Chapter 3; Culture

Ideal Culture

A people's ideal values and norms; the goals held out for them

Explain why the incest taboo is not a cultural universal.

It is the same with the incest taboo. All groups have an incest taboo, but what is considered incest - who one is forbidden to have sex with or marry - varies around the world.

Unit 3.4

Symbolic Culture: Gestures

Unit 3.3

Symbolic Culture: Language

Unit 3.5

Symbolic Culture: Values, Norms, Sanctions, Folkways, and Mores

Unit 3.10

Technology in the Global Village

Food is an example of material culture. a. True b. False

True

Counterculture

a group whose values, beliefs, and related behaviors place its members in opposition to the broader culture

Negative Sanction

an expression of disapproval for breaking a norm, ranging from a mild, informal reaction such as a frown to a formal reaction such as a prison sentence

Sanctions

either expressions of approval given to people for upholding norms or expressions of disapproval for violating them

Our values shape our perception of _____ and _____ cultures. a. ideal, real b. liberal, conservative c. mainstream, taboo d. historical, modern

ideal, real

Technology

in its narrow sense, tools; its broader sense includes the skills or procedures necessary to make and use those tools

Nodding the head up and down to indicate "yes" a. is not universal b. is universal c. depends on language d. communicates different things in different cultures

is not universal

"The woman I met from India was wearing the most beautiful gold necklace I've ever seen." The person who said this was referring to the woman's a. nonmaterial culture b. material culture c. wealth d. beauty

material culture

At Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a lot of people get drunk. There is a lot of nudity. Unless things get too far out of line, the police just smile and tell people to have fun. At other times of the year, they will arrest people for these same behaviors. This is an example of a. the flexibility of norms and values b. what happens when the police are corrupt c. the police failing to uphold the law d. moral holidays

moral holidays

Language is a complex system of _____ that can be combined in an infinite number of ways and can communicate abstract thought. a. gestures b. material culture c. symbols d. taboos

symbols

New Technology

the emerging technologies of an era that have a significant impact on social life

Real Culture

the norms and values that people actually follow

Gestures

the ways in which people use their bodies to communicate with one another

Unit 3.6

Many Cultural Worlds

Unit 3.8

Changing Values

Unit 3.2

Culture and Orientations to Life

Democracy, education, and freedom are an emerging U.S. value cluster. a. True b. False

False

Unit 3.1

What is Culture?

_____ is arguably the most important element of a group's culture. a. Language b. Architecture c. Cuisine d. Fashion

Language

When anthropologist George Murdock analyzed customs around the world, he did not find a. cultural universals b. cultural customs c. that all groups around the world played games d. universal variances

cultural universals

While traveling in Spain, you get extremely upset and start protesting in a loud voice to a local shop owner because he asks you to leave so the shop can close for the afternoon siesta. You tell him that the siesta is ridiculous and that something like this would never happen to a tourist in America. Your behavior is an example of _____. a. cultural relativism b. ethnocentrism c. cultural diffusion d. culture shock

culture shock

Which of the following would be considered a core American value? a. healthy living b. equality c. generosity d. collectivism

equality

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis challenges our common sense because it indicates that rather than objects and events forcing themselves into our minds a. we make sense of our world by classifying objects and events b. our language contains ways of perceiving objects and events c. our thought process is based on collective experiences d. we do the perceiving as we navigate our everyday lives

our language contains ways of perceiving objects and events

In the modern world, _____ is often the source of cultural change. a. widespread disease b. poor diet c. technology d. lack of education for women

technology

Culture

the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects that characterize a group and are passed from one generation to the next

