Q.1 Which of the following best defines 'expressive culture' in anthropology?
The study of technological advancements in a society
Ways in which people express their values, emotions, and identity
The economic system of a culture
The political organization of societies
Explanation - Expressive culture refers to the artistic, musical, performative, and other symbolic expressions that communicate a society's beliefs, values, and emotions.
Correct answer is: Ways in which people express their values, emotions, and identity
Q.2 What is the anthropological significance of folk art?
It shows the latest trends in global art markets
It reflects everyday life and cultural traditions of a community
It is always created by formally trained artists
It has no connection with social values
Explanation - Folk art embodies the aesthetic and cultural traditions of a community, often produced by non-professional artists, reflecting social norms, beliefs, and identity.
Correct answer is: It reflects everyday life and cultural traditions of a community
Q.3 Which term refers to the anthropological study of beauty, taste, and artistic expression?
Ethnomusicology
Aesthetics
Cultural relativism
Ethnography
Explanation - Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy and anthropology concerned with understanding beauty, taste, and artistic expression within different cultures.
Correct answer is: Aesthetics
Q.4 In many societies, masks in ritual performances primarily serve to:
Display economic status
Communicate with spiritual entities or ancestors
Serve as everyday clothing
Decorate homes
Explanation - Masks often hold symbolic and spiritual significance, acting as conduits for connecting with ancestors, spirits, or deities during rituals.
Correct answer is: Communicate with spiritual entities or ancestors
Q.5 Which of the following best exemplifies performance art in anthropological study?
A sculpture in a museum
A traditional dance during harvest festival
A photograph in a gallery
A written historical account
Explanation - Performance art in anthropology studies cultural expressions through live actions, such as dance, theater, or ritual performances, revealing social and symbolic meanings.
Correct answer is: A traditional dance during harvest festival
Q.6 Ethnomusicology primarily focuses on:
The economic impact of music production
Music within its cultural and social contexts
The personal taste of musicians
The technical aspects of instrument making
Explanation - Ethnomusicology studies music not just as sound but as a cultural phenomenon, examining how it reflects and shapes social life and cultural identity.
Correct answer is: Music within its cultural and social contexts
Q.7 The concept of 'cultural performance' in anthropology suggests that:
Culture is static and unchanging
Social life is enacted through symbolic actions
Only rituals are important in culture
Art is separate from daily life
Explanation - Cultural performance theory emphasizes that social life and cultural meaning are expressed through performances, rituals, and other symbolic acts.
Correct answer is: Social life is enacted through symbolic actions
Q.8 Which of the following is an example of material culture studied in expressive anthropology?
Oral storytelling traditions
Religious beliefs
Traditional pottery
Dance rituals
Explanation - Material culture includes physical objects and artifacts created and used by a society, such as pottery, tools, or clothing, which carry cultural significance.
Correct answer is: Traditional pottery
Q.9 Which anthropologist is most associated with studying art and aesthetics cross-culturally?
Bronislaw Malinowski
Clifford Geertz
Franz Boas
Margaret Mead
Explanation - Franz Boas emphasized the importance of understanding cultural expressions, including art, within their specific social and historical contexts.
Correct answer is: Franz Boas
Q.10 In some African societies, body painting and scarification primarily signify:
Personal wealth
Ritual or social identity
Fashion trends
Foreign influence
Explanation - Body painting and scarification often carry symbolic meanings, indicating social roles, life transitions, or participation in rituals.
Correct answer is: Ritual or social identity
Q.11 The term 'kitsch' in aesthetics refers to:
High art valued for its complexity
Art considered overly sentimental or inauthentic
Traditional folk art
Ritual performance
Explanation - Kitsch refers to artistic creations that are considered superficial, overly commercial, or lacking in genuine aesthetic value.
Correct answer is: Art considered overly sentimental or inauthentic
Q.12 Oral literature, such as myths and folktales, is significant because it:
Preserves cultural knowledge and history
Is always fictional
Has no social function
Is identical across all societies
Explanation - Oral literature transmits social norms, beliefs, historical narratives, and moral values across generations.
Correct answer is: Preserves cultural knowledge and history
Q.13 Which of the following is an example of a syncretic art form?
Traditional Japanese ink painting
Brazilian Carnival blending African, Indigenous, and European traditions
Classical Greek sculpture
Medieval European stained glass
Explanation - Syncretic art forms merge elements from multiple cultural traditions to create new, hybrid expressions.
