Deck 2: Culture and Gender

Question 1

In a low-context culture, people are taught to:

A) speak in an ambiguous manner
B) avoid offending people
C) criticize others only in private
D) none of these

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to the distinctions between men and women's linguistic styles, men are more likely to:

A) use modifiers to reflect the intensity of their statements
B) talk in shorter phrases
C) rely on the use of inclusive pronouns like "we"
D) withhold opinions

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A verbal phrase whose meaning is purely figurative, such as "shake a leg" or "kick the bucket," is called what?

A) oxymoron
B) idiom
C) pun
D) idiosyncrasy

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The process by which cultural traditions are passed from one generation to the next is known as:

A) enculturation
B) cultural adaption
C) cultural transmission
D) acculturation

Question 5

Regarding sex differences in verbal behavior, which of the following is true, according to your text?

A) women are not more talkative than men
B) women interrupt more than men do
C) men use more disclaimers and hedges than women do
D) women ask fewer questions than men do

Question 6

Which sexual orientation refers to a lack of interest in sexual relationships?

A) asexuality
B) heterosexuality
C) celibacy
D) bisexuality

Question 7

Which of the following linguistic patterns is associated with powerful speech?

A) disclaimers
B) hedges
C) offering opinions
D) asking questions

Question 8

Some researchers believe women and men grow up in different speech communities. According to that idea, men are taught to do _____and women are taught to do _____:

A) intimate talk; expressive talk
B) instrumental talk; expressive talk
C) social talk; personal talk
D) expressive talk; intimate talk

Question 9

Which of the following statements is not true regarding feminine cultures?

A) feminine cultures value nurturance
B) feminine cultures value achievement
C) feminine cultures value quality of life
D) feminine cultures do not strongly differentiate between male and female roles

Question 10

Which concept of culture includes judgments about how good, desirable, or beautiful something is?

A) symbols
B) values
C) norms
D) language

Question 11

Which of the following statements most accurately reflects the attitude of someone from a low-power-distance culture?

A) it is necessary to look for the deeper meaning in someone else's statements
B) it is unacceptable to question a boss, especially in front of co-workers
C) it is acceptable to engage in aggressive behavior to achieve personal success
D) it is someone's individual right to question authority

Question 12

Very specific communication codes such as those used by doctors and dentists are known as

A) idiomatic expressions
B) specialized codes
C) jargon
D) clichés

Question 13

Which of the following statements is not true about high-context cultures?

A) maintaining harmony is important
B) offering personal opinions is valued
C) offenses are to be avoided
D) environmental cues are important

Question 14

This gender role combines aspects of masculinity and femininity:

A) bisexuality
B) Turner's Syndrome
C) androgyny
D) asexuality

Question 15

Idioms and gestures are examples of

A) communication codes
B) cultural truisms
C) cultural speech development
D) communication power-distance

Question 16

According to the textbook, which of the following is NOT considered one of the defining elements of culture?

A) values
B) symbols
C) language
D) ethnicity

Question 17

The idea that "all people are created equal" would be characteristic of which type of culture?

A) high-power-distance culture
B) high-context culture
C) low-power-distance culture
D) low-context culture

Question 18

Which of the following is true in highly collectivistic cultures?

A) people are expected to look out for themselves
B) people take an indirect approach to handling conflict
C) children are taught that they are special and unique
D) individual achievement is more important than group harmony

Question 19

All of the following factor into determining an individual's biological sex except:

A) psychological differences
B) genetic differences
C) anatomical differences
D) social differences

Question 20

A group of students who attend the same high school and all belong to the school's computer club would be an example of what?

A) cultural norming
B) enculturation
C) a co-culture
D) cultural adaptation

Question 21

People from different cultures sometimes experience difficulty in understanding one another because they think differently.

Question 22

The use of idioms is primarily a North American behavior.

Question 23

With respect to sex differences in emotion, which of the following is true?

