ANTH 0780 (CRN 35171)

Angela Lockard Reed

Fischer and Hendrickson Study Questions

Chapter 1

1.  Describe the geographic setting of Tecpán, Guatemala.

2.  Describe the two primary ethnic groups that reside in Tecpán.

3.  Tecpán and other Maya communities were referred to as “closed-corporate communities.”  This idea is now less accepted in anthropology yet the Maya are still believed to be isolated.  Why?

4.  Tecpán and the Maya in general, however, are not as isolated as one may think.  Explain why using both past and present examples.

5.  Briefly explain how tortilla production and sausage production have changed in recent times. 

6.  What is the basis of the Kaqchikel kinship system?

7.  The Kaqchikel have a different term for older same-sex siblings (nunimal) than for younger siblings (nuchaq’).  How does this reflect the way siblings interact with one another?

8.  How are traditional Kaqchikel marriages arranged?  Who finances the wedding?  How has this changed?

9.  How has Tecpán changed commercially and agriculturally?

Chapter 2

1.  How are the categories of ladino and Indian culturally constructed?

2.  Although Guatemala itself is not a poor country, a large proportion of its population is in poverty.  Give two statistics that support this statement.  Which ethnic group is more likely to be among the wealthy?

3.  What is the irony of the Guatemalan image that is marketed to the world?

4.  Describe the applied anthropology conducted by forensic anthropologists in Guatemala.

5.  Testimonios may be written to characterize Latin American life and are first-hand accounts of specific events.  I, Rigoberto Menchú is one of the most famous testimonios and she won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.  Discuss the pros and cons of the disagreement surrounding this autobiography.

Chapter 3

1.  Define the term “heritage tourism” and how it relates to visits to the archaeological site of Iximché.

2.  What is the Popol Vuh?

3.  How do modern Maya “sacrifices” to the gods differ from the ancient Maya?

4.  What are said to be the central elements of the sacred Mesoamerican covenant?

5.  How does the ancient Maya view of time differ from our Western view of time?  How did their numbering system differ?

6.  When did the ancestors of the Kaqchikel Maya move to the highlands of Guatemala?

7.  Describe the encomienda system.

8.  Describe how the Xpantzay lawsuit demonstrates how the Maya used both the Spanish legal system and their own traditional belief systems to their advantage.