Important Terminologies: R - Z | Anthropology Optional for UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


R
Rabinow, Paul (1944–). American anthropologist who pioneered work on 
reflexivity, latterly examining the place of biotechnology in society; he 
is also an expert commentator on foucault. Rabinow gained a doctorate 
from Chicago in 1970 after studying at ehess; since 1978 he has taught at 
the University of California. His key works include Reflections on fieldwork 
in Morocco (30th anniversary ed. 2007), Making PCR: a story of biotech-
nology (1996), and French DNA: trouble in purgatory (1999). He also 
edited The Foucault reader (1984).
race. A group of people held to be descended from a common ancestor and 
believed to share certain physical and/or psychological characteristics. In 
anthropology much effort has gone into showing “race” to be a social 
 concept with no real basis in biology: for example, a racial group’s status 
in any nation is contested politically, and changes over time. Historically, 
categorizations based on assumed characteristics of “races” have been 
 associated with inequality and pseudo-scientific prejudices (e.g. that white 
civilization was inherently superior to black culture; see also anthro-
pometry, scientific racism). The concept of ethnicity supplanted “race” 
in the later twentieth century, though it too has problematic aspects.
Further reading: Sanjek (1998).
racism. A belief in the superiority or inferiority of peoples based on their 
presumed ethnic characteristics (race). Racists often extrapolate from 
superficial factors such as skin color to generalize about group behavior. 
Racism can be characterized as a product of European imperialism and as 
Morris_c18.indd 210 Morris_c18.indd   210 12/1/2011 4:26:14 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:14 PM
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R
Rabinow, Paul (1944–). American anthropologist who pioneered work on 
reflexivity, latterly examining the place of biotechnology in society; he 
is also an expert commentator on foucault. Rabinow gained a doctorate 
from Chicago in 1970 after studying at ehess; since 1978 he has taught at 
the University of California. His key works include Reflections on fieldwork 
in Morocco (30th anniversary ed. 2007), Making PCR: a story of biotech-
nology (1996), and French DNA: trouble in purgatory (1999). He also 
edited The Foucault reader (1984).
race. A group of people held to be descended from a common ancestor and 
believed to share certain physical and/or psychological characteristics. In 
anthropology much effort has gone into showing “race” to be a social 
 concept with no real basis in biology: for example, a racial group’s status 
in any nation is contested politically, and changes over time. Historically, 
categorizations based on assumed characteristics of “races” have been 
 associated with inequality and pseudo-scientific prejudices (e.g. that white 
civilization was inherently superior to black culture; see also anthro-
pometry, scientific racism). The concept of ethnicity supplanted “race” 
in the later twentieth century, though it too has problematic aspects.
Further reading: Sanjek (1998).
racism. A belief in the superiority or inferiority of peoples based on their 
presumed ethnic characteristics (race). Racists often extrapolate from 
superficial factors such as skin color to generalize about group behavior. 
Racism can be characterized as a product of European imperialism and as 
Morris_c18.indd 210 Morris_c18.indd   210 12/1/2011 4:26:14 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:14 PM
such may be linked to the history of western anthropology, including its 
early evolutionary schema. While later anthropologists argued that 
 ethnicity was paramount, racism remains a force strongly linked to 
 discrimination, inequality, power, and status.
Further reading: Frankenberg (1997).
Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. (1881–1955). British social anthropologist, 
 associated particularly with structural-functionalism. Born near 
Birmingham and educated at Cambridge (1902–6) under haddon and 
 rivers. He did fieldwork in the Andaman Islands (1906–8) and Western 
Australia (1910–12), and taught school and directed an education depart-
ment (in Tonga) before holding professorships at Cape Town (1921–5), 
Sydney, Chicago, Alexandria, and Oxford (1937–46), teaching finally at 
Rhodes University.
His publications include The Andaman islanders (1922), The social 
organization of Australian tribes (1931), African systems of kinship and 
marriage (ed. with D. forde, 1950), Structure and function in primitive 
society (1952, probably his essential work), and The social anthropology of 
Radcliffe-Brown (ed. A. Kuper, 1977). See also joking relationship.
Further reading: Fortes (1949).
Figure 23 Radcliffe-Brown. “R-B” (center front) with his class of 1945–6 at 
Oxford. Fortes sits at his left. Photo: Gillman & Soame, used by permission of 
Oxford University, School of Anthropology.
