Deck 5: Groups and Organizations

Question 1

Books, computers, telephones, and washing machines are examples of material culture.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Applying the broadest sense of the concept, most people in the United States could be classified as members of one subculture or another.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Because norms govern behavior considered essential to the stability of society, they are always codified into laws and punishable with formal sanctions.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Symbols are important in more primitive cultures, but postmodern cultures function largely without symbols.

Question 5

Functionalists tend to believe that shared values are essential for the maintenance of a society.

Question 6

Values are standards that provide criteria by which we evaluate people, objects, and events. They also dictate which behaviors are appropriate and which ones are not.

Question 7

Language may be a source of power and social control; language perpetuates inequalities between people and between groups because words are used to "keep people in their place."

Question 8

Even though the specifics of individual cultures vary widely, all cultures have four common nonmaterial cultural components: symbols, language, values, and norms.

Question 9

Humans are so different throughout the world that there is little we can consider common to all human culture.

Question 10

Most technological changes in a society are modifications of existing technologies.

Question 11

Language is an exclusively human characteristic.

Question 12

In every society a gap exists between the values that people profess to hold and their actual behavior, which may not be consistent with those values.

Question 13

Neither society nor culture could exist without the other.

Question 14

Americans generally have less faith in science and technology than people in other Western countries.

Question 15

Language communicates about reality, but it cannot influence the reality it describes.

Question 16

In all societies, certain core values frequently contradict with other values also considered important.

Question 17

Culture is more important to the individual than it is to society.

Question 18

Because cultures tend to be integrated, all parts of any given culture will tend to change at the same pace.

Question 19

Culture works for humans the way that instincts work for other animals, guiding them through their daily lives.

Question 20

The United States is considered a homogeneous society, meaning that it consists of people who are from largely similar social, religious, political, and economic backgrounds.

Question 21

Birds do not learn to build nests. They build nests because of triggered by the biological need for protection and reproduction.

A) instincts
B) impulses
C) reflexes
D) drives

Question 22

Because they have less of an investment in the existing dominant culture, young people are more likely than older people to join countercultures.

Question 23

Which statement about drives and reflexes is correct?

A) They are social behaviors, not biological behaviors.
B) They are voluntary responses to physical stimuli.
C) They do not determine how people will behave in human societies.
D) They are not impacted by culture in any way.

Question 24

Which of these statements about culture is not true?

A) Culture is essential to the survival of each individual.
B) Culture allows individuals to understand one another.
C) Culture establishes order within a society.
D) Cultural behavior is instinctual.

Question 25

consists of the physical or tangible creations that members of a society make, use, and share.

A) Technology
B) Nonmaterial culture
C) Cultural universal
D) Material culture

Question 26

Most sociological examinations of high culture and popular culture focus primarily on the link between culture and social class.

Question 27

An unlearned, biologically determined involuntary response to a physical stimulus is called a(n) .

A) instinct
B) reflex
C) drive
D) impulse

Question 28

Sociologists use the word to refer to what is biologically determined, and for what results from the social environment.

A) natural; artificial
B) nurturance; natural
C) nature; nurture
D) nurture; nature

Question 29

People in the same subculture generally live in the same geographical area.

Question 30

Which of these is the best example of a reflex?

A) stopping at a stop sign
B) feeling sleepy
C) exercising for one hour
D) sneezing when dust goes up your nose

Question 31

Sociologists use the term for a large social grouping that occupies the same geographical territory and is subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.

A) country
B) society
C) nation
D) culture

Question 32

The term refers to unlearned, biologically determined impulses common to all members of a species that satisfy needs such as those for sleep, food, water, or sexual gratification.

A) instinct
B) drive
C) reflex
D) reaction

Question 33

A(n) is a biologically based behavioral pattern that is common to all members of a species under certain environmental conditions.

A) impulse
B) reflex
C) drive
D) instinct

Question 34

In some respects, ethnocentrism may be considered of positive value.

Question 35

refers to the knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects that are passed from person to person and from one generation to the next in a human group or society.

A) Technology
B) Society
C) Culture
D) Social organization

Question 36

A key difference between society and culture is .

A) culture has political significance and society does not
B) society exists independently, but culture is dependent upon society
C) culture is composed of ideas and behavior, but society is composed of people
D) cultures occupy the same geographical territory, but society does not

Question 37

Technology is .

A) concrete
B) abstract
C) both concrete and abstract
D) neither concrete nor abstract

Question 38

Cultural relativism is always considered of positive value.

