Deck 4: Classrooms and Schools As Cultural Crossroads

Question 1

Which of the following statements is NOT true about students in the United States?

A) The students reflect the cultural identities of their families.
B) The students define themselves by creating their own in-school groups.
C) The students belong to a homogeneous cultural group much like their teachers.
D) The students represent a culturally diverse group.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Compared to the student population in the United States, teachers are:

A) more diverse.
B) more heterogeneous.
C) more homogeneous.
D) less experienced.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

In general, the culture of schools in the United States tends to be:

A) overwhelmingly middle class.
B) often low class in value.
C) interested in diversity as a strength.
D) none of these answers are correct.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

When teachers act as cultural mediators, they:

A) pay little attention to the needs of diverse learners.
B) become knowledgeable about the role of culture in teaching and learning.
C) keep students with different backgrounds separate from one another.
D) seek to find differences among their students.

Question 5

Acculturation refers to the changes that take place as a result of:

A) continuous firsthand contact between individuals of different cultures.
B) the study of multiple cultures, such as in a college-level cultural diversity course.
C) the implementation of multicultural programs in public schools, such as Black History Month.
D) participating in a foreign language class at the high school or college level.

Question 6

Which of the following groups was NOT identified by John Berry and his colleagues when comparing the degree of mobility and the degree of choice among acculturating groups?

A) sojourners
B) homeowners
C) immigrants
D) indigenous people

Question 7

Some researchers suggest that developing an in-depth understanding of other cultures may:

A) be easier than one believes it will be.
B) not be worth the trouble.
C) take as long as two years.
D) make us entirely different people.

Question 8

Immigrants and sojourners are those:

A) with a high degree of freedom.
B) who have little choice of movement.
C) who have a lot of time to think about their lives.
D) with a high degree of mobility.

Question 9

The following are culture-general themes that reflect people's emotional responses in intercultural interaction:

A) time and spatial orientation, anxiety, and prejudice.
B) belonging, prejudice, and communication.
C) disconfirmed expectations, belonging, and categorization.
D) belonging, disconfirmed expectations, and ambiguity.

Question 10

In the context of the stages of intercultural encounters, communication and language use are helpful in analyzing:

A) the cultural basis of unfamiliar behavior.
B) the emotional basis of behavior.
C) the cognitive basis of behavior.
D) the kinesthetic basis of behavior.

Question 11

The degree to which one has prestige and power in one's social group is referred to as:

A) differentiation.
B) social status.
C) categorization.
D) roles.

Question 12

In the context of acculturation, those with a high degree of mobility who may have little or no choice related to their contact, such as those fleeing the recent conflict in Syria or other war-torn regions, are:

A) referred to as immigrants.
B) known as ethnic groups.
C) known as indigenous people.
D) considered refugees.

Question 13

The major goal of the culture-general model is to:

A) encourage world peace.
B) make everyone on the planet one "people."
C) assist individuals in finding commonalities among the cultural differences they encounter.
D) none of these answers are correct.

Question 14

One of the goals of the culture-general model is to:

A) introduce multicultural education to the world.
B) assist individuals in identifying "invisible" differences that may make a difference.
C) prevent individuals from thinking about difference.
D) promote more cohesion among ethnic groups.

Question 15

A positive aspect of the existence of differences in a classroom is that:

A) it ignites curiosity.
B) it keeps things quiet.
C) it makes us all pay attention.
D) it is likely to start arguments.

Question 16

The Spanish club, an academic group, is an example of a microculture within a school.

Question 17

Since the early part of the 19th century, teachers in the United States have always been mostly female and white.

Question 18

In integration, people maintain relationships with other groups while at the same time maintaining their own cultural identity and characteristics.

Question 19

The term "transition stress"
has been found to be more accurate and more useful than the previously used term "culture shock."

Question 20

Immigrants are individuals who have a high degree of mobility and choice and are relatively permanent.

Question 21

Indigenous people are those with a low degree of mobility and a high degree of voluntary contact with others.

Question 22

Assimilation occurs when people wish to maintain relationships with other groups and do not care about maintaining their own cultural identity.

Question 23

The range of possible values with respect to any particular issue is usually wide, deeply held, and often difficult to change.

Question 24

An individual's preferred method of learning is called a learning style or cognitive style.

Question 25

The goal of the culture-general model is to simply adapt one's teaching to accommodate culturally diverse learning styles.

Question 26

Briefly discuss the stages of intercultural encounters.

Question 27

Recall a time in your life when you made a major transition. What sort of activities contributed to the transition stress that you experienced? How did you deal with the transition stress?

Question 28

Briefly discuss the themes or principles offered by the fields of cross-cultural psychology and intercultural training that can be used to study intercultural interactions in the classroom.

Question 29

Discuss briefly, with examples, at least three themes that must be addressed when a person is attempting to reshape his or her cultural identity.

Question 30

It is often suggested that there may be more differences within a group than there are between groups. Demonstrate your understanding of this using one of the culture-general themes discussed in the book.