Morris_c18.indd 211 Morris_c18.indd   211 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
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R
Rabinow, Paul (1944–). American anthropologist who pioneered work on 
reflexivity, latterly examining the place of biotechnology in society; he 
is also an expert commentator on foucault. Rabinow gained a doctorate 
from Chicago in 1970 after studying at ehess; since 1978 he has taught at 
the University of California. His key works include Reflections on fieldwork 
in Morocco (30th anniversary ed. 2007), Making PCR: a story of biotech-
nology (1996), and French DNA: trouble in purgatory (1999). He also 
edited The Foucault reader (1984).
race. A group of people held to be descended from a common ancestor and 
believed to share certain physical and/or psychological characteristics. In 
anthropology much effort has gone into showing “race” to be a social 
 concept with no real basis in biology: for example, a racial group’s status 
in any nation is contested politically, and changes over time. Historically, 
categorizations based on assumed characteristics of “races” have been 
 associated with inequality and pseudo-scientific prejudices (e.g. that white 
civilization was inherently superior to black culture; see also anthro-
pometry, scientific racism). The concept of ethnicity supplanted “race” 
in the later twentieth century, though it too has problematic aspects.
Further reading: Sanjek (1998).
racism. A belief in the superiority or inferiority of peoples based on their 
presumed ethnic characteristics (race). Racists often extrapolate from 
superficial factors such as skin color to generalize about group behavior. 
Racism can be characterized as a product of European imperialism and as 
Morris_c18.indd 210 Morris_c18.indd   210 12/1/2011 4:26:14 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:14 PM
such may be linked to the history of western anthropology, including its 
early evolutionary schema. While later anthropologists argued that 
 ethnicity was paramount, racism remains a force strongly linked to 
 discrimination, inequality, power, and status.
Further reading: Frankenberg (1997).
Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. (1881–1955). British social anthropologist, 
 associated particularly with structural-functionalism. Born near 
Birmingham and educated at Cambridge (1902–6) under haddon and 
 rivers. He did fieldwork in the Andaman Islands (1906–8) and Western 
Australia (1910–12), and taught school and directed an education depart-
ment (in Tonga) before holding professorships at Cape Town (1921–5), 
Sydney, Chicago, Alexandria, and Oxford (1937–46), teaching finally at 
Rhodes University.
His publications include The Andaman islanders (1922), The social 
organization of Australian tribes (1931), African systems of kinship and 
marriage (ed. with D. forde, 1950), Structure and function in primitive 
society (1952, probably his essential work), and The social anthropology of 
Radcliffe-Brown (ed. A. Kuper, 1977). See also joking relationship.
Further reading: Fortes (1949).
Figure 23 Radcliffe-Brown. “R-B” (center front) with his class of 1945–6 at 
Oxford. Fortes sits at his left. Photo: Gillman & Soame, used by permission of 
Oxford University, School of Anthropology.
Morris_c18.indd 211 Morris_c18.indd   211 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
Radin, Paul (1883–1959). American cultural anthropologist (born in Lódz, 
Poland). One of boas’ many noted students, he obtained a Ph.D. from 
Columbia in 1911 and undertook fieldwork with a number of native 
american groups. He taught in several universities, concluding his career at 
Brandeis. Radin produced a number of studies of the Winnebago people; his 
work touched on elements of religion, mythology, and psychology, and he 
was an accomplished linguist. His publications include The Winnebago 
tribe (1923), Primitive man as philosopher (1927), Primitive religion (1937), 
and The trickster (1956, with a commentary by Carl Jung).
RAI. See royal anthropological institute.
rainbow serpent. A mythical snake common to a number of aboriginal 
popular beliefs. Linked to water, fertility, and creation stories.
rainforest. A dense equatorial forest characterized by heavy rainfall and 
heat; notably found in Central and South America (e.g. amazonia), Africa, 
and southeast asia. Rainforests account for very significant amounts of 
plant and animal life; their continued destruction is a major environmental 
issue. Anthropologists often study peoples living in such settings, recording 
their indigenous knowledge.
raj. A Hindi word meaning state or government. Commonly used of the 
British Raj: the period (1858–1947) during which Britain ruled directly in 
India. See also sati.
ramage. In (mainly) Polynesian societies, a hierarchical, cognatic, descent 
group, or system of ranked descent groups, characterized by sahlins as 
non-exogamous (see exogamy), internally stratified (see stratification), 
and unilineal. The term was coined by firth in 1936. Compare deme.
