Deck 8: The Characteristics of Culture

Question 1

Which of the following is not normally part of the cultural adaptation complex?​

A)​technology
B)​ideas
C)​genes
D)​activities

Answer 1

​genes

Question 2

The gradual process of adjustment to local conditions is called:​

A)​indoctrination
B)​adaptation
C)​recidivism
D)​acclimatization

Answer 2

​adaptation

Question 3

Learned behavior is exhibited to some degree by most, if not all,​

A)​mammals
B)​animals
C)​animals and plants
D)​reptiles

Answer 3

​mammals

Question 4

Which of the following is not an attribute of culture?​

A)​It is dynamic.
B)​It exists within society.
C)​It is shared.
D)​It is uniform.

Question 5

Which best describes adaptation among humans?​

A)​a process of cultural adaptation over time
B)​a process of biological and cultural adjustment over time
C)​a process of physiological adjustments over time
D)​a process of migration and learning over time

Question 6

Gender is defined as:​

A)​cultural meanings assigned to social differences
B)​biological differences between men and woman
C)​sexual differences between men and women
D)​cultural meanings assigned to sexually related biological differences

Question 7

An occupational group tends to be classified as a(n):​

A)​subculture
B)​culture
C)​society
D)​ethnic group

Question 8

Overall, culture provides a means of group security by:​

A)​providing a sense of predictable behavior within a group
B)​making one group better than another and more adapted to its environment
C)​creating a sense of individual and singular identity
D)​laying the basis for selective breeding among various species

Question 9

All humans eat when they are hungry; however, they eat food that is considered acceptable within their culture at times that are culturally prescribed. This is an example of:​

A)acculturation
B)​enculturation
C)​pluralism
D)​ethnocentrism

Question 10

Culture is considered to be all of the following except:​

A)​integrated
B)​based on symbols
C)​static
D)​shared

Question 11

Society can best be described as a group of individuals who:​

A)​are human and have culture
B)​live in an urban environment
C)​share a common territory, language, and culture
D)​live together at least one generation

Question 12

Culture is most commonly defined to include all of the following except:​

A)​ideas
B)​biology
C)​values
D)​perceptions

Question 13

Was the development of irrigation in Mesopotamia adaptive or maladaptive?​

A)​It was never adaptive.
B)​It was adaptive over the long run.
C)​It was maladaptive when first established.
D)​It was adaptive when first established.

Question 14

Which of the following statement is not true?​

A)​Behavior that is adaptive in the short run may not be adaptive over time.
B)​What is adaptive in one context may not be adaptive in another context.
C)​All surviving cultures are adaptive by nature.
D)​Some cultural practices are maladaptive and end up creating new problems.

Question 15

Basic biological need is:​

A)​not learned
B)​always learned
C)​innately social
D)​maladaptive

Question 16

What is the difference between sex and gender?​

A)​Sex is the accumulation of all biological differences between individuals.
B)​Sex is the combination of cultural meanings assigned to the biological differentiation between the genders.
C)​Gender is the combination of cultural meaning assigned to the biological differentiation between the sexes.
D)​There is no difference between these concepts.

Question 17

Which of the following is a true statement?​

A)​Symbols are found only in religious and social areas of cultural life.
B)​Symbols form part of every aspect of culture.
C)​Symbols are defined by each culture and are not arbitrary.
D)​Symbols are always cross-cultural in meaning.

Question 18

The Kuchi are nomadic pastoralists who are found primarily in:​

A)​Afghanistan
B)​China
C)​Brazil
D)​Australia

Question 19

Cultural adaptation has played an increasingly significant role since the time of the:​

A)​Precambrian
B)​Devonian
C)​Jurassic
D)​Paleolithic

Question 20

Through what process does each person learn socially appropriate ways of satisfying basic biological need?​

A)​enculturation
B)​diffusion
C)​juxtaposition
D)​hegemony

Question 21

Which of the following statements about ethnicity is not true?​

A)​It is the expression of a set of cultural ideas held by an ethnic group.
B)​It can be associated with a subcultural group within society.
C)​It is based on language, origins, customs, and shared ancestry.
D)​It is usually a homogeneous set of beliefs within a state society.

Question 22

The "Anthropology Applied" story about building houses for Apache Indians reveals what?​

A)​The Apache have no sense of etiquette or table manners because their cooking and living areas are not separated.
B)​The United States should try to make its subcultures more like mainstream culture.
C)​Participant observation has no practical purposes.
D)​Cultural and social patterns of behavior can be unconscious, but they have an impact on how we live and use space.

Question 23

The most important symbolic aspect of culture is:​

A)​economics
B)​language
C)​politics
D)​religion

Question 24

​Which of the following definitions best represents a "symbol"?

