Deck 2: Culture

Question 1

A person who professes a belief in freedom and equality but also demonstrates behavior that is sexist and racist is involved in a value contradiction.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A group's way of thinking, including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world, is classified as material culture.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Language allows culture to develop by freeing people to move beyond their immediate experiences.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Sociologists agree that human behavior has been bred into us through evolutionary principles.

Question 5

The author's description of the arrival of the Hmong in America illustrates that culture shock is experienced by people all over the world and not just Americans.

Question 6

A person receiving a positive sanction would be expected to maintain the behavior that he or she exhibited when receiving the sanction.

Question 7

Culture becomes the lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on around us.

Question 8

Because America is made up of many different groups, it is classified as being a pluralistic society.

Question 9

By definition, subcultures are a threat to the mainstream culture.

Question 10

Viewing bullfighting from its history, its folklore, its ideas of bravery, and its concepts about sex roles is an example of cultural relativism.

Question 11

There is nothing "natural" about material or nonmaterial culture.

Question 12

Madagascar's cultural practice of famadihana, dancing with the dead, is an example of what Robert Edgerton would have considered an inferior cultural practice that does not deserve the application of cultural relativism.

Question 13

According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, language is nothing more than common sense expressed in words and gestures.

Question 14

Groups are more prone to changing their material culture before they change their nonmaterial culture.

Question 15

When the Mormons first established their settlement in Utah, they would have been classified a counterculture because at the time they believed in the practice of polygyny.

Question 16

Cultural lag refers to a situation in which elements of nonmaterial culture (such as norms and values) change, but elements of material culture (such as technology) do not.

Question 17

Ethnocentrism is purely a negative trait with no redeeming qualities.

Question 18

Culture wars not only identify differences in values and norms, but they may also result in violence and strife among members of the same society.

Question 19

The Ten Commandments, the U.S. Constitution, and the penal code of a major city are all examples of folkways.

Question 20

When on "moral holiday," norms are expected to be broken.

Question 21

In 1906, sociologist William Sumner made the comment, "One's own group is the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it." This statement is most aligned with the concept of ________.

A) cultural relativism
B) ethnocentrism
C) the relativist fallacy
D) the cultural universal

Question 22

Sociologists use the concept of "norms" to describe ________.

A) standards by which people define what is socially desirable
B) expressions of disapproval for violating socially acceptable behavior
C) ideas about what is true or false
D) expectations or rules of behavior that develop from values

Question 23

Harry is in the campus dining hall and has chosen a cheeseburger and fries rather than a veggie burger. Harvey, a fraternity playboy, claims he has only dated the most beautiful women on campus. Horace considers earning an "A" in a course far superior than a "C" or even a "B." What do Harry, Harvey, and Horace have in common?

A) They are all practicing ethnocentrism in their daily decision making.
B) They are all employing the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.
C) They are expressing their own values in the choices they make.
D) They are all experiencing culture shock.

Question 24

Without language, human culture would ________.

A) live in the past and have no concept of the future
B) focus more on plans and actions instead of talk
C) be little more advanced than lower primates
D) have to become totally dependent upon memory

Question 25

Anthropologists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf concluded that ________.

A) objects and events force themselves onto our consciousness
B) language creates ways of thinking and perceiving
C) symbols are the basis of human relationships
D) learning a new language creates cultural diversity

Question 26

All of the following statements are accurate regarding language, EXCEPT for which one?

A) Language is the primary method people use to communicate with one another.
B) Language is based on a series of symbols that can be strung together in an infinite number of ways.
C) Language is universal in terms of the meaning of particular sounds.
D) Language allows culture to exist.

Question 27

In his book, Sick Societies, anthropologist Robert Edgerton proposed that cultures should be evaluated on their "quality of life" and not just automatically accepted. This is contrary to which of the following sociological concepts?

A) symbolic culture
B) cultural relativism
C) Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
D) culture shock

Question 28

Clarisse and Cindy are honor students who conduct themselves in a mature manner at the Christian college they attend in Philadelphia. This year for spring break, they decided to go to Cancun, where they auditioned for the "Girls Gone Wild" video. Which statement best describes the probable reason behind the behavior of Clarisse and Cindy?

