An-5/15: Do Now

What significance do body modification customs hold?

• They are purely aesthetic

• They have social significance

• They are biologically essential

• They are unimportant

What do the customs of reshaping and adorning bodies reflect?

• Universal values

• Specific cultural and historical contexts

• Personal preferences only

• Natural instincts

How do people typically adorn their bodies?

• With tattoos only

• With paint, cosmetics, clothing, and jewelry

• By fasting

• By meditating

How did Ghanaian students rate heavier bodies compared to U.S. students?

• Less favorably

• More favorably

• The same

• They did not rate them

What evidence suggests that views on weight are culturally based?

• Uniform attitudes across all cultures

• Different attitudes toward obesity and fitness between U.S. and Ghanaian students

• Lack of studies on the topic

• Genetic differences alone

What have anthropologists concluded about the body?

• It is solely a physical entity

• It is both a physical and a symbolic artifact

• It is an immovable object

• It is only important in Western cultures

What do people in the United States generally attribute increased body weight to?

• Wealth and success

• Poor health and poverty

• Artistic expression

• Genetic superiority

What body ideal is prominent in modern Western society?

• Obesity is highly valued

• Thin is in

• Average body size is preferred

• Tall height is most important

What is a rite of passage for some Nigerian girls?

• Scarification

• Tattooing

• Spending months in a "fattening room"

• Piercing

What influences an individual’s body choices?

• Genetic predispositions

• The cultural and social context

• Random chance

• None of the above