Midsemester Exam

Anthropology: Peoples and Cultures of Europe

Midterm Exam

25 May 2012

Answer the FOUR (4) questions provided by "James" Moodle. Keep in mind that there is more than one approach you can take in answering these questions. Follow these guidelines:

• Organize your answer before you begin.
  
  
• Where appropriate, be sure to state:
  • What or who something is
  • Where it occurred or is located
  • Why it is important
  • When it occurred
  • How it happened or how it works
    
    
• State YOUR position or approach clearly.
  
  
• Cite specific examples or references to support your statements.
  
  
• Mention problem areas or other relevant materials which you would like to consider further in a more thorough statement. That is, when you're finished with your answer, what major questions are still left unanswered?
  
  
• Summarize your argument or discussion
  
  
• Where appropriate use materials from more than one region of the world
  
  
• Remember that your responses should have a beginning, a middle, and an end
  
  
• Do not discuss any topic or country at length in more than one question
  
  
• For the questions so indicated, do not write on any country for which you were one of the presenters

Questions are worth up to 100 points each

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It is recommended (and best) to use the list of questions you generated in the Midterm wiki as study questions.

1. There may be one or more questions which were submitted to the Forum.

   NOTE: What is being illustrated here are the kinds of questions, and for that reason there are several listed, including examples from what seems to be the same material. On the actual exam itself there will be a limited selection from any one area. For example, while there may be several questions here both about Kypseli and about Vasilika, on the exam there will likely appear only one question on either of those topic [possibly two, if you include the comparative / contrast question(s)--see below].

   From the CE forum:

   "What are some of the reasons that the Basques have been able to maintain their culture, language, and laws throughout history and today when the rest of the Iberian peninsula cultures have been conquered by numerous outside forces?"

    

   From the CE forum:

   List three examples of ways men and women in Kypseli are divided and explain the cultural reason(s) for this division for each example.

   REM: If you elect to also answer Question N, do not repeat significant parts of that question here.

    

   From the CE forum:

   "How does the story of Nan give people a good understanding of the Irish culture? What is missing in the story that would help someone have a better grasp of what it is like to be Irish?"

    

   From the CE forum:

   "The book Nan tells us that traveling Irish families did not see receiving clothing and food from townspeople as a handout; rather, travelers had an integral role in Irish society, and any "handouts" were viewed as rightful payment. Do you agree or disagree? How does/not the author describe the role of traveling families in overall Irish culture?"

    

   From the CE forum:

   "How is the idea of romantic love a European invention? How has it affected other cultures?

   Note: If you are answering this question be extra careful in avoiding generalities. You must back up your discussion points with specific examples. Generalizations about romantic love will generally not be acceptable."

    

2. Compare and contrast . . .

   This kind of question would generally be something like:

   "Compare and contrast Susannah Hoffman's film Kypseli with Susan Parman's Europe in the Anthropological Imagination, Ch. 2, “Europe through the Back Door: Doing Anthropology in Greece,” and Ch. 3, “Bringing the ‘Other' to the ‘Self': Kypseli -- The Place and the Film.”

   Or...

   For example, an obvious kind of question would be to ask you to compare and contrast something like the life of Nan with the lives of the Greek women in Kypseli, Vasilika, and/or the Greek Cypriot village featured in Life chances: Four Families in a Changing Cypriot Village

    

3. In Chapter N of [one of the texts], "[name of the chapter]," talks about X. Pick one or two other countries or cultures and describe how X pertains to them.
   
   
4. In [one of the texts or chapters or articles or videos] [x, the name of the author(s)] talk(s) a lot about what s/he calls "A" and "B." Describe the importance of "A" adn "B" to studies of XYZ.
   
   
5. Discuss X of the Y people (or culture) as discussed in [one of the texts or chapters or articles or videos].
   
   
6. It has been said that X can be understood in terms of Y. Discuss X and Y and indicate what you think the relevance of these might be to modern-day anthropological studies of Europe.
   
   
7. [The name of one or more authors] use(s) the word / term "X." Discuss the concept of "X" as [the author(s)] use(s) it in ABC. Be sure to include examples in your discussion.
   
   
8. In class, during the first part of the semester, we spent a lot of time discussing X. Why did we spend so much time on that?

   
   
   
9. Current Affairs [if there is an appropriate subect in the news the week of or before the exam]:
   
   In the newspaper this week there was an article on X. The following quote summarizes the authors' position:

How would you interpret X from the point of view of what you learned in class so far this semester?

10. [One of the texts or chapters or articles or videos] is called X . . . . Discuss the significance of [that title or section of the book or video] to anthropological studies of Europe.
    
    
11. Relate the study of any one nation or major topic so far considered in your Peoples and Cultures of Europe class with what you are studying in one of your other classes.
    
    
12. Atake-home question will be in the wiki pool

NOTE: Essentially you must make up ONE question.

Your optional take-home question must be related to the materials covered in this exam. For the midterm exam do not write an exam question about a topic scheduled for later in the semester. For the final exam do not write an exam question about a topic covered earlier in the semester unless it is part of a comparative over-all question about the semester.

If you have submitted an Extra Credit report or paper, your optional question must be on a topic other than that of your Extra Credit project(s).

1. Make up and answer a question of your own choice relating to a topic having to do with The People and Cultures of Europe which you have not considered in your other answers. Answers should contain specific information supporting your position. Both your question and your answer will be evaluated.

1. With prior consent of the instructor, you may take makeup exams at any of the times scheduled by the Sociology-Anthropology Department. These times will also be announced in class. Pick up your makeup exam in Cina 228, not the classroom.
   
   
2. It usually takes several days for makeup exams to be returned to you
   
   
3. Makeup Exam scores will be posted as soon as they are ready on the web on .
   
   
4. Use "The Curve" to figure out your letter grade