Correct answer is: Brazilian Carnival blending African, Indigenous, and European traditions
Q.14 Rituals often involve aesthetic elements because:
They are intended solely for entertainment
They communicate meaning and reinforce social cohesion
They are always visually pleasing
They are optional for participants
Explanation - Aesthetic elements in rituals, such as music, dance, and costumes, enhance symbolic meaning and strengthen community bonds.
Correct answer is: They communicate meaning and reinforce social cohesion
Q.15 Which type of art is characterized by spontaneity, improvisation, and audience interaction?
Folk art
Performance art
Classical sculpture
Architectural design
Explanation - Performance art often involves live, improvised actions where the audience participates or engages with the performance.
Correct answer is: Performance art
Q.16 The study of visual symbols in cultural contexts is called:
Semiotics
Ethnomusicology
Archaeology
Sociolinguistics
Explanation - Semiotics examines signs and symbols and how they convey meaning within cultural contexts.
Correct answer is: Semiotics
Q.17 Which of the following is an example of intangible cultural heritage?
A historic temple
Traditional dance and music
Ancient pottery
A national flag
Explanation - Intangible cultural heritage includes non-physical aspects of culture, such as traditions, performance arts, and oral expressions.
Correct answer is: Traditional dance and music
Q.18 In cultural anthropology, art is often studied to understand:
Only the artist's technical skills
The broader social, religious, and political context
Economic profits from artworks
Global art markets
Explanation - Art is a lens through which anthropologists interpret cultural values, social relations, and ideological structures.
Correct answer is: The broader social, religious, and political context
Q.19 Which of the following best exemplifies 'applied anthropology' in the arts?
Studying abstract art in isolation
Helping communities preserve traditional crafts for economic and cultural purposes
Critiquing contemporary art trends in magazines
Analyzing music purely for technical structure
Explanation - Applied anthropology uses anthropological knowledge to solve real-world problems, such as supporting communities in maintaining cultural heritage.
Correct answer is: Helping communities preserve traditional crafts for economic and cultural purposes
Q.20 The term 'emic perspective' in the study of art means:
An outsider's objective view
Understanding art from within the cultural context
Comparing art across cultures
Ignoring local interpretations
Explanation - An emic perspective seeks to interpret cultural expressions as insiders perceive them, emphasizing local meanings and values.
Correct answer is: Understanding art from within the cultural context
Q.21 Which of the following is a common feature of ceremonial regalia in many cultures?
They are worn for daily work
They are decorated to symbolize status, identity, or spiritual power
They are imported from foreign countries
They serve no cultural significance
Explanation - Ceremonial regalia often incorporates colors, symbols, and designs that convey social rank, spiritual meaning, and group identity.
Correct answer is: They are decorated to symbolize status, identity, or spiritual power
Q.22 Street art and graffiti are studied in anthropology because they:
Have no connection with culture
Reflect urban social issues and cultural expressions
Are always illegal
Only imitate classical art
Explanation - Street art and graffiti are expressive forms that convey cultural commentary, identity, and social critique in urban environments.
Correct answer is: Reflect urban social issues and cultural expressions
Q.23 Which of the following statements reflects cultural relativism in art?
All cultures should adopt Western artistic standards
Art should be evaluated based on its own cultural context
Only museums define what is art
Some art is universally superior
Explanation - Cultural relativism emphasizes understanding cultural expressions, including art, within their own social and historical context rather than imposing external judgments.
Correct answer is: Art should be evaluated based on its own cultural context
Q.24 Which of the following best describes the function of storytelling in expressive culture?
Purely for entertainment
Communicating moral lessons, history, and social values
Only written in books
Limited to children
Explanation - Storytelling serves as a medium to transmit cultural knowledge, norms, ethics, and collective memory across generations.
Correct answer is: Communicating moral lessons, history, and social values
Q.25 Which of the following art forms is primarily ephemeral, existing temporarily during a specific event?
Mosaic art
Sand mandalas
Oil painting
Sculpture in bronze
Explanation - Ephemeral art is designed to exist temporarily; sand mandalas are ritual artworks created to be destroyed after completion, emphasizing impermanence.
Correct answer is: Sand mandalas
Q.26 The study of how art reflects power and inequality in societies is called:
Critical anthropology of art
Ethnomusicology
Material culture studies
Folklore studies
Explanation - Critical anthropology of art examines how artistic expressions convey social hierarchies, political power, and economic inequalities within cultures.
Correct answer is: Critical anthropology of art