Deck 3: Culture

Question 1

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Culture and social structure are synonymous.
B) Culture and society are synonymous.
C) Culture is limited to the arts, music, and literature.
D) Culture is what makes humans unique in the animal kingdom.

Answer 1

Culture is what makes humans unique in the animal kingdom.

Question 2

Populations that are organized to carry out the major functions of life are called:

A) cultures
B) democracies
C) societies
D) sociograms

Answer 2

societies

Question 3

Which of the following was defined by Robert Bierstedt in his analysis of culture as "the ways of thinking that organize human consciousness"?

A) cognitions
B) constructs
C) ideas
D) values

Answer 3

ideas

Question 4

Socially shared ideas about what is right are called:

A) ideas
B) ideologies
C) norms
D) values

Question 5

Robert Bierstedt's description of culture included all of the following dimensions EXCEPT:

A) ideas
B) material culture
C) norms
D) spiritual culture

Question 6

A term that refers to accepted ways of doing things or carrying out ideas is:

A) cultural imperatives
B) cultural patterns
C) norms
D) sanctions

Question 7

All of the things that are produced in a society are called:

A) ideal culture
B) ideas
C) material culture
D) norms

Question 8

Specific beliefs about what is right that are derived from values are called

A) ideas
B) norms
C) sanctions
D) values

Question 9

In the United States, driving on the right side of the road, obeying traffic lights and speed limits are all considered

A) ideals
B) norms
C) sanctions
D) values

Question 10

In the United States, a large and diverse society, education is a

A) cultural imperatives
B) cultural universals
C) norms
D) values

Question 11

In a society undergoing rapid change, there will likely be conflict over:

A) norms
B) beliefs
C) sanctions
D) values

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the relationship between norms and values is TRUE?

A) Although values may change over time, norms tend to remain the same.
B) A single value may be supported by several different norms.
C) Values tend to change more rapidly than norms.
D) While values are determined by material culture, norms are determined by ideal culture.

Question 13

Sets or systems of ideas and norms are termed:

A) cultural universals
B) ideologies
C) normative orders
D) sanctions

Question 14

Christian fundamentalists share norms that include the values of prayer, the value of family and children in their lives, the negative value of abortion and secular humanism. This is a contemporary example of

A) an ideology
B) norms
C) proscriptions
D) values

Question 15

Systems of values and norms that the members of a society are expected to believe in and act upon without question are termed:

A) ideologies
B) mores
C) religions
D) technologies

Question 16

Norms that are included in a society's official written codes of behavior are termed:

A) absolutes
B) commandments
C) ideologies
D) laws

Question 17

In his analysis of the relationship between capitalism and Protestantism, Max Weber hypothesized that:

A) a society's economic system determines its ideologies.
B) Protestantism would not have been possible without capitalism.
C) the religious values of the early Protestants created an ideology that led to the emergence of capitalism.
D) there is no relationship between religious beliefs and economic behavior.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about Max Weber's hypothesis concerning the relationship between Protestantism and capitalism is NOT true?

A) A majority of successful early capitalists were Protestants.
B) Protestants placed a high value on frugality and thrift.
C) The early Protestants rejected all forms of capitalism.
D) The rise of Protestantism in Europe coincided with the rise of private enterprise, banking, and other aspects of capitalism.

Question 19

The things and the norms for using them that are found in a particular culture are called:

A) cognitive culture
B) ideal culture
C) technologies
D) values

Question 20

All of the following statements about material culture are true EXCEPT:

A) Material culture and ideology are closely related.
B) Material culture is unrelated to a society's norms and values.
C) Material culture takes its shape from the ideas of the culture that produces it.
D) Societal values are expressed in material culture.

Question 21

Which of the following statements concerning norms is NOT true?

A) They are a product of genetic inheritance.
B) They are never absolute.
C) They differ from one culture to another.
D) They vary in degree of intensity.

Question 22

Gun control is a subject about which there is a great deal of dispute in America. What dimensions of culture are involved in this dispute?

