Deck 4: Building Order: Culture and History

Question 1

The expectation that you should place your napkin in your lap before you begin eating is an example of a _________ in the United States.

A)folkway
B)sanction
C)codification
D)emulsifier

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The shared knowledge,beliefs,customs,and symbols of a society are called its

A)subculture.
B)material culture.
C)nonmaterial culture.
D)counterculture.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Habits such as whether one squats or stands when waiting for the bus,or whether one sits in a chair or on the floor when eating,are usually defined by one's

A)lifestyle.
B)culture.
C)wealth.
D)status.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Laws that prohibit nonconsensual sex are examples of

A)sanctions.
B)mores.
C)folkways.
D)norms.

Question 5

The library building on the Norwich University campus is an example of

A)a subculture.
B)material culture.
C)nonmaterial culture.
D)an institution.

Question 6

How is the well-being of the U.S.population gauged today?

A)by measuring the number of children per household
B)by measuring the gross national product
C)by measuring the median education level per household
D)by measuring average number of patient hospitalizations per state

Question 7

Which term most accurately describes the American approach to medicine?

A)spiritual
B)anecdotal
C)subdued
D)aggressive

Question 8

Transnational media,global communications,and international migration have all contributed to

A)an increase in cultural purity.
B)global support of U.S.cultural traditions.
C)a reduction in the use of English as a second language.
D)the global exchange of cultural elements.

Question 9

A society's "'design for living'" is called its

A)subculture.
B)counterculture.
C)nonmaterial culture.
D)nomenclature.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is a definition of mores?

A)a set of norms that dictate how someone should behave when sick
B)patterns of dining etiquette that are widely accepted and expected in a society
C)highly codified and formal norms that result in severe punishment when violated
D)a social response that discourages violations of a social norm

Question 11

Which statement about culture is most accurate?

A)Human beings often question their own culture.
B)Culture is most effective when it is unnoticed.
C)The products of culture must all be tangible in an effective society.
D)Culture is a static entity that remains stable throughout time.

Question 12

What is female genital mutilation/cutting?

A)a new psychiatric condition found among teen girls in the United States and Western Europe
B)the removal of a young girl's clitoris and/or the destruction of her labia and vulva
C)a procedure performed by husbands on their wives after they are married
D)a Ukrainian practice meant to increase female fertility and the likelihood of bearing male offspring

Question 13

Saying the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the school day and observing the Fourth of July are displays of

A)cultural loyalty.
B)anglocentrism.
C)material culture.
D)subculture affiliation.

Question 14

Anthropologist Susan Blum's research on cheating at colleges and universities found that cheating often resulted from

A)the cesspool of immorality.
B)a rampant cheating subculture.
C)the clash of two distinct age-specific subcultures.
D)parental pressure placed on children to succeed.

Question 15

Automobiles,iPads,and Big Macs are examples of _____culture.

A)scientific
B)nonmaterial
C)material
D)nonenvironmental

Question 16

What was Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo's ethnocentric assumption in their study of poor families in 13 different countries?

A)Poor families should spend their money on food,clothing and other basic necessities.
B)Poor families should not be seen with any signs of wealth.
C)Rich families should do more to help poorer families.
D)Rich families are more intelligent than poor families.

Question 17

Excommunicating a man who has violated the moral doctrine of his church is an example of a

A)sanction.
B)more.
C)folkway.
D)norm.

Question 18

What are culture smart cards?

A)cards carried by U.S.military personnel that instructs them on appropriate behavior in foreign countries
B)a game played in Iran that is not understood in other Persian countries
C)cards used in China to help children memorize standardized test items
D)a packet carried by Samoans that is placed on the graves of deceased loved ones

Question 19

In the United States,behaviors such as burping or spitting in public are considered violations of

A)sanctions.
B)mores.
C)folkways.
D)laws.

Question 20

Which of the following is a type of nonmaterial culture?

A)artwork
B)literature
C)food
D)knowledge

Question 21

Sitting still,raising a hand for permission to speak,and coming to class on time are __________ that govern classroom behavior in our culture.

A)values
B)norms
C)sanctions
D)laws

Question 22

Prior to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games,the International Olympic Committee made what important decision about the games?

A)It mandated body cavity searches for all spectators and participants.
B)It implemented gender neutral bathrooms in all Olympic arenas.
C)It allowed transsexuals who had undergone sex reassignment surgery and who had also been legally recognized as a member of the "new" sex to compete in the games.
D)It approved the sanctioning of culturally inappropriate behavior.

Question 23

Compared to European women,American women are more likely to

A)undergo a radical mastectomy.
B)deliver their babies by cesarean section.
C)have a hysterectomy in their 40s.
D)All of the above

Question 24

A sociologist studying child-rearing in a small religious group observes that many parents often withhold food and water from their children who have misbehaved.Though the sociologist personally disapproves of this practice,she maintains that it must be understood within the context of the culture in which it occurs.This orientation to practices is an example of

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

Question 25

Which of the following examples illustrates the heteronormative culture of American society?

A)the passing of laws allowing same-sex marriage
B)the increase in women seeking women options on many online dating services
C)increased education about gender stereotypes in schools
D)the flood of advertising depicting men and women romantically linked

Question 26

These social responses are intended to punish or otherwise discourage violations of social norms:

A)folkways
B)sanctions
C)rudiments
D)dichotomies

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the sexual dichotomy?

A)Male and female are assumed to be biologically determined.
B)Males and female are exhaustive categories.
C)Male and female are exclusive categories.
D)Male and female are fluid roles that change according to society.

Question 28

In which situation would an American sociologist find it most difficult to maintain cultural relativism?

