Deck 2: Culture and Society

Question 1

Pablo studies clothing choices in subcultural groups. He is investigating:

A) values.
B) norms.
C) material culture.
D) instinct.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Simone de Beauvoir once famously asserted that "one is not born a woman, but becomes one," to suggest that women are created by cultural forces. How might sociobiologists respond to this?

A) De Beauvoir does not account for the role of industrialization in creating the category of woman.
B) De Beauvoir misses that what constitutes a woman is biological as well as cultural.
C) De Beauvoir fails to show how the category of woman is purely an effect of economics.
D) De Beauvoir is correct because our biology determines our culture.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to the textbook, the sociological study of culture began with which theorist?

A) Margaret Mead
B) Karl Marx
C) Émile Durkheim
D) Max Weber

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Johann is from the United Kingdom. He sees that women in Afghanistan are often expected to wear head scarves, but women in the United Kingdom are not. He concludes, then, that women in Afghanistan would be freer if their culture were more like that of the United Kingdom. How might sociologists likely critique Johann's position?

A) Johann has not yet made an argument for how the United Kingdom might free the women of Afghanistan.
B) Johann first needs to look at class relations in the two countries, because gender expression is mainly determined by class.
C) Johann cannot make meaningful cross-cultural comparisons without at least four more sample countries.
D) Johann would be better served as a social scientist if he avoided those kinds of value judgments.

Question 5

________ refers to the application of biological principles to explain the social activities of animals, including human beings.

A) Biological determinism
B) Sociobiology
C) Social constructionism
D) Social Darwinism

Question 6

When Yale administrators cautioned students to be thoughtful and sensitive in their choice of Halloween costume, their concern was that cultural elements used in some costumes can reduce cultural groups to demeaning stereotypes. This concern is about the issue of:

A) ethnocentrism.
B) cultural relativism.
C) cultural appropriation.
D) sanctions.

Question 7

________ refer to abstract ideals in a given society.

A) Norms
B) Material goods
C) Values
D) Folkways

Question 8

Carolina studies mainstream American culture. One of her colleagues notices that she consistently ignores material objects, such as food, clothing, and art. Why might her studies be criticized?

A) These objects are crucial parts of culture that influence how we live our lives.
B) Studying American culture is useless because it has spread all over the globe.
C) Culture is a secondary effect of social structures, so Carolina would do better to begin her studies with capitalism and the state.
D) Of the three things Carolina ignores, art matters in the context of studying culture.

Question 9

An American begins to take an interest in the culture of India and starts wearing saris and bindis in public. Another American likes to wear elaborate feathered headdresses to music festivals. These individuals are engaging in what social scientists call:

A) cultural appropriation.
B) assimilation.
C) cultural relativism.
D) mores.

Question 10

Laura attends a prestigious university on a full scholarship. Most of her classmates come from upper class backgrounds. Her own family has trouble making ends meet, and they encourage her to do well in school. They believe that if she works hard, she will be able to escape poverty and achieve the same economic stability as that of her fellow classmates. This belief in the merit of individual achievement is an example of a:

A) symbol.
B) signifier.
C) value.
D) ritual.

Question 11

________ refer(s) to the physical objects that individuals in society create. These objects, in turn, influence how we live.

A) Norms
B) Material goods
C) Values
D) Sociobiology

Question 12

Lucy wants to study American culture. Why might sociologists be critical of such a study?

A) Americans do not produce their own culture; they only copy others.
B) Culture originated with the high art associated with western Europe, not the United States.
C) There is no single American culture but rather a contested terrain of mainstream culture and hundreds, if not thousands, of subcultures.
D) Americans are notoriously uncultured people.

Question 13

Kendrick studies which human behaviors might be innate and which might be learned through social processes. His studies contribute most to which sociological debate?

A) macro vs. micro
B) economics vs. culture
C) structures of accumulation vs. institutional roles
D) nature vs. nurture

Question 14

Mihir notes that altruism seems innate to humans rather than learned. He uses that knowledge to criticize the idea that humans are naturally selfish. Mihir is taking note of:

A) values.
B) norms.
C) material goods.
D) instinct.