A)​two connected signs
B)​an arbitrary, but meaningful, representation
C)​a representation that is part of the original
D)​something that stands for something else naturally

Question 25

A group that shares ancestry, origin, language, customs, and traditional beliefs is also called a(n):​

A)​ethnic group
B)​society
C)​subculture
D)​culture

Question 26

The existence of pluralistic societies postdate:​

A)​the rise of politically centralized states
B)​the Industrial Revolution
C)​the 20th-century ethnic diaspora
D)​the rise of dictatorships

Question 27

All of the following statements defining symbols are correct except:​

A)​Symbols are arbitrary.
B)​Symbols enter into every aspect of culture.
C)​There is no necessary relationship between a thing and its representation.
D)​Symbols have a single, unified meaning.

Question 28

Culture is best described as:​

A)​various parts that work independently
B)​a single point of view
C)​a conjunction of individual approaches
D)​an integrated whole

Question 29

A society in which two or more ethnic groups are politically organized into one territorial state is a/an:​

A)​organic society
B)​subculture
C)​ethnic society
D)​pluralistic society

Question 30

The expression of the set of cultural ideas held by an ethnic group is called:​

A)​ethnicity
B)​culture
C)​society
D)​enculturation

Question 31

Which of the following is not an area in which Amish are frequently located?​

A)​Illinois
B)​Ohio
C)​Pennsylvania
D)​Montana

Question 32

The Amish are most specifically classified as a(n):​

A)​society
B)​religious group
C)​culture
D)​ethnic group

Question 33

Which of the following statements is incorrect?​

A)​Instinctual behavior is not the same as culture.
B)​Culture within a society is not uniform across individuals.
C)​Every known human society exhibits culture.
D)​Most, but not all, societies give cultural meaning to differences between the sexes.

Question 34

China has fifty-five officially recognized nationalities with ethnic groups speaking different languages and having different cultural traditions practicing a wide array of religions. China is an example of a(n):​

A)​pluralistic society
B)​enculturated society
C)​acculturated society
D)​ethnocentric society

Question 35

Ethnocentrism is best defined as:​

A)​the belief that you should suspend judgment when learning a new culture
B)​the belief that your own culture is better than another
C)​the belief that your ethnic group should be first among subcultures
D)​the practice of ethnicity within a state society

Question 36

The term ethnicity comes from the word ethnikos, which is from what language?​

A)​Portuguese
B)​German
C)​Greek
D)​Latin

Question 37

A religious symbol for the Plains Indians was a:​

A)​white buffalo
B)​black cow
C)​red crow
D)​bright star

Question 38

What does Apache etiquette require?​

A)​that each person have a separate bedroom
B)​that houses be located quite distant from each other
C)​that all people be in full view of one another
D)​that houses include separate spaces for handling food

Question 39

Which common problem do all pluralistic societies face?​

A)​These societies are extremely adaptive and tend to fracture very easily.
B)​There is little variation in how individuals respond to changing situations.
C)​Individuals face challenges in interpreting different standards in operation.
D)​Groups constantly have difficulties over administering resources.

Question 40

The rule-governed relationships that hold members of a society together are called its:​

A)​ethnicity
B)​subculture
C)​culture
D)​social structure

Question 41

To ensure group survival, each person must:​

A)​learn to postpone certain immediate personal satisfactions
B)​maximize acquisition of all material artifacts possible
C)​suppress biological needs until they are completely controlled
D)​become highly trained in global technology to be competitive worldwide

Question 42

The Kapauku Papuans achieve political power and authority through:​

A)​election
B)​hunting prowess
C)​social hierarchy
D)​pig breeding

Question 43

A society's cultural features fall within all of the following categories except:​

A)​infrastructure
B)​interstructure
C)​social structure
D)​superstructure

Question 44

The primary argument associated with the barrel model of culture is that:​

A)​culture is integrated, and changes in one part filter into and change other aspects of culture as well
B)​culture is symbolic, and all parts and aspects of culture are associated with certain primary symbols
C)​culture is shared, and change that comes in at the top of the barrel will filter down and eventually completely alter everything underneath
D)​culture is dynamic, and it contains a wealth of information and attributes that can be used over generations

Question 45

For a culture to function properly, its various parts must be:​

A)​harmonious
B)​consistent
C)​open and fluid
D)​fully evolved

Question 46

A national flag and national anthem are mostly symbols of a society's:​

A)​infrastructure
B)​superstructure
C)​social structure
D)​interstructure

Question 47

The economic foundation of a society is called its:​

A)​infrastructure
B)​superstructure
C)​social structure
D)​interstructure

Question 48

Because of constant warfare and male dominance, it makes sense that the Kapaukans trace their descent through:​

A)​male ancestors
B)​female ancestors
C)​ancient warriors
D)​religious deities

Question 49

Which of the following statements about culture is incorrect?​

A)​Every culture is dynamically designed.
B)​For a culture to function properly, its parts must be consistent with one another.
C)​Some cultures are more dynamic than others.
D)​The more fluid and open a culture, the more adaptable it is.