Through _____, we use our body language to communicate with each other. a. assumptions b. gestures c. acting d. norms

gestures

From the 'Making It Personal' on food customs, it would be fair to say that a. we are like cows when it comes to food; our bodies tell us what we should eat b. items viewed as food in one culture can be seen as repulsive in another culture c. everyone views food in about the same way d. there is good reason why hamburgers have become popular around the world

items viewed as food in one culture can be seen as repulsive in another culture

The negative side of ethnocentrism is that it a. can disappear practically overnight b. leads to discrimination c. seldom turns out to be right d. is a foolish choice to make

leads to discrimination

Where we have value contradictions, we also have a. a careless construction of society b. elements of society that are likely trying to fit a square peg into a round hole c. a force for social change d. sociologists who point them out

a force for social change

Taboo

a norm so strong that it often brings revulsion if violated

The Burundi of Africa require that a mother and son have sex in order to a. remove a curse b. start a new generation c. offer sacrifice to the Sun God d. make the father jealous

remove a curse

Maria spent her junior year in France, where she attended a girls' high school. She was intrigued by the way her classmates used makeup. When she returned home, her friends remarked about how different she looked. The makeup is an example of a. material culture b. transformational culture c. nonmaterial culture d. informational culture

material culture

Because culture is the "lens through which we view life," we often wrongly assume that our own culture is "natural" or "_____." a. difficult to understand b. abnormal c. idealistic d. normal

normal

State what gestures are and to what extent they are universal.

Gestures vary from one culture to another. The basic emotions of anger, fear, pouting, and sadness, however, are built into our biological makeup and are universal.

State how values, norms, and sanctions are related to one another.

People develop norms, expectations of behavior that support values, the standards they use to define what they hold dear in life. They award positive sanctions for following the norms, negative ones for breaking the norms.

Cultural Universal

a value, norm, or other cultural trait that is found in every group

The phrase "culture within us" means that a. culture is the lens through which we perceive and evaluate the world b. culture is like food to our bodies c. we do not eat foods that are not part of our culture d. if you want to study culture, you have to study people

culture is the lens through which we perceive and evaluate the world

The emerging value, concern for the environment, is an example of a. a value clash b. a culture war c. a value contradiction d. how an emerging value can depend on the state of economic development

how an emerging value can depend on the state of economic development

Our understanding of what is "beautiful" is an example of _____. a. the American emphasis on material consumerism b. how subcultures can be powerful sources of social change c. how we can evaluate how shallow a society is d. how culture becomes the lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on around us

how culture becomes the lens through which we perceive and evaluate what is going on around us

Ethnocentrism is _____. a. a characteristic of ethnically diverse societies b. the use of one's own culture as a yardstick for judging other groups, which generally leads to negative evaluation of other groups c. living in a "colorblind" society d. a society in which the issues of ethnic minorities are central to social policies

the use of one's own culture as a yardstick for judging other groups, which generally leads to negative evaluation of other groups

Cultural lag refers to the ways in which changes in symbolic culture often lag behind advances in material culture. a. True b. False

False

Cultural Lag

Ogburn's term for human behavior lagging behind technological innovations

Americans living in rural South Dakota have to wait two weeks longer than Americans living in New York City to purchase the latest iPhone. This is an example of cultural lag. a. True b. False

True

Pluarlistic Society

a society made up of many different groups

In the context of American culture, a terrorist would be considered a member of a _____. a. subculture b. counterculture c. taboo group d. another country

counterculture

The popularity of bagels, hammocks, woks, and sushi in the United States are all examples of _____. a. cultural lag b. ethnocentrism c. culture shock d. cultural diffusion

cultural diffusion

The nine-month-long school year in the United States is based on patterns of our previous agricultural society when most people were farmers and they needed the children to help with planting and harvesting. This is an example of a. the material culture lagging behind the symbolic culture b. cultural lag c. how far behind the U.S. educational system is d. the power of teacher's unions in maintaining a short work year

cultural lag

William Ogburn coined the term _____, which refers to human behavior lagging behind cultural innovation. a. mores b. cultural lag c. socialization d. subcultures

cultural lag

When an American travels to Hong Kong, he visits a Burger King and a Wal-Mart. The existence of these businesses in the city is an example of a. subculture b. pluralism c. cultural leveling d. symbolic culture

cultural leveling

With today's extensive and rapid travel and communications, cultures around the world are tending to become similar to one another. This process is called a. cultural change b. changing symbolic culture c. changing material culture d. cultural leveling

cultural leveling

Equal Opportunity laws in the United States are an example of _____. a. cultural leveling b. cultural mores c. ideal culture d. real culture

