Deck 7: Language, Media, and Culture

Question 1

Why did Durkheim say that sociologists are interested in language?

A) Language may indicate how thought processes work.
B) The words in a language reveal what society thinks is unimportant.
C) Some languages have multiple levels of status to address.
D) In order to connect sociology to anthropology.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What prompted the work that led to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

A) Durkheim assigned researchers a study of language and thought.
B) They were searching for a way to reduce misunderstandings.
C) Sapir was trying to explain why some languages are so dissimilar.
D) Translators found that concepts are not exchangeable between languages.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Some languages have many ways to show respect to people, also known as ______.

A) heuristics
B) honorifics
C) statuses
D) hierarchies

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The Korean language has seven levels of respect that shape interactions. What can you infer about how Koreans may think from this?

A) Their society is very individualistic.
B) They value obedience and informality over freedom.
C) Korean society features limited social stratification.
D) Koreans may place a high value on respect and status.

Question 5

Jin is bringing his girlfriend Becky home to meet his very traditional Korean parents for the first time. Becky is NOT Korean, so what could cause problems if she is not careful?

A) Greeting Jin's parents too informally could be offensive.
B) She must avoid any public display of affection with Jin.
C) Becky should assume she is a welcome part of the family.
D) Showing too much emotion and smiling too much could be awkward.

Question 6

According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, what may result if society uses more gender neutral words, like congressperson?

A) People will be angry about this political correctness movement.
B) Traditionally male jobs will be taken over by women.
C) Society may become more egalitarian as language affects thought.
D) The economy will grow because women will be paid more.

Question 7

Hoewe's research involving refugees was interested in examining ______.

A) why refugees leave their country voluntarily
B) how media coverage influences thought
C) how language affects immigrant patterns in war-torn countries
D) how refugees described themselves before and after fleeing

Question 8

Which research method is most appropriate for reviewing documents to look for patterns?

A) Interviews
B) Surveys
C) Experiments
D) Content analysis

Question 9

Hoewe found in her research that U.S.-based newspapers are more likely to confuse the terms immigrant and refugee. Why is that a problem?

A) The term immigrant is often paired with the word terrorist, making these people seem sinister.
B) Most immigrants come to the United States in order to change its culture to be like their own.
C) It is only a problem for people obssessed with politically-correct language usage.
D) The term refugee engenders less sympathy than immigrant, because the latter move purposely.

Question 10

How did computer assisted coding help Hoewe in her research?

A) Computers do not catch nuance, so they are of limited utility.
B) It allowed for a higher volume of articles to be quantified.
C) Hoewe could run experiments while the computers crunched the words.
D) She was able to collect a great deal more qualitative data.

Question 11

Which four newspapers did Hoewe compare in her research?

A) The Detroit Free Press, The Baltimore Sun, The Daily Telegraph, and Chicago Tribune
B) Washington Post, Washington Examiner, The Toledo Blade, and Hartfod Currant
C) The New York Times, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, and The Daily Telegraph
D) USA Today, Wall Street Journal, St. Louis Dispatch, and New Orleans Picayune

Question 12

How did Hoewe choose the newspapers for her research on word usage?

A) Hoewe tried to balance conservative and liberal viewpoints in the newspapers she chose.
B) U.S. based newspapers had to be represented because Hoewe was using government grant money.
C) Newspapers that were known for confusing the words immigrant and refugee were chosen.
D) She needed newspapers with international news coverage based inside and outside the United States.

Question 13

The technology and processes that make it possible to communicate from a sender to a receiver are known as ______.

A) media
B) sources
C) television
D) content

Question 14

How many hours a week does an average American adult spend watching television and consuming online media?

A) 28
B) 36
C) 64
D) 109

Question 15

What did Marshall McLuhan mean by the statement, "the medium is the message"?

A) He meant that the form the message takes, as well as the content of the message, can change people and societies.
B) McLuhan meant that the form of the message is more important than the content of the message.
C) Messages should always be given in the most engaging form to ensure that people will pay attention.
D) People can only fully appreciate messages that are given in a combination of media forms, like an audio-visual message

Question 16

Why did Gutenberg's printing press catch on more than the one invented in China approximately 400 years before?

A) More Europeans knew how to read than Chinese people.
B) Chinese is a harder language to render in print.
C) Gutenberg's version was easier to use and more efficient.
D) There was less demand in China for machine copied books.