A) Clarisse and Cindy unintentionally broke a taboo due to the stress, authoritarianism, and strict regime involved in Christian education.
B) Clarisse and Cindy considered themselves on a moral holiday, which permitted them to "let their hair down."
C) Clarisse and Cindy were evil spirited at heart and their true behavior surfaced in Cancun.
D) Clarisse pushed Cindy, or Cindy pushed Clarisse, into violating their Christian norms and deciding to "go wild."

Question 29

If Alice came to class wearing a soiled and torn blouse, she would be violating a ________. But if Alice came to class not wearing a blouse (or any other garment), she would be violating a ________.

A) norm; folkway
B) folkway; more
C) more; law
D) folkway; value

Question 30

Anthropologist Ralph Linton said, "The last thing a fish would ever notice would be water." What does this imply about culture?

A) Culture is taken for granted by members of society who share it.
B) There is only one acceptable method of doing any particular job.
C) Every culture establishes firm standards by which it functions.
D) Water is symbolic and has nothing to do with the statement.

Question 31

Symbols can be strung together in an infinite number of ways for the purpose of communicating abstract thought. This is referred to as ________.

A) technology
B) gesture
C) language
D) pattern

Question 32

The two anthropologists who studied the Hopi Indians and concluded that language has embedded within it ways of looking at the world were ________.

A) Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf
B) Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin
C) Karl Marx and Frederick Engels
D) Frank Parker and Craig Donovan

Question 33

Jewelry, art, hairstyles, and clothing each represent examples of ________.

A) high culture
B) nonmaterial culture
C) material culture
D) low culture

Question 34

Language, beliefs, values, norms, behavior, material objects, and technology that are passed from one generation to the next by members of society describe ________.

A) culture
B) tradition
C) science
D) experience

Question 35

The refusal of Christians to accept Islam as a valid religion is a form of ________, while the sincere effort to understand the practice of having multiple wives in some societies is a form of ________.

A) public sociology; culture shock
B) value contradiction; value cluster
C) ethnocentrism; cultural relativism
D) culture shock; cultural diffusion

Question 36

Receiving the Medal of Honor and making the Dean's List are both examples of ________.

A) value contradictions
B) folkways
C) positive sanctions
D) value clusters

Question 37

When Harry returned from a business meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, his wife asked him what he thought of the Vietnamese people. Harry replied, "They're primitive people who eat animals from the streets, drive wildly around town on motor scooters, and talk very fast." Harry's reply best qualifies as an example of ________.

A) ethnocentrism
B) cultural diffusion
C) the self-fulfilling prophecy
D) the relativist fallacy

Question 38

In America, why is Spanish, rather than English, continuously spoken from generation to generation, with greater commitment than any other non-English speaking language?

A) Spanish is spoken worldwide much more commonly than English.
B) English is one of the most difficult languages to learn.
C) For many Spanish speakers, learning English violates the allegiance to their native countries.
D) There is a constant influx of new Hispanic immigrants into the U.S.

Question 39

While in the Peace Corps, Kristina enjoyed a delicious Cambodian dinner that included several entrees. Later that evening she was told that one of the entrees was roast dog, the same canine Kristina was playing with the day before. At this point Kristina became ill and swore she would be a vegetarian as long as she was in Cambodia. Which statement most applies to Kristina's experience?

A) Kristina was practicing cultural relativism.
B) Kristina experienced culture shock.
C) Kristina was introduced to new folkways.
D) Kristina experienced a facet of globalization.

Question 40

The author's experience in Morocco, which included the absence of women from public positions, intense stares directed at him, pushing and shoving at the train station, and total disregard for sanitation by food vendors, left the author with a profound sense of ________.

A) ethnocentrism
B) culture shock
C) cultural relativity
D) stereotyping

Question 41

Lamont believes in democracy and equality, and when asked to describe himself he cites his appreciation for people of all races and ethnic heritages. But at the same time, Lamont believes women should not be in the armed services and he avoids taking courses from female professors. In view of this, which statement best describes Lamont?

A) Lamont holds a value cluster of achievement and success, equality, and freedom.
B) Lamont is suffering from value strain.
C) Lamont is a victim of role conflict due to his multiple statuses.
D) Lamont is engaged in value contradiction.

Question 42

People from all walks of life, races, religions, and ethnic groups participate in the U.S. legislative process. In view of this, which term best describes American society?

A) America is a polytheistic society.
B) America is a society of subcultures and countercultures.
C) America is a pluralistic society.
D) America is based on the principles of oligarchy.

