traders who immigrate and sell their wares in
marketplaces in New York City receive honor and prestige in their home countries?
a.
by raising awareness about traditional West African art among art dealers
around the world
b.
by meeting financial obligations with remittances and start-up capital for
family members
c.
by bringing American art and artistic styles back to artists in West Africa
d.
by earning large amounts of wealth and capital
77. What does the analysis of European Paleolithic cave art indicate?
a.
These designs were painted by one individual.
b.
There were no burials associated with the paintings.
c.
The paintings depicted an equal number of humans and animals.
d.
The paintings were modified and repainted over a 20,000-year period.
78. Although they are unsure of what the pigments were used for, archaeologists found
enough evidence to conclude that the inhabitants of the Blombos Cave
a.
brought art to Africa from South America.
b.
were not yet behaviorally or cognitively modern.
c.
lacked the human capacity for symbolic thought.
d.
understood chemical reactions and had a complex social organization.
79. Due to their age, the abstract paintings found in the Lascaux and Chauvet-Pont-
d’Arc caves in southern France is studied as
a.
fine art.
b.
popular art.
c.
primitive art.
d.
Paleolithic art.
80. Politician and philanthropist Nelson Rockefeller was a patron of the arts. He served
as trustee and president of the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1954 he founded a
museum to house the indigenous arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas.
According to the categories of the art world of that time, his institution was a
museum of ________ art.
a.
fine
b.
popular
c.
primitive
d.
Paleolithic
81. Even middle-tier tickets for Wagner’s Ring Cycle cost over $1,000 for each of the
four cycles. Additionally, the opening night is a black-tie affair, so men must shell
out additional money for tuxedos and women for gowns. Whatever your personal
opinion of the opera, it is categorized as ________ due it its association with elites.
a.
fine art
b.
popular art
c.
primitive art
d.
Paleolithic art
82. Creative expression and communication often associated with the general
population are considered
a.
art.
b.
fine art.
c.
popular art.
d.
primitive art.
83. Creative expression and communication often associated with cultural elites is
considered
a.
art.
b.
fine art.
c.
popular art.
d.
primitive art.
84. The legendary folk and blues singer Huddie William Ledbetter, otherwise known as
Lead Belly, was discovered by folklorists John and Alan Lomax while they were
recording prison songs for the Library of Congress. He would be considered a
________ artist.
a.
fine
b.
popular
c.
social media
d.
mediascape
85. Catherine Lutz and Jane Collins’s study of the National Geographic photographs is
an example of what kind of anthropology?
a.
literature review
b.
physical anthropology
c.
ethnography
d.
visual anthropology
86. What unique evidence of artistic endeavor did archaeologists discover in South
Africa’s Blombos Cave?
a.
paintbrushes
b.
metal tools
c.
cave paintings of giraffes
d.
red and yellow ochre
87. According to the archaeological record, how old is the evidence of human artistic
expression?
a.
10,000 years
b.
100,000 years
c.
50,000 years
d.
1 million years
88. From an anthropological perspective, ________ are eligible to create and
experience art.
a.
all groups
b.
non-Western populations
c.
skilled performers
d.
trained artists
89. What does the anthropological approach to world art attempt to do?
a.
advocate the display of art from different cultures as aesthetic objects without
specifying its original context
b.
understand art’s significance to its makers and consumers
c.
emphasize evolutionary framing and evaluation based on level of
development
d.
deemphasize the movement of art beyond local or national borders
90. In the early twentieth century, the Western art world became interested in objects
from Oceania, Africa, and Latin America. What were these objects called at that
time?
a.
high
b.
native
c.
primitive
d.
ethnographic
91. Cross-cultural research leads anthropologists to argue that across many different
cultures, the appreciation of art is acquired through what social vector?
a.
social media
b.
institutions
c.
enculturation
d.
schools
92. What do anthropologists call the assertion that human beings have an intrinsic way
of perceiving art that informs what they consider to be art or not art?
a.
the universal gaze
b.
authenticity
c.
fine art
d.
universal art
93. What do anthropologists emphasize in definitions of art?
a.
It is solely the domain of elites.
b.
It is created only by professional artists.
c.
It is a product of individual rather than community production.
d.
It is shaped by the viewer’s perception as well as the artistic intent.
94. What is reflected in decisions about what to display as fine art?
a.
wealth and power stratification
b.
egalitarianism
c.
artistic skill and prowess
d.
gender equality
95. Aesthetic experience is
a.
a universal perception of what art is.
b.
the perceptions of art based on logic.
c.
the scientific study of how art is perceived.
d.
the perception of beauty through one’s senses.
96. Art in Western traditions is often associated with notions of what kind of culture?
a.
popular
b.
tourist
c.
high
d.
authentic
97. Cooking and building, fashion and oratory, decorating and dressing, and sewing
and play all represent ________ through which artists and audiences
communicate.
a.
sculpture
b.
media
c.
games
d.
programs
98. Anthropologists define art as all the ideas, forms, techniques, and strategies that
humans use to
a.
utilize valuable materials in a beautiful way.
b.
communicate their cultural values to other societies.
c.
teach cultural norms to children in an entertaining way.
d.
communicate their creativity and inspiration.
99. What is one result of the attention focused on Morrinho?
a.
art students receiving scholarships to study at a university in Madrid
b.
decreased presence of police and paramilitary security
c.
an opportunity for the creators to install a replica of it at international arts
festivals
d.
improvements in state infrastructure such as sewers for all the favelas
100. What significance does Morrinho have beyond its representation of the city?
a.
The game analyzes the intersections of class, poverty, power, and kinship,
identity, the state, and politics.
b.
The craftmanship reveals Brazilians’ fascination with models.
c.
The aesthetic displays the ways in which foreign powers have infiltrated
Brazil’s art world.
d.
The model acts as a channel through which the local population can expose
corruption.
Answer Key
chapter 17
