Deck 3: Culture

Question 1

In the movie Mean Girls,students identify each other using categories like "jocks," "cheerleaders," "skaters," and "nerds." These classifications of different groups represent what aspect of culture?

A) cultural relativism
B) subculture
C) the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
D) cultural imperialism

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Why do ethnocentric people tend to view other cultures as abnormal?

A) They have values and beliefs that are universally recognized.
B) They use their own culture as a standard of judgment.
C) They are practicing cultural relativism.
D) They are part of a counterculture.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Jill is visiting her boyfriend's family in China.During a conversation,she points to him with her index finger,which his family doesn't seem to like.Later,her boyfriend explains that she should point with an open hand instead of using a finger.Why is this instruction needed?

A) The meaning of gestures is not universal.
B) Jill was attempting to be rude to his family.
C) Sanctions exist in China, but not in the United States, where Jill is from.
D) The action of pointing does not have symbolic meaning.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

How is culture transmitted and internalized?

A) We are born with these values and beliefs.
B) We learn values and beliefs slowly and incrementally.
C) It is human nature to accept one's own culture as superior.
D) Values and beliefs are only taught in school.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's symbolic culture?

A) Navajo jewelry
B) imported French wine
C) a Rembrandt painting
D) belonging to a political party

Question 6

________ studied the Hopi of the southwestern United States and concluded that language not only allows us to express our thoughts but also shapes the way we think.

A) Horace Miner
B) Eric Schlosser
C) Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf
D) Bob Luitweiler and William Gibson

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's or a society's material culture?

A) weapons of war
B) democracy as a political system
C) belief in a supreme being
D) a preference to have health rather than wealth

Question 8

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that

A) although we have different labels for things, all humans share the same sense of social perception.
B) in social interaction, nonverbal communication is as powerful as language.
C) language can structure our perception of reality.
D) we relate to each other on a symbolic rather than a literal level.

Question 9

How is the study of culture different for sociologists than for anthropologists?

A) Sociologists usually study a society to which they belong.
B) Anthropologists often study societies inside the United States.
C) Sociologists never "other" the group they are studying.
D) Anthropologists only study societies from the past.

Question 10

The famous anthropologist Margaret Mead said that the United States of America is the best place to raise a female child.Her assertion is an example of

A) preferring high culture to popular culture.
B) ethnocentrism.
C) cultural relativism.
D) participating in culture wars.

Question 11

Designer labels on purses and logos on shirts are both examples of

A) values.
B) material culture.
C) counterculture.
D) cultural essentials.

Question 12

What is the sociological term for signs people make with their bodies?

A) language
B) gestures
C) sanctions
D) values

Question 13

The widespread use of plastic in American culture is no accident; plastic offers consumers convenience,disposability,and choice.A researcher documenting plastic objects commonly found in American households is researching

A) folkways.
B) the development of the self.
C) material culture.
D) the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.

Question 14

The tendency to use your own group's way of doing things as the yardstick for judging others is called

A) ethnocentrism.
B) culture shock.
C) cultural relativism.
D) self-centeredness.

Question 15

Which of the following is one of the functions of symbolic culture?

A) It provides a history of physical objects.
B) It enables people to communicate.
C) It facilitates the distribution of Western products.
D) It aids the proliferation of Western media.

Question 16

Recently,curators at museums have experienced problems with the preservation of plastic objects,almost all of which disintegrate over time.The Smithsonian collection contains the first-ever plastic toothbrush,which soon will be nothing more than a pile of crumbs.This problem is leading many historians to worry that we will lose the history of our

A) symbolic culture.
B) signs and gestures.
C) linguistic relativity.
D) material culture.

Question 17

What is the definition of "culture"?

A) Culture involves the reactions to the ways in which people follow or disobey norms in society.
B) Culture is limited to rules or guidelines about what kind of behavior is acceptable and appropriate within a particular situation.
C) Culture is the principle of evaluating another group or individual as abnormal or inferior.
D) Culture is the entire way of life of a group of people and it acts as a lens through which we view the world.

Question 18

The ability to understand another culture in terms of that culture's own norms and values,without reference to any other culture's standards,is called

A) ethnocentrism.
B) cultural relativism.
C) cultural lag.
D) culture shock.