ideal culture

The core principle of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is that _____. a. children who are exposed to two languages from birth excel in math and science b. language has embedded within us ways of looking at the world c. anthropologists are better equipped to study culture than sociologists d. Western cultures are more advanced than other world cultures

language has embedded within us ways of looking at the world

The term "culture within us" refers to _____. a. the way cultures across the globe are becoming increasingly similar b. an American value cluster c. learned and shared ways of believing and of doing that penetrate us at an early age and become our taken-for-granted assumptions about what normal life is d. the sense of shock we feel when we can no longer use our assumptions about the way the world works to make sense of the situation we are in

learned and shared ways of believing and of doing that penetrate us at an early age and become our taken-for-granted assumptions about what normal life is

There are two parts to culture: _____ and _____. a. real, imagined b. modern, historic c. material, nonmaterial d. present, future

material, nonmaterial

During times of social change, usually a group's _____ culture changes before its _____ culture. a. material, symbolic b. home, transposed c. moral, sanctioned d. symbolic material

material, symbolic

Lisa is giving a class presentation when suddenly a fellow student's cell phone rings. The student answers the phone and starts talking to the person on the other line. The student is violating a cultural _____. a. folkway b. taboo c. more d. symbol

more

Folkways

norms that are not strictly enforced

Anthropologist George Murdock analyzed customs around the world. He found a. cultural universals b. cultural clusters c. universal challenges d. universal activities

universal activities

The term "culture wars" is a highly exaggerated way of explaining _____. a. pluralistic society b. value contradictions c. counterculture d. value clusters

value contradictions

Sociologist William Ogburn coined the term cultural lag. By this term, Ogburn meant that a. we need to watch out that we don't fall behind other cultures that are changing faster than ours is b. some groups change faster than others, and the others lag behind c. when one part of a culture changes, other parts of the culture lag behind d. cultures tend not to change, but when they do, they can change rapidly

when one part of a culture changes, other parts of the culture lag behind

_____ are emerging U.S. cultural values. a. Self-fulfillment, democracy, and education b. Leisure, youthfulness, and self-fulfillment c. Science, equality, and education d. Environmental concern, equality, and hard work

Leisure, youthfulness, and self-fulfillment

Explain the difference between material culture and nonmaterial culture.

Material culture refers to a group's material things, such as its jewelry, art, buildings, weapons, machines, hairstyles, and clothing. Nonmaterial culture refers to a group's ways of thinking (including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world) and doing (its common patterns of behavior, including language and other forms of interaction).

Nancy was a busy woman. This time she joined a group that taught that work and bathing were corrupting the world. What people should do is beg from the corrupters and stay away from water. Nancy's friends ridiculed her for joining this group, and they stopped seeing her. The reason her former friends acted like this was because a. they were heartless and unsympathetic b. Nancy was assaulting core values c. Nancy stank d. Nancy was asking them for money

Nancy was assaulting core values

Which of the following anthropologists developed the popular cultural hypothesis indicating that our language determines how we perceive objects and events? a. Sapir and Whorf b. Masters and Rodgers c. Horkheimer and Adorno d. Lewis and Carroll

Sapir and Whorf

Summarize how and why changes in technology lead to changes in culture.

Technology sets a framework for a group's ways of life. When technology is unchanged, cultures change slowly, if at all. When technology changes, people adapt their behavior (customs, symbolic culture) to match the technology.

In the United States, a lifelong prison sentence for committing murder is an example of a negative sanction. a. True b. False

True

Socialism, freedom, and dictatorship are all examples of U.S. values. a. True b. False

True

The Internet is an example of a new technology that dramatically changed cultural life. a. True b. False

True

The theory of cultural evolution is a well-known theoretical explanation for understanding the significance of language to culture. a. True b. False

True

Unit 3.7

Values in U.S. Society

Value Cluster

Values that together form a larger whole

State why value contradictions and clashes are a source of social change.

When one value contradicts another, it produces pressure to resolve the contradiction. This also occurs when groups promote values that clash with core values. The result can be a change in the core value or in the contradictory or competing value.

