NTA UGC NET/JRF Exam, January 2024 (Anthropology)

Total Questions: 100

91. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions.

Science is a process, not a result. The process involves observation of a natural phenomenon with some deduction about its cause. This leads the researcher to pose a hypothesis-a preliminary explanation. Armed with this hypothesis, the scientists test it (experimentation) by collecting of evidence (data) that either supports or refutes the hypothesis.

It is the way scientists proceed when they have a question that needs answering or a possible explanation for a natural phenomenon that needs testing. The scientist would gather evidence from the data to test hypothesis. There are always alternative hypotheses. The common principles of conducting a research study include voluntary participation, informed consent and confidentiality. Researcher collect data using interview techniques and observational methods for which we generally assume the competence of the participant to be able to consent for the study.

Cause and effect relationship can only be drawn from: 

Correct Answer: 3. Experimental study
Solution:Cause and effect relationships can only be conclusively established through experimental studies. In an experimental study, the independent variable is deliberately manipulated by the researcher, and its effect on the dependent variable is observed. This setup allows for control over confounding variables, making it possible to draw a direct causal inference.

Other designs like case-control or cross-sectional studies can show associations or correlations, but cannot establish causality due to lack of manipulation or control.

92. Confidentiality in research ethic can be ensured by:

A. Anonymity principle
B. By protecting the rights of the participant
C. Sharing the data with personal details
D. Commercializing the collected data
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: 4. A and B only
Solution:Confidentiality in research ethics is maintained through the following key principles:
A. Anonymity principle: Ensures that personal identifiers (such as names or addresses) are not linked to the data, protecting the participant's identity.
B. Protecting the rights of the participant: This includes ensuring that their privacy is respected, and data is stored and shared only in ethical, non-harmful ways.
C and D (sharing personal data and commercialization) violate confidentiality and breach research ethics. Thus, the correct combination is A and B only.

93. Null hypothesis is:

Correct Answer: 2. Hypothesis of quality or no difference
Solution:A null hypothesis (Hₒ) is a default statement used in statistical testing which states that there is no effect, no difference, or no relationship between variables. It serves as the starting point for analysis and is tested against the alternative hypothesis (Hₒ). If the statistical analysis shows that the data significantly differs from what is expected under Hₒ, it may be rejected in favor of Hₒ. The null hypothesis is not "favorable" or based on belief; it is an objective baseline assumption.

94. A conclusion that follows' logically from a set of observation and testing hypothesis is called:

Correct Answer: 2. Deductive reasoning
Solution:Deductive reasoning is the process of deriving specific conclusions from general premises or theories. It involves testing a hypothesis that has been derived from a theoretical framework, and if the data supports it, a logical conclusion is drawn.
For example, if all mammals have lungs (general), and a whale is a mammal (specific), then a whale has lungs (conclusion). This form of reasoning is central to hypothesis testing in scientific research, where conclusions are drawn from observed results.

95. Informed consent in research ethics can be verified through:

Correct Answer: 2. Signed participant information sheet
Solution:Informed consent is a cornerstone of research ethics, ensuring that participants understand the purpose, risks, and benefits of the study before participation. A signed participant information sheet serves as documented evidence that the participant has been informed and has agreed to participate voluntarily.

Verbal consent may be accepted in some settings but is less verifiable, and IRB approval ensures ethical compliance but does not replace individual consent. A consent form is part of the documentation, but the signed participant information sheet is what legally and ethically verifies informed consent.

96. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions:

The advanced capitalist countries, the United particularly State, are proponents movement of neoshamanism, that idealizes the shamanistic of Native practices American and other indigenous around the peoples world. In the jungles and the tundra, shamanism is dying. An intensely local kind of knowledge is being abandoned in favour kinds of knowledge of various which are cosmopolitan and distant-led.

Meanwhile, something called shamanism thrives in western magazines sweat lodges and weekend workshops. The New Age Movement, which includes this strand of neoshamanism, is in part a rebellion against the principle of distant-led knowledge. In contrast to a traditional shaman who is oriented to serving the group under ASC, New Age Neoshamanism offers a haven for educated, middle-class Westerners uncomfortable with conventional institutionalized congregations and unwilling to limit themselves to strictly materialistic pursuits.

New Age Movement is a community reaction against: 

Correct Answer: 1. Supremacy of Biomedicine
Solution:The passage notes that New Age Neoshamanism, as part of the New Age Movement, is a rebellion against distant-led knowledge systems. This refers to institutionalized, cosmopolitan, and impersonal systems of knowledge, such as biomedicine and mainstream science. New Age followers seek holistic, spiritually-oriented alternatives, emphasizing personal experience and healing, in contrast to the rigid, clinical approach of biomedicine.

Therefore, the movement's emergence is a reaction against the dominance of biomedical, rationalist paradigms in healthcare and spiritual life.

97. Beside Shamanism, the New Age Movement also includes:

Correct Answer: 2. Witchcraft
Solution:While the passage focuses on neoshamanism, it refers to it as part of the broader New Age Movement. This movement often includes elements of spirituality, mysticism, and the occult, such as witchcraft, astrology, energy healing, and reincarnation.

Witchcraft shares with neoshamanism an interest in alternative ways of understanding and controlling spiritual forces, often outside conventional religion. Cargo cult, sorcery, and evil-eye belong to different cultural and anthropological contexts but are not explicitly linked with the New Age Movement.

98. The term shaman has its origin in the language of the:

Correct Answer: 3. Siberian
Solution:The word "shaman" originates from the Tungusic language spoken by Siberian peoples, especially the Evenki. It originally referred to a religious specialist or healer who mediates between the human and spirit worlds, often through altered states of consciousness (ASC). The term was later adopted by anthropologists and generalized to refer to similar roles in indigenous cultures globally, but its linguistic and cultural origin is Siberian.

99. Traditional shamanism is different from neoshamanism for its emphasis upon:

Correct Answer: 4. Milieu Therapy
Solution:The passage clearly contrasts traditional shamanism and neoshamanism:
  • Traditional shamans serve the collective needs of the group or community, typically under altered states of consciousness (ASC).
  • Neoshamanism, by contrast, is more individualistic, catering to the personal spiritual needs of Western practitioners.
  • Milieu therapy refers to a structured therapeutic environment intended for community-based psychological healing, which closely aligns with the collective. integrative function of traditional shamanism.
    Hence, milieu therapy best captures the community-centered aspect of traditional shamanic practices.

100. According to the passage, how does New Age Neoshamanism differ from traditional shamanism?

Correct Answer: 3. It caters to individual spiritual needs of Western, middle-class people
Solution:The passage states that New Age Neoshamanism offers a haven for educated, middle-class Westerners who are uncomfortable with conventional institutionalized congregations.
  • Unlike traditional shamans, who work for their community or tribe, neoshamans serve the personal growth, healing, and spiritual exploration of the individual.
  • It is also noted that neoshamanism occurs in magazines, workshops, and sweat lodges. rather than in traditional indigenous settings like jungles and tundras. Therefore, the correct distinction lies in its individualistic and Western orientation.