LSAT 128 – Section 2 – Question 21

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Target time: 1:34

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Question
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Type Tags Answer
Choices
Curve Question
Difficulty
Psg/Game/S
Difficulty
Explanation
PT128 S2 Q21
+LR
Most strongly supported +MSS
A
1%
155
B
12%
161
C
5%
160
D
2%
155
E
79%
168
147
155
163
+Harder 146.836 +SubsectionMedium


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Cultural anthropological theory tends to fall into two camps. One focuses on everyday social behavior as a system that has developed in response to human needs in a given environment. The other rejects this approach, focusing on the systems of meanings by which thoughts, rituals, and mythology in a society are structured. Cultural anthropologists, however, should employ both approaches, and also attend to a third, often neglected dimension: the view of a community as a set of individuals whose actions constitute the actual stuff of everyday life.

Summary
Cultural anthropologists generally have two camps of theories. One approach focuses on everyday behavior as a system that develops in response to human needs. The other approach focuses on the systems of meanings by which thoughts, rituals, and mythology in a society are structured. However, anthropologists should employ both approaches in addition to a third. The third approach views a community as a set of individuals whose actions compromise every day life.

Strongly Supported Conclusions
Even if some anthropologists disagree, their approaches to anthropological theory are not necessarily incompatible.

A
Patterns of social behavior have meaning only when considered from the point of view of the community.
This answer is unsupported. The author of the stimulus isn’t suggesting that patterns of behavior can only be understood from a community’s point of view. Rather, the author is arguing for anthropologists to consider this view in addition to the dominant camps.
B
Cultural anthropologists too often rely on a conception of human needs that excludes the notion of community.
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know from the stimulus if anthropologists do this “too often.” If anything, the author thinks that these anthropologists don’t consider the community perspective often enough.
C
Cultural anthropological theorists who focus on issues of meaning overlook the humanity of their individual subjects.
This answer is unsupported. Certain anthropologists that focus on issues of meaning don’t necessarily overlook these other factors. Rather, these other factors just simply aren’t a focus for them.
D
Systems of behavior can be understood only by experiencing the environments to which they respond.
This answer is unsupported. We know that some anthropologists understand systems of behavior in light of human response, but we don’t know if that is the only way for this analysis. Stating that it is the “only” way is too strong.
E
Disagreement among cultural anthropological theorists does not necessarily imply that their approaches are incompatible.
This answer is strongly supported. The author claims that these anthropologists should employ both approaches in addition to a third, therefore it is not implied that these approaches are incompatible.

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