This is a basic principle of cultural change a. There can't be change without culture b. When one part of our culture changes, the other parts resist change c. The symbolic culture usually changes first d. When technology changes, culture changes

When technology changes, culture changes

Culture shock is _____. a. another way of explaining the significance of language b. usually only experienced by Americans c. our tendency to judge others according to the ways our own group does things d. a disorientation people feel when they are exposed to a culture that challenges their assumptions of the way the world works

a disorientation people feel when they are exposed to a culture that challenges their assumptions of the way the world works

Technology sets the framework for a. a group's symbolic culture b. launching changes in the material culture c. changing perception of reality d. trying to improve human society

a group's symbolic culture

Nonmaterial culture refers to _____. a. materials found in nature b. a group's material things c. a group's ways of thinking and doing d. a culture that does not value consumption

a group's ways of thinking and doing

Positive Sanction

a positive reaction for following norms, ranging from a smile to a material reward

Another force for social change is a clash in the values of different groups. The clash, sometimes called culture wars, can result in a change in the core value or a. a new value cluster b. a reaffirming of the core value c. a general increase in satisfaction with the change d. an invasion

a reaffirming of the core value

Language

a system of symbols that can be combined in an infinite number of ways and can represent not only objects but also abstract thought

Mary was photographed, fingerprinted, and booked. Later the judge sentenced her to 7 years in prison for having sex with her teenaged son. Mary had violated a. a taboo b. a sanction c. a folkway d. one of the mores

a taboo

Emerging values in the United States include leisure, self-fulfillment, physical fitness, and youthfulness. These four values are interrelated, which makes them an example of a. a value cluster b. a value pack c. social change d. what happens when hard work is abandoned as a core value

a value cluster

The sociological significance of language is that a. consists of words that communicate abstract thought b. provides an endless flow of information c. allows culture to develop d. can be translated from one language to another

allows culture to develop

Sociologists would not say that "talk is just talk" because talk a. is more than just talk b. is never finished - some people can go on forever c. is a way that people express themselves d. allows us to build shared understandings of events

allows us to build shared understandings of events

The term new technology refers to a. something new b. an emerging technology that has a significant impact on a group's way of life c. a changed aspect of the symbolic culture d. a part of the ideal culture

an emerging technology that has a significant impact on a group's way of life

Which of the following is considered a part of material culture? a. beliefs b. patterns of behavior c. language d. art

art

We learn culture, or our shared ways of believing and doing, _____. a. during retirement b. by studying biological sciences c. at an early age d. from playing sports during our teen years

at an early age

In the United States, the Ku Klux Klan is considered a _____. a. subculture b. cultural folkway c. counterculture d. monoculture

counterculture

Nancy was invited to another meeting. She went, and after making friends with some of the members, she joined this group too. This group taught that the U.S. government had been taken over by insane people who were leading the country to destruction. The members were told to keep their jobs so no one would suspect them, and to store weapons for their coming attack on the government. This group is an example of a a. nanoculture b. neoculture c. counterculture d. subculture

counterculture

Robert Edgerton's attack on cultural relativism centers on the idea that a. culture that try to reform themselves are better than those that do not b. there are a lot of ways to develop a quality of life c. the quality of life of a culture cannot be established d. cultures that have less exploitation represent a better quality of life

cultures that have less exploitation represent a better quality of life

Sociologist Eviatar Zerubavel says that his native language, Hebrew, does not have separate words for jam and jelly. When he learned English, he understood the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis better because he a. was able to see the difference between jam and jelly b. learned that they existed c. learned that one comes from trees and the other from bushes d. found out that his native language was wrong

found out that his native language was wrong

A _____ is a shorthand way to convey a message without using words. a. more b. symbol c. folkway d. gesture

gesture

Value contradictions are a source of social change. They produce a tension that leads to an attempt to resolve the contradiction. The value contradiction discussed in this unit is a. education and leisure b. hard work and leisure c. achievement and efficiency d. group superiority and equality

group superiority and equality

What did anthropologist George Murdock discover when studying cultural universals? a. he found that many cultures utilize the exact same customs around marriage b. he found that although certain activities are present in all cultures, specific customs differ from one group to another c. he found that it is difficult to study cultural universals because many cultures are very secretive about their practices d. he found that the only cultural universal is the incest taboo

he found that although certain activities are present in all cultures, specific customs differ from one group to another

