Deck 2: Culture and Communication

Question 1

The statement that "culture is a powerful influence on communication behavior"means that

A) traditions have little influence on how we make sense of communication.
B) culture distinguishes one group of people from another.
C) what society we identify with has little effect on us.
D) culture affects how we express ourselves and how we interpret and react to others.

Answer 1

culture affects how we express ourselves and how we interpret and react to others.

Question 2

Which term describes a group of people who share common symbols, languages, values, and norms?

A) Nation
B) Culture
C) Co-culture
D) Society

Answer 2

Society

Question 3

In recent years, individuals with dwarfism have formed their own __________, with conventions, support groups, and television shows. In fact, they were responsible for the label shift from "dwarfs" or "midgets"
To the more respectful "little people".

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

Answer 3

society

Question 4

Which classification best fits the individuals on your "friend" list on Facebook?

A) In-group
B) Culture
C) Out-group
D) Norm

Question 5

During the years of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many Muslim students have reported feeling excluded at the U.S. colleges and universities they attend. Their experience exemplifies how sometimes we mistreat people we perceive as part of ___________.

A) enculturation.
B) a co-culture.
C) a society.
D) an out-group.

Question 6

Research shows that many immigrants experience abnormally high levels of stress during their first year in their homeland as a result of identifying with which of the following?

A) In-group
B) Out-group
C) Ethnicity
D) Co-culture

Question 7

Many countries struggle with the issue of immigration, illustrating a strongly perceived _________________ distinction.

A) ethnocentric
B) in-group/out-group
C) cultural
D) nationality

Question 8

At school, Cara likes to spend time with other cheerleaders and athletes, the "jocks" of the school. In biology class, Cara is partnered with Levi, a quiet male student who likes to dress in black and wear eyeliner. She is angry, as all of her friends have been paired with others of her social group. Which of the following might be contributing to Cara's difficulty in working with Levi?

A) Her in-group/out-group distinction
B) Pressure from friends
C) Her opinion of Levi
D) Enculturation

Question 9

Jorge's mother, father, and aunt are from Nicaragua. He and his cousins are proud of their Nicaraguan _________, wearing traditional clothing and preparing traditional dishes from their parents' country.

A) nationality
B) ethnicity
C) culture
D) in-group

Question 10

Which of the following terms refers to the status of citizens of a particular country?

A) Nationality
B) Ethnicity
C) Enculturation
D) Culture

Question 11

What term best describes the process of acquiring a culture?

A) Nationalization
B) Enculturation
C) Culturization
D) Normalization

Question 12

Which of the following statements is the most accurate about culture?

A) Culture is based on ethnicity.
B) Culture is based on nationality.
C) Culture is largely determined by who raised you and their cultural codes.
D) Culture is largely determined by the country in which you were born.

Question 13

Because culture is not necessarily related to ethnicity or nationality, communicating in another culture often involves a period of which of the following?

A) Symbolism
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Learned behaviors
D) Enculturation

Question 14

In 2010, Monaco's Prince Albert got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, South African Charlene Wittstock. According to reports, Wittstock immediately began taking French lessons and meeting with Albert's sisters, Princesses Caroline and Stephanie, to learn about royal etiquette. If these reports were true, Wittstock was trying to become ___________ to her new country before the wedding.

A) enculturated
B) acclimated
C) socialized
D) accustomed

Question 15

What do Bobby and Carrie share if they are both avid fans of the same football team?

A) A language
B) A social custom
C) A co-culture
D) A hobby

Question 16

Groups of people who share values, customs and norms related to mutual interests or characteristics besides their national citizenship belong to which of the following group distinctions?

A) Co-culture
B) Culture
C) Society
D) Group

Question 17

Identify which factor would NOT help create a co-culture.

A) Religion
B) Political activism
C) Physical abilities
D) All of the above would help create a co-culture.

Question 18

Many deaf populations have certain values and customs that differ from those of hearing populations, including social customs, thus making them members of the same

A) co-culture.
B) culture.
C) society.
D) community.