A) norms and social control
B) values and norms
C) technologies and norms
D) values and technologies

Question 23

The set of rules and understandings that control the behavior of individuals and groups in a culture is referred to as:

A) ideologies
B) laws
C) moral codes
D) social control

Question 24

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Normative codes are rarely inconsistent or contradictory.
B) The most important norms in a culture are often taught as absolutes.
C) The normative code of every society is distinct and unique.
D) The violation of normative codes is always punished.

Question 25

According to Morris Janowitz, which of the following terms refers to the capacity of a social group, including a whole society, to regulate itself?

A) moral code
B) normative order
C) social control
D) taboo

Question 26

Which of the following terms refers to the punishments and rewards for adhering to or violating the norms of a culture?

A) absolutes
B) cognitive culture
C) sanctions
D) social control

Question 27

Which of the following statements about sanctions is NOT true?

A) They are always associated with norms.
B) They can be used to reward socially acceptable behavior.
C) They can be used to punish socially unacceptable behavior.
D) They are applied universally.

Question 28

Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in achieving a democratic government in South Africa. This is an example of a

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

Question 29

Strongly-sanctioned norms that are considered vital for the survival of the society in which they are found are termed:

A) folkways
B) mores
C) reinforcers
D) sanctions

Question 30

Weakly-sanctioned norms that are passed down from one generation to the next, but are not believed to be vital for the survival of society are termed:

A) folkways
B) laws
C) mores
D) sanctions

Question 31

All of the following are examples of the violation of a more in the United States EXCEPT:

A) cohabitation
B) incest
C) murder
D) treason

Question 32

Which of the following statements about mores and folkways is NOT correct?

A) Laws formalize the mores of a society by putting them into written form and interpreting them.
B) Laws formalize the folkways of a society.
C) People who violate folkways are subject to severe moral indignation.
D) The intensity of mores varies from one period to another.

Question 33

A person who had shaved her head and had many piercings on her ears and face was fired from her job because

A) her actions threatened the stability of her society.
B) she violated one of her society's most strongly sanctioned mores.
C) she was guilty of violating a folkway.
D) women were treated with more respect in colonial America than they are today.

Question 34

Formal norms differ from informal norms in that:

A) formal norms are written and informal ones are not
B) formal norms tend to be more powerful than informal norms
C) informal norms are written and formal ones are not
D) informal norms tend to be more powerful than formal norms

Question 35

Another term for laws is:

A) formal norms
B) informal norms
C) sanctions
D) values

Question 36

Norms that grow out of everyday behavior and do not take the form of written regulations are:

A) direct norms
B) formal norms
C) indirect norms
D) informal norms

Question 37

The changing norms about marriage, fertility, abortion, and parenthood have resulted in situations where families have to make difficult choices. These choices are made in situations where there are:

A) contradictory norms
B) informal norms
C) laws
D) sanctions

Question 38

Which of the following is true in a time of cultural change?

A) new norms totally replace old ones
B) there is never sufficient justification for changing norms
C) new norms never completely replace old ones
D) informal norms will always remain the same

Question 39

Which of the following are comparative dimensions for norms?

A) formal vs. informal and degree of sanction
B) degree of punishment and strictness
C) formality and degree of sanction
D) none of these

Question 40

All of the following are likely to occur in times of great social change EXCEPT:

A) Norms and values that once were thought to be odd may disappear.
B) Conflicts over values and norms commonly become more severe.
C) Cultures tend to become more punitive and coercive.
D) New ideas, styles, and technologies contribute to changes in norms and behaviors.

Question 41

The process by which successful cultural adaptations are passed down from one generation to the next is termed:

A) adaptation
B) assimilation
C) cultural evolution
D) sociobiology

Question 42

Which of the following is the core idea of Darwin's theory of evolution?

A) Human beings have learned to control the process of evolution.
B) Human society is a product of the "survival of the fittest."
C) Natural selection accounts for the ability of animal and plant life to adapt to new environments.
D) The more widespread a species is, the greater its chances of survival.

Question 43

Herbert Spencer maintained that humans have remained similar even on different continents because:

A) they have adapted to change in the environment through the use of culture.
B) they have an inherent fear of change.
C) they have an instinct for survival.
D) their superior intelligence allows them to control the forces of nature.

Question 44

Which of the following coined the term "survival of the fittest"?

