Deck 13: Characteristics of Culture

Question 1

Which of these incorrectly describes the Amish?

A)They originated in Western Europe.
B)They have strong pacifist beliefs.
C)There are more than one million in the United States today.
D)They primarily live in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest of the United States.
E)They prohibit marrying outside the group.

Answer 1

There are more than one million in the United States today.

Question 2

People share the same culture if they:

A)are dependent on each other for survival.
B)are able to interpret and predict each other's actions.
C)live in the same territory.
D)behave in an identical manner.
E)have the same last name.

Answer 2

are able to interpret and predict each other's actions.

Question 3

The gradual process of making beneficial adjustments to the environment is called:

A)adjustment.
B)adaption.
C)adaptation.
D)acclimatization.
E)alteration.

Answer 3

adaptation.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is incorrect?

A)All culture is learned.
B)All learned behavior is cultural.
C)Culture is humankind's "social heredity."
D)Culture is not biologically inherited.
E)Culture is transmitted from one generation to the next through enculturation.

Question 5

The process by which culture is transmitted from one generation to the next is called:

A)enculturation.
B)pluralism.
C)adaptation.
D)cultural relativism.
E)subcultural variation.

Question 6

As a result of__________________work,in 1981,the Apaches were able to move into houses that had been designed with their participation,for their specific needs.

A)Walter Goldschmidt's
B)George Esber's
C)David Maybury-Lewis's
D)Bronislaw Malinowski's
E)Margaret Mead's

Question 7

The "Living Bridge" in Meghalaya,India is an example of:

A)cultural adaptation.
B)ethnocentrism.
C)symbol.
D)pluralism.
E)cultural relativism.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the relationship between sex and gender is incorrect?

A)Sex is the same as gender.
B)Sex refers to physical differences between males and females,whereas gender refers to the cultural meanings assigned to sex.
C)Sexual differences are biological;gender differences depend on cultural definition.
D)Gender differences began with human culture,several million years ago.
E)The biological differences between males and females have decreased since the time of the earliest humans.

Question 9

Humans' major mode of adaptation,which enables them to live effectively in diverse environments,is:

A)education.
B)culture.
C)bureaucracy.
D)religion.
E)biology.

Question 10

A set of cultural ideas held by a group that collectively and publicly identifies itself as distinct based on shared features is called:

A)tradition.
B)custom.
C)subculture.
D)culture.
E)ethnicity.

Question 11

The belief that one's own way of life is superior to others is called:

A)ethnocentrism.
B)cultural relativism.
C)egocentrism.
D)kulturpride.
E)ethnicity.

Question 12

China is a pluralistic society.Which ethnic group dominates others in China and has a socially and politically ethnocentric ruling policy?

A)Buddhists
B)Uyghur
C)Li
D)Mongol
E)Han

Question 13

Which of the following statements is correct?

A)Subcultural groups always have separate religious affiliations.
B)Ethnic groups live outside of national borders.
C)Subcultural groups have biological differences that ethnic groups do not have.
D)Ethnic groups collectively and publicly identify themselves as distinct.
E)Subcultural groups collectively and publicly identify themselves as distinct.

Question 14

All of the following are long-term challenges associated with high-yield marginal farmlands in the U.S.except:

A)loss of topsoil.
B)high cost of fossil fuel.
C)decreasing salinity of soil.
D)silting of irrigation works.
E)high cost of fresh water.

Question 15

The Amish may be used as an example of subcultural variation because:

A)they are racially different.
B)they share the values of thrift,hard work,independence,and close family ties that Americans respect.
C)they maintain a distinctive way of life that emphasizes agrarian living and loyalty to fellow Amish rather than to the state.
D)they participate in a rite of passage called rumschpringe.
E)they have their own church and do not speak English.

Question 16

The cultural definitions of what it means to be a male or female today:

A)are determined by biological differences.
B)are independent of biological differences.
C)stem from biological differences that are less significant today.
D)developed about 60 million years ago when our species first emerged.
E)have no relationship to sex.

Question 17

The ability to build homes and make clothing to insulate us against cold environments is a(n):

A)physiological adaptation.
B)evolutionary adaptation.
C)physical adaptation.
D)cultural adaptation.
E)congenital adaptation.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about society and culture is incorrect?

