Suppose an Anthropologist Studies Several Villages in Southern India

question 17

Essay

Suppose an anthropologist studies several villages in southern India. For each village they have data on the number of people and the average age of men and women, and have computed an index of the monetary value of various consumer goods in the village (e.g., the value of the total number of refrigerators, televisions, and air conditioners divided by the size of the population). An analysis of these data reveals that the villages with populations having the lowest average age also have the highest average dollar value of modern consumer goods (Bernard, 1994).
a. What is the unit of analysis in this study?
b. Can the anthropologist conclude from this association that young people purchase more modern consumer goods than older people? Why or why not?

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Definitions:

Building Contractor

A professional or company responsible for overseeing the construction process, including the coordination of labor, materials, and equipment.

Operating Cash Flow

The cash flow stemming from a company's usual business processes.

Marginal Tax Rate

The proportion of your earnings that is taxed according to the tax bracket(s) for which you are eligible.

Straight-Line Depreciation

A method of calculating the depreciation of an asset that allocates an equal amount of depreciation each year over the asset's useful life.