A) Charles Darwin
B) Herbert Spencer
C) Karl Marx
D) Max Weber

Question 45

William B. believes that his position of wealth and superior prestige is the result of the fact that his great-grandfather was successful at adapting to the environment and that these traits were passed down to subsequent generations of his family. This belief can best be summarized by the phrase:

A) "class struggle"
B) "conspicuous consumption"
C) "instinct for survival"
D) "survival of the fittest"

Question 46

The idea that Western culture was clearly superior to all others and that those who prospered in the Industrial Revolution were superior human beings is attributed to:

A) cultural naturalists
B) Max Weber
C) social Darwinists
D) sociobiologists

Question 47

Which of the following is NOT an element of Herbert Spencer's analysis of human society?

A) Human beings cannot improve on the course of social evolution.
B) People who are most successful at adapting to the environment are most likely to survive and to have children who will also be successful.
C) Society has a moral obligation to take care of those who are weak and cannot adapt.
D) Sociologists should not engage in efforts to change society.

Question 48

The notion that people who are successful at adapting to the environment in which they find themselves are more likely to survive and reproduce is known as:

A) cultural diffusion
B) ethnocentrism
C) social Darwinism
D) sociobiology

Question 49

The linking of genetic factors and the social behavior of animals is known as:

A) biosocial development
B) social reductionism
C) sociobiology
D) social biology

Question 50

The view that it is impossible, through intentional action, to improve on the course of social evolution is known as:

A) biological reductionism
B) creationism
C) ethnocentrism
D) social Darwinism

Question 51

At the beginning of the twentieth century, sociologists rejected the doctrine of social Darwinism because:

A) it was relevant only for capitalist societies
B) it was unscientific
C) success could be explained as caused by factors other than genetic fitness
D) they believed that biological factors play a greater role in human society than cultural adaptation

Question 52

In a class discussion on identity theft, a student noted that people act the way they do because it's human nature and people never really change although they may be more sophisticated. This belief reflects which of the following theories of human behavior?

A) conflict theory
B) functionalism
C) radical behaviorism
D) sociobiology

Question 53

Sociobiologists maintain that the incest taboo develops in human societies because:

A) inbreeding leads to the emergence of life-threatening characteristics
B) it is immoral
C) people are incapable of handling the guilt associated with incest
D) the family has a need for well-developed statuses and roles, which would not emerge if incest were permitted

Question 54

Which of the following statements concerning the theory of sociobiology is NOT true?

A) Genes set limits on human abilities.
B) Important developments in human life have occurred as a result of social and cultural change.
C) In the past 100,000 years, there has been relatively little organic change in the human species.
D) The rules of science required that we reject the sociobiological hypothesis.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about language is NOT true?

A) Language makes possible our collective memory.
B) Language occurs independent of a cultural setting.
C) Language shapes human consciousness.
D) The capacity to learn language is innate to human beings.

Question 56

Research on primate behavior has shown that:

A) higher primates are capable of limited learning of language
B) higher primates are capable of exhibiting the same complex behaviors as humans
C) nonhuman primates have no instincts
D) only humans live within some form of social structure

Question 57

The learning of culture takes place through:

A) accommodation
B) assimilation
C) instincts
D) language

Question 58

Research on primates indicates that:

A) apes can learn words but cannot invent new concepts
B) they are unable to communicate with one another
C) they develop a language very similar to that of human beings
D) they can grasp the meanings of words as symbols

Question 59

Which of the following statements about the use of language by apes is NOT true?

A) Apes are able to communicate about their internal emotional states.
B) Apes can learn words but cannot invent new concepts.
C) There is an immense difference in communicative ability between apes and humans.
D) Through the use of sign language, apes can be taught a limited vocabulary.

Question 60

The linguistic-relativity hypothesis states that:

A) humans have a biological potential for the development of language
B) the material culture of a society determines its language
C) thinking is possible without language
D) thoughts are controlled by the laws and patterns of language

Question 61

The most radical form of the linguistic-relativity hypothesis maintains that:

A) it is possible to think and communicate without language
B) language determines the possibilities for a culture's norms, beliefs and values
C) the capacity to learn language is innate
D) through the use of sign language, apes can be taught a limited vocabulary

Question 62

Which of the following versions of the linguistic-relativity hypothesis is most acceptable to sociologists?