Further reading: Firth (1957[b]); Sahlins (1958).
Ramayana. See hinduism.
rank society. A rank society, according to Morton Fried, is one in which 
valued positions are limited so that not everyone who has the potential will 
occupy one. There may or may not be stratification. Fried’s views were 
later challenged, for instance on the question of the privileges that might be 
involved.
Further reading: Fried (1967).
Rappaport, Roy A. (1926–97). See ecological anthropology.
rational choice theory. See utilitarianism.
rationalism. A tradition of thought deriving from seventeenth-century 
philosophers such as Descartes that asserted that reason alone should 
Morris_c18.indd 212 Morris_c18.indd   212 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
Page 4


R
Rabinow, Paul (1944–). American anthropologist who pioneered work on 
reflexivity, latterly examining the place of biotechnology in society; he 
is also an expert commentator on foucault. Rabinow gained a doctorate 
from Chicago in 1970 after studying at ehess; since 1978 he has taught at 
the University of California. His key works include Reflections on fieldwork 
in Morocco (30th anniversary ed. 2007), Making PCR: a story of biotech-
nology (1996), and French DNA: trouble in purgatory (1999). He also 
edited The Foucault reader (1984).
race. A group of people held to be descended from a common ancestor and 
believed to share certain physical and/or psychological characteristics. In 
anthropology much effort has gone into showing “race” to be a social 
 concept with no real basis in biology: for example, a racial group’s status 
in any nation is contested politically, and changes over time. Historically, 
categorizations based on assumed characteristics of “races” have been 
 associated with inequality and pseudo-scientific prejudices (e.g. that white 
civilization was inherently superior to black culture; see also anthro-
pometry, scientific racism). The concept of ethnicity supplanted “race” 
in the later twentieth century, though it too has problematic aspects.
Further reading: Sanjek (1998).
racism. A belief in the superiority or inferiority of peoples based on their 
presumed ethnic characteristics (race). Racists often extrapolate from 
superficial factors such as skin color to generalize about group behavior. 
Racism can be characterized as a product of European imperialism and as 
Morris_c18.indd 210 Morris_c18.indd   210 12/1/2011 4:26:14 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:14 PM
such may be linked to the history of western anthropology, including its 
early evolutionary schema. While later anthropologists argued that 
 ethnicity was paramount, racism remains a force strongly linked to 
 discrimination, inequality, power, and status.
Further reading: Frankenberg (1997).
Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. (1881–1955). British social anthropologist, 
 associated particularly with structural-functionalism. Born near 
Birmingham and educated at Cambridge (1902–6) under haddon and 
 rivers. He did fieldwork in the Andaman Islands (1906–8) and Western 
Australia (1910–12), and taught school and directed an education depart-
ment (in Tonga) before holding professorships at Cape Town (1921–5), 
Sydney, Chicago, Alexandria, and Oxford (1937–46), teaching finally at 
Rhodes University.
His publications include The Andaman islanders (1922), The social 
organization of Australian tribes (1931), African systems of kinship and 
marriage (ed. with D. forde, 1950), Structure and function in primitive 
society (1952, probably his essential work), and The social anthropology of 
Radcliffe-Brown (ed. A. Kuper, 1977). See also joking relationship.
Further reading: Fortes (1949).
Figure 23 Radcliffe-Brown. “R-B” (center front) with his class of 1945–6 at 
Oxford. Fortes sits at his left. Photo: Gillman & Soame, used by permission of 
Oxford University, School of Anthropology.
Morris_c18.indd 211 Morris_c18.indd   211 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
Radin, Paul (1883–1959). American cultural anthropologist (born in Lódz, 
Poland). One of boas’ many noted students, he obtained a Ph.D. from 
Columbia in 1911 and undertook fieldwork with a number of native 
american groups. He taught in several universities, concluding his career at 
Brandeis. Radin produced a number of studies of the Winnebago people; his 
work touched on elements of religion, mythology, and psychology, and he 
was an accomplished linguist. His publications include The Winnebago 
tribe (1923), Primitive man as philosopher (1927), Primitive religion (1937), 
and The trickster (1956, with a commentary by Carl Jung).