Question 17

What major change did the printing press inspire?

A) People became more reliant on others for information.
B) Rich elites lost control of infomation because books became more accessible.
C) Most people left the Catholic church after reading their own Bibles.
D) Martin Luther controlled the Catholic Church after mass producing his 95 Theses.

Question 18

How did the printing press lead to an increase in individualism?

A) Banks began printing personal checks for customers to purchase goods.
B) Printed instructions could now be included when someone bought goods, leading to increased trade.
C) Books became less expensive, so people could buy their own and not rely on elites for information.
D) Books could now be copyrighted and new authors could make a comfortable living.

Question 19

How did the printing press allow for change in the religous status quo in Europe?

A) The critique of the Catholic Church, The 95 Theses, was reprinted numerous times, leading to Protestantism.
B) The Catholic Church increased its power by distributing copies of the trial of Martin Luther.
C) More Europeans learned Arabic in order to understand and embrace Islam.
D) Many converted to Judiasm after experiencing the beauty of the Torah in printed form.

Question 20

How did the printing press expand the topics people could study and produce?

A) The Catholic Church began sponsoring books on various topics.
B) It became fashionable for monarchs to write and publish autobiographies.
C) Printing is cheaper, so more writers could be published on different topics.
D) Gutenberg had eclectic tastes and printed new authors' books for free.

Question 21

What is one advantage of getting information from the Internet?

A) Online information is carefully checked for accuracy.
B) A huge amount of information is freely available online.
C) Illegally copied books can be shared online for free.
D) Internet access is inexpensive enough for everyone.

Question 22

How did the printing press change the lives of common people ?

A) Books became more expensive due to imported exotic materials used.
B) Religious leaders were able to control information more effectively.
C) People started having to carry identification papers when they traveled.
D) More people became literate and better able to change their circumstances.

Question 23

Why were books made before the printing press unavailable to most people?

A) Monks spend months writing and illustrating books by hand, making them too expensive for most people.
B) The Catholic Church marked up the price of books in order to increase profits from their sales.
C) Distribution was inefficient due to a lack of passable roads and dangerous sea shipping routes.
D) Most people could not afford to travel to cities where books were made and offered for sale.

Question 24

When a few companies control most of the media, the situation is known as ______.

A) capitalism
B) the invisible hand of the market
C) corporate concentration
D) conglomeration

Question 25

What is the trend in media corporate concentration in the United States?

A) Fewer corporations now own more of the media.
B) The government is taking control of more media outlets.
C) Local people are buying their local television stations.
D) People are boycotting corporate owned media outlets.

Question 26

What term represents the willingness of media to air programs concerning the issues of minorities, different sexual orientations, and different social classes?

A) Idea diversity
B) Demographic diversity
C) Representation
D) Minority representation

Question 27

What is one consequence of the corporate concentration of media?

A) Loss of privacy
B) More program choices
C) Reduced idea diversity
D) More demographic diversity

Question 28

What did Chomsky and Herman warn would be a consequence of concentrated media ownership?

A) Elites will control a major source of socialization and legitimize norms that benefit them.
B) Nepotism will put unqualified people in places of power within media conglomerates.
C) New ideas will be given equal time to ideas that support and maintain the status quo.
D) Corporate competition will lead to a clash of ideas and possibly a more polarized electorate.

Question 29

What percentage of speaking roles in the top 100 movies of 2015 were filled by LGBTQ characters?

A) Less than 1%
B) 4%
C) 6%
D) 11%

Question 30

What effect did Martins and Harrison document regarding effects of the lack of diversity in media on children?

A) Most children grow up with a strong urge to change the status quo and help others.
B) The self-esteem of all young people decreased, since their issues are not addressed.
C) White males suffered decreased self-esteem, but minorities showed increases.
D) Self-esteem for minorities decreased, and increased for white males.

Question 31

How can diversity in casting for television shows benefit corporations?

A) Programs with diverse casts have lower production costs.
B) Shows with diverse casts get higher ratings.
C) If the cast is comprised of only minorities, the ratings soar.
D) A diverse cast makes people assume the corporation is diverse, too.

Question 32

Sheena is an African-American child. According to Martins and Harrison's research, if she regularly views television and movie characters that look like her, what is the most likely effect on her self-esteem?

