078 - Chapter 78 - Overview of Culture & Society

Though the founders of the United States called for a separation of church and state, what religious belief within the culture carried over into politics?

A belief in one G-d.

counterculture

A culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture.

Social status

A measure of one's social standing obtained by combining factors such as education, income, and occupation.

What is a technology revolution?

A period when new technology drastically altars life and culture.

multiculturalism

A perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions

Arab Spring

A revolutionary wave of protests and demonstrations overtaking dictators in the Middle East (2011); the first time that the world realized just how much could be changed through information technology

_____ norms inform or guide us as to how we should look, or what our physical appearance should be.

Appearance {Explanation - Appearance norms guide us as to how we should look or what our physical appearance should be. For example, it informs us to what fashion we should wear or how we should style our hair.}

Choose the BEST listed definition of ethnocentrism:

Assuming that your culture is better than all other cultures {Explanation - Ethnocentrism is the belief that your own cultural or ethnic group is superior to other cultural or ethnic groups.}

Why is this era considered to be the information age?

Because most of our efforts go towards new technologies to communicate or record information.

Ethnocentrism

Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.

How did Constantine influence the cultural impact of Christianity?

By choosing which places of worship were built and which were destroyed.

Language is used to

Communicate affects (feelings) Express cognitions (thoughts) Share experiences of sensation (such as pleasure or pain) Express and share values

A loss or a lack of balance is called _____.

Disequilibrium

All of these points about ethnocentrism are true, EXCEPT:

EXCEPT: Ethnocentrism is largely dependent on whether or not you are a vegetarian. {Explanation - Ethnocentrism has little, if anything, to do with being or not being a vegetarian.}

technological revolution

Experts are already terming this a technological revolution, one of only 13 in history, because of the way that technology is dramatically altering human communication and life

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding culture?

Folkways can be thought of as customs.

Resource allocation norms

For this type of norm we're focusing on the allocation of resources in a business environment. This can include raw materials as well as overtime or any other resource found or needed within an organization.

A culture that is guided by social norms and expectations is known as which of the following?

Hegemonic culture {Explanation - Hegemonic culture is generally established by the dominant culture, who possess considerable power because they are the largest group within a society.}

Which of the statements below most accurately reflects how religion influenced art, medicine, and architecture in Europe?

Islam had a significant influence

Which of the following best describes cultural diversity?

Many different cultures co-existing in one larger culture. {Explanation - Cultural diversity refers to several cultures existing within or alongside one larger culture.}

Multiculturalism differs from the American concept of a cultural melting pot in that:

Multiculturalism focuses on maintaining separate cultural traditions and customs rather than blending them; {Explanation - In contrast to the melting pot metaphor, multiculturalism promotes diversity through the recognition and continued celebration of separate cultures that co-exist peacefully. Rather than creating one culture from aspects of other cultures, multiculturalism focuses on the preservation of separated individual cultural traditions and customs.}

Which of the following is NOT considered a basic element of culture?

NOT: Cognitions

Which of the following is NOT a key value integral to life in the United States?

NOT: Collectivism

Which of the following is NOT a difference between life in the city and life in the countryside (small towns)?

NOT: In cities, evangelical Protestantism is more common.

Which of the following statements regarding culture is NOT true?

NOT: Incest has been considered an absolute taboo in every culture throughout history.

What is NOT a benefit of believing strongly in your own culture's ideals?

NOT: People are willing to avoid other cultures {Explanation - While believing in your own culture's ideals can make a strong society, avoiding other cultures can cause negative effects of ethnocentrism: ignorance, hate, and even violence.}

Which of the following is NOT an example of a counterculture?

NOT: The Peace Corps {Explanation - Counterculture is a type of subculture that strongly opposes one or more elements of the dominant culture. The Peace Corp is NOT an example of counterculture.}

What is a benefit of NOT being ethnocentric?

NOT: You can learn about other cultures' ideas, methods, and inventions. {Explanation - Whether or not you are ethnocentric, you can preserve your own traditions, love your own culture, and be proud of your culture's accomplishments. However, if you are not ethnocentric, you can also learn from other cultures in areas where they might have superior knowledge.}

What is one concern some researchers have about the influence of information technology on our culture?

People are losing the ability to communicate without devices.

_____ norms are centered on how hard a person should work in a given group.

Performance {Explanation - Performance norms are centered on how hard a person should work in a given group. These are informal cues that tell a person how hard they should work and what type of output they should have.}

Types of Norms

Performance norms Appearance norms Social arrangement norms Resource allocation norms

Which of the following can help to facilitate and sustain cultural diversity?

Recognition of different cultures. {Explanation - Recognition of different cultures includes, among other things, an awareness that even though they may appear similar, different groups have their own unique cultures.}

A group that individuals use as a comparison when looking at other groups is called a(n) _____.

Reference Group {Explanation - A group that individuals use as a comparison when looking at other groups is called a reference group. For example, if a person uses a major league team as a reference group, it would impact how she views, accepts, or understands a minor league team.}

Consider the statements below and indicate which one most accurately describes the impact of religion on culture.

Religion is influenced by the existing culture and can also trigger cultural change.

An example of this type of norm can include raw materials as well as overtime or any other resource found or needed within an organization.

Resource Allocation {Explanation - Resource allocation norms focus on the allocation of resources in a business environment, including raw materials as well as overtime or any other resource found or needed within an organization.}

Which of the following is NOT a culture (or set of cultures) that has had an especially great influence on the United States?

Russian and Eastern European culture.

In basic terms, language allows humans to convey and share which of the following?

Sensations of pain Emotions or feelings Attitudes and values Ideas or cognitions

There are cues we need to pick up on when we are out with friends that help us fit in and get a closer connection to the group. This is called a(n) _____ norm.