Question 15

The textbook defines a(n) ________ as a system of interrelationships that connects individuals.

A) commodity
B) workplace
C) ecosystem
D) society

Question 16

________ are widely agreed-upon principles or rules people are expected to observe; they represent the dos and don'ts of social life.

A) Norms
B) Material goods
C) Values
D) Sanctions

Question 17

Alice stole a bit of money from her friend Rosa to buy groceries. Rosa finds out and angrily chastises Alice for her behavior. What does this exchange demonstrate?

A) labeling theory
B) socialism
C) reinforcement of norms
D) a deviant career

Question 18

________ occur(s) when members of one cultural group borrow elements of another group's culture.

A) Ethnocentrism
B) Cultural appropriation
C) Cultural materialism
D) Sanctions

Question 19

Candace is doing a comparative study to compare different societies' expectations of how husbands should treat their in-laws. Candace will be analyzing:

A) values.
B) norms.
C) material goods.
D) instinct.

Question 20

Mario is researching how genetic factors influence human behaviors. His research would best be described as:

A) social constructionism.
B) sociobiology.
C) conflict theory.
D) structural functionalism.

Question 21

According to the textbook, a key difference between subcultures and countercultures is that:

A) subcultures seek to be absorbed into mainstream culture.
B) countercultures are only found in industrialized societies.
C) subcultures can often turn into cults due to their inability to allow freedom of expression.
D) countercultures reject the values and norms of dominant society.

Question 22

________ might be defined as judging other cultures in terms of the standards of one's own.

A) Multiculturalism
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Cultural relativism
D) Assimilation

Question 23

Michelle claims that all human cultures are different and cannot be compared. How might sociologists critique her claim?

A) They would not. All cultures are different and cannot be meaningfully compared.
B) Sociologists would respond that we cannot talk about human culture because it is not separate from our natural environment.
C) They would criticize it because it focuses on something as vague as human culture instead of our institutions.
D) Sociologists would point out that there are cultural universals that all human cultures seem to share.

Question 24

If the language of a highly individualistic society contains many words and phrases about personal success and individual achievement that someone from a more communal society has difficulty fully understanding, this is an example of:

A) resource mobilization.
B) the material representation of culture.
C) structural determination.
D) the linguistic relativity hypothesis.

Question 25

According to the textbook, marriage is a cultural universal, which means that:

A) norms that relate to marriage are the same across all cultures.
B) due to globalization, divorces in Western societies will inevitably spread and influence the rest of the world.
C) marriage always involves one man and one woman even through marriage ceremonies across cultures.
D) marriage is present in all societies even though the norms related to marriage may differ.

Question 26

Yang is researching how certain groups that live in Spain seem to have their own sets of norms and values that are at times different from mainstream Spanish norms and values. Which sociological concept best describes what he is studying?

A) subcultures
B) ritual ascendance
C) postmodernism
D) essentialism

Question 27

Scholars have argued that immigrant groups like the Irish and Italians were initially considered a race apart from native-born Anglo-Saxon white Americans. However, over the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Irish and Italian immigrants managed to become part of dominant white culture. This historical context reveals how different cultures are absorbed into a single mainstream culture, a process also known as:

A) multiculturalism.
B) ethnocentrism.
C) apoliticism.
D) assimilation.

Question 28

Danny is examining U.S. culture for the possibility that different immigrant communities in the United States maintain more or less separate cultures but might still manage to participate equally in economic and political life. His study focuses on which concept?

A) multiculturalism
B) assimilation
C) cultural resistance
D) nationalism

Question 29

Shannon notes that women in some cultures voluntarily alter their bodies with sometimes painful piercings that, in her opinion, look weird. Based on this, Shannon decides that women in those cultures must be horribly oppressed compared with women in her own culture. Shannon's position might be best interpreted as:

A) social psychological.
B) ethnocentrism.
C) cultural relativism.
D) historical materialism.

Question 30

Ana is studying the ways different societies socially sanction and formally approve of certain sexual relationships. As she studies this in each society, she will come across:

A) countercultures.
B) industrialization.
C) marriage.
D) cultural appropriation.