Question 39

Sociologist Ann Swidler coined the expression to refer to human culture or "symbols, stories, rituals, and world views, which people may use in varying configurations to solve different kinds of problems."

A) "tool kit"
B) "survival kit"
C) "creative problem solving"
D) "human nature"

Question 40

Which of these statements is the best description of the role of culture in human life?

A) Humans can choose whether or not to have culture.
B) Human behavior is completely determined by a particular culture.
C) Humans choose their behaviors and ideas from a cultural "tool kit."
D) Human thoughts and behaviors are generally unrelated to culture.

Question 41

are collective ideas about what is right or wrong, good or bad, and desirable or undesirable in a particular culture.

A) Beliefs
B) Norms
C) Values
D) Ideologies

Question 42

The "thumbs up" sign means something is good in some places, but is an obscene gesture in other places. This illustrates that _.

A) hand gestures are not really symbols
B) symbols may have different meanings among different groups of people
C) there is a lot of misuse of the "thumbs up" gesture
D) all symbols have universal meanings

Question 43

Which of these is not considered a component of nonmaterial culture?

A) technology
B) norms
C) values
D) symbols

Question 44

Which of these statements about cultural universals is false?

A) Cultural universals reflect the fact that humans everywhere share the same basic needs.
B) Cultural universals help to ensure the smooth functioning of society.
C) The form a cultural universal takes varies from group to group.
D) The specific form of most cultural universals is universal.

Question 45

Which of these statements about symbols is true?

A) Culture could not exist without symbols.
B) Symbols generally have either an exclusively positive or negative meaning.
C) Only material elements can be represented by symbols.
D) In some cultures, symbols are relatively unimportant.

Question 46

Sociologists define as the knowledge, techniques, and tools that make it possible for people to transform resources into usable forms, and the knowledge and skills required to use them after they are developed.

A) industrialization
B) technology
C) material culture
D) cybernetics

Question 47

theorists have conducted most of the research on "core" values in the United States.

A) Conflict
B) Functionalist
C) Symbolic interactionist
D) Postmodern

Question 48

Which of the following is not a way in which language and gender are intertwined?

A) The English language ignores women by using the masculine form to refer to human beings in general.
B) Pronouns show the gender of the person we expect to be in a particular occupation.
C) The English language tends to put performance pressures on women by defining them in terms of their sexual prowess.
D) Words have positive connotations when relating to male power, prestige, and leadership.

Question 49

The term refers to a set of symbols that expresses ideas and enables people to think and communicate with one another.

A) beliefs
B) values
C) language
D) universals

Question 50

A(n) can be anything that meaningfully represents something else.

A) indicator
B) symbol
C) device
D) character

Question 51

The suggests that language not only expresses our thoughts and perceptions but also influences our perception of reality.

A) Helmicki-Kendall theorem
B) Thomas theorem
C) Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
D) law of universals

Question 52

The text uses the examples of "dichos," proverbs or sayings used by Latinos in New Mexico and south Texas, to illustrate that _.

A) language shapes perception
B) language is a reflection of one's cultural heritage
C) language is a source of power
D) language expresses gender relations in a society

Question 53

Most sociologists are in agreement that .

A) language determines reality
B) language influences perception
C) there is no relationship between language and perception
D) without language perception is not possible

Question 54

Which of these statements regarding language is true?

A) Chimpanzees can use elements of Standard American Sign Language and manipulate physical objects to make "sentences."
B) With proper training, nonhuman primates may be taught to vocalize simple words.
C) Most primates manipulate symbols to express very abstract concepts and cultural rules from one generation to the next.
D) Language is solely a human characteristic.

Question 55

Which of these statements about values is true?

A) A group's values dictate which behaviors are appropriate and which are not.
B) Values are typically stated in terms of what is positive or good.
C) Because they are only beliefs, values are not taken seriously by many people.
D) Values are a source of criteria for evaluating people, events, and objects.

Question 56

Anthropologist George Murdock compiled a list of over seventy , which are customs and practices that occur across all societies.

A) symbols
B) beliefs
C) cultural universals
D) norms

Question 57

A central component of nonmaterial culture is , which are the mental acceptance or conviction that certain things are true or real.

A) ideologies
B) beliefs
C) morals
D) values

Question 58

Rotating a finger to indicate that someone is "crazy" is an example of a gesture. Gestures are a component of __________.

A) cultural universals
B) material culture
C) counterculture
D) nonmaterial culture

Question 59

Cooking, games, and clothing are examples of _.