A) It will not change, due to other factors in society.
B) She will know the gesture is empty and her self-esteem will decline.
C) Her self-esteem will increase because mass media socializes attitudes.
D) There will be a temporary boost to her self-esteem, but no change long term.

Question 33

In Martins and Harrison's research on telvision characterizations, they found that ______ are usually depicted as strong and rational, and ______as unruly or menacing.

A) white women; white men
B) white men; black men
C) black women; black men
D) women; men

Question 34

What research method did Hunt use in his UCLA study to reveal that television shows with lower levels of diversity garner lower ratings?

A) Survey
B) Interview
C) Content analysis
D) Experiment

Question 35

In 2016, 93% of members in the Oscars Academy were white. Why has it been so difficult to increase diversity in the membership of this group?

A) New members must be sponsored, and most people only have friends that look like them.
B) It has only been recently that more minorities have become directors and been cast in leading roles.
C) Minority screenwriters, actors, and directors have long boycotted the Oscars, so few want to be involved.
D) Few minorities are earn enough money to be in the upper class, which is a requirement of Academy membership.

Question 36

How did the effort to diversify membership in the Motion Picture Academy affect subsequent awards shows?

A) Backlash against the movement limited any advancements.
B) More minority actors and directors were nominated for Oscars.
C) Minority actors were offered more leading roles in films.
D) Screenwriters changed they way they portray minority characters.

Question 37

Developed in the last few decades, what incorporates interactive, digital, and on demand features?

A) Compact discs
B) Print media
C) New media
D) Digital photography

Question 38

What subset of new media allows the creation and sharing of information in online communities?

A) Cable television
B) Social media
C) Broadband
D) On demand book printing

Question 39

What type of social media is Twitter?

A) Social networks
B) Blog or microblog
C) Collaborative project
D) Virtual game world

Question 40

Which type of social media is classified as a collaborative project?

A) Wikipedia
B) YouTube
C) Second Life
D) Twitter

Question 41

How has the Internet changed social norms in South Korea?

A) Divorce is now outlawed, but men are allowed to have affairs.
B) Women have gained more rights, and the divorce rate increased.
C) The double standard of behavior for men and women is stronger.
D) More people are getting off the grid to protect their privacy.

Question 42

How can the concept of digital democracy influence changes in non-virtual spaces?

A) Easy access to information leads to endless online arguments that alienate friends.
B) Social media allows people to convince strangers to change their minds on issues.
C) Americans can voice discontent with their government and organize large protests.
D) Some governments censor the Internet to suppress dissenting viewpoints.

Question 43

Despite the wide variety of information and viewpoints available to those who use the Internet, how are our online habits similar to our offline habits?

A) We tend to find community with like-minded people and reinforce existing opinions..
B) People seek out opposing views and have conversations to clarify differences.
C) People are more polite and compassionate when online anonymously.
D) Most people only look for information that challenges their existing biases.

Question 44

Some people dismissed the ALS viral ice bucket challenge as a fad, but it did have what positive effect?

A) The money it raised led to a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS.
B) It raised $100 million and funded the MinE project that could help.
C) More people were made aware of ALS, but little money was raised.
D) Money raised was given to sufferers to ease their pain.

Question 45

Repeatedly and purposely harming someone by using a computer or other electronic devices is known as ______.

A) phishing
B) online piracy
C) discrimination
D) cyberbullying

Question 46

Which group is least likely to have access to the Internet?

A) Young people
B) Seniors
C) Upper classes
D) Urban dwellers

Question 47

How can Internet access be helpful in countries without democratic governments?

A) Schools can download books instead of buying paper copies.
B) People can organize protests and find information that could be censored.
C) Elections can be run completely online with no verifying ballots needed.
D) The population can be distracted from their plight with social media.

Question 48

What does research indicate about how viewing violent media might influence children?

A) Studies have been inconclusive on the effect of violent media.
B) Children become better able to confront those threatening them.
C) They could become desensitized to the pain of others.
D) Violence in media reduces the likelihood of kids being violent.

Question 49

What strategy empowers people to analyze and interpret messages they get from the media and think more critically?

A) Media literacy
B) Philosophy
C) Essentialism
D) Desensitization

Question 50

What is the first stage in training to consume media intelligently?