A)studying genital mutilation of young girls in Africa and the Middle East
B)studying cooking techniques in Latin America
C)studying death rituals in Kansas
D)studying aggressive behavior in a first-grade classroom

Question 29

Tamra is a food service worker in Michigan who has been bedbound with the flu for several days.Which of the following behaviors would NOT be acceptable as she assumes the sick role?

A)She tells her friend that she is grateful for a day off at home.
B)She calls in sick to work
C)She cancels her hair appointment.
D)She is in a bad mood.

Question 30

The transcontinental railroad that extends from coast to coast is an example of American

A)material culture.
B)cultural values.
C)nonmaterial culture.
D)a subculture.

Question 31

In Western culture,sadness at funerals and happiness at weddings are examples of

A)rules for emotional display.
B)natural human behavior.
C)inappropriate emotional displays.
D)subcultural behavior.

Question 32

The tendency to evaluate other cultures according to the standards of one's own culture is referred to as

A)bias.
B)prejudice.
C)ethnocentrism.
D)multiculturalism.

Question 33

Which culture listed below only recognizes two distinct sexes?

A)Navajo
B)Samoa
C)India
D)America

Question 34

Why are 90% of sexually ambiguous newborns assigned to the category of "female" in societies with advanced medical technology?

A)Compared to males,females are more respected and appreciated.
B)Males do not adjust as well to the surgery.
C)The parents choose to have a female rather than a male child.
D)Creating a vagina is surgically easier than creating a penis.

Question 35

When a pattern of behavior becomes widely accepted within a social institution and becomes taken for granted in society,it is referred to as a(n)_____ norm.

A)cultural
B)institutionalized
C)social
D)behavioral

Question 36

According to the text,why was opium use outlawed in the United States in the early 20th century?

A)because middle-class housewives were addicted
B)because the Surgeon General found that it had harmful effects
C)because many users died of overdoses
D)because its use was associated with Chinese immigrants

Question 37

Americans often refer to the United States as the "greatest country on earth," while Germans tout the superiority of "German engineering." Both are examples of

A)xenophobia.
B)globalization.
C)ethnocentrism.
D)subculture loyalty.

Question 38

Where would you be most likely to find people who are more comfortable sitting on the floor than in a chair?

A)Canada
B)United States
C)the Middle East
D)Mexico

Question 39

In Navajo culture,what is a nadle?

A)a third sex
B)a chair that is used by powerful leaders of the tribe
C)a surgery that is performed at birth in which a random sex is assigned to infants
D)a homosexual person who identifies as male

Question 40

The principle that beliefs and activities should be interpreted within the context of the culture in which they occur is called

A)dominant culture.
B)counterculture.
C)ethnocentrism.
D)cultural relativism.

Question 41

Slavery was once an institutionalized norm in the United States.

Question 42

Giving someone a dirty look after she has made an inappropriate joke is an example of a sanction.

Question 43

Children should receive at least 12 years of formal education is a _____ in the United States.

A)a preemptive norm
B)a subcultural norm
C)an institutionalized norm
D)a presumptive norm

Question 44

In 2014,the Indian Supreme Court officially recognized hijras as an official-and legal-third gender category.

Question 45

Compared to Britons,Americans have higher rates of obesity,heart disease,and drug-related deaths.

Question 46

The United States can be characterized as a ____________ culture.

A)heterotolerant
B)heterocumulative
C)heterotangible
D)heteronormative

Question 47

Culture cannot exist without people.

Question 48

Talking to oneself in public violates a cultural sanction.

Question 49

In Afghanistan,the thumbs-up gesture is used to signal approval.

Question 50

An awareness of cultural differences is crucial in today's global society.

Question 51

The invention and development of cellular technology was the result of our demand for constant access.

Question 52

Institutionalized norms do not change.

Question 53

Provide definitions for material culture and nonmaterial culture.Give two examples of each.

Question 54

A pattern of conduct that has wide social acceptance and has become so commonplace that it is taken for granted,is called

A)a preemptive norm.
B)a subcultural norm.
C)an institutionalized norm.
D)a presumptive norm.

Question 55

The distinction between mores and folkways is not always clear.

Question 56

The value placed on individuality is an example of U.S.

A)material culture.
B)nonmaterial culture.
C)sanctions.
D)nomenclature.

Question 57

In the United States,laws prohibit minors who wish to transition to another sex from receiving hormonal therapies and undergoing sexual reconstruction surgery.

Question 58

The majority of sexually ambiguous newborns would die without immediate sex assignment surgery.

Question 59

Institutionalized norms change as social institutions change.

Question 60

The sexual dichotomy is a fundamental element of American culture.

Question 61

Define ethnocentrism and discuss the reasons for its existence.What are some possible consequences of ethnocentrism?

Question 62

In what ways are heterosexuals socially privileged in heteronormative cultures? Give three examples to support your answer.

Question 63

How do transsexuals challenge the sexual dichotomy?

Question 64

Describe the subculture of your campus.What are some ways in which this subculture differs from that at other institutions in the area? How does it differ from the larger community in which it is located?

Question 65

Define cultural relativism.Why is cultural relativism so important to sociological research? What problems may arise when this concept is not understood?

Question 66

Explain the author's statement "Culture is doing its job most effectively when it is unnoticed." Under what circumstances do we become aware of culture?

Question 67

List at least five norms that you are expected to follow in your sociology class.

Question 68

Describe the rights and obligations associated with the "sick role" in American culture.What are some sanctions associated with failure to fulfill this role?

Question 69

What are some of the ways in which communications technologies (tablet computers,e-readers,smart phones,laptops)have changed both material and nonmaterial culture?

Question 70

Discuss the role of the chair in shaping culture.