The longest-accepted idea that it is proper to withhold rights on the basis of someone's sex can no longer be sustained. We follow these changes in news reports, but lies beyond our awareness is a. the struggle of men to maintain their dominance b. the role of education c. the vast amount of money being funneled in behind the scenes to bring this about d. how the new technology of communication and transportation allows it to come about

how the new technology of communication and transportation allows it to come about

Which of the following phrases best describes language? a. it is a system of symbols that can be combined in an infinite number of ways b. it is the only way people within a culture can express their shared understanding c. it is a system of communication that has only been considered official over the course of the last 200 years d. it is a communication system that is only valid once an official dictionary has been published

it is a system of symbols that can be combined in an infinite number of ways

Symbols that can be combined in an infinite number of ways to communicate abstract thought is a definition of a. language b. symbolic culture c. communication d. numbers

language

Which of the following would be considered a part of culture? a. psychology and medical practices b. language and behaviors c. religion and nature d. nature and nurture

language and behaviors

The two main elements of symbolic culture (nonmaterial culture) that we use for communication are a. words and numbers b. language and gestures c. symbols and numbers d. often interchanged with one another

language and gestures

Culture is divided into these two types a. language and material objects b. language and values c. materiel and nonmaterial d. beliefs and behaviors that are passed from one generation to the next

materiel and nonmaterial

Gestures, movements of the body to communicate with others, a. are more flexible than language b. go back to the time when people had no language and they had to use their hands to communicate with one another c. may differ from culture to culture d. are basically the same from one culture to another

may differ from culture to culture

Cultures relieve the pressures of social norms through _____, or specific times when people are allowed to break norms. a. cultural diffusion b. cultural taboo c. moral holidays d. ethnocentrism

moral holidays

In symbolic culture, there are both _____ and _____ sanctions. a. racist, sexist b. negative, positive c. liberal, conservative d. inhibited, uninhibited

negative, positive

If a group's norms permit staring at others in public, the staring is an example of a. material culture b. transformative culture c. nonmaterial culture d. rudeness

nonmaterial culture

One group has the custom of lining up one behind the other to buy tickets, and another group has the custom of pushing to get to the ticket seller. Both the lining up and the pushing are examples of a. material culture b. ways to buy tickets c. nonmaterial culture d. normative exchange

nonmaterial culture

The guest speaker, a man from Turkmenistan, described to the audience one of the country's ethnic group's belief in reincarnation. He told a funny story about a guy who came back as a woman. The speaker was referring to the group's a. nonmaterial culture b. material culture c. transformational culture d. negative views of the world

nonmaterial culture

The term symbolic culture refers to this term that you learned in the first unit of this chapter a. ethnocentrism b. informational culture c. material culture d. nonmaterial culture

nonmaterial culture

When Maria spent her junior year in France, she learned a different way to use makeup. The makeup is an example of material culture, but ideas about who should or should not wear makeup and what makeup is appropriate for what occasions are an example of a. material culture b. transformational culture c. nonmaterial culture d. informational culture

nonmaterial culture

When Leticia found a pornographic magazine in her son's bedroom, she grounded her son for a week. He couldn't leave home, he couldn't have friends over, and he couldn't watch television. Leticia's actions are an example of a. positive sanction b. narrow opinion c. norm d. subcultural standard

norm

The air conditioner wasn't working in the summer heat, and it was stifling hot in the office. Jen said she didn't care if people stared. She took off her blouse. (Jen was not wearing a slip or a bra.) Jen violated a. an ethnocentrism b. a sanction c. a folkway d. one of the mores

one of the mores

Which of the following groups is a subculture in American society? a. online gamers b. polygamist c. Hell's Angels d. white supremacists

