Hi, my name is Gaël and I have been in Social Sciences for a year now. My favorite subject is without a doubt anthropology but there are a lot of technical words in this particular field of study. That is why I created this glossary to help other students as myself to traduce already complicated words in English. I hope this helps.
culture
noun
The learned patterns of behavior and thought that help a group adapt to its surroundings.
Example: Their culture is so rich.
fr: culture
domestication
verb
When humans intervene in the breeding patterns of plants or animals.
Example: Domestication of animal lies at the heart of human civilization.
fr: domestication
ethnocentrism
noun
The evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s
own culture.
Example: The comments reveal an ethnocentrism in judging lower-class behavior using middle-class standards.
fr: ethnocentrisme
genocide
noun
The act or attempt to systematically kill all members of an ethnic group or culture.
Example: But we are the future; we can prevent genocide if we choose to take a stand.
fr: génocide
homo sapiens
noun
The only surviving hominid species to which modern man belongs.
Example: The effect of humans on other vertebrate species homo sapiens dominate the land today.
fr: homo sapiens
life cycle
noun
The set of states a person goes through from birth to death.
Example: The birth of two children, also part of the life cycle, did not provide him with more positive material either.
fr: cycle de vie
multiculturalism
noun
A “salad bowl” model of society in which the existence of unassimilated and partially assimilated ethnic/
racial minorities is accepted and encouraged.
Example: Over forty students discussed the future of multiculturalism at Macalester in a series of lively discussions last Saturday.
fr: multiculturalisme
myth
noun
A traditional story about the early history of a people, explaining some natural or social phenomenon,
and typically involving supernatural beings or events.
Example: The dark, claustrophobic opus, a tale of witch hunts and the German myth of Walpurgisnacht, has proven wildly divisive among the band's fans.
fr: mythe
nationalism
noun
Extreme loyalty and devotion to a nation and its interests, usually at the expense of other nations or
societies.
Example: A wave of Puerto Rican pride and nationalism grew quickly around this cause, which would continue unabated for four years.
fr: nationalisme
paleoanthropology
noun
The scientific study of the fossil remains of extinct members of the genus Homo sapiens.
Example: Contributors include accomplished specialists in geology, paleontology, and paleoanthropology.
fr: paléoanthropologie
pastoralism
noun
The branch of agriculture concerned with the raising of livestock.
Example: Historically, Arabs in Sudan tend to practice nomadic pastoralism, and black Africans tend to subsist through sedentary agriculture.
fr: pastoralisme
polyandry
noun
The marriage of one woman to several men at the same time.
Example: The people of Spiti have a system of polyandry and primogeniture to combat the short supply of resources that are available in the raw mountains.
fr: polyandrie
polygamy
noun
The practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time.
Example: They wanted to build a closed community where they could practise polygamy away from prying eyes.
fr: polygamie
racism
noun
Harmful prejudice, discrimination, and persecution based on presumed ethnic or racial differences.
Example: The changing of demographics on TV and in other visible places for the public has given people the perception that racism no longer exists.
fr: racisme
religion
noun
A set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power.
Example: Every religion and value system was restricted, and polytheism was strengthened to destroy real tolerance and compromise.
fr: religion
shamanism
noun
The animistic religion of Asia that embrace the belief that ritual specialists can communicate with and
influence supernatural beings or forces through controlled possession.
Example: These tribes brought with them primitive religious and cultural practices, such as the east Asian religion of shamanism.
fr: chamanisme
skull
noun
A framework of bone or cartilage enclosing the brain of a vertebrate; the skeleton of a person’s or
animal’s head.
Example: The figure's face was arranged similarly to that of a human, though the rounded skull showed no signs of ever having had a full head of hair.
fr: crâne
stereotype
noun
A fixed notion or conception of people based on their group identity.
Example: The stereotype of the middle-class woman as the angel in the house can easily be overplayed.
fr: stéréotype
the neolithic revolution
noun
The world’s first historically verifiable revolution in agriculture.
Example: The Formative stage is equivalent to the Neolithic Revolution period in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
fr: la révolution néolithique
tribe
noun
A social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities with a common culture and
dialect, typically having a recognized leader.
Example: Imagine living in a tribe were the Chief is superseded by the witch doctor every time there is a lack of rain or the crops are poor.