Question 31

The term ________ does not refer only to people from different cultural backgrounds or to those who speak different languages within a larger society. It can also refer to any segment of the population that is distinguishable from the rest of society by its cultural patterns.

A) subculture
B) race
C) ethnicity
D) polity

Question 32

Danny studies winks, waves, language, smiles, frowns, laughs, and any other kind of symbolic communication. What is he researching?

A) material culture
B) signifiers
C) tools
D) cultural relativism

Question 33

Many languages may have an equivalent to the color yellow, but an object that may be classified as yellow in one language may not be described so in another. This is an example of:

A) the linguistic relativity hypothesis.
B) the material representation of culture.
C) structural determination.
D) resource mobilization.

Question 34

Anthropological linguist Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Lee Whorf argued that the language we use influences our perceptions of the world. This is known as the:

A) theorem of symbolic order.
B) hypothesis of communication.
C) linguistic relativity hypothesis.
D) structuration theory.

Question 35

A ________ is used to describe any vehicle of meaning-any set of elements used to communicate, including all types of communication.

A) language
B) signifier
C) gesture
D) word

Question 36

Karl notes that in all human societies, people use symbols to communicate ideas to one another. Karl is taking note of:

A) language.
B) morality.
C) marriage.
D) political economy.

Question 37

According to the textbook, two cultural universals particularly stand out in human societies. They are ________ and ________.

A) ways of expressing meaning; material goods
B) material goods; money
C) market relations; ways of expressing meaning
D) market relations; money

Question 38

A society that includes more than one distinct cultural or linguistic group, where no group is dominant over the others, is characterized by:

A) multiculturalism.
B) ethnocentrism.
C) apoliticism.
D) assimilation.

Question 39

Lucinda hears about the common practice among Nordic parents of leaving babies in their strollers outside of restaurants and shops. Although this is an accepted practice in Nordic society, Lucinda concludes that Nordic parents are neglectful and that this behavior should lead to arrest. Lucinda is engaging in:

A) ethnocentrism.
B) multiculturalism.
C) cultural relativism.
D) assimilation.

Question 40

________ is one of the best examples for demonstrating both the unity and the diversity of human culture, because there are no cultures without it.

A) Language
B) Medicalization
C) Agriculture
D) Monogamy

Question 41

The textbook refers to the emergence of machine production based on the use of inanimate power resources (such as steam or electricity) as:

A) capitalism.
B) civilization.
C) feudal progression.
D) industrialization.

Question 42

Frank notices that at some point in relatively recent times, humans in some places began using machines powered by non-human means, such as steam and coal. Frank is noting what process?

A) democratization
B) civilization
C) industrialization
D) state formation

Question 43

Jia Yin notes that in many countries, industrial development is, more or less, nonexistent. She is taking note of the:

A) urban core.
B) emerging of society.
C) industrializing of countries.
D) developing world.

Question 44

Societies whose means of subsistence are based on agricultural production (crop growing) are called ________ societies.

A) pastoral
B) urban
C) agrarian
D) industrialized

Question 45

Sweta studies how Britain came to control large parts of India before the Indian independence movement. It could be said that she is studying:

A) liberation theology.
B) nationalization.
C) primitivism.
D) colonialism.

Question 46

Hector is doing research on a tribe called the Malagasians. This group organizes itself in highly participatory ways, moves around frequently, and affords older people respect within the group. This group could be described as:

A) pastoral.
B) agrarian.
C) industrial.
D) hunter-gatherer.

Question 47

Sociologists often refer to less-developed societies, in which industrial production is either virtually nonexistent or developed only to a limited degree, as:

A) the developing world.
B) core nations.
C) emerging societies.
D) nontraditionalist societies.

Question 48

Groups like the Taliban and ISIL enforce strict, traditional rules about modest dress and the prohibition of alcohol, in part to resist the spreading influence of Western culture. This response at the local cultural level is an example of:

A) anti-globalization.
B) colonialism.
C) nationalism.
D) state globalization projects.

Question 49

In Ireland, the number of Irish speakers significantly decreased during British Colonialism. Now, although most Irish people speak English, they are required to learn Irish in schools and Irish is the country's first official language. What does the push to reintroduce Irish as the country's predominant language reflect?