A) Culture and language have a mutual influence on one another-one does not determine the other.
B) Language determines the possibilities for a culture's norms, beliefs and values.
C) The potential to develop language is instinctual in human beings.
D) Without language, thought is not possible.

Question 63

The tendency to judge other cultures as inferior in terms of one's own norms and values is termed:

A) cultural imperialism
B) cultural relativity
C) cultural stereotyping
D) ethnocentrism

Question 64

In the study of or contact with other cultures, the preferred attitude is cultural:

A) absolutism
B) imperialism
C) relativity
D) stereotyping

Question 65

The recognition that all cultures develop their own ways of dealing with the specific demands of their environments is termed:

A) cultural differentiation
B) cultural imperialism
C) cultural relativity
D) ethnocentrism

Question 66

Before she took a course in sociology, Emily believed that the people of India are very irrational because, although starvation is common, they refused to slaughter cattle for food. She now realizes that the cow is an important symbol of Hinduism and the Indians' respect for it makes good sense within the context of Hindu society. Her new attitude is an example of:

A) ethnocentrism
B) cultural imperialism
C) cultural tolerance
D) cultural relativity

Question 67

If taken literally, a major limitation of the value of cultural relativity is that it:

A) causes us to accept practices that in many cases would be considered immoral
B) does not allow us to appreciate cultural practices from the perspective of the society in which it takes place
C) encourages powerful nations to subjugate weaker ones
D) ignores the role of biological factors in human culture

Question 68

The set of cultural values that supports the idea that males should be dominant and women should be subservient

A) matriarchy
B) polygyny
C) hegemony
D) patriarchy

Question 69

Which of the following is an example of cultural change regarding values of patriarchy?

A) women appearing openly in public with their heads covered
B) women pursuing careers in fields such as engineering and law
C) women's feet being bound
D) the practice of removing women's external genitalia

Question 70

A major feature of cultural change throughout the world is seen in:

A) the emphasis on a patriarchal society
B) women challenging the norms and values of patriarchy
C) continuation of ethnocentric attitudes
D) inability to accept other cultures norms

Question 71

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of civilizations?

A) They have forms of expression in writing and the arts.
B) They tend to develop innovative technologies.
C) They tend to have well-developed economic and political institutions.
D) They tend to remain isolated from contact with other societies or civilizations.

Question 72

A culture which is one that dominates other cultures is a

A) power broker
B) oligarchy
C) hegemonic culture
D) cultural monarchy

Question 73

A cultural complex formed by the identical major cultural features of a number of societies is a:

A) civilization
B) global village
C) hegemony
D) macroculture

Question 74

Western capitalism can be seen as a form of civilization because:

A) it dominates a large part of the world
B) it is extremely efficient at producing goods and services
C) it is imposed on other nations through the threat of military force
D) specific forms of its science, technology, religion, and art can be found in a number of distinct societies

Question 75

The following concepts to explain the spread of civilization around the world EXCEPT:

A) accommodation
B) acculturation
C) adjustment
D) assimilation

Question 76

When people from a smaller civilization are able to preserve major features of their culture when in contact with a larger culture, they are engaging in:

A) absorption
B) accommodation
C) acculturation
D) adjustment

Question 77

In his analysis of what we today call "civilized" behavior, Norbert Elias argues that it had its origins in:

A) technological innovations that occurred during the Industrial Revolution
B) the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome
C) the courts of medieval Europe
D) third-world countries

Question 78

The imposition of a new culture on conquered peoples is called:

A) acculturation
B) assimilation
C) cultural domination
D) cultural imperialism

Question 79

The Spaniards brought Christianity to the New World, and in the ensuing centuries, it became the predominant religion in the Western Hemisphere. This is an example of:

A) absorption
B) acculturation
C) adjustment
D) assimilation

Question 80

Subcultures are created when which of the following occurs?

A) when individuals seek to create and maintain a lifestyle distinct from others
B) when they incorporate the norms and values of other cultures.
C) other groups migrate into existing groups lands.
D) force and coercion of one group by another