Question 19

The article "Body Ritual among the Nacirema" is useful to sociologists because it

A) presents a striking example of an exotic culture.
B) challenges people's inability to observe their own cultures.
C) demonstrates proper fieldwork techniques for studying a different culture.
D) demonstrates how different other cultures are from American culture.

Question 20

Although many people believe that expectations for personal space are innate,members of many cultures are accustomed to noticeably less personal space than those of others.This helps demonstrate that people's expectations for personal space are

A) the direct result of hormonal differences in the limbic system.
B) usually negotiable and not all that hard to change.
C) a part of our culture and, as such, are learned rather than innate.
D) something that is innate, more an instinct than something learned.

Question 21

Coca-Cola was first marketed in the 1860s as a patient medicine,designed to offer the energy boost of cocaine without the vices of alcohol.The new beverage was invigorating and popular.Today,however,cocaine is not just banned but widely demonized.This is an example of

A) mainstream culture once approving of behaviors that are now considered deviant.
B) the tendency of the United States to become more regulatory.
C) the emergence of a counterculture.
D) conflict between the economically powerful and the rest of society.

Question 22

It's all too common to see someone driving a car on a busy freeway while cursing and gesturing at another motorist whose poor driving has offended him or her.Cursing and gesturing are an individual's attempt at

A) negative sanctions.
B) positive sanctions.
C) multiculturalism.
D) taboos.

Question 23

Many American colleges and universities require students to take classes on non-Western cultures.Why do these requirements exist?

A) to demonstrate the value of multiculturalism and to reduce ethnocentrism
B) to prepare students who will eventually work in other countries
C) to offer international exchange students studying in America classes they will like
D) to offer students fascinated by exotic cultures classes they will like

Question 24

________ occurs when the dominant culture succeeds in imposing its values and ideas on all of society.

A) Hegemony
B) Cultural diffusion
C) Cultural relativism
D) Cultural leveling

Question 25

How are norms enforced in everyday settings?

A) by multiculturalism
B) by sanctions
C) by signs
D) by culture wars

Question 26

Which of the following sequences lists norms in the correct order,from the most strictly enforced to the least?

A) mores, taboos, folkways
B) folkways, taboos, mores
C) taboos, mores, folkways
D) folkways, mores, taboos

Question 27

A married man in the United States with several mistresses is violating a ________,but he is violating a ________ if he is married to more than one woman at the same time.

A) mores; law
B) law; taboo
C) norm; folkway
D) folkway; mores

Question 28

Unlike folkways,mores are closely related to

A) the core values of a group.
B) formal but not informal norms.
C) the dominant culture of a group.
D) culture wars between groups.

Question 29

At the beginning of the twenty-first century,some people placed signs with crudely painted skeletons holding cell phones near roadways,usually facing freeway ramps.These signs indicated disapproval of using cell phones while driving,a practice some states have now made illegal.As a result of this social movement

A) almost no one violates the norm of not talking on a cell phone while driving.
B) talking on a cell phone while driving is taboo.
C) there are no formal sanctions that can be used to enforce the norm of not talking on a cell phone while driving.
D) an informal norm has become a law.

Question 30

The slogan "what happens in Vegas,stays in Vegas" is an example of

A) a moral escape.
B) a moral holiday.
C) mores.
D) a sanction.

Question 31

Despite the fact that people snack on grasshoppers and crickets in Thailand,many people in the United States express disgust at the idea.This suggests that,in the United States,eating insects is a

A) folkway.
B) crime.
C) taboo.
D) sanction.

Question 32

In 2005 the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team won an NCAA championship and was invited to the White House to receive congratulations from the president.Controversy erupted after the team's visit when the official photograph revealed that several team members were wearing flip-flops.Despite the outcry,the athletes took the criticism in stride,talking about it on The Today Show and auctioning the offending footwear for charity.Given the reaction and the team's response,what kind of norm did the athletes break by wearing flip-flops to the White House?

A) a folkway
B) a more
C) a taboo
D) a negative sanction

Question 33

Which kind of norm is so deeply ingrained that the very thought of breaking it brings feelings of disgust or horror?

A) a federal law
B) a taboo
C) a folkway
D) a more

Question 34

The values,norms,and practices of the most powerful group within a society are called

A) cultural leveling.
B) symbolic culture.
C) dominant culture.
D) minority culture.