Question 19

Mary, who is deaf, is used to notifying her own deaf friends when she is leaving the room because she knows she cannot hear them if they call out to her, thus perhaps worrying them. When spending time with her new roommates, who are not deaf, Mary does not notice that they are becoming annoyed with her frequent announcements of her whereabouts. It would probably help the situation if her roommates remembered to be ______________ when learning to communicate with someone from another co-culture.

A) cognizant
B) ethnocentric
C) collectivistic
D) adaptable

Question 20

Bruce is a very active individual while he goes to college. He is a baseball player, vice president of the honor society, and a bassist in a band. Bruce seems to identify with multiple

A) societies.
B) cultures.
C) communities.
D) co-cultures.

Question 21

Which term best classifies the role of the U.S. flag and the bald eagle in United States culture?

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

Question 22

According to the New York State Comptroller's office, 138 languages are spoken in Queens, New York. This illustrates that which of the following can vary within and among cultures?

A) Language
B) Symbols
C) Values
D) Norms

Question 23

(Which best describes the standards by which a culture judges what is good, desirable, or beautiful?

A) Symbols
B) Values
C) Norms
D) Language

Question 24

Which of the following describes the rules or expectations that guide people's behavior within a culture?

A) Norms
B) Values
C) Symbols
D) Morals

Question 25

Elena is used to kissing her friends on both cheeks as a form of greeting in her native country. She notices that her new friends in the United States get uncomfortable with this, thus showing her she is violating her friends'

A) values.
B) protocol.
C) norms.
D) standards.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a cultural difference that influences how people communicate with each other?

A) Orientation toward time
B) Power distance
C) Communicative context
D) Ethnocentrism

Question 27

Research shows that the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and Australia are the most highly

A) feminine cultures.
B) collectivistic cultures.
C) polychronic cultures.
D) individualistic cultures.

Question 28

In class, Mark frequently interrupts Professor Chang, asking direct questions and sometimes challenging her statements. Mark believes it is his right to question an instructor, as that is how he learns. Professor Chang also calls on Mark frequently in class, as she knows he will have a comment or observation related to the lecture. This style of classroom interaction represents what type of culture?

A) Collectivistic
B) Individualistic
C) Masculine
D) Feminine

Question 29

Chin believes her primary responsibility is to her family, community, and employer. She considers the needs of her in-groups more important than her own needs. This example illustrates what type of culture?

A) Collectivistic
B) Low-contest
C) Low-power-distance
D) Monochronic

Question 30

The motto "I am my family and my family is me" is representative of what type of culture?

A) Collectivistic
B) Individualistic
C) Low-power-distance
D) High-power-distance

Question 31

People in a _____________________ culture are taught that their primary responsibility is to their families, their communities, and their employer.

A) low-power-distance
B) collectivistic
C) high-power-distance
D) individualistic

Question 32

Which term best describes cultures that emphasize the importance of knowing oneself, being self-sufficient, and being true to what one wants in life?

A) High-context
B) Low-context
C) Individualistic
D) Collectivistic

Question 33

Which term best describes a culture in which people are expected to be direct, to say what they mean, and to avoid "beating around the bush"?

A) High-context
B) Low-context
C) Monochronic
D) Polychronic

Question 34

Sue has an issue with her best friend. Rather than state the problem directly, Sue talks indirectly about the issue so her friend won't be embarrassed. With which type of cultural affiliation does Sue most likely identify?

A) Collectivistic
B) High-context
C) Polychronic
D) Low-context

Question 35

In what type of culture would a supervisor publicly reprimand an employee, directly stating the employee's shortcomings in front of others?

A) Collectivistic culture
B) High-context culture
C) High-power-distance culture
D) Low-context culture

Question 36

The belief that all people are created equal and that no one person or group should have excessive power is characteristic of what type of culture?

A) Low-power-distance
B) Low context
C) High-power-distance
D) High context

Question 37

In which instance is Mia most likely functioning in a low-power-distance culture?

A) Mia believes her employer should make all decisions, which she follows without question.
B) Mia faces pressure to choose her mate from within her social class.
C) Mia feels it is her right to question her professor in class if she does not agree.
D) Mia uses direct language with her friends and tells them what she thinks; she does not "beat around the bush".

