Deck 3: Culture

Question 1

Minority groups are often forced to accept the ideologies of the economically and politically dominant groups through the process of cultural hegemony.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Culture can be defined as a shared way of life that includes values, beliefs, and norms that are transmitted within a particular society from generation to generation.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Symbols are directly associated with concrete physical objects or activities, while signs are arbitrary units of meaning.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Archaeologists are primarily concerned with interpreting and explaining past societies by examining the material culture remains left by a people.

Question 5

Most people in a given society assume that their beliefs are rational and firmly grounded in common sense.

Question 6

A society and a culture are synonymous.

Question 7

Many anthropologists have adopted the term "sociocultural" to encompass both "society" and "culture" since societies are complex, consist of distinctive groups, and maintain cultural traditions.

Question 8

Culture consists of the shared practices and understandings within a society.

Question 9

The concept of "culture" is central to many anthropological discussions and issues.

Question 10

Social learning is a process that can be observed in non-human creatures.

Question 11

Ideal culture consists of what people say they do or should do.

Question 12

A worldview consists of various beliefs about the nature of reality that provide people with a means of interpreting and understanding the world around them.

Question 13

The unique capacity for culture in the human species depends on learning since we do not inherit our culture through our genes.

Question 14

Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging another society by the standards and values of one's own society.

Question 15

Norms are a society's laws and constitution.

Question 16

Folkways and mores are two different types of norms.

Question 17

Chimpanzees can be taught to understand the difference between holy water and tap water.

Question 18

All human societies share the same basic values.

Question 19

Cultural relativism often provides a sound methodological basis for ethnographic research, but it can often cause serious ethical problems for the anthropologist. For example, how does one refrain from judging such cultural practices as infan?ticide, geronticide, or wife stealing?

Question 20

Culture consists of both material and nonmaterial components.

Question 21

One example of an ideology would be:

A) capitalism
B) Egyptian hieroglyphs
C) Navajo sand paintings
D) the Big Bang theory

Question 22

Cultural diversity is a reflection of environmental adaptations and the consequence of symbolic creations.

Question 23

Anthropologists have determined that specific food preferences are biologically based, not culturally influenced.

Question 24

An example of a symbol is:

A) ringing a bell to indicate class is over
B) using bright orange paint to indicate danger
C) litmus paper turning pink to indicate acidity
D) yawning to indicate fatigue

Question 25

The term "ideology" refers to:

A) signs and symbols used to communicate particular ideas
B) beliefs and values supporting the interests of a group
C) specific expressions of material culture
D) a faulty or misguided worldview

Question 26

In order for an item to be cultural, it must be __________.

A) unchanging, fixed, or static
B) learned and commonly shared among individuals
C) independent of environmental influences
D) dependent upon the environment of the society

Question 27

A way of life shared by a group of human beings - including their language, beliefs, and things they make and use - is referred to by anthropologists as their __________.

A) religion
B) heritage
C) culture
D) environment

Question 28

Which of the following would NOT be considered a form of material culture?

A) igloos
B) cufflinks
C) lullabies
D) forks

Question 29

A society __________.

A) is the same thing as a culture
B) generally refers to a particular group of animals living and interacting within a definite territory
C) is a grouping unique to humans
D) is defined as a shared way of life that includes values, beliefs, and norms

Question 30

Anthropologist Leslie White wrote that the most distinctive feature of humanness is:

A) the capacity for vocal communication
B) the ability to create symbols and assign them meanings
C) the importance of social learning
D) the ability to make tools

Question 31

There are many definitions of culture, but there are a number of aspects common to most definitions. These include all of the following except:

A) culture is shared
B) culture is learned
C) culture is biologically inherited
D) culture is made up of elements such as values, beliefs, norms, and material objects

Question 32

Trial-and-error learning, in which an organism adjusts its behavior on the basis of direct experience, is also referred to as __________.

A) conditioning
B) higher education
C) instinct
D) situational learning

Question 33

The Rastafarian movement of Jamaica is an excellent example of what anthropologists call ethnocentric feedback.

Question 34

The striking feature of cultural universals is the fact that specific content and practice do not vary from society to society.

Question 35

__________ is credited with providing us with the first, detailed definition of culture, "...that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

A) Leslie White
B) E. B. Tylor
C) Clifford Geertz
D) Marvin Harris
E) Bob Marley

Question 36

Ethnicity is based on perceived differences in ancestral origins or descent, and shared history and cultural heritage.
Multiple Choice Questions

Question 37

The earliest traces of material culture are:

A) fossil teeth of the species Australopithecus
B) words like "ma" to indicate mother
C) simple stone tools, like choppers and scrapers
D) forms of social organization among different primates

Question 38

There are a number of different ways one can learn things. Both humans and other animals learn by trial-and-error (what is called situational learning) and by social learning. The form of learning that is uniquely human and provides the basis for the capacity for culture is known as __________.

A) moment learning
B) critical learning
C) symbolic learning
D) crux learning
E) inventive learning

Question 39

Symbols are different from signs, in that symbols __________.

A) are directly associated with concrete physical items
B) always have an obvious meaning
C) are not associated with any direct concrete item
D) can usually be interpreted by non-humans

Question 40

According to Marvin Harris, the dietary practices of various cultures may be rooted in ecological conditions.

