Q.1 What does legal anthropology primarily study?
The economic systems of societies
The legal systems and norms within cultural contexts
The evolution of language
Political institutions exclusively
Explanation - Legal anthropology focuses on how laws, rules, and norms operate within different cultures and societies.
Correct answer is: The legal systems and norms within cultural contexts
Q.2 Which anthropologist is considered a pioneer in legal anthropology?
Franz Boas
Bronislaw Malinowski
Eleanor Leacock
E. Adamson Hoebel
Explanation - Hoebel contributed foundational work in the study of law as a cultural phenomenon.
Correct answer is: E. Adamson Hoebel
Q.3 The concept of 'customary law' refers to:
International treaties
Traditions and norms recognized as binding in a community
Written constitutions
Legally codified criminal laws
Explanation - Customary law represents social norms that are accepted as legal standards within a particular society.
Correct answer is: Traditions and norms recognized as binding in a community
Q.4 Legal pluralism is best described as:
One legal system dominating a country
Coexistence of multiple legal systems within a society
Strict adherence to national law
International law overriding local customs
Explanation - Legal pluralism occurs when formal state laws coexist with local, religious, or customary legal norms.
Correct answer is: Coexistence of multiple legal systems within a society
Q.5 Which of the following is a method used in legal anthropology?
Clinical trials
Participant observation and ethnography
Laboratory experiments
Survey sampling only
Explanation - Anthropologists study law within cultures through fieldwork, observing social practices, and engaging with communities.
Correct answer is: Participant observation and ethnography
Q.6 A society with strong oral traditions often relies on what form of law?
Written civil codes
Customary or oral law
International law
Corporate law
Explanation - Oral traditions transmit rules and norms without written codification, forming the basis of customary law.
Correct answer is: Customary or oral law
Q.7 Which term describes the study of law within different cultural frameworks?
Sociolinguistics
Legal anthropology
Economic anthropology
Political science
Explanation - Legal anthropology examines law as a cultural phenomenon, exploring how norms and rules are enforced in societies.
Correct answer is: Legal anthropology
Q.8 E. Adamson Hoebel defined law as:
A system of state-enforced regulations only
A set of rules backed by threat of physical coercion
Customs unrelated to enforcement
Religious teachings exclusively
Explanation - Hoebel emphasized that law involves rules that are socially recognized and enforceable through threats or sanctions.
Correct answer is: A set of rules backed by threat of physical coercion
Q.9 Which of the following illustrates legal pluralism?
Only state courts are recognized
Indigenous councils operate alongside formal courts
International law ignored
Corporate policies override all norms
Explanation - Legal pluralism exists when multiple legal systems, such as customary and formal state laws, operate concurrently.
Correct answer is: Indigenous councils operate alongside formal courts
Q.10 In legal anthropology, 'norms' refer to:
Enforced laws only
Socially accepted rules guiding behavior
Economic principles
Scientific hypotheses
Explanation - Norms are cultural standards that guide behavior and are considered obligatory within a community.
Correct answer is: Socially accepted rules guiding behavior
Q.11 Which approach studies how law maintains social order?
Functionalist approach
Conflict theory
Evolutionary psychology
Behavioral economics
Explanation - Functionalist legal anthropology examines how laws and norms contribute to the stability and cohesion of societies.
Correct answer is: Functionalist approach
Q.12 An example of customary law is:
Traffic regulations
Marriage rituals recognized as binding by community
Corporate tax codes
International treaties
Explanation - Customary law often regulates family, property, and social relations based on long-standing community practices.
Correct answer is: Marriage rituals recognized as binding by community
Q.13 Who is known for studying the Trobriand Islanders’ social and legal systems?
Bronislaw Malinowski
Margaret Mead
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Franz Boas
Explanation - Malinowski's ethnographic work on the Trobriand Islands included studies on conflict resolution and social norms.
Correct answer is: Bronislaw Malinowski
Q.14 In legal anthropology, the term 'sanction' refers to:
A positive reward only
A negative response to rule-breaking
A social custom unrelated to rules
A legal document
Explanation - Sanctions enforce norms and laws through punishment or corrective measures.
Correct answer is: A negative response to rule-breaking
Q.15 The study of how law changes as societies evolve is called:
Legal formalism
Legal evolution
Ethnomethodology
Cultural relativism
Explanation - Legal evolution examines how legal systems adapt over time in response to cultural, social, and economic changes.
Correct answer is: Legal evolution
Q.16 Which concept emphasizes understanding a culture’s law from within that culture?
Ethnocentrism
Cultural relativism
Functionalism
Structuralism
Explanation - Cultural relativism encourages analyzing norms and laws without imposing external judgments.
Correct answer is: Cultural relativism
Q.17 Which is NOT typically a focus of legal anthropology?
Conflict resolution in societies
Customary and religious laws
Economic production methods
Social norms related to law
Explanation - Legal anthropology focuses on law and norms, not specifically on economic systems, although it may intersect with them.
Correct answer is: Economic production methods
Q.18 The term 'folk law' refers to:
Written statutes
Everyday rules enforced informally
International treaties
Corporate regulations
Explanation - Folk law consists of informal norms and practices that govern behavior in communities without formal enforcement.
Correct answer is: Everyday rules enforced informally
Q.19 A key difference between formal law and customary law is:
Formal law is unwritten; customary law is written
Formal law is codified; customary law relies on social recognition
Customary law applies only to corporations
Formal law is culturally variable, customary law is universal
Explanation - Formal law is established and codified by the state, while customary law is recognized and enforced by the community.
Correct answer is: Formal law is codified; customary law relies on social recognition
Q.20 Conflict theory in legal anthropology emphasizes:
Law maintaining social harmony
Law as a tool for power and inequality
Law as a natural evolutionary process
Law as unrelated to society
Explanation - Conflict theorists argue that laws often reflect and reinforce social hierarchies and power disparities.
Correct answer is: Law as a tool for power and inequality
Q.21 Which is an example of legal anthropology research?
Surveying voting patterns in a city
Studying dispute resolution among tribal elders
Measuring GDP
Analyzing traffic accidents statistically
Explanation - Legal anthropologists often focus on how communities resolve conflicts and maintain social order.
Correct answer is: Studying dispute resolution among tribal elders
Q.22 The term 'jurisprudence' refers to:
The study of law and legal philosophy
The enforcement of law by police
Customary practices only
International trade rules
Explanation - Jurisprudence is concerned with the theory and philosophy behind laws and legal systems.
Correct answer is: The study of law and legal philosophy
Q.23 Which of the following best illustrates 'restorative justice' in legal anthropology?
Punishing a criminal harshly in prison
Mediating between offender and victim to repair harm
Imposing fines regardless of context
Following legal procedure strictly
Explanation - Restorative justice emphasizes repairing social harm and restoring community balance rather than only punishing offenders.
Correct answer is: Mediating between offender and victim to repair harm
Q.24 Anthropologists studying law are interested in:
How laws operate in different social contexts
The chemical composition of legal documents
The architectural design of courts
The technical drafting of statutes only
Explanation - Legal anthropologists analyze how cultural and social contexts influence the creation, enforcement, and interpretation of laws.
Correct answer is: How laws operate in different social contexts