A)Culture can exist without a society.
B)Every culture is learned,shared,based on symbols,integrated,and dynamic.
C)All culture is learned rather than biologically inherited.
D)A culture is shared by the members of a society.
E)Although members of a society may share a culture,their behavior is not uniform.

Question 19

As a prelude to social interaction,Apache hosts feel compelled to offer their guest:

A)cattle.
B)beer.
C)food.
D)small gifts.
E)seats.

Question 20

A sound,emblem,or other sign that is arbitrarily linked to something else and represents it in a meaningful way is called a(n):

A)myth.
B)symbol.
C)omen.
D)subculture.
E)ethnic group.

Question 21

Culture is an integrated and interrelated whole,which means that:

A)people of all different races get along well together.
B)subcultural variations can be tolerated and are of great benefit to a state.
C)if you alter one aspect of a culture,you can drastically affect and possibly even endanger the functioning of the whole.
D)primitive people live in harmony and do not require contact with other cultures,nor do they undergo internal change.
E)society maintains a fragile balance that can be destroyed by any contact with an outside influence.

Question 22

All of the following are common causes of cultural change except:

A)ecological shifts.
B)cultural relativism.
C)foreign invasion.
D)new trade goods.
E)new technology.

Question 23

The most important symbolic aspect of culture is:

A)art.
B)language.
C)religion.
D)money.
E)politics.

Question 24

Which of the following statements is correct?

A)A society is a union of multiple cultures.
B)Human survival depends on every individual being fit.
C)A correctly functioning culture has consistency across all of its parts,though not necessarily harmony.
D)Unregulated self-gratification does not impact the society as a whole.
E)Although all individuals are not exactly the same,all are enculturated equally.

Question 25

What does Laura Nader mean when she says that the beauty industry and many plastic surgeons are involved in "standardizing" bodies?

A)They focus on the cultural body,treating others as in need of changes and adjustments to be culturally normal.
B)They are working to sell cosmetics only to people who meet cultural ideals and do not address their markets to other women.
C)They are not interested in selling their products anywhere but in the United States.
D)They work together and have the same advisory boards so that there will be no competition between each other's companies.
E)They are working on cloning experiences so that future people will have a perfect body.

Question 26

Most cultures are ethnocentric.In fact,the way that most societies name and refer to themselves is typically a word that translates into:

A)funny talkers.
B)the only adults.
C)true gods.
D)all people.
E)true human beings.

Question 27

__________________ set a new standard for fieldwork in anthropology through his research with the Trobriand people.

A)E.E.Evans-Pritchard
B)Claude Levi-Strauss
C)Bronislaw Malinowski
D)Ruth Benedict
E)Alfred Wallace

Question 28

The rule-governed relationships that hold a society together,with all their rights,duties,and obligations,are known as its:

A)constitution.
B)social structure.
C)cultural relativism.
D)laws.
E)ethnocentrism.

Question 29

As represented by the barrel model of culture,culture is an integrated system that responds to a combination of:

A)structural integrity.
B)ideology and religion.
C)international factors.
D)ethical integrity.
E)internal factors.

Question 30

What percentage of cosmetic procedures and nonsurgical procedures were done on women in the United States in 2011?

A)100
B)91
C)83
D)61
E)47

Question 31

The position that because cultures are unique,each one can be evaluated only according to its own standards and values is called:

A)ethnocentrism.
B)cultural relativism.
C)cultural materialism.
D)adaptation.
E)pluralism.

Question 32

Among the Kapauku Papuans of New Guinea,the fact that an attempt to eliminate warfare (which would create a balanced sex ratio)would affect the practice of polygyny,which would affect the economy (since women raise pigs,and the more wives a man has,the more pigs he can keep),shows that culture is:

A)materialistic.
B)relative.
C)pluralistic.
D)integrated.
E)enculturated.

Question 33

Which of the following is not an element associated with the barrel model of culture?

A)Interstructure
B)Social structure
C)Infrastructure
D)Superstructure
E)Environment

Question 34

Though pastoral nomadic peoples are often blamed for causing environmental degradation,the fault is often not theirs.Rather,in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa it is caused by:

A)unrestricted development.
B)a tremendous increase in tourism.
C)the ever-burgeoning use of off road vehicles.
D)governments that restrict their movements causing overgrazing.
E)global warming.