A) material culture
B) symbolic culture
C) cultural beliefs
D) cultural universals

Question 60

Democracy, belief in a Supreme Being, and understanding English are all examples of .

A) material culture
B) technology
C) nonmaterial culture
D) cultural universals

Question 61

provide ideals of beliefs about behavior but do not state explicitly how we should behave; are established rules of behavior or standards for conduct.

A) Mores; values
B) Folkways; mores
C) Norms; values
D) Values; norms

Question 62

are norms considered to be less important, are unwritten, and are commonly understood standards of behavior among people who share an identity.

A) Informal norms
B) Folkways
C) Communal norms
D) Negative sanctions

Question 63

Not all norms are of equal importance; are written down and involve specific punishments for violators. Laws are the most common type; they have been codified and may be enforced by sanctions.

A) informal norms
B) real norms
C) formal norms
D) ideal norms

Question 64

state what behavior is inappropriate or unacceptable. Laws that prohibit drinking and driving and "netiquette" that preclude you from typing e-mails in all caps are examples.

A) Proscriptive norms
B) Nonstandard norms
C) Prescriptive norms
D) Subscriptive norms

Question 65

Which of these is not one of the ten core American values identified by sociologist Robin Williams?

A) individualism
B) progress and material comfort
C) efficiency and practicality
D) cultural and ethnic diversity

Question 66

Brenda gives generously to a number of local charities; however, she also strongly believes in the value of hard work and "earning your own keep." Sociologists would characterize Brenda's thinking as a .

A) cultural dysfunction
B) value contradiction
C) clash of cultures
D) breakdown of morality

Question 67

When you meet your new supervisor for the first time, you neglect to extend your hand to her for a handshake. Which of these cultural components has your behavior violated?

A) taboo
B) folkway
C) sanction
D) social more

Question 68

are strongly held norms that have moral and ethical connotations within a particular culture, and that may not be violated without serious consequences.

A) Folkways
B) Informal norms
C) Negative sanctions
D) Mores

Question 69

After having successfully negotiated an important business contract with a major client, Jocelyn's boss congratulated her and promised her a significant pay raise. In this situation, Jocelyn is receiving what sociologists term a(n) __________.

A) positive folkway
B) positive sanction
C) negative sanction
D) informal sanction

Question 70

According to sociologist Robin Williams, the core value of pushes Americans to want things to be bigger, better, and faster.

A) cooperation and pacifism
B) achievement and success
C) progress and material comfort
D) efficiency and practicality

Question 71

In the United States, might include using underarm deodorant and brushing one's teeth every day.

A) formal norms
B) folkways
C) mores
D) laws

Question 72

People may claim to be law-abiding yet still engage in behaviors that are illegal. This behavior is an example of culture, which refers to the values and standards of behavior that people actually follow.

A) ideal
B) real
C) material
D) universal

Question 73

are rewards for appropriate behavior or penalties for inappropriate behavior.

A) Folkways
B) Mores
C) Sanctions
D) Taboos

Question 74

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, which of these is a shift in values from those reported by Williams in 1970?

A) more emphasis on individualism
B) less emphasis on achievement and success
C) lack of interest in progress and material comfort
D) decreased ethnocentrism and belief in group superiority

Question 75

are values that conflict with one another or are mutually exclusive, meaning that achieving one makes it difficult, if not impossible, to achieve another.

A) Material contradictions
B) Morality contradictions
C) Value contradictions
D) Universal contradictions

Question 76

are informal norms or everyday customs that may be violated without serious consequences within a particular culture. They provide rules for conduct but are not considered to be essential to society's survival.

A) Mores
B) Folkways
C) Sanctions
D) Taboos

Question 77

"American society stands for equal opportunity for all." This statement exemplifies culture, which refers to the values and standards that people in a society profess to hold.

A) ideal
B) real
C) material
D) universal

Question 78

norms state what behavior is appropriate or acceptable. For example, persons making a certain amount of money are expected to file a tax return and pay any taxes they owe.

A) Standard
B) Prescriptive
C) Regular
D) Proscriptive

Question 79

During a classical music performance, a concert-goer talks loudly to the person sitting next to her. A man in another seat turns around, frowns at her, and says "Shh." This illustrates a .

A) negative informal norm
B) positive formal sanction
C) negative informal sanction
D) prescriptive informal norm

Question 80

Luis has just received a stern lecture from his mother about his poor grade in algebra. His mother's lecture is an example of a _.

A) value reinforcer
B) positive sanction
C) norm violation
D) negative sanction