Question 38

Maricel is from the Philippines, where she has been taught that certain people or groups deserve more power than others and that respecting power is more important than equality. Maricel is from a ________________ culture.

A) collectivistic
B) high-context
C) high-power-distance
D) low-context

Question 39

Because the U.S. tends to value sex-differentiated roles and places value on qualities such as achievement and the acquisition of resources, the U.S. could be considered a moderately _____________________ culture.

A) high-power-distance
B) low-power-distance
C) masculine
D) feminine

Question 40

Which of the following statements represents a feminine culture?

A) Ally is the primary wage earner, while her husband stays home to care for the children.
B) Ally stays at home and cares for the children while her husband goes to work.
C) Ally believes that she should be direct and to the point while speaking.
D) Ally values her autonomy and freedom of choice in how she does her job.

Question 41

Anika, a new mother in Sweden, gets 450 days of paid maternity leave, a practice most common in what type of culture?

A) Collectivistic
B) Individualistic
C) Masculine
D) Feminine

Question 42

Which type of culture values sex-specific roles for men and women, preferring that men hold the wage-earning and decision-making positions while women occupy the nurturing positions, such as mother and homemaker?

A) Low-power distance
B) High-power-distance
C) Feminine
D) Masculine

Question 43

Which of the following categories is LEAST accurate in describing the United States?

A) Low-power-distance
B) Feminine
C) Individualistic
D) Low-context

Question 44

Which of the following statements exemplifies a polychronic culture?

A) Time is a finite commodity.
B) Time must be properly managed.
C) Time is fluid and flexible.
D) Time is valuable.

Question 45

Sara decides to host a party for her new American friends. She tells them the party will be at 9 p.m. She is shocked when most of her guests arrive at or near 9 p.m., as in her culture a 9 p.m. start time means that guests will arrive no sooner than 10 p.m., if not later. Sara hasn't even put food out for the party yet. Sara most likely comes from which type of culture?

A) Polychronic
B) Monochronic
C) Low-context
D) High-context

Question 46

If you expect class to begin promptly on time, you are most likely from which type of culture?

A) Low-context
B) Polychronic
C) Monochronic
D) High-context

Question 47

If Jamaica takes a "live and let live" approach, preferring as few rules as possible that restrict behavior, we would consider Jamaica to be what type of culture?

A) High-context
B) Uncertainty-accepting
C) Feminine
D) Low-power-distance

Question 48

What term is used to describe the extent to which people try to avoid situations that are unstructured, unclear, or unpredictable?

A) Communication apprehension
B) Power distance
C) Uncertainty avoidance
D) Awareness

Question 49

Amish communities in the U.S. adhere to strict guidelines regarding dress, behavior, and the use of modern technology. This co-culture has a _____________________ tolerance for uncertainty.

A) high
B) low
C) average
D) typical

Question 50

The statement "be mindful about cultural differences"is equivalent to which of the following statements?

A) Operate on similarity assumptions.
B) Be unaware of cultural differences.
C) Avoid the tendency to judge all differences negatively.
D) Don't question cultural assumptions.

Question 51

Upon his return from vacation in France, Matt tells his friends how rude and backward French people are. What is Matt illustrating in his response?

A) American values
B) Ethnocentrism
C) A superiority complex
D) Similarity assumptions

Question 52

Which of the following is an example of ethnocentrism?

A) Nadia thinks Americans are rude and too outspoken.
B) Nadia doesn't understand why Americans shake hands upon meeting.
C) Nadia enjoys learning new American norms because they are so different from hers.
D) Nadia is homesick and wants to return to her own country.

Question 53

Which of the following terms refers to the tendency to judge other cultures' practices as inferior to one's own?

A) Uncertainty avoidance
B) Ignorance
C) Similarity assumption
D) Ethnocentrism

Question 54

Jenny, born and raised in the U.S., is visiting her father's family in Brazil. She has only a very basic understanding of the language, since her father speaks English at home. As she is taking her leave of her cousin, he says, "Lavar a egua", an expression used in his culture to wish someone success. Jenny is confused, interpreting her cousin as telling her to "wash the horse". Jenny's confusion demonstrates a breakdown in which communication code?