Question 43

Several years ago, the gay community applied for a permit to march in the St. Patrick Day's Parade in Boston. When denied, the gay community filed suit and won. Rather than permitting the gay community to march in the parade, the parade trustees cancelled the event. Sociologists would suggest this conflict in values between the trustees of the parade and the gay community would eventually lead to ________.

A) consensus that gays are evil because they caused a traditional event to be cancelled
B) social change that brings attention to gay rights and eventual acceptance
C) social integration of the gay and straight communities resulting in a bisexual society
D) armed conflict, or "cultural war, " between the gay and straight communities

Question 44

Americans glorify academic progress and material success. However, most students do not graduate with honors and most citizens are not wealthy. This condition characterizes the difference between ________ and ________.

A) material culture; symbolic culture
B) ideal culture; real culture
C) real culture; symbolic culture
D) unrealistic culture; realistic culture

Question 45

Many fundamentalist Christians lobby for laws making same-sex marriage illegal. Gays and lesbians consider same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage as basic human rights. Which concept best describes the relationship between these fundamentalist Christians and the gay/lesbian community?

A) culture shock on both sides
B) differences in norms and folkways
C) different symbols and languages
D) culture war due to conflicting values

Question 46

Most American high schools routinely schedule ceremonies to recognize the most talented student athletes and scholars. Such activities illustrate the importance that Americans place on which value, as defined by sociologist Robin Williams?

A) efficiency and practicality
B) achievement and success
C) group superiority
D) freedom

Question 47

Of the five interrelated core values emerging in American society, the one that is reflected in the "human potential" movement that focuses on "self help, relating, and personal development" is ________.

A) leisure
B) romantic love
C) physical fitness
D) self-fulfillment

Question 48

Every December, many Jewish families celebrate Chanukah, the "festival of lights," during which special foods are served, rituals are practiced, and traditional activities take place that are unique to this faith. In this context, members of the Jewish faith would represent which concept?

A) folkway
B) counterculture
C) subculture
D) moral holiday place

Question 49

When a group has a distinctive way of looking at life, but at the same time its values and norms reflect the dominant culture of its society, the group would be considered a(n) ________.

A) counterculture
B) example of cultural relativism
C) example of cultural diffusion
D) subculture

Question 50

Which of Williams' U.S. values is contradicts the other values of freedom, democracy, and equality?

A) science and technology
B) material comfort
C) group superiority
D) religiosity

Question 51

The sociologist who identified ten underlying core values of American society was ________.

A) Michael Burawoy
B) Edward Wilson
C) Robin Williams
D) John Jacob Natzke

Question 52

Americans usually recognize hard work, education, and efficiency as desired qualities. Where one of these qualities is found, the other two also apply. This is an example of ________.

A) emergent values
B) a value cluster
C) cultural leveling
D) a normative cluster

Question 53

Sociologists have identified an emerging set of five interrelated values in American society. What are these emerging values?

A) self-destiny, spirituality, environmental concern, technological awareness, and physical fitness
B) leisure, self-fulfillment, physical fitness, youthfulness, and environmental concern
C) freedom, equality, romantic love, youthfulness, and physical fitness
D) romantic love, individualism, mental health, self-fulfillment, and equality

Question 54

The author added three values to the original list of ten core values that Robin Williams identified as the most common in American society. Which of the following is NOT one of the three values added?

A) education
B) religiosity
C) equality
D) romantic love

Question 55

The anthropologist who gathered data on hundreds of groups around the world to compare their customs, and then concluded that specific customs differed from one group to another, was ________.

A) Benjamin Whorf
B) Edward Wilson
C) Edward Sapir
D) George Murdock

Question 56

All of the following statements are examples of countercultures, EXCEPT for which one?

A) bikers in an outlaw motorcycle club
B) Chicago Cubs fans
C) individuals advocating the legalization of prostitution
D) gang members operating in the San Quentin prison

Question 57

Good nutrition, medical care, comfortable housing, and a nice car are included in a classification of values in American society that sociologist Robin Williams would call ________.

A) achievement and success
B) progress
C) material comfort
D) efficiency and practicality

Question 58

From a sociological perspective, which statement best classifies 19th century Mormons and 21st century physicians?