A) Learning skills needed to evaluate media messages.
B) Questioning why messages are sent and to whom.
C) Becoming aware of all the media one consumes.
D) Avoiding media, a sort of diet to cleanse the mind.

Question 51

Renee is in the second stage of media literacy training in which she learns specific skills of critical viewing. These include ______.

A) learning to notice why media features certain types of people more
B) asking why so many messages are relevant only to the wealthy
C) finding out what media she is consuming now and why
D) knowing when to create her own media messages to counter others

Question 52

The third stage of media literacy features ______.

A) constructing and sharing messages for our own purposes
B) analyzing messages and what might have been left out
C) paying attention to the media we consume and diversifying it
D) learning the purposes of messages and who benefits from them

Question 53

What type of message would media literacy most likely help people resist?

A) Heartwarming romantic comedies
B) Political messages meant to mislead
C) Modeling of healthy habits like exercise
D) Viewing average-sized people in clothing advertisements

Question 54

Why is National Public Radio (NPR) considered an alternate media outlet?

A) It maintains a balance between different ideologies in content.
B) The money to run it comes from public and government sources.
C) It mostly attracts people between the ages of 18-34.
D) Messages provided by NPR supports official government views.

Question 55

How is alternative media different from traditional media?

A) Alternative media is controlled by corporations.
B) Alternative media supports the mainstream view.
C) Alternative media is one-way from producer to consumer.
D) Alternative media allows comments that help shape it.

Question 56

One major characteristic of alternative media is ______.

A) messages are often subversive
B) corporations control the message
C) the information is presented traditionally
D) the news is unidirectional

Question 57

Lakshmi switched from working for traditional to alternative media to avoid ______.

A) dealing with controlling her message herself, as corporations do it better
B) having her message used only for profit, rather than change
C) letting consumers dilute her message too much with comments
D) using new, creative ways to distribute or package her message

Question 58

Frank designs a website to present stories with video and music to increase their appeal to his nontraditional audience. He most likely works for ______.

A) network news
B) a newspaper chain
C) bloggers
D) a monthly print magazine

Question 59

Jon makes a weekly podcast to discuss current events and controversial issues, making his message an example of ______ media.

A) alternative
B) traditional
C) corporate
D) broadcast

Question 60

How could alternative media resist the trend toward more media concentration?

A) Pirate radio stations could run stories to reduce the worry over media concentration.
B) Bloggers could collaborate with corporate media to make a profit.
C) Community-run newspapers could expose information that indicates corporate abuse.
D) Public television could help people get jobs in corporate media conglomerates.

Question 61

Sociology is concerned with human interaction and behavior, but NOT language.

Question 62

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis indicates that each of the 7,000 human languages presents a different way of thinking.

Question 63

The English language has seven levels of respect used to mark conversational formality.

Question 64

The printing press led to increased individualism and democracy.

Question 65

Catholicism was weakened by the invention of the printing press.

Question 66

Mass media is important because of the sheer amount consumed by people every day.

Question 67

Only six corporations own 90% of the media in the United States.

Question 68

Idea diversity refers to the number of viewpoints expressed in the media marketplace.

Question 69

A study of the top 100 films of 2015 showed that only about 30% of the speaking roles were female.

Question 70

South Korea is considered the first digital democracy.

Question 71

Tinder and Grindr are NOT considered legitimate social media.

Question 72

Social media is changing norms and expectations about how people interact.

Question 73

One third of American teenagers using the Internet are victims of cyberbullying or cyberstalking.

Question 74

Alternative media is based on the profit motive.

Question 75

Blogs are a type of alternative media.

Question 76

In the German language, all people and inanimate objects have a gender: male, female, or neuter. Evaluate this using the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. What can you infer about a language that uses gender in this way? Can a society with a language using gender in this way be truly egalitarian? Why or why not?

Question 77

Compare and contrast the invention of the printing press to the invention of the Internet in regards to effects on society and distribution of power. Have there been any downsides to these inventions?

Question 78

Trace and evaluate the trend toward corporate concentration of media. What problems could arise from this trend? Use details and examples to support your answer.

Question 79

Describe six types of social media and include examples. How has social media changed our norms and expectations in regard to interpersonal interactions?

Question 80

Explain at least three effects of the digital divide and suggest plausible ways to remedy them. Be sure to include effects inside and outside of the United States.