FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION – 2026
FOR RECRUITMENT TO POST IN BS – 17
UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
ANTHROPOLOGY
TIME ALLOWED: THREE HOURS
PART – I (MCQs): MAXIMUM 30 MINUTES
PART – I (MCQs): MAXIMUM MARKS = 20
PART – II MAXIMUM MARKS = 80
NOTE: (i) First attempt PART-I (MCQs) on separate OMR Answer Sheet which shall be taken back
after 30 minutes.
(ii) Overwriting/cutting of the options/answers will not be given credit.
(iii) There is no negative marking. All MCQs must be attempted.
PART-I (MCQs)(COMPULSORY)
Q.1. (i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate Box on the OMR Answer Sheet.(20×1=20)
(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.
1. These are forms of polygamy:
(A) Endogamy and Exogamy
(B) Monogamy and Polyandry
(C) Both (A) & (B)
(D) None of these
2. Reciprocal exchange with an explicit expectation of immediate return:
(A) Balanced reciprocity
(B) Generalized reciprocity
(C) Negative reciprocity
(D) None of these
3. The belief that spirits reside in all organic and inorganic objects is called:
(A) Polytheism
(B) Monotheism
(C) Animism
(D) None of these
4. Who formulated the idea of hegemony?
(A) Herbert Spencer
(B) Friedrich Engels
(C) Karl Marx
(D) None of these
5. Social groups that consist of two or more clans are termed as:
(A) Moieties
(B) Phratries
(C) Big Clans
(D) None of these
6. A married couple who resides with the husband’s mother-in-law’s brother is termed as:
(A) Matrilocal
(B) Patrilocal
(C) Neolocal
(D) None of these
7. The rule that a widow is expected to marry one of her deceased husband’s brothers is:
(A) Sororate Marriage
(B) Parallel cousin marriage
(C) Avunculate
(D) None of these
8. Analyzing data without personal bias or prejudice is known as:
(A) Subjectivity
(B) Objectivity
(C) Reflexivity
(D) None of these
9. The research method in which the researcher observes people without exposing their actual identity or purpose is called:
(A) Overt observation
(B) Participant observation
(C) Covert observation
(D) None of these
10. In qualitative research, the stage when collecting more data no longer gives new information is called:
(A) Saturation
(B) Sampling error
(C) Validity
(D) None of these
11. The social position assigned to a person at birth rather than earned is:
(A) Ascribed status
(B) Achieved status
(C) Socio-economic status
(D) None of these
12. The ability to get others to do something, even against their will, is known as:
(A) Authority
(B) Power
(C) Consensus
(D) None of these
13. The ability to influence others through personal charm or exceptional qualities is called:
(A) Power
(B) Authority
(C) Charisma
(D) None of these
14. Movements for radical cultural reforms in response to widespread social disruption or crises are called:
(A) Revitalization Movements
(B) Revolution
(C) Cargo cults
(D) None of these
15. Discrimination against an ethnic group perceived to have biological basis:
(A) Discrimination
(B) Prejudice
(C) Racism
(D) None of these
16. The study of human evolution through the analysis of fossils is called:
(A) Physical Anthropology
(B) Paleoanthropology
(C) Primatology
(D) None of these
17. Triangulation in research means:
(A) Relying only on documentary evidence
(B) Careful selection of key informants
(C) Both (A) & (B)
(D) None of these
18. Understanding a culture according to its own values and standards is:
(A) Cultural universalism
(B) Ethnocentrism
(C) Cultural relativism
(D) None of these
19. The displacement of population due to environmental degradation is called:
(A) Forced migration
(B) Acculturation
(C) Urban planning
(D) None of these
20. Strong cultural norms that prohibit sexual relations or marriage between certain relatives is called:
(A) Folkways
(B) Mores
(C) Incest taboo
(D) None of these
PART-II
NOTE:
(i) Part – II is to be attempted on the separate Answer Book.
(ii) Attempt ONLY FOUR questions from PART – II. ALL questions carry EQUAL marks.
(iii) All the parts (if any) of each Question must be attempted at one place instead of at different places.
(iv) Candidate must write Q. No. in the Answer Book in Accordance with Q. No. in the Q. Paper.
(v) No Page / Space be left blank between the answers. All the blank pages of Answer Book must be crossed.
(iv) Extra attempt of any question or any part of the attempted question will not be considered.
Q. No. 2. Critically analyze the role of human agency in shaping and sustaining ethnic identities in multicultural societies. How do individuals and groups negotiate and mobilize their ethnic boundaries in social, political, and economic contexts? (20)
Q. No. 3. Fieldwork in anthropology is influenced by the researcher’s positionality, methodological choices, and social context. Discuss how biases can arise at different stages of fieldwork. Explain how anthropologists can uphold objectivity and epistemic responsibility in producing reliable knowledge. (20)
Q. No. 4. Discuss how Oscar Lewis’s concept of the “culture of poverty” can be applied to current global social problems such as rising urban slums, intergenerational unemployment, and educational disparities. In what ways does the concept illuminate cultural patterns, and in what ways does it obscure structural forces shaping poverty today? (20)
Q. No. 5. Discuss and analyze the socio-cultural, environmental, and economic impacts of massive urbanization and the growth of urban slums. Use anthropological theories or empirical evidence to explain how social inequality, marginalization, and informal economies change community life and everyday practices. (20)
Q. No. 6. Historically, writing has been a tool of political authority and control. How do contemporary media systems and the forces of globalization continue to shape power dynamics, influence public opinion, and drive socio-cultural change across societies? Discuss in the context of power, ideology, and global inequalities. (20)
Q. No. 7. Based on Malinowski’s analysis of the Kula ring, men maintain social influence through balanced reciprocity. Explain why the system would break down if participants began practicing negative reciprocity, considering its effects on trust, alliances, and social status. (20)
Q. No. 8. From a feminist anthropological perspective, analyze how intersecting factors such as class, ethnicity, and religion influence women’s experiences of inequality and exclusion in Pakistan. How can these insights contribute to more effective women’s rights movements and policies? (20)
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