A) Both would be classified as subcultures.
B) Both would be classified as countercultures.
C) The Mormons would be classified a counterculture and the physicians as a subculture.
D) The Mormons would be classified a subculture and the physicians as a counterculture.

Question 59

Courtney raises champion sheep, Joe is a cab driver in New York, and Rufus is a member of the RAW family of professional wrestling. What do Courtney, Joe, and Rufus have in common?

A) They are all members of countercultures.
B) They are all engaged in ethnocentrism.
C) They are all practicing cultural relativism.
D) They are all members of subcultures.

Question 60

At the Back to Nature Nudist Colony, Ernie and Morello take a walk every morning along the beach, totally nude. Within the colony, which statement best describes the behavior of Ernie and Morello?

A) They are conforming to the folkways of their subculture.
B) They are violating a more of their society.
C) They are challenging a taboo of their counterculture.
D) They are showing a need for cultural relativism.

Question 61

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

Question 62

Understanding a culture in its own terms, and from the perspective of those who practice that culture, is referred to as ________.

Question 63

Today we can type our symptoms into a computer search engine and often find out why we are sick, what condition we may have, and how we might treat it. But we still go to see a doctor. This is an example of ________.

A) cultural lag
B) cultural leveling
C) ideal culture versus real culture
D) cultural norms versus cultural folkways

Question 64

The emerging tools and the skills needed to use them, which have a significant impact on social life, are called ________.

A) nonmaterial culture
B) cultural lag
C) sociocultural evolution
D) new technology

Question 65

Pigs, spiders, elephants, and other animals that rely solely on instinct act as they do because they lack a ________.

A) cerebral cortex
B) brain
C) central nervous system
D) moral compass

Question 66

The term "cultural lag," referring to the varying ________ among elements within cultures, was coined by sociologist ________.

A) countercultures; Talcott Parsons
B) subcultures; Douglas Massey
C) rates of change; William Ogburn
D) types of symbols; Edmund Wilson

Question 67

Although computers are supplied by the university, many professors never quite learn how to use them. Others feel they might break them so they avoid trying anything new. Others save data to their hard drive but also make a paper copy to keep. Such behavior is an example of ________.

A) cultural lag
B) cultural leveling
C) positive sanction
D) negative sanction

Question 68

The automobile, and the skills needed to drive it, would be an example of ________.

A) nonmaterial culture
B) technology
C) cultural leveling
D) cultural adaptation

Question 69

Within a few blocks in midtown Manhattan, you can purchase a bagel with cream cheese, a hot dog, a steak, a polish sausage, or a pizza, as well as chow mein, lamb curry, sushi, lasagna, falafels, chicken couscous, enchiladas, and a host of ethnic specialties. This range of culinary possibilities illustrates the process of ________.

A) cultural absolutism
B) cultural discovery
C) cultural diffusion
D) cultural innovation

Question 70

Why is nonmaterial culture also called symbolic culture?

Question 71

McDonald's sells Quarter Pounders in Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, Berlin, and practically every other major city in the world. Mickey Mouse and Fred Flintstone are among the most popular cartoon figures in Mexico. These are examples of ________.

A) cultural leveling
B) cultural folkways
C) cultural universals
D) value clusters

Question 72

The spread of cultural characteristics from one group to another refers to ________.

A) folkways
B) cultural diffusion
C) values
D) cultural universals

Question 73

What is language?

Question 74

Three of the following terms are interchangeable. Which one does NOT belong with the other three?

A) sociobiology
B) neo-Darwinism
C) social learning
D) evolutionary psychology

Question 75

Sociologists are now developing what they call _________, which emphasizes the influence of genes on human behavior.

A) technological sociology
B) scientific sociology
C) gene sociology
D) genetics-informed sociology

Question 76

Why can gestures lead to misunderstanding and embarrassment?

Question 77

In recent years, cultures have become more similar to each other as a result of travel and communication. Sociologists use the term "________" to describe this process.

A) cultural bridging
B) cultural adaptation
C) cultural dissolution
D) cultural leveling

Question 78

The concept of natural selection, which proposed that genes of a species are not distributed evenly among the offspring, thus enabling certain members of the species to survive while others die out, was developed by ________.

A) Charles Darwin
B) Herbert Spencer
C) William Ogburn
D) Edmund Wilson

Question 79

What is the difference between material and nonmaterial culture?

Question 80

Why did anthropologist Robert Edgerton challenge unconditional cultural relativism?