Q.1 In anthropology, religion is primarily studied as:
A personal belief system
A social and cultural phenomenon
A legal code
A political ideology
Explanation - Anthropologists study religion as a system of beliefs and practices that shape social life and cultural identity.
Correct answer is: A social and cultural phenomenon
Q.2 What is a ritual?
A formalized and repetitive action with symbolic meaning
A casual social activity
A philosophical discussion
An economic transaction
Explanation - Rituals are patterned, symbolic behaviors performed in specific contexts, often tied to religion or social norms.
Correct answer is: A formalized and repetitive action with symbolic meaning
Q.3 Emile Durkheim viewed religion as:
A way to control society through fear
An expression of social cohesion and collective consciousness
A purely personal experience
A historical accident
Explanation - Durkheim emphasized that religion reinforces social bonds and shared values.
Correct answer is: An expression of social cohesion and collective consciousness
Q.4 Which of the following is an example of a rite of passage?
Graduation ceremony
Daily prayer
Fasting
Listening to a sermon
Explanation - Rites of passage mark a transition between social stages, such as birth, adulthood, marriage, or death.
Correct answer is: Graduation ceremony
Q.5 Animism is best described as:
Belief in a single, all-powerful god
Belief that natural objects and forces have spirits
Belief in reincarnation
Belief that rituals are unnecessary
Explanation - Animism is a concept common in many indigenous religions, attributing spiritual essence to animals, plants, and natural phenomena.
Correct answer is: Belief that natural objects and forces have spirits
Q.6 Totemism involves:
Worship of political leaders
A symbolic relationship with an animal or plant
Daily prayer routines
Sacrificial offerings
Explanation - Totems represent ancestral or spiritual connections within a group, often used to signify identity and social organization.
Correct answer is: A symbolic relationship with an animal or plant
Q.7 Which anthropologist is known for studying magic, religion, and science?
Clifford Geertz
Bronislaw Malinowski
E.E. Evans-Pritchard
Margaret Mead
Explanation - Malinowski emphasized the functional role of magic and religion in coping with uncertainty in human life.
Correct answer is: Bronislaw Malinowski
Q.8 A shaman is:
A secular leader
A religious specialist believed to mediate with spirits
A political ruler
A philosopher
Explanation - Shamans are spiritual leaders in many societies, performing healing, divination, and guiding rituals.
Correct answer is: A religious specialist believed to mediate with spirits
Q.9 Which of the following is an example of a calendrical ritual?
Annual harvest festival
Personal meditation
Daily washing
Initiation into adulthood
Explanation - Calendrical rituals occur at specific times of the year, often linked to seasonal or agricultural cycles.
Correct answer is: Annual harvest festival
Q.10 The term 'sacred' in anthropology refers to:
Objects or ideas considered holy and set apart from the profane
Everyday household items
Economic assets
Political documents
Explanation - The sacred is distinguished from the profane and is often central to religious rituals and beliefs.
Correct answer is: Objects or ideas considered holy and set apart from the profane
Q.11 Which approach views religion as a system of symbols?
Functionalism
Symbolic anthropology
Structuralism
Marxist theory
Explanation - Symbolic anthropologists like Clifford Geertz interpret religion as a network of symbols that convey meaning and shape behavior.
Correct answer is: Symbolic anthropology
Q.12 A liminal phase in a rite of passage is:
The stage before the ritual begins
The transitional stage between social statuses
The celebration after the ritual
The stage that cancels the ritual
Explanation - During the liminal phase, participants are outside their normal social roles, undergoing transformation.
Correct answer is: The transitional stage between social statuses
Q.13 Which of the following best illustrates a fertility ritual?
Planting seeds accompanied by prayers for rain
Reciting sacred texts privately
Meditating daily
Wearing ceremonial clothing
Explanation - Fertility rituals are designed to ensure successful reproduction of crops, animals, or people.
Correct answer is: Planting seeds accompanied by prayers for rain
Q.14 E.E. Evans-Pritchard is best known for studying:
The Nuer people and their religious practices
Industrial societies
Animism in Polynesia
Urban anthropology
Explanation - Evans-Pritchard analyzed how religion structured social life among the Nuer in Sudan.
Correct answer is: The Nuer people and their religious practices
Q.15 Pilgrimage is best defined as:
A recreational journey
A religious journey to a sacred site
A trade expedition
A casual visit to a friend
Explanation - Pilgrimages are undertaken as acts of devotion, often involving travel to sites of spiritual significance.
Correct answer is: A religious journey to a sacred site
Q.16 Victor Turner emphasized which concept in his study of rituals?
Magic is universal
Communitas emerges during liminality
Religion is purely symbolic
Rituals are always for fertility
Explanation - Turner highlighted the sense of equality and community that develops among participants in the liminal phase of rituals.
Correct answer is: Communitas emerges during liminality
Q.17 Which of these is an example of a healing ritual?
Shamanic ceremony to cure illness
Weekly worship service
Annual festival
Funeral rites
Explanation - Healing rituals aim to restore health, often invoking spiritual or supernatural intervention.
Correct answer is: Shamanic ceremony to cure illness
Q.18 What is a myth in the anthropological sense?
A false story
A traditional narrative explaining the world or customs
A scientific hypothesis
A historical document
Explanation - Myths convey cultural values, origins, and explanations for natural or social phenomena.
Correct answer is: A traditional narrative explaining the world or customs
Q.19 Which of the following is a characteristic of magic according to Malinowski?
It operates independently of social context
It helps reduce anxiety in uncertain situations
It is purely fictional
It is always opposed to religion
Explanation - Malinowski argued that magic functions as a practical tool to cope with uncertainty, especially in dangerous or unpredictable circumstances.
Correct answer is: It helps reduce anxiety in uncertain situations
Q.20 Ancestor worship primarily involves:
Praying to living leaders
Honoring deceased family members
Sacrificing animals to gods
Celebrating seasonal changes
Explanation - Many societies maintain rituals to respect ancestors, seeking guidance or blessings from them.
Correct answer is: Honoring deceased family members
Q.21 Which of these concepts refers to the everyday, non-sacred world?
Profane
Sacred
Totemic
Animistic
Explanation - The profane encompasses ordinary life, distinct from sacred objects, spaces, or rituals.
Correct answer is: Profane
Q.22 A calendar of rituals tied to agricultural cycles is an example of:
An economic calendar
A calendrical ritual system
A political festival
A social club activity
Explanation - Such systems regulate communal activities in accordance with seasonal or agricultural events.
Correct answer is: A calendrical ritual system
Q.23 Which of the following is considered a religious specialist in many societies?
Priest
Farmer
Merchant
Teacher
Explanation - Priests perform rituals, interpret religious law, and maintain sacred traditions within a community.
Correct answer is: Priest
Q.24 Which anthropological perspective studies how rituals maintain social structure?
Functionalism
Symbolic anthropology
Cultural materialism
Postmodernism
Explanation - Functionalists like Malinowski see rituals as performing vital social functions and reinforcing cohesion.
Correct answer is: Functionalism
Q.25 Pilgrimages are often motivated by:
Religious devotion, penance, or quest for spiritual merit
Economic gain
Political lobbying
Leisure
Explanation - Pilgrimages are spiritual journeys that reinforce faith and connect the individual to sacred places or traditions.
Correct answer is: Religious devotion, penance, or quest for spiritual merit