Sociology Chapter 3 Quiz

Because culture is learned and not genetic, it is subject to continuous change. A. True B. False

A. True

Theodore Adorno argues that the culture industry (media industry) has a vested interest in keeping us socially seperated but craving basic things such as human interaction. Therefore advertisements for products are often linked to things such as friendship, romance, family bonding, etc. Adorno also mentions that this phenomena creates and reinforces social class divisions by influencing people to buy things they don't need and cannot afford. This theory would likely fall under the Conflict Theory Perspective. A. True B. False

A. True

Those who are referred to as "feral children" have not been socialized with other human beings (oftentimes they are raised by or interact with non-human animals) and thus lack knowledge of basic rules for interaction and behavior in society. These rules are also referred to as norms. A. True B. False

A. True

Culture is: A. both the material and nonmaterial culture of a group or society. B. the nonmaterial culture of a group or society. C. a group of people who share values and territory D. a genetic component of human history E. none of the above

A. both the material and nonmaterial culture of a group or society.

In India, call centers operate differently from other Indian business, wherein they are purposely taught to speak without an accent when speaking English. This is due to business recognizing that Americans might hold ___________ attitudes towards those who they do not believe are American and speak English. A. ethnocentric B. anarchist C. multicultural D. ritual E. popular culture

A. ethnocentric

Which of the following is an example of something that would be a part of a person's or a society's material culture? A. weapons of war B. democracy as a political system C. a belief in a supreme being D. a preference to have health rather than wealth E. a belief that the world is flat

A. weapons of war

Although languages differ considerably from one culture to another, the meanings of gestures are commonly understood in the same way by people throughout the world. A. True B. False

B. False

Negative sanctions can only be imposed by an authoritative body or formal institution. A. True B. False

B. False

When sociologists study culture, they need to emphasize the exceptional and unusual and avoid studying the mundane or everyday. A. True B. False

B. False

In 2005 the Northwestern University women's lacrosse team won an NCAA championship and was invited to the White House to receive congratulations from the president. Controversy erupted after their visit, when the official photograph revealed that several team members were wearing flip-flops. Despite the outcry, the athletes took the criticism in stride, talking about it on the Today Show and auctioning the offending footwear for charity. Given the reaction and the team's response, what sort of norm did the athletes break by wearing flip-flops to the White House? A. a sanction B. a folkway C. a more D. a taboo E. a negative sanction

B. a folkway

NAMBLA or the North American Man/Boy Love Association is an adovacy group that argues that we should do away with age-of-consent laws and allow anyone to love and be with anyone else, regardless of age. This organization is would most likely be referred to as a(n) _____________________ in America. A. subculture B. counterculture C. high culture group D. ideal culture group E. linguistic group

B. counterculture

During the American occupation of Japan following World War II, the Japanese observed soldiers playing baseball and later adopted it as one of their favorite pastimes. This is an example of: A. cultural lag. B. cultural invention. C. cultural diffusion. D. cultural adaptation. E. cultural reformulation.

C. cultural diffusion.

There exist depictions of high heeled shoes going back as far as Ancient Egypt. In medieval times such heels were used by Persian cavalry as a means of staying in their saddle during battle. Later, men in Europe adopted high heels as a fashion to reflect the masculine nature of Persian warriors. In modern times, high heels are perceived as a feminine piece of fashion and men are generally discouraged from wearing them. Which of the characteristics of culture does this most strongly illustrate? A. culture is shared B. culture is stable C. culture is adaptive and always changing D. culture is learned E. none of them

C. culture is adaptive and always changing

According to your textbook, this shapes things such as how we think and act towards people, particularly in categories of gender, race, and ethnicity. A. cultural capital B. logos C. language D. multiculturalism E. ideal culture

C. language

How is a subculture different from a counterculture? A. Members of a subculture actively protest and fight to change society, while members of a counterculture drop out of society. B. Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but only members of a subculture actively oppose important aspects of mainstream culture. C. Subcultures are always smaller than countercultures. D. Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but a counterculture actively opposes important aspects of the mainstream. E. Subcultures are not culturally distinct from the mainstream; they just occupy a particular geographic area.

D. Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but a counterculture actively opposes important aspects of the mainstream.

The famous feminist and social theorist Judith Butler has criticized westerners who want to "free" Muslim women from wearing a veil or burqa. Butler believes that liberation from the veil is not the liberation many Americans might assume it is. Butler's view that one culture should not be viewed or judged by the standards of another culture is consistent with what term or concept? A. radical feminism B. high culture C. polysemy D. cultural relativism E. ethnocentrism

D. cultural relativism

In the movie Mean Girls, students identified each other using categories like "jock," "cheerleader," "skater," and "nerd." Which theory would argue that such classification systems influence the way you see people? A. the Protestant ethic B. cultural relativism C. subculture theory D. the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis E. cultural imperialism

D. the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's nonmaterial culture? A. Navajo jewelry B. a knife, a fork, and a spoon C. imported French wine D. a Rembrandt painting E. belonging to a political party

E. belonging to a political party

Because of their economic strength, Western media companies are powerful enough to impose their products, as well as their cultural values and beliefs, on markets worldwide, a phenomenon known as: A. cultural stratification. B. ethnocentrism. C. cultural relativism. D. cultural centrism. E. cultural imperialism.

E. cultural imperialism.

A cultural group that exists harmoniously within a larger, dominant culture is called a: A. counterculture. B. cultural spin-off. C. social group. D. subdominant culture. E. subculture.

E. subculture.