Question 35

A monetary fine,harsh words,and shaking one's fist are examples of

A) negative sanctions.
B) positive feedback.
C) cultural universals.
D) situational norms.

Question 36

A man is listening to loud music and singing along in public.The people around him glare and frown at him,hoping that he will stop.The man ignores them,indicating that he

A) doesn't know that some activities are taboo.
B) must be part of the dominant culture.
C) is engaged in a culture war.
D) doesn't seem to care about negative sanctions.

Question 37

What do sociologists call informal rules and guidelines for behavior that are considered acceptable within a group?

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

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of a taboo in American society?

A) divorce
B) bankruptcy
C) incest
D) drunkenness

Question 39

Which term describes a policy of honoring diverse racial,ethnic,national,and linguistic backgrounds?

A) cultural imperialism
B) high culture
C) multiculturalism
D) cultural relativism

Question 40

How are informal norms different from formal norms?

A) Informal norms are always followed.
B) Informal norms are legislated by the government.
C) Informal norms involve dress and etiquette.
D) Informal norms are implicit and unwritten.

Question 41

Which of the following groups is MOST likely to be classified as a counterculture?

A) a militia group living in Montana
B) New York City taxi drivers
C) students who belong to a Middle Eastern Studies Club
D) members of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

Question 42

Which of the following is a subculture?

A) symbolic culture
B) bodybuilding
C) hacktivists
D) street gangs

Question 43

In 2010,President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA)into law.Fox News and CNN presented vastly different viewpoints of the ACA,appealing to either conservative or liberal viewers,respectively.The media's handling of this law is an example of

A) mores.
B) ideal culture.
C) counterculture.
D) culture wars.

Question 44

A cultural group that exists harmoniously within a larger,dominant culture is called a

A) counterculture.
B) cultural spin-off.
C) subdominant culture.
D) subculture.

Question 45

A space shuttle,graffiti,a new coding language,and a new instrument are all examples of

A) sanctions.
B) technology.
C) counterculture.
D) cultural imperialism.

Question 46

An employee who has a special relationship with his boss is promoted instead of a more deserving co-worker.This is an example of the

A) way culture wars happen.
B) role of subculture in determining status and rank.
C) ideal way to conduct business.
D) distinction between ideal culture and real culture.

Question 47

There are many sushi restaurants in the United States and many McDonald's-style fast-food restaurants in Japan.This is an example of

A) the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
B) cultural diffusion.
C) counterculture.
D) a culture war.

Question 48

Conflicts within mainstream society about which values and norms should be upheld or shifted are called

A) culture wars.
B) symbolic culture.
C) counterculture.
D) hegemony.

Question 49

Sociologists use which of the following terms to describe a group with values and norms that oppose the dominant culture?

A) subculture
B) mainstream culture
C) symbolic culture
D) counterculture

Question 50

What do sociologists call the norms and values that people actually follow as opposed to the norms and values that people believe should be followed?

A) ideal culture
B) subculture
C) symbolic culture
D) real culture

Question 51

How is a subculture different from a counterculture?

A) Members of a subculture actively protest and fight to change society, whereas members of a counterculture drop out of society.
B) Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but only members of a subculture actively oppose important aspects of mainstream culture.
C) Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but a counterculture actively opposes important aspects of the mainstream.
D) Subcultures are not culturally distinct from the mainstream; they just occupy a particular geographic area.

Question 52

During the American occupation of Japan after World War II,the Japanese observed soldiers playing baseball and later adopted it as one of their pastimes.This is an example of

A) material culture.
B) cultural diffusion.
C) counterculture.
D) culture war.

Question 53

Countercultural groups such as the hippies of the 1960s

A) actually had a lifestyle that was similar to that of the mainstream culture.
B) were considered members of the popular culture.
C) rejected the norms of the dominant culture.
D) are now seen as members of a subculture.

Question 54

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)was an activist organization in the 1960s that protested the Vietnam War,racial injustice,and economic exploitation.For the most part,the organization favored direct action and protest,most of which opposed traditional organizing and politics.Based on this information,you could say that members of SDS were part of a(n)

A) counterculture.
B) subculture.
C) ideal culture.
D) movement for cultural diffusion.

Question 55

Which of the following is an example of a culture war?