Question 35

Infrastructure can be best described as a society's:

A)subsistence system.
B)religious system.
C)political system.
D)domestic activities and daily life.
E)kinship system.

Question 36

Cultures respond to motions and actions within and around them because they are:

A)symbolic.
B)functional.
C)ethnocentric.
D)dynamic.
E)integrated.

Question 37

A society is held together by a shared sense of identity and worldview.This collective body of ideas allows a society to make sense of the world,its challenges,and opportunities.It is known as:

A)infrastructure.
B)cultural relativism.
C)superstructure.
D)religion.
E)structure.

Question 38

All of the following are signs that a culture is not adequately satisfying the needs and expectations of those who live by its rules except:

A)recovering environments.
B)high crime rate.
C)high delinquency rate.
D)malnutrition (including obesity).
E)emotional disorders.

Question 39

According to Bronislaw Malinowski,the nature of an institution is determined by its:

A)structure.
B)function.
C)culture.
D)superstructure.
E)infrastructure.

Question 40

All of the following statements about pluralistic societies are correct except:

A)these are societies in which two or more ethnic groups coexist within the same state.
B)together these societies comprise a nation.
C)pluralistic societies did not exist before about 5,000 years ago.
D)these societies have a more complex order than those states composed of a single ethnic group.
E)ethnocentrism can be maladaptive within pluralistic societies.

Question 41

George Esber worked with architects to create more culturally responsive houses for the Navajo.

Question 42

States are socially organized bodies of people who share ethnicity.

Question 43

Bronislaw Malinowski used standard methods of fieldwork for his work among the Trobriand.

Question 44

North American Indians form subcultures within the United States.

Question 45

Everything that humans do well is adaptive.

Question 46

Because of the objectivity of anthropological training,anthropologists are able to eliminate the biases that might affect their descriptions of culture in the field.

Question 47

A group of people without a common culture who are stranded together for a month on a desert island and who learn to work together for survival while they are there,may be said to constitute a society.

Question 48

All societies require the same degree of cultural uniformity in order to function properly.

Question 49

Behavior that has been adaptive at one time may become maladaptive later.

Question 50

To say that culture is shared means that all members of a society behave in the same way.

Question 51

A culture must strike a balance between the needs and desires of the individual and those of society as a whole.

Question 52

The most important symbolic aspect of culture is religion.

Question 53

A society's economic base is part of the superstructure.

Question 54

Cross-cultural studies show that homicide rates mostly decline after the death penalty is abolished.

Question 55

Every culture provides its members ways to think of the meaning of life and death.

Question 56

A larger culture is more likely to tolerate a subculture if their values and physical appearance are similar.

Question 57

Cattle herding is the mainstay around which all of Kapauku Papuan society revolves.

Question 58

Examples of socially learned behavior are particularly evident among other primates.

Question 59

Symbols are arbitrary.

Question 60

Most cultures are ethnocentric.

Question 61

How was the rise of the state linked to the emergence of plural societies?

Question 62

Name four signs of a culture that is not functioning well.

Question 63

What is by meant by several species of mammals having an "elementary culture"?

Question 64

How does the beauty industry reinforce the cultural ideal?

Question 65

Why is language the most important symbolic aspect of culture?

Question 66

Describe how the culture of the Kapauku is integrated.

Question 67

How did an anthropologist assist in house design for Apache Indians?

Question 68

Distinguish between the terms "society" and "culture."

Question 69

How can we evaluate how adaptive a culture is for its people? What are the signs of a culture that is functioning well and one that is stressed?

Question 70

What is cultural relativism?

Question 71

What is a subculture,and how do they fit within a larger society? Provide an example.

Question 72

What is cultural adaptation? Provide an example.

Question 73

What is a pluralistic society? Give an example of a country that is pluralistic in nature.

Question 74

How can ethnocentrism be maladaptive?

Question 75

What is the relationship between the individual and culture and society?

Question 76

What is the "barrel model of culture"?

Question 77

Describe the process by which culture is learned.

Question 78

What did Malinowski mean by biological,instrumental,and integrative needs that must be resolved by culture?

Question 79

Distinguish between a nation and a state.

Question 80

What are the characteristics of culture?