Social Arrangement {Explanation - Social arrangement norms are centered on how we should act in social settings. There are cues we need to pick up on when we are out with friends or at social events that help us fit in and get a closer connection to the group.}

How does the Arab Spring demonstrate the impacts of information technology?

Social media helped organize people to the point where it began revolutions.

_____ is the position or rank compared to others.

Status

The following statement is true

Status is all around us and something we interact with every day. Status can be used to keep others down or demean them. Status can be used for good or for evil. Status is power.

Which statement describes a way religion continues to influence politics in the Middle East?

Struggles between Sunni and Shia Muslims

five basic elements of culture include

Symbol Language Beliefs Values Norms

Which region of the United States is most famous for evangelical Protestantism and conservative politics?

The South.

Language

a system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another; complex symbol system. In fact, it's considered a closed, self-referential system because you can only define a word by referencing other words

status characteristics theory

a theory that states that differences in status characteristics create status hierarchies within groups

subculture

a unique culture shared by a smaller group of people who are also a part of a larger culture

reference group

any group that individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves and their own behavior; a major league baseball team vs. a minor league one

Symbols

anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture; anything that is meaningful for people who share a social world

high culture

classical music, opera, ballet, live theater, and other activities usually patronized by elite audiences

popular culture

cultural traits such as dress, diet, and music that identify and are part of today's changeable, urban-based, media-influenced, western societies

values

culturally accepted standards for moral behavior

diffusion

defined as the borrowing by one society of a cultural trait belonging to another society as the result of contact between the two societies

invention

defined as the process of creating new ideas to solve cultural problems

innovation

denotes the idea of taking a solution that already exists and making it better

What is defined as the borrowing by one society of a cultural trait belonging to another society as the result of contact between the two?

diffusion

Which type of diffusion occurs when two cultures come into direct contact?

direct

Mores

fixed customs or manners; moral attitudes

Sociologists generally sort norms into four categories:

folkways mores taboos laws

Which type of diffusion occurs when one society conquers another?

forced

Edward B. Tylor (1832-1917)

founder of cultural anthropology

Key values that are at the heart of the culture of the United States:

freedom equality individualism materialism patriotism

Ruth enjoys attending the opera and visiting art museums. These interests can be considered an example of _____.

high culture {Explanation - The term high culture is used to describe a subculture shared by the elite in a society. Many associate the word 'culture' with high culture - someone who attends the ballet and collects museum-quality artwork is often considered 'cultured.'}

Belief systems

ideas that are taken on faith and cannot be scientifically tested

What is defined as taking a solution that already exists and making it better?

innovation

What is defined as the process of creating new ideas to solve cultural problems?

invention

Performance norms

level of acceptable work; centered on how hard a person should work in a given group

Taboos

mores so strong that their violation is considered to be extremely offensive and even unmentionable; absolute moral no-no's

Social arrangement norms

norm is centered on how we should act in social setting

Folkways

norms for routine or casual interaction; simply accepted customs; Eating peas with a knife violates a folkway. Carrying a new bride over a threshold honors an accepted custom. Wearing white after Labor Day may violate a folkway for some people

Laws

norms that have been put in writing as a result of legislative action on the part of a state or nation state

Forced diffusion

one group subjugates another and imposes its customs

Novels on a bestseller's list would most likely be considered part of _____.

popular culture {Explanation - Popular culture is the dominant subculture shared by the majority of a society's population. The elements of popular culture have mass accessibility and appeal, such as novels on a bestseller's list.}

Norms

rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members

beliefs

tenets or convictions that people hold to be true

monotheism

the belief in one G-d

Culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next; civilization, 'taken in its wide ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.' amounts to the lifeways of a socially connected group of people who share a common view of the world and their place in it

dominant culture

the shared culture of the largest and usually most powerful group

hegemonic culture

the social norms and expectations of a society

Cultural diversity

the term used to describe many different cultures co-existing within one larger culture

One of the challenges of hegemonic culture is that it often _____ minority cultures.

underrepresents {Explanation - Because hegemonic cultures often reflect the largest and most influential group, minority cultures tend to be underrepresented in social spheres.}

If our group is perceived to have a higher status, _____.

we might feel we can exert more direction or influence on those around us.

If we are in a setting where our status is perceived as lower, _____.

we might pull back within ourselves. we might feel inferior. it might be hard for us to get our point across. we might not be as vocal as usual.

Appearance norms

what to wear; type of norm informs or guides us as to how we should look or what our physical appearance

direct diffusion

when societies come in direct contact with one another

indirect diffusion

when the culture of one society is transmitted to a second society, then through the second society to other societies

The culture of American cowboys is an example of _____.

a subculture {Explanation - A subculture is a unique culture shared by a smaller group of people who are also a part of a larger culture, such as the American cowboy.}

The dominant culture is that which belongs to which of the following?

The largest and most powerful group in a society. {Explanation - In the United States, the dominant culture reflects the largest and most powerful social group, which is white, English-speaking people of European ancestry.}

Which region of the United States tends to have a 'live-and-let-live' attitude to life, along with being politically liberal?

The west coast.

Information Age

This revolution is more specifically called the Information Age because so much of our creativity and resources are focused on new means of spreading and recording information

The main objective in reducing your ethnocentrism is:

To avoid the assumption that your ethnicity is superior to all others {Explanation - In the process of reducing your ethnocentric tendencies, you might learn new things about other religions, languages, and rituals, but overall your goal is to avoid the assumption that your ethnicity is superior to all others.}

Besides information technology, what major area has seen rapid technological growth?

Transportation.

_____ are culturally accepted standards for moral behavior.

Values