RAI. See royal anthropological institute.
rainbow serpent. A mythical snake common to a number of aboriginal 
popular beliefs. Linked to water, fertility, and creation stories.
rainforest. A dense equatorial forest characterized by heavy rainfall and 
heat; notably found in Central and South America (e.g. amazonia), Africa, 
and southeast asia. Rainforests account for very significant amounts of 
plant and animal life; their continued destruction is a major environmental 
issue. Anthropologists often study peoples living in such settings, recording 
their indigenous knowledge.
raj. A Hindi word meaning state or government. Commonly used of the 
British Raj: the period (1858–1947) during which Britain ruled directly in 
India. See also sati.
ramage. In (mainly) Polynesian societies, a hierarchical, cognatic, descent 
group, or system of ranked descent groups, characterized by sahlins as 
non-exogamous (see exogamy), internally stratified (see stratification), 
and unilineal. The term was coined by firth in 1936. Compare deme.
Further reading: Firth (1957[b]); Sahlins (1958).
Ramayana. See hinduism.
rank society. A rank society, according to Morton Fried, is one in which 
valued positions are limited so that not everyone who has the potential will 
occupy one. There may or may not be stratification. Fried’s views were 
later challenged, for instance on the question of the privileges that might be 
involved.
Further reading: Fried (1967).
Rappaport, Roy A. (1926–97). See ecological anthropology.
rational choice theory. See utilitarianism.
rationalism. A tradition of thought deriving from seventeenth-century 
philosophers such as Descartes that asserted that reason alone should 
Morris_c18.indd 212 Morris_c18.indd   212 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
 provide knowledge of the world (rather than sense data—see empiricism—or 
divine revelation). Rationalism has affinities with positivism and struc-
turalism. Anthropologists’ work has tended to disprove the opposition of 
“rational” westerners against “irrational” indigenous peoples (compare 
primitive mentality).
Ratzel, Friedrich (1844–1904). See anthropogeography, geographical 
determinism, german anthropology.
Reagan, Ronald (1911–2004). See neoliberalism.
reciprocal altruism. altruism connected to an expectation that the “giving” 
party will later benefit from altruistic behavior in return. It can be studied in 
humans and other animals, and is often considered to contribute to repro-
ductive advantage. Compare game theory, kin selection altruism.
reciprocity. The element of exchange usually implying mutual interaction 
of goods or benefits between parties. Of great concern to economic anthro-
pologists, and notably studied by mauss, Karl polanyi, and Marshall sahl-
ins, who extended the definitions involved ( generalized reciprocity: giving 
without overt requirement of any return; balanced reciprocity: giving where 
the return is of equivalent value and timely; negative reciprocity: attempting 
to get “something for nothing,” or near to it; associated respectively with 
diminishing ties of closeness between the exchanging parties).
Further reading: Polanyi et al. (1957); Sahlins (2004).
reconstruction. In linguistics, a facet of several methods for tracing 
 similarities in disparate languages (or the evolution of one particular 
 language), involving making hypotheses about the nature of a proto-
language that no longer survives.
recursiveness. Recursive elements, in mathematics, computing, and logic, 
refer back to earlier elements of a series; the idea is used analogously to 
describe aspects of social organization. chomsky and other linguists 
also used the term in a similar fashion.
Redfield, Robert (1897–1958). American anthropologist, associated with 
his native Chicago, where he worked; he was the son-in-law of sociologist 
Robert E. Park. Starting with Tepoztlan, a Mexican village (1930), he made 
numerous contributions to the understanding of peasant cultures and 
social change; his other works include A village that chose progress 
(1950) and The little community (1955). See also folk–urban continuum, 
great tradition.
redistribution. Distributing resources again, sometimes to promote fairness. 
The idea is common to many economies. Generally some form of  authority 
Morris_c18.indd 213 Morris_c18.indd   213 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
Page 5


R
Rabinow, Paul (1944–). American anthropologist who pioneered work on 
reflexivity, latterly examining the place of biotechnology in society; he 
is also an expert commentator on foucault. Rabinow gained a doctorate 
from Chicago in 1970 after studying at ehess; since 1978 he has taught at 
the University of California. His key works include Reflections on fieldwork 
in Morocco (30th anniversary ed. 2007), Making PCR: a story of biotech-
nology (1996), and French DNA: trouble in purgatory (1999). He also 
edited The Foucault reader (1984).
race. A group of people held to be descended from a common ancestor and 
believed to share certain physical and/or psychological characteristics. In 
anthropology much effort has gone into showing “race” to be a social 
 concept with no real basis in biology: for example, a racial group’s status 
in any nation is contested politically, and changes over time. Historically, 
categorizations based on assumed characteristics of “races” have been 
 associated with inequality and pseudo-scientific prejudices (e.g. that white 
civilization was inherently superior to black culture; see also anthro-
pometry, scientific racism). The concept of ethnicity supplanted “race” 
in the later twentieth century, though it too has problematic aspects.