A) nationalism
B) the balance of class forces
C) anti-globalization
D) globalization

Question 50

Chen studies the process through which Brazil is shifting from workers mostly working in fields and living in rural villages to people living in cities and working in factories, offices, and the like. He is noting how Brazil is becoming a(n) ________ society.

A) pastoral
B) agrarian
C) industrial
D) postmodern

Question 51

Medina is looking at the historical period in which smaller groupings of humans developed into much larger societies, often ruled by kings, queens, and emperors, with the creation of cities and increasing inequality. She is studying the birth of what most sociologists call:

A) civilization.
B) religion.
C) spirituality.
D) art.

Question 52

Deric studies Singapore and the process through which it has begun developing a strong industrial base. It might be said that he is studying:

A) an emerging economy.
B) the sequestration of human experience.
C) micro-finance.
D) core countries.

Question 53

The process whereby Western nations established their rule in parts of the world away from their home territories is called:

A) assimilation.
B) cultural appropriation.
C) Manifest Destiny.
D) colonialism.

Question 54

________ is a sense of identification with one's people that is expressed through a common set of strongly held beliefs. Sometimes these include the belief that the people of a particular nation have historical or God-given rights that supersede those of other people.

A) Neoliberalism
B) Nationalism
C) Ethnic enclaving
D) Disidentification

Question 55

Why might sociologists criticize the idea that the world is made up of many isolated cultures?

A) The idea assumes that we can provide a reasonably coherent definition of culture.
B) Sociologists might note the rise of the Internet and globalization as features of different cultures being connected.
C) Sociologists would likely criticize the idea because of its underlying multiculturalism.
D) The idea suggests that human communities actually have different cultures, when we have shown that culture is the same everywhere.

Question 56

Societies whose subsistence derives from the rearing of domesticated animals are called ________ societies.

A) agrarian
B) industrialized
C) postmodern
D) pastoral

Question 57

According to the Chapter, compared with larger societies-particularly modern societies, such as the United States-most hunting and gathering groups are:

A) egalitarian.
B) brutish.
C) industrialized.
D) authoritarian.

Question 58

Although the majority of developing countries lag behind industrialized societies, some have now successfully embarked on a process of industrialization. These are sometimes referred to as:

A) emerging economies.
B) McDonaldizing societies.
C) emergent cities.
D) sustainable developments.

Question 59

Juliana notes in her research that new means of communicating seem to be creating the possibility for a new global culture and have even been helpful in organizing protests and social movement actions in places such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Kuwait. It is likely that Juliana will be studying ________ as part of this research project.

A) regular mail
B) the telephone
C) the Internet
D) sit-ins

Question 60

Rosa notes in her comparative historical research that one group she studied was sedentary but was not fully industrialized and relied primarily on crops as its means of livelihood. This group would best be classified as:

A) pastoral.
B) agrarian.
C) industrial.
D) hunter-gatherer.

Question 61

In a short paragraph, please explain the role that globalization has played in the transformation of our world. Has it resulted in the homogenization of the world's diverse cultures, the flourishing of many individual cultures, or both? Give concrete examples, making sure to cite examples from the textbook.

Question 62

In a couple of sentences, please compare hunting and gathering societies to civilizations. In your answer, discuss power and wealth differences.

Question 63

In a couple of sentences, please explain the concept of multiculturalism and why it matters for sociology as a study of social groups.

Question 64

In a short paragraph, please define culture and give one example of how it affects your daily life.

Question 65

In three to five sentences, please define subcultures and explain why they are important for sociological studies. Please include at least one or two examples of subcultures in your answer.

Question 66

In two to three sentences, please define the concept of cultural universals and describe what they can tell us about human societies.

Question 67

How does instinct differ from culture, and why is the distinction important to sociologists? Please answer in three to five sentences.

Question 68

In a couple of sentences, please answer the following question: Are developing countries merely societies that have lagged behind the more industrialized areas? In your answer, talk about colonialism and the impact of the globalized economy on developing nations.

Question 69

In a couple of sentences, please describe the difference between values and norms. What are some examples of each?

Question 70

In a couple of sentences, please explain the concept of cultural relativism and some possible benefits and pitfalls of it.