Deck 3: Society and Culture: Hardware and Software of Our Social World

Question 1

List and discuss the three primary forms of language presented in the text.

Answer 1

Varies

Question 2

List and discuss the three types of norms discussed in the book and provide an example of each.

Answer 2

Varies

Question 3

What are two examples of discrepancies between real and ideal culture in American culture (either values or behaviors)? Write a one-sentence explanation for why you personally feel each exists.

Answer 3

Varies

Question 4

Homes are one example of material culture. Provide one more example. Explain how your example affects your daily behavior.

Question 5

Compare and contrast subcultures and countercultures. Provide an example of each.

Question 6

Name a common cultural practice in the United States. How might someone from another culture respond to that practice in a culturally relative manner? How might they respond in an ethnocentric manner?

Question 7

How are the four forms of nonmaterial culture used to reinforce the culture of a society? Describe each of the forms while also detailing how they are used to maintain unity and order within a culture.

Question 8

How might we understand culture differently if we study it as a symbolic interactionist, a structural functionalist, or a conflict theorist? In your discussion of this question, pay attention to the main assumptions of the three theories and how they translate into the study of culture. What beneficial knowledge can we gain by studying culture through each of these three lenses?

Question 9

What is cultural lag? Provide examples. What are some consequences of cultural lag for societies?

Question 10

As the United States moves toward a more global economy, how will this affect the ethnocentrism of U.S. citizens? Do you think it will increase, decrease, or stay the same? Provide three reasons or examples to support your argument.

Question 11

Globalization is a widespread cultural phenomenon in many nations. Describe globalization, paying specific attention to how it emerged. Also, illustrate how globalization contributes to the creation of a global culture. Finally, offer one argument in favor of globalization and one argument against globalization that relate specifically to how globalization affects national cultures.

Question 12

Compare and contrast mechanical and organic solidarity.

Question 13

Compare and contrast national and global culture. Provide examples.

Question 14

Compare and contrast horticultural and agricultural societies. Provide an example of each.

Question 15

The text details how societies transform and highlights the five types of societies that have existed during human existence. Describe each of these five societies in detail, paying specific attention to the primary characteristics of each type of society. In your essay, also highlight the cultural changes that occur to move societies from one type to the next.