Deck 10: Branding Your Unique Identity: Consumer Culture and the Social Self

Question 1

In the sociological view, the self is:

A) uniquely individual
B) social
C) stable
D) coherent

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of symbolic interactionism?

A) Macrosociological focus
B) Interest in the everyday
C) Interest in interpersonal interactions
D) Focus on the creation of meaning

Answer 2

A

Question 3

There have been cases of children kept inside their families' homes and deprived of nearly all social interaction. Which of the following thinkers would believe that such a child may still develop a full sense of self?

A) Cooley
B) Mead
C) Goffman
D) Descartes

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to Cooley, which of the following is the most important to the formation of one's self?

A) Parental care in early childhood
B) Religious and moral instruction
C) Perceived evaluations of others
D) Innate abilities

Question 5

Jasmine prefers to eat dressed in her sweats, watching TV or surfing the net on a couch. When she eats at a restaurant, she sits up and keeps her elbows off the table. According to Mead, what part of Jasmine's self controls her behavior at a restaurant?

A) The generalized other
B) The significant other
C) The "I"
D) The ego

Question 6

In Goffman's view, which of the following is an example of "backstage"?

A) An office
B) A lecture hall
C) A coffee shop
D) A dormitory room

Question 7

Which of the following concepts is exemplified by the statement "I am a man, a son, an African-American, a student, a coffee barista, and an athlete."?

A) Social structure
B) Identity
C) Agency
D) Conformity

Question 8

Which of the following concepts refers to a "spoiled identity"?

A) The "I"
B) Self
C) Stigma
D) Backstage

Question 9

Which of the following is true of stigma?

A) It is unmanageable
B) It is socially constructed
C) It is inherent in a personal attribute
D) Different societies stigmatize the same attributes.

Question 10

According to the textbook, self-concepts of modern individuals differ from the self-concepts of those who lived in traditional societies by being:

A) fluid
B) inherited
C) stable
D) simple

Question 11

Zoltan is a vegetarian, wears no leather, goes everywhere on his bicycle, and volunteers at "Greenpeace." This pattern of choices indicates that he is pursuing a particular:

A) sustainable self
B) alternative ego
C) lifestyle
D) front

Question 12

According to Belk's idea of the "extended self," one's self-concept consists not only of individual characteristics, but also of:

A) interactions
B) presentations
C) perceptions
D) possessions

Question 13

According to Goffman, which of the following do prison authorities accomplish by depriving convicts of their personal clothes and accessories?

A) Mortification of the self
B) Dominance of the "I" over the "me"
C) Socialization
D) Liberation

Question 14

Which of the following historical developments introduced the importance of brands?

A) Trade production
B) Mass industrial production
C) Information revolution
D) World Wide Web

Question 15

In the Marxist view, a person who tweets about his new Android phone or post photos of her new Saab on Instagram is performing:

A) independent choice
B) constrained choice
C) free labour
D) forced labour

Question 16

What are the effects of purchase and display of branded items for a person's identity?

Question 17

Imagine that you have realized that your term paper will be late, although you have not suffered an illness or emergency. How would you explain this situation to your instructor and to your best friend? Use Goffman's concepts to explain the difference between these two explanations.

Question 18

Define stigma. Research shows that some LGBTQIA people come out to friends, but not family. Others are out to family, but not coworkers. What characteristics of stigma explain this finding?

Question 19

Explain Giddens's concept of the "reflexive project of the self."

Question 20

How do brands benefit producers/retailers and consumers? Illustrate your answer with an example.

Question 21

Define "brand community" and give an example of it.