A) women are less likely to express positive emotions than men are
B) men are more likely to express sadness and depression than women are
C) women and men report experiencing the same amount of emotion
D) men and women do not differ from each other in how they express jealousy

Question 24

"I gotta be me" might be the motto in a collectivistic culture.

Question 25

Among adults, which of the following is true about touch behavior?

A) women touch men more than men touch women
B) opposite-sex touch is more common than same-sex touch
C) in same-sex pairs, men touch each other just as much as women do
D) none of the above statements is true

Question 26

Recent data indicate that English is the most commonly spoken language in the world.

Question 27

Research suggests that women are more likely than men to use self-references, such as "me" or "I".

Question 28

Explain the concept of co-cultures, using examples of co-cultures with which you identify.

Question 29

On average, men express more opinions than women do.

Question 30

Studies of affectionate communication have shown that

A) highly feminine individuals are likely to express affection
B) highly masculine individuals are likely to express affection
C) both highly masculine and feminine individuals are likely to express affection
D) none of these

Question 31

In a low-power-distance culture, people are expected to choose friends or mates from within their own social class.

Question 32

Most research has shown that femininity is positively related to affectionate communication, whereas masculinity is negatively related to it.

Question 33

Transsexual individuals are always born with one or more chromosomal abnormality.

Question 34

The textbook mentions that students from individualistic and collectivistic cultures often approach public speaking very differently. What cultural characteristics underlay that distinction?

Question 35

In a low-context culture, people are expected to be direct and say what they mean.

Question 36

Men are more likely than women to initiate touch with other adults, but women are more likely than men to initiate touch with children.

Question 37

Culture is the shared symbols, language, values, and norms that distinguish one group of people from another.

Question 38

Biological sex is genetically determined whereas gender roles are socially constructed.

Question 39

Which of the following is not an example of an affiliation behavior?

A) head nods
B) warm vocal tones
C) talking in short phrases
D) each of these is an affiliation behavior

Question 40

Which of the statements about touching behavior involving children is true?

A) among children, same-sex touching is more common than opposite-sex
B) women are more likely to initiate touch with children
C) boys and girls are equally likely to be touched
D) all of these are true

Question 41

Using concrete examples, define and discuss the concepts of instrumental talk and expressive talk.

Question 42

People in positions of power frequently use words as a form of violence. How and why does that happen? Imagine that you are a friend of someone who has been subjected to linguistic violence. What would you tell that person? Now imagine that a friend of yours uses words as a form of violence. What would you say to this friend?

Question 43

Compare and contrast the concepts of high-power-distance and low-power-distance as they relate to cultures.

Question 44

Although it can be easy to identify masculine and feminine gender roles, it is often difficult to determine where these ideas come from. Identify at least three different sources or influences that you think are important for defining gender roles in American culture. How important are each of those individual sources in defining gender roles? Next, identify three ways that you have seen gender roles change in your lifetime. How influential have the sources you identified been in bringing about those changes?

Question 45

Your text offered three possible reasons why women may be more affectionate than men. Identify and explain two of those reasons.

Question 46

Forming in-groups and out-groups based on cultural cues is a common practice. Make an argument for why that behavior occurs. Next, suggest at least three ways that people might be more flexible when defining these groups.

Question 47

Assume that you've just met someone whose cultural background is very different from your own. What cues would you pay the most attention to when forming an evaluation of that person? How would you engage in the process of checking or confirming your perceptions?

Question 48

Consider the notion that "male" and "female" are different cultures. First, explain what is meant by that idea, making reference to the concepts of speech communities and gender clash in your explanation. Next, articulate a reasoned argument in favor of that idea (i.e., why we should consider the genders to be different cultures), and finally, articulate a reasoned argument against it.

Question 49

Describe your own culture in terms of whether it is individualistic or collectivistic, high-context or low-context, and high-power-distance or low-power-distance. Use concrete examples. Next, provide a brief critique of each of those characteristics of your culture. What do you find to be positive about it? Negative about it?

Question 50

Identify and briefly define each of the four sexual orientations articulated in your text.