online gamers

The United States is considered to be a _____ society that is made up of many different groups. a. pluralistic b. industrial c. harmonious d. racist

pluralistic

The United States is made up of may groups: racial-ethical groups, religious groups, political associations for the conservative and liberal, unions that demand rights and privileges, and on and on. Some of the groups come in conflict with one another. In sociological terms, this makes the United States a a. conflictual society b. comparative society c. place that represents the world's future d. pluralistic society

pluralistic society

To the majority of American citizens, leaving the house to go to work in the nude would be considered a violation of a _____. a. folkway b. taboo c. more d. sanction

sanction

Cultures punish and reward people who follow or break norms. These punishments and rewards are referred to as _____. a. rituals b. sanctions c. cultural universals d. mores

sanctions

The Mundugumors of New Guinea extend the incest taboo so far that for each man a. the only eligible marriage partners are other men b. marriage is not allowed until the age of 35 c. seven of every eight women are ineligible marriage partners d. a minimum of 10 cattle and 20 sheep are required to pay the bride price

seven of every eight women are ineligible marriage partners

Symbol

something to which people attach meaning and then use to communicate with others

Nancy was invited to a meeting at someone's house in the country. She was curious about what the group taught, and she went. She made friends with some of the members, and she joined the group, which taught that aliens were the original inhabitants of Earth. The members didn't look weird. They voted and worked at all sorts of regular jobs. This group is an example of a a. monoculture b. neoculture c. counterculture d. subculture

subculture

Judging other cultures negatively in comparison to your own culture is the definition of _____. a. cultural diffusion b. symbolic culture c. cultural relativism d. ethnocentrism

symbolic culture

Groups are most likely to be open to changes in their _____ culture before their _____ culture. a. material, symbolic b. material, taboo c. symbolic, material d. symbolic, universal

symbolic, material

Parents having sex with their children is considered a _____. a. sanction b. norm c. folkway d. taboo

taboo

Culture Shock

the disorientation that people experience when they come in contact with a fundamentally different culture and can no longer depend on their taken-for-granted assumptions about life

Material Culture

the material objects that distinguish a group of people, such as their art, buildings, weapons, utensils, machines, hairstyles, clothing, and jewelry

Cultural Leveling

the process by which cultures become similar to one another; refers especially to the process by which Western culture is being exported and diffused into other nations

Cultural Diffusion

the spread of material and symbolic culture from one group to another

Ethnocentrism

the use of one's own culture as a yardstick for judging the ways of other individuals or groups, generally leading to a negative evaluation of their values, norms, and behaviors

Subculture

the values and related behaviors of a group that distinguish its members from the larger culture; a world within a world

When groups come in contact, they learn from one another. This results in cultural diffusion. Groups are most open to change in a. their technology or material culture b. things that work c. their symbolic culture d. things that are suggested by their leaders

their technology or material culture

To specify the core values of a pluralistic society is difficult because a. the many values of the many groups means that there are no core values b. one value cancels another out c. this type of society has many competing values d. the values change rapidly as the many groups interact with one another

this type of society has many competing values

A symbol is something a. that changes as people communicate with one another b. that reflects the natural part of people's actions c. to which we attach meaning and use to communicate with one another d. that is taken from nature

to which we attach meaning and use to communicate with one another

The term technology means about the same as a. a group's way of life b. symbolic culture c. tools d. culture change

tools

When Ralph Linton said, "The last thing a fish would ever notice would be water," he meant a. like fish, we don't observe much about our world b. fish have bad eyesight c. water, in its pure form, is so clear that it is practically invisible d. we tend to take the culture we are reared in for granted

we tend to take the culture we are reared in for granted

Fred thinks of girls as pretty, plain, and ugly. Bob thinks of girls as smart and dumb. Harry thinks of girls as big, just right, and skinny. (Phil just thinks of girls all the time, so we won't count him.) Fred, Bob, and Harry a. could broaden the categories, and life will be better for them b. will not approve of one anothers girlfriends c. could put their heads together and have a more complete perception of girls d. will have different perceptions of the same girl

will have different perceptions of the same girl

Identify and emerging value cluster and an emerging fifth value in the United States.