Further reading: Sanjek (1998).
racism. A belief in the superiority or inferiority of peoples based on their 
presumed ethnic characteristics (race). Racists often extrapolate from 
superficial factors such as skin color to generalize about group behavior. 
Racism can be characterized as a product of European imperialism and as 
Morris_c18.indd 210 Morris_c18.indd   210 12/1/2011 4:26:14 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:14 PM
such may be linked to the history of western anthropology, including its 
early evolutionary schema. While later anthropologists argued that 
 ethnicity was paramount, racism remains a force strongly linked to 
 discrimination, inequality, power, and status.
Further reading: Frankenberg (1997).
Radcliffe-Brown, A. R. (1881–1955). British social anthropologist, 
 associated particularly with structural-functionalism. Born near 
Birmingham and educated at Cambridge (1902–6) under haddon and 
 rivers. He did fieldwork in the Andaman Islands (1906–8) and Western 
Australia (1910–12), and taught school and directed an education depart-
ment (in Tonga) before holding professorships at Cape Town (1921–5), 
Sydney, Chicago, Alexandria, and Oxford (1937–46), teaching finally at 
Rhodes University.
His publications include The Andaman islanders (1922), The social 
organization of Australian tribes (1931), African systems of kinship and 
marriage (ed. with D. forde, 1950), Structure and function in primitive 
society (1952, probably his essential work), and The social anthropology of 
Radcliffe-Brown (ed. A. Kuper, 1977). See also joking relationship.
Further reading: Fortes (1949).
Figure 23 Radcliffe-Brown. “R-B” (center front) with his class of 1945–6 at 
Oxford. Fortes sits at his left. Photo: Gillman & Soame, used by permission of 
Oxford University, School of Anthropology.
Morris_c18.indd 211 Morris_c18.indd   211 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
Radin, Paul (1883–1959). American cultural anthropologist (born in Lódz, 
Poland). One of boas’ many noted students, he obtained a Ph.D. from 
Columbia in 1911 and undertook fieldwork with a number of native 
american groups. He taught in several universities, concluding his career at 
Brandeis. Radin produced a number of studies of the Winnebago people; his 
work touched on elements of religion, mythology, and psychology, and he 
was an accomplished linguist. His publications include The Winnebago 
tribe (1923), Primitive man as philosopher (1927), Primitive religion (1937), 
and The trickster (1956, with a commentary by Carl Jung).
RAI. See royal anthropological institute.
rainbow serpent. A mythical snake common to a number of aboriginal 
popular beliefs. Linked to water, fertility, and creation stories.
rainforest. A dense equatorial forest characterized by heavy rainfall and 
heat; notably found in Central and South America (e.g. amazonia), Africa, 
and southeast asia. Rainforests account for very significant amounts of 
plant and animal life; their continued destruction is a major environmental 
issue. Anthropologists often study peoples living in such settings, recording 
their indigenous knowledge.
raj. A Hindi word meaning state or government. Commonly used of the 
British Raj: the period (1858–1947) during which Britain ruled directly in 
India. See also sati.
ramage. In (mainly) Polynesian societies, a hierarchical, cognatic, descent 
group, or system of ranked descent groups, characterized by sahlins as 
non-exogamous (see exogamy), internally stratified (see stratification), 
and unilineal. The term was coined by firth in 1936. Compare deme.
Further reading: Firth (1957[b]); Sahlins (1958).
Ramayana. See hinduism.
rank society. A rank society, according to Morton Fried, is one in which 
valued positions are limited so that not everyone who has the potential will 
occupy one. There may or may not be stratification. Fried’s views were 
later challenged, for instance on the question of the privileges that might be 
involved.
Further reading: Fried (1967).
Rappaport, Roy A. (1926–97). See ecological anthropology.
rational choice theory. See utilitarianism.
rationalism. A tradition of thought deriving from seventeenth-century 
philosophers such as Descartes that asserted that reason alone should 
Morris_c18.indd 212 Morris_c18.indd   212 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
 provide knowledge of the world (rather than sense data—see empiricism—or 
divine revelation). Rationalism has affinities with positivism and struc-
turalism. Anthropologists’ work has tended to disprove the opposition of 
“rational” westerners against “irrational” indigenous peoples (compare 
primitive mentality).