A) one Democrat and two Republicans serving together as county commissioners
B) anti-abortion advocates demonstrating in front of a family planning clinic
C) Christians celebrating Easter, Jews celebrating Passover, and Muslims celebrating Ramadan
D) the existence of both a football team and a debate team in many high schools

Question 56

When Patti Sue took a world tour,she had lunch at McDonald's in Tokyo,ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hong Kong,purchased clothes at Macy's in London,and was entertained at a Disney show in Paris.This homogenization of cultures around the world is called

A) multiculturalism.
B) cultural leveling.
C) social control.
D) folkways.

Question 57

Clashes over values in the United States,especially as represented by liberals and conservatives in the mass media,have been termed

A) value contradictions.
B) norm violations.
C) culture wars.
D) partisan politics.

Question 58

When Barack Obama's approval ratings were high,polls found that a larger number of people claimed to have voted for him than actually did vote for him.Historians report that the percentage of people who remember voting for any president rises and falls with the president's approval ratings,perhaps because more people believe that they should have voted differently.This belief is an example of

A) ideal culture.
B) folkways.
C) popular culture.
D) cultural diffusion.

Question 59

What has been achieved when the dominant culture,without the use of force,persuades the rest of society that its beliefs and values are the only or best values?

A) hegemony
B) high culture
C) a culture war
D) a counterculture

Question 60

Sociologists refer to the norms and values that people aspire to as ________ culture.

A) ideal
B) dominant
C) real
D) symbolic

Question 61

Sociologists claim that culture is the lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on in the world around us.

Question 62

The French social theorist Jean-François Lyotard described contemporary culture in this way: "One listens to reggae,watches a Western,eats McDonald's food for lunch and local cuisine for dinner,wears Paris perfume in Tokyo and 'retro' clothes in Hong Kong." He was writing about postmodernism,but what concept can help explain this mishmash of activities?

A) values
B) hegemony
C) counterculture
D) cultural diffusion

Question 63

Because of their economic strength,Western companies are powerful enough to impose their products on markets worldwide.This phenomenon is known as

A) material culture.
B) cultural relativism.
C) cultural diffusion.
D) cultural imperialism.

Question 64

As a way of facilitating social change,tweets and hashtags are a new social phenomenon in which people are able to use social media in an effort to

A) organize and protest political policies.
B) communicate with a small group of people.
C) purchase items.
D) promote a fashion brand.

Question 65

Describe the difference between positive sanctions and negative sanctions.

Question 66

Give an example of a gesture within your culture that may not have the same meaning or translate at all into another culture.

Question 67

In the article "Jihad vs.McWorld," Benjamin R.Barber points out that "in November of 1991 Switzerland's once insular culture boasted best-seller lists featuring Terminator 2 as the #1 movie,Scarlett as the #1 book,and Prince's Diamonds and Pearls as the #1 record album." Many people worry that the prominence of American culture goes beyond the media and represents the wholesale imposition of American values on other cultures,which is a process called

A) culture war.
B) ideal culture.
C) cultural imperialism.
D) counterculture.

Question 68

Karen thinks that religion is used by powerful people and institutions to control the public.What perspective best describes Karen's views?

A) structural functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) radicalization

Question 69

Norms develop out of a culture's value system.

Question 70

Describe an example of how mainstream values can change or fall out of favor.

Question 71

Signs are symbols that stand for or convey an idea.

Question 72

Today,it is possible to travel all over the world,especially if you visit major metropolitan areas,without ever having to eat anything but McDonald's food.This is an example of

A) dominant culture.
B) cultural diffusion.
C) cultural leveling.
D) counterculture.

Question 73

Even when sociologists study their own cultures,they often engage in the process of "othering" the people they study.

Question 74

List at least four examples of symbolic culture.

Question 75

What do sociologists call it when cultures that were once distinct become increasingly similar?

A) cultural imperialism
B) social control
C) cultural diffusion
D) cultural leveling

Question 76

Only an authoritative body or formal institution can impose negative sanctions.

Question 77

Alejandra believes that religion is the basis for good values and that promoting religion in society promotes social order.What perspective best describes Alejandra's views?

A) structural functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) promote a fashion brand

Question 78

What is an example of ethnocentrism?

Question 79

Sameer thinks that religion consists of meaningful displays of values and norms that are created,maintained,and changed through social interaction.What perspective best describes Sameer's views?

A) structural functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) radicalization

Question 80

Describe cultural relativism.