Chapter 6 Reproduction and Human Development
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Cultural anthropologists link the modes of reproduction to __________.
A) emics
B) genetics
C) diffusion
D) the modes of livelihood
2. One reason why foragers typically have low rates of population growth is because __________.
A) foragers kill most female infants at birth
B) “inbreeding” leads to high rates of genetic problems in infants and high rates of child mortality
C) breastfeeding occurs over frequent and long periods of time, thereby suppressing ovulation
D) the men have a deep fear of sexual intercourse as weakening
3. Throughout human history, population growth __________.
A) has increased geometrically since the time of the earliest humans
B) increases with the emergence of agriculture and food surpluses
C) reached its peak rate of increase in industrial/digital economy states
D) was uncontrolled or “natural” until the advent of industrialism and “modern” forms of contraception
4. Pronatalism is most characteristic of the __________ mode of livelihood.
A) foraging
B) horticulture
C) agriculture
D) industrial/digital economy
5. Below-replacement-level fertility is characteristic of the __________ mode of livelihood.
A) foraging
B) pastoralism
C) horticulture
D) industrial/digital economy
6. The reproductive patterns of the Hutterites and Mennonites of North America are characterized by __________.
A) high suicide rates
B) high rates of secret abortion
C) high fertility rates
D) below-replacement-level population growth
7. Among the Old Order Amish of the United States and Canada, __________.
A) population growth is reaching replacement level
B) those who enter business try to retain Amish family values by working at home and selling products from home
C) education through college is the norm
D) after rumspringa, about 50 percent of teenagers decide to be baptized
8. Contemporary Japan is an example of a country with __________.
A) rising fertility among the middle class
B) strong laws against abortion
C) a one-child-per-couple policy
D) population aging
9. Anthropologist Lara Tabac conducted research in New York City to learn about the sexual practices of
__________.
A) illegal immigrants
B) heterosexual teenagers
C) men who have sex with men
D) married couples
10. What term is used for the onset of menstruation?
A) fertility
B) menarche
C) menopause
D) matrescence
11. The “lost semen complex” refers to a belief associated with __________.
A) foragers
B) Hinduism
C) the Ju/wasi
D) Judaism
12. Which of the following factors involved in fertility planning at the family level is negatively associated with
fertility rates?
A) children’s labor value
B) children’s value as old-age support for parents
C) infant and child mortality rates
D) economic costs of children
13. Abortion is __________.
A) universally disapproved of by society even though many people resort to it anyway
B) less approved of by Western religions such as Christianity and more approved of by Asian religions such as
Buddhism
C) often a response to economic conditions
D) found only in agricultural and industrial societies, not in preindustrial societies
14. The most frequent motive for direct infanticide reported cross-culturally is that the infant is __________.
A) a girl
B) deformed or very ill
C) an economic burden
D) born outside of marriage
15. The phrase “the modernization of mortality” refers to __________.
A) the medical and scientific “takeover” of involvement in reproduction and mortality and decline of involvement of
religion
B) the general decline in mortality rates among infants and children in contemporary societies
C) different patterns of mortality among the rich and the poor
D) the aging of the populations of industrialized countries
16. Which of the following claims could be considered evidence that differences between boy and girl babies are the
product of cultural construction and not biology?
A) Boy babies weigh more at birth and cry more because of increased stress associated with their birth.
B) Boy babies cry more because they are more aggressive.
C) Girl babies smile more because they are less aggressive.
D) Girl babies smile more because caretakers tend to smile at them more.
17. Boys and girls are most likely to be socialized into nurturant/caring behavior in which type of society?
A) trade and business
B) intensive agriculture
C) intensive industry
D) horticulture
18. The Maasai homeland is in __________.
A) West Africa
B) East Africa
C) South Africa
D) North Africa
19. According to the words of a Maasai male youth regarding his circumcision, the event made him feel
__________.
A) like a Maasai warrior
B) happy because his marriage was arranged at the same time
C) alienated from his culture because of the unnecessary pain
D) nervous about the new responsibilities he was expected to take on
20. Fuambai Ahmadu writes about female genital cutting in terms of __________.
A) its positive aspects on female status and sense of belonging
B) how it should be banned worldwide due to its negative health consequences
C) its similarities with male circumcision
D) how it violates women’s human rights
21. Which of the following is a third gender category in India?
A) xanith
B) two-spirit
C) hijra
D) phuuchai
22. A common feature of people who take on “third gender roles” among Native American cultures is __________.
A) their exclusion from the wider society
B) their general acceptance by society
C) a higher than usual rate of mental illness
D) their prominence in political leadership roles in their groups
23. When a father-to-be experiences pain and exhaustion while the mother gives birth, anthropologists refer to the
phenomenon as __________.
A) birth envy
B) couvade
C) matrescence
D) narcissism
24. In which of the following cultures do fathers play the greatest role in infant caretaking?
A) the Aka
B) middle-class Euro-Americans
C) the Yanomami
D) middle and upper class people of Japan
25. Research shows that women’s experience of discomfort and distress associated with menopause is __________.
A) found only in the United States as a result of its “creation” by the medical establishment here
B) cross-culturally universal
C) less common in Japan than in the United States
D) most common and severe in foraging societies
TRUE/FALSE
26. In general, the value of having many children is highest among agriculturalists.
27. Research shows that the major factor behind India’s high rate of population growth is the higher frequency of
sexual intercourse compared with countries such as the United States.
28. The invention of the birth control pill marked the first time that women were able to control their fertility
through direct means.
29. Among the poor of northeast Brazil, mother-infant bonding occurs only after the baby has demonstrated a strong
chance of survival.
30. Research has demonstrated that gender patterns of aggressiveness and sociability are inborn.
31. Children who grow up in agricultural and industrial/digital economy societies are more likely to have nurturant
personalities than children who grow up in horticultural societies.
32. While puberty is a cross-culturally universal biological stage of life, adolescence is variously marked or
unmarked.
33. In terms of explaining why a person is heterosexual or homosexual, biological determinism emphasizes
socialization practices and enculturation.
34. Heteronormativity is the term for the acceptance of homosexuality, transsexuality, and third gender roles.
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35. In modern Japan, the most acceptable death scenario is in a hospital because that relieves the potential burden on
family.
ESSAY
36. How is the foraging mode of livelihood related to fertility rates within it?
37. Discuss the pattern of stratified fertility within industrial/digital economy societies. What are some of the factors
that account for the different fertility rates?
38. Discuss the reasons why agricultural societies are more pronatalist than either foraging or industrial/informatic
societies.
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39. What are some ways the Old Order Amish of the United States and Canada have adjusted to the outside world,
and what are some of the ways they have resisted adjusting and maintained their traditional way of life?
40. Describe the study comparing the sexual patterns among Euro-Americans and Hindus. What were the findings
and in what way were they an example of culture shaping fertility?
41. What are the four factors that affect the “demand” for children cross-culturally?
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42. Explain what differences the Six Cultures Study found in the personality development of children in different
modes of livelihood. What factors may account for these differences?
43. What is the difference between puberty and adolescence?
44. What is a coming of age ceremony? Describe an example of one.
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45. What are third gender roles and gender pluralism? Discuss two examples.