Ratzel, Friedrich (1844–1904). See anthropogeography, geographical 
determinism, german anthropology.
Reagan, Ronald (1911–2004). See neoliberalism.
reciprocal altruism. altruism connected to an expectation that the “giving” 
party will later benefit from altruistic behavior in return. It can be studied in 
humans and other animals, and is often considered to contribute to repro-
ductive advantage. Compare game theory, kin selection altruism.
reciprocity. The element of exchange usually implying mutual interaction 
of goods or benefits between parties. Of great concern to economic anthro-
pologists, and notably studied by mauss, Karl polanyi, and Marshall sahl-
ins, who extended the definitions involved ( generalized reciprocity: giving 
without overt requirement of any return; balanced reciprocity: giving where 
the return is of equivalent value and timely; negative reciprocity: attempting 
to get “something for nothing,” or near to it; associated respectively with 
diminishing ties of closeness between the exchanging parties).
Further reading: Polanyi et al. (1957); Sahlins (2004).
reconstruction. In linguistics, a facet of several methods for tracing 
 similarities in disparate languages (or the evolution of one particular 
 language), involving making hypotheses about the nature of a proto-
language that no longer survives.
recursiveness. Recursive elements, in mathematics, computing, and logic, 
refer back to earlier elements of a series; the idea is used analogously to 
describe aspects of social organization. chomsky and other linguists 
also used the term in a similar fashion.
Redfield, Robert (1897–1958). American anthropologist, associated with 
his native Chicago, where he worked; he was the son-in-law of sociologist 
Robert E. Park. Starting with Tepoztlan, a Mexican village (1930), he made 
numerous contributions to the understanding of peasant cultures and 
social change; his other works include A village that chose progress 
(1950) and The little community (1955). See also folk–urban continuum, 
great tradition.
redistribution. Distributing resources again, sometimes to promote fairness. 
The idea is common to many economies. Generally some form of  authority 
Morris_c18.indd 213 Morris_c18.indd   213 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM
will collect food, goods, money, or other resources, process and/or partly 
use some for itself, and then share out the remainder to its subjects or  citizens.
Further reading: Polanyi et al. (1957).
reductionism. The intellectual attempt to explain complex phenomena in 
terms of phenomena that are simpler. For example, social structure in a 
country might be presented as purely a result of economic factors rather 
than several factors interacting. The label “reductionist” on a theory can be 
regarded as pejorative. Compare essentialism.
reference terms. Relationship terms used to describe their subject indirectly, 
to talk about them. These may be used more strictly than address terms 
(terms used to speak to their subjects) and specify the precise connection 
involved.
referent. In linguistics (the meaning is slightly different in philosophy), the 
thing or person referred to by a word or phrase.
reflexivity. In a general sense, the process of turning in on oneself; a key 
 feature of interpretive anthropology. Reflexive thought is apparent 
both in the society observed by the ethnographer—in terms of the meanings 
participants ascribe to their actions—and in modern ethnographic writing 
itself, which normally takes account of the cultural preconceptions an 
anthropologist brings to the field (see e.g. autoethnography).
Further reading: Rabinow (2007); Davies (2008)
refugee. A person displaced by persecution, war, disaster, or adverse eco-
nomic conditions at home who seeks shelter elsewhere, either within their 
own country or in another. Refugees may live in a variety of locations, such 
as semi-permanent camps or within existing urban areas. See also asylum 
seeker, forced migration, migration.
regicide. Killing of a king or queen, or one who does this. See also divine 
kingship.
register. While “register” has several meanings, it refers in linguistics to a 
style of speech or writing adopted in order to convey appropriate social 
messages: a speaker using a specific register will expect his/her audience to 
receive his/her words in a certain way, and to respond accordingly. Choice 
of register may be determined by a combination of the context, the social 
status of those involved, and the degree of formality expected culturally.
Reichs, Kathy (1950–). See forensic anthropology.
reification. Consideration of a person or concept as if they/it were a thing; 
by extension, dehumanization of workers in marxist theory . See  commodity 
fetishism, and compare essentialism, objectification.
Morris_c18.indd 214 Morris_c18.indd   214 12/1/2011 4:26:15 PM 12/1/2011   4:26:15 PM