Deck 2: What Does It Mean to Be Human: Human Nature, Society, and Culture

Question 1

Which of the following not one of the qualities that sociologists believe make human beings human?

A)mind
B)self
C)using symbols
D)compassion

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Humans use symbols, self, and mind.These qualities

A)are dependent on instinct.
B)make us less dependent on the company of others.
C)can arise only from our social life.
D)are antisocial, since all three make us rebellious.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Socialization

A)is equally important for all primates.
B)is thoroughly accomplished during childhood.
C)is the process through which people learn the ways of society.
D)all of the these

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The use of symbols is very important for

A)human communication.
B)human cooperation.
C)human thinking.
D)all of these

Question 5

The way women are treated in the U.S.has changed over time.This demonstrate that gender differences

A)are best explained by their heredity.
B)have much to do with socialization.
C)are fixed and natural.
D)are ultimately tied to survival.

Question 6

The discovery of children in horrible condition in Romanian orphanages further demonstrated

A)children must have their biological parents in order for survival.
B)children in large groups may survive without the assistance of adults.
C)the importance of social interaction for healthy human development.
D)all of these

Question 7

Symbols

A)stand for something else.
B)are used for communication.
C)are socially defined.
D)all of these

Question 8

Human beings

A)learn how to survive.
B)instinctively know how to survive.
C)only need others for survival during childhood.
D)do not usually care about survival.

Question 9

Socialization

A)is completely responsible for who we are.
B)influences our choices, abilities, and interests.
C)is fully established in childhood.
D)is only accomplished by parents.

Question 10

Another word for the essence of humans, or humanness is ______.

A)soul
B)autonomy
C)humanity
D)intelligence

Question 11

The self is a human quality that

A)we are born with.
B)is created through social interaction.
C)is formed in adulthood.
D)only some cultures and people have.

Question 12

Taking for granted that one has a right to certain things that others cannot have is termed ______.

A)affluence
B)entitlement
C)class discrimination
D)capitalism

Question 13

When it comes to survival,

A)humans do not seem to need other people; it is really an individual affair.
B)humans seem to need other people when they are children, but as adults survival becomes an individual matter.
C)humans seem to need other people when they are adults, but as children survival is an individual matter.
D)humans seem to need other people when they are children and when they are adults.

Question 14

Mind is defined by George Herbert Mead as all ______.

A)brain activity
B)instinct
C)thinking
D)social behavior

Question 15

The author claims that the first humans

A)always lived together in some form of society.
B)were isolated individuals who evolved into forming societies over time.
C)were only social in the same way that bees and ants are today.
D)are not connected with the social being we are today.

Question 16

According to the author's description, to possess a self means that humans have the ability to

A)evaluate our actions.
B)respond to stimuli.
C)organize in groups.
D)act emotionally.

Question 17

Symbols are

A)universally understood.
B)always words or language.
C)socially defined.
D)instinctually understood.

Question 18

To the sociologist, what are the qualities most central to being human?

A)intuition and moral reasoning
B)personality and unconscious motivations
C)social interaction and culture
D)all of these

Question 19

Human beings are socialized.This means that each of us

A)is influenced by what people in society teach us to become and believe.
B)enjoys being around other people.
C)is an individual who makes free choices in what to become and believe.
D)has all of our personality characteristics at birth.

Question 20

Charon argues that prejudice and discrimination

A)have a socializing affect when we see people like ourselves being oppressed.
B)are harmful only because of their direct impact.
C)are not really harmful.
D)are not related to the self or socialization.

Question 21

In what ways are human beings social animals? The author discusses three different ways.

Question 22

Culture means that human beings are

A)completely controlled by society.
B)entirely free to act as they choose.
C)guided by society in their responses to the environment.
D)both social and instinctive.

Question 23

It is possible for animals other than humans to be

A)social without being cultural.
B)cultural without being social.
C)social and self-reflective.
D)none of the above; all animals must be both social and cultural

Question 24

Why do humans need society and social interaction for survival?

Question 25

The chapter begins with a discussion of human nature.What do people mean by "human nature?" What is the sociological view of human nature?

Question 26

Early childhood socialization

A)is all that matters in a person's life.
B)may be the most important, but later socialization may reinforce these early directions.
C)is not as important as later socialization.
D)None of the above.

Question 27

It is pretty clear that our internal world--for example, the world of emotion-is

A)not influenced by culture.
B)influenced by culture but not society.
C)the greatest threat to the cultural world.
D)defined and influenced by culture.

Question 28

How we see and define other people around us seems to be

A)highly cultural.
B)evidence of how we are social, yet not always cultural.
C)mostly a result of pure instinct.
D)free of any biological or social influence.

Question 29

According to the author, children in wealth and privilege tend to succeed more than poor children because

A)they work harder.
B)they learn that they are entitled to things other children do not even know exist.
C)they are more worthy than poor children.
D)All of the above.

Question 30

The ability to figure things out, imagine things that don't exist, and the like are made possible by

A)symbols and self.
B)intuition.
C)the use of tools.
D)spending time along.

Question 31

Culture is defined by the author as

A)basic instinct
B)socially created ideas, values, and norms.
C)imitative behavior.
D)the arts.

Question 32

Symbolic communication is

A)meaningful
B)not understood by the user
C)unintentional
D)None of the above.

Question 33

Which of the following is not an affect of being social and cultural?

A)individuals are not set at birth and may develop in a number of different directions
B)all societies share the same basic values and beliefs
C)each of us is controlled by others to a large extent
D)humans may be active in their response to the environment

Question 34

By the 1990's, according to the author, American culture had accepted the idea that women

A)can do almost anything traditionally reserved for men.
B)are still not prepared to take over the same roles as men.
C)should still play out the traditional roles of wife and mother.
D)None of the above.

Question 35

What does Charon discuss as the basic qualities that make human beings human?

Question 36

To be social and cultural rather than simply biological

A)makes human societies highly diverse from one another.
B)creates a bond that makes us all alike.
C)lessens the need for society.
D)protects humans from too much change.

Question 37

Sociologists argue that what makes us human is

A)the use of symbols.
B)the development of self.
C)the mind.
D)All of the above.

Question 38

Society and culture

A)permit understanding of the world around us.
B)create active, creative, and problem-solving human beings.
C)control human behavior.
D)all of the above

Question 39

Heredity and socialization shapes us as individuals, but neither fully determines us.Explain what this means.

Question 40

Which of the following is not one of the ways in which humans are social?

A)what we become as individuals depends on socialization
B)our survival depends on others
C)socialization is necessary for survival
D)our instincts tell us to stay in groups for protection

Question 41

Explain what sociologists mean by the "self".What three things are we able to do because we have a self?

Question 42

What does the author mean by symbols, self, and mind? Why do these qualities suggest that humans are basically social beings?

Question 43

According to Charon, what difference does it make that humans are both social and cultural?

Question 44

Explain what George Herbert Mead meant by the term "mind".What types of human behaviors comprise the mind?

Question 45

Identify three objects that are also symbols and describe the symbolic meaning(s) of each.

Question 46

According to the author, what are the three concepts sociologists focus on that make human beings human?

Question 47

The author makes a claim that humans are cultural beings.What does he mean by this?