A) Values
B) Norms
C) Symbols
D) Idioms

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT an example of a communication code?

A) Gestures
B) Idioms
C) Metaphors
D) Jargon

Question 56

Jane, an American student, tells her Brazilian friend Lucia that it is "raining cats and dogs". Lucia is confused when she looks outside to see only rain falling from the sky. This is an example of a breakdown of which type of communication code?

A) Gestures
B) Language
C) Jargon
D) Idioms

Question 57

Language whose technical meaning is understood by people within a given co-culture but not necessarily by those outside it is what type of communication code?

A) Jargon
B) Symbols
C) Idioms
D) Norms

Question 58

In 2007, actor Richard Gere sparked massive protests in India after kissing Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty at a rally in New Delhi. Later, an Indian court even issued an arrest warrant for Gere. The actor clearly did not understand the significance of

A) communication codes.
B) the media.
C) Bollywood.
D) women.

Question 59

In December 2008, President George W. Bush was giving a news conference in Iraq when Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi shouted an insult and threw his shoe at Bush, nearly hitting the president. Since showing the soles of one's shoes is a sign of disrespect in many Arab cultures, al-Zaidi was using which of the following as a code to communicate his insult?

A) Language
B) Symbols
C) Idioms
D) Values

Question 60

In 2008, then presidential candidate Barack Obama bumped his fist against wife Michelle Obama's fist before going onstage to accept the Democratic nomination. The Washington Post would go on to call it "the fist bump heard round the world". Many media outlets and pundits would weigh in on the meaning and appropriateness of this fist bump in the following days, thus illustrating the _________________ nature of this action.

A) symbolic
B) odd
C) ethnocentric
D) valuable

Question 61

The fact that putting a thumb between the index and middle finger means good luck in Brazil but is an obscene expression in Russia shows that cultures can differ a great deal in their use of

A) gestures.
B) idioms.
C) mindfulness.
D) values.

Question 62

Which of the following statements is important to remember when interacting with people from other cultures?

A) Expect consistency.
B) Adapt to the behavior patterns you observe.
C) Be aware of similarities in access to communication technology.
D) It is disadvantageous to adapt to communication behaviors from other cultures.

Question 63

Marissa travels to Israel as part of her study abroad program. Because she knows little about the culture and language, she feels unsure and not certain of what to do. It is important for Marissa to remember that such __________________ is common when we travel cross-culturally.

A) adaptation
B) ambiguity
C) ethnocentrism
D) tolerance

Question 64

Because cultures can differ substantially in communication patterns, it is common to experience a lack of certainty when communicating with someone from another culture. What is this experience called?

A) Uncertainty avoidance
B) Disorientation
C) Flexibility
D) Ambiguity

Question 65

Atsuko is from Japan and Mahek is from Pakistan. They meet as exchange students in Australia. At the end of the semester, they return to their native countries. Atsuko has regular access to a computer and e-mails Mahek regularly. She grows frustrated as Mahek, instead of e-mailing back, sends letters via traditional mail, which can take weeks. What term would a social scientist use to describe what Atsuko and Mahek are experiencing?

A) The digital divide
B) Culture clash
C) Ethnocentrism
D) Values

Question 66

Kyle, an Australian student, uses the Internet regularly to do research for projects. His Bolivian friend, Diego, instead goes to a local library to use books. Social scientists refer to this difference in access to communication technology as

A) ethnocentrism.
B) low-power-distance.
C) the digital divide.
D) norms.

Question 67

To ___________________ means to change your behavior to accommodate what others are doing.

A) alter
B) overcome
C) be respectful
D) adapt

Question 68

The musician Madonna, although born and raised in the United States, has been filmed by media speaking with a British accent since moving to England several years ago. In fact, her publicist once e-mailed a major newspaper saying that Madonna naturally picks up on the languages and sounds of people around her. This could be seen as an example of which of the following?

A) Ethnocentrism
B) Adaptation
C) Values
D) Norms

Question 69

In order to overcome ethnocentrism and adapt to other cultures' customs, we should

A) remember that "different" doesn't mean "wrong".
B) promote our differences.
C) assume others understand our cultural customs.
D) copy others' behavior even if it causes offense.