Question 50

The staple food item for Kapauku pigs is:​

A)​sweet potatoes
B)​corn
C)​hay
D)​millet

Question 51

Which of the following forces has caused the greatest acceleration in culture change today?​

A)​advent of capitalism
B)​decline of productive lands
C)​population growth
D)​globalization

Question 52

The majority ethnic group in China is the:​

A)​Han
B)​Uyghur
C)​Chang
D)​Paneer

Question 53

All cultures are:​

A)​maladaptive
B)​static
C)​dynamic
D)​harmonious

Question 54

The surplus of women among the Kapauku is due to:​

A)​loss of males through warfare
B)​unbalanced sex ratio at birth
C)​trading for women with neighboring groups
D)​in-migration to the area

Question 55

In most societies, the reward for adhering to culturally prescribed standards is:​

A)​social prominence
B)​social approval
C)​less warfare
D)​loss of leadership potential

Question 56

Which of the following groups would be most sexually restrictive?​

A)​Salafis in Saudi Arabia
B)​Canela Indians in Brazil
C)​highly educated Norwegians
D)​middle-class Americans

Question 57

Which of the following statements about culture change is correct?​

A)​Change today is accelerated due to forces of globalization.
B)​Cultures that are well adapted do not change.
C)​Change today is far more uniform than it was in the past.
D)​Change is always very damaging to cultures.

Question 58

​Among the Kapauku, descent reckoning through men and near constant warfare tends to promote:

A)​male dominance
B)​conservative dominance
C)​religious/church dominance
D)​general political dominance

Question 59

Which of the following groups is facing the most critical cultural crisis at this time of the nation-state due to environmental change?​

A)​loggers in the Pacific Northwest, United States
B)​nomadic herders in the Sahara, Africa
C)​miners in Bolivia and Chile
D)​stock market analysts in London, England

Question 60

In the barrel model of culture, what are the three areas most interrelated?​

A)​interstructure, superstructure, and cultural structure
B)​social structure, political structure, and class
C)​infrastructure, superstructure, and social structure
D)​superstructure, interstructure, and social structure

Question 61

Nationalist ideology where people view their own culture as the best of all possible worlds and superior to other people is an example of:​

A)​cultural relativism
B)​ethnocentrism
C)​adaptation
D)​enculturation

Question 62

Cultural practices can be adaptive or maladaptive.​

Question 63

A culture can be considered essentially as a:​

A)​maintenance system
B)​political process
C)​large family
D)​program for social success

Question 64

Which of the following groups is customarily associated with being a group of vigilante right-wing extremists in the United States?​

A)​Russia for Russians
B)​Daughters of the Confederacy
C)​Revolutionary Forebears
D)​Minutemen Civil Defense Corps

Question 65

Human survival is dependent on culture.​

Question 66

Cultural relativism pushes anthropologists to:​

A)​suspend judgment of another culture
B)​never judge another culture
C)​compare another culture to their own
D)​judge another culture only on international standards

Question 67

When is it most permissible for anthropologists to take a critical stance on a culture?​

A)​never
B)​at all times
C)​after seeing that it is not as valuable as their own culture
D)​after avoiding premature judgments

Question 68

Adaptation is normally a very quick process.​

Question 69

Indicators of a culture's level of success and satisfaction within society are commonly found in all of the following sources except:​

A)​tranquility of domestic life
B)​mental health of the population
C)​incidence of crime
D)​amount of surplus wealth available

Question 70

Which of the following best serves anthropologists in their study of another culture?​

A)​ethnocentrism
B)​cultural relativism
C)​adaptation
D)​indoctrination

Question 71

Humans rely on food for more than nutrition.​

Question 72

All culture is learned.​

Question 73

Which of the following is the least common form of cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures in the United States today?​

A)​breast implantation
B)​liposuction
C)​upper arm lift
D)​toe straightener

Question 74

Nation-states routinely wish to settle pastoral nomads for all of the following reasons except:​

A)​to exert political authority over them
B)​to tax the nomads for their animals and land use
C)​to encourage them to raise surplus animals
D)​to allow them to have a voice in leading the country

Question 75

What is "FGM"?​

A)​female genital mutilation
B)​feminist group of militants
C)​female growth and mutation
D)​family growth majority

Question 76

Which of the following does not usually directly determine how tall we become?​

A)​genes
B)​nutrition
C)​disease
D)​education

Question 77

What is the most essential research tool for anthropologists?​

A)​premature judgment
B)​ability to conduct interviews
C)​ethnocentrism
D)​cultural relativism

Question 78

All of the following are characteristic of the majority of women who choose breast implantation except:​

A)​they are in their mid-30s
B)​they have two children
C)​they believe they suffer from hypertrophy
D)​they have a secure body image

Question 79

In 2013, what percentages of cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed on women in the United States?​

A)​100
B)​90
C)​65
D)​50

Question 80

What does Laura Nader mean by the "beauty industrial complex"?​

A)​It is an industry that defines the female body as standardized and then provides commodities and procedures for women to achieve this image.
B)​It is a collection of global companies who work together to make ethnically responsive cosmetic products.
C)​It is a series of companies in Europe and the United States that focus specifically on plastic surgeries as a way to achieve a more feminine look.
D)​It is a group of companies producing green technology and environmentally-friendly products.