Question 41

Norms are:

A) prohibitions against a particular kind of behavior
B) values that are accepted by every human society
C) a given society's rules for right and wrong behavior
D) individuals who look like the majority of people

Question 42

Is culture a uniquely human trait, or do other animals possess culture?

Question 43

Ways of enforcing mores involve the use of:

A) gossip and public ridicule
B) arrest and imprisonment
C) economic discrimination
D) the death penalty
E) all of these choices

Question 44

To combat the problem of ethnocentrism, twentieth-century anthropologists developed the concept of __________.

A) cultural relativism
B) cultural primacy
C) cultural symbolism
D) cultural hegemony

Question 45

An example of a "more" would be:

A) eating with a knife, fork, and spoon
B) not appearing nude in public
C) inviting the neighbors over for a barbecue
D) forgetting to thank the hostess for inviting you

Question 46

Which of the following would be considered a "folkway" of contemporary culture in the United States?

A) bowing when you are introduced to someone
B) dating before marriage
C) sitting on the floor to eat dinner
D) taking off your shoes when you enter a house

Question 47

According to Harris' hypothesis about pork prohibitions, traditional societies that keep and eat pigs:

A) have greater access to herbal medicines
B) are more likely to live in or near forests
C) probably originated in desert climates
D) bathe and clean them on a regular basis

Question 48

One of the reasons why societies have established norms is to:

A) punish social deviants
B) ensure individual freedom of expression
C) create equal opportunity for all
D) help people to anticipate one another's behavior

Question 49

Real culture __________.

A) consists of what people say they do
B) consists of people's actual behavior
C) is the same as ideal culture
D) is impossible to document

Question 50

__________ may occur when one dominant group in a complex society imposes its cultural beliefs on subordinate ethnic groups. For example, the dominant ethnic group in the U.S. during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (the white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants) was able to impose its language, cultural beliefs, and practices on other minority groups in U.S. society.

A) Cultural hegemony
B) Cultural chaos
C) Multiculturalism
D) Ethnic superiority
E) Mores strife

Question 51

The Amish emphasize their ethnic differences through __________.

A) language and dress
B) strange haircuts
C) cars and trains
D) using the newest technology

Question 52

Anthropologist Marvin Harris has suggested that the Jewish and Islamic prohibitions of eating pork were because pigs:

A) were known carriers of disease
B) had meat that was especially high in fat and calories
C) competed with humans for scarce ecological resources
D) lived in filthy places and ate garbage

Question 53

When people express disapproval that a healthy, intelligent, unmarried person with no children is living with their parents at age 30, their attitude reflects a common __________ of society in the United States.

A) more
B) ethos
C) folkway
D) ideology

Question 54

Which of the following is true of symbols?

A) They are rooted deeply in genetic structure.
B) They are different for everyone.
C) They cannot be easily identified.
D) They are arbitrary but meaningful units we use to represent reality.

Question 55

To the Rastafarians, their appearance symbolizes:

A) power and liberation
B) membership in Jamaican society
C) the importance of tradition
D) acceptance of Jamaican values and norms Essay Questions

Question 56

An example of ethnocentrism would be the belief that:

A) women should stay at home and raise children
B) societies that practice polygamy are evil
C) children should not be allowed to work full time
D) alcoholism is a major problem for Native Americans

Question 57

As a college student, you have probably heard quite a bit about "cultural diversity" or "multiculturalism" and the changing demographics of the U.S. What is multiculturalism? Why is it important to start to understand this concept? Are there any dangers in implementing multicultural education programs?

Question 58

It would be fair to say that in a multicultural society such as the United States:

A) there is one common idea about social norms
B) there are conflicting systems of norms and values
C) mores are well-defined and reflected by all
D) the strict enforcement of cultural mores is a government goal

Question 59

Ethnocentrism is a:

A) common notion that we all evolved from the same woman (dubbed "Eve") who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago
B) belief that all ethnic groups can eventually be traced back to one central location
C) practice of judging another society by the values and standards of one's own society
D) belief that race mixing will produce inferior children
E) view that cultural traditions must be understood within the context of a particular society's solutions to problems or opportunities

Question 60

Using an anthropological perspective, explain the statement, "You are what you eat."

Question 61

Give examples of groups living in the United States who would fit the "circumstantialist model" and the "primordialist model" of ethnicity.

Question 62

Rastafarians use hair style, language, and music to assert their cultural identity, mores, and values. Discuss another ethnic group and how it accomplishes a similar end through the use of symbols.

Question 63

What are some examples of symbols (including expressions, gestures, and language, as well as material culture) that can be misinterpreted by members of different cultures?

Question 64

What are some of the most important changes that will accompany increasing multiculturalism in the United States? What will be some of the problems that will occur? What are some solutions?

Question 65

How would you interpret the following statement: "Every human is like all other humans, some other humans, and no other human"?

Question 66

Is it possible to determine whether one culture is better than another with respect to its ideology, norms, mores, and other characteristics? Explain why or why not.

Question 67

Discuss the problems inherent in measuring the mental capabilities of U.S. citizens by standard IQ tests.

Question 68

After reading the section on Dress Codes and Symbolism, pick another example of dress codes and hairstyles and explain what the symbols mean to the individuals involved.

Question 69

Cultural relativism often poses ethical dilemmas for anthropologists. Describe a hypothetical scenario in which this would occur.