As society changes, values change. A value cluster is emerging that consists of leisure, self-fulfillment, physical fitness, and youthfulness. A fifth emerging calue, concern for the environment, depends on the stage of economic development.

Unit 3.9

Cultural Universals

State what culture is.

Culture is a group's way of life - its language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects that people pass from one generation to the next.

Explain what culture shock, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism are.

Culture shock is the disorientation that people feel when they are exposed to a culture in which their assumptions about the way the world is, or should be, no longer work. Ethnocentrism is out tenancy to judge others by the way our own group does things. Cultural relativism is an attempt to overcome ethnocentrism by understanding a culture on its own terms.

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf's hypothesis that language creates ways of thinking and perceiving

Explain what folkways, mores, and taboos are.

Folkways are norms that receive little or no negative sanctions when they are violated. Mores are norms held so firmly that their violation is met with strong negative sanctions. Taboos are norms held so strongly that their violation is met with anger, revulsion, and such negative sanctions as prison or even death.

Summarize some core values of U.S. society and how they relate to one another.

It is difficult to specify the core values of a pluralistic society, one made up of many groups, as it has many competing values. But a summary of 13 core values of the United States was presented, from achievement and success to education and religiosity. Some of the values are tied together in value clusters.

Explain the difference between subcultures and countercultures.

Members of a subculture, who often develop distinctive forms of communication, occupy a specific world within the dominant culture. They agree with the norms and values of the mainstream culture. The members of a counterculture also develop distinctive forms of communication in their specific corners of life, but some of their values and norms place it at odds with the dominant subculture.

Summarize the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and how language contains ways of viewing the world.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis points out that words are more than just labels that we attach to things. Words are ways of dividing up the world. When we learn a language, we learn to perceive the world according to the way that our language divides up the world.

State whether there are cultural universals and give the reason for your answer.

There are universal activities; that is, all human groups have games, ways of disposing of their dead, marriage, and so on. But there are no cultural universals; that is, there is no universal way of doing these things: games differ from group to group, as do ways of disposing of the dead and forms of marriage. Customs differ for all human activities.

Explain how language is the basis of culture and even makes a past and future possible.

Through language, we pass ideas, knowledge, and attitudes to the next generation, develop meanings of events and purposes, and produces memories. This process extends time from our present to the past and future.

Nonmaterial Culture

a group's ways of thinking (including its beliefs, values, and other assumptions about the world) and doing (its common patterns of behavior, including language and other forms of interaction); also called symbolic culture

Symbolic Culture

another term for nonmaterial culture

The term cultural shock refers to the disorientation people feel when they a. are exposed to a culture that differs fundamentally from their own b. try to discover new ways of doing things c. sit down to eat a meal and learn that they are being served dog d. face their worst fears

are exposed to a culture that differs fundamentally from their own

Culture - the learned and shared ways of believing and doing - penetrates us at an early age, and a. is highly questioned by most us during our teen years b. is the source of rebellion for those who get in trouble with the law c. becomes our taken-for-granted assumptions about what normal life is d. is difficult to transfer

becomes our taken-for-granted assumptions about what normal life is

The example of the American "A-OK" gesture being used in a restaurant in Italy illustrates that a gesture in one culture that indicates something highly positive a. must be translated to be understood b. can indicate something highly negative in another culture c. can have different meanings for men and women d. almost always indicates something positive in another culture

can indicate something highly negative in another culture

Cultural Relativism

not judging a culture but trying to understand it on its own terms

Values

the standards by which people define what is desirable or what is undesirable, good or bad, beautiful or ugly, etc...

The term cultural relativism refer to a. our tenancy to be ethnocentric b. an effort to find something good in another culture even when it is bad c. trying to understand a culture on its own terms d. the culture that we internalize becoming the "right" way of doing things

trying to understand a culture on its own terms

Sociologist Robin Williams analyzed some of the core values of the United States. On his list are hard work, education, material comfort, and individualism. These four values are tied together into a larger whole that sociologists call a a. value tie b. value cluster c. core value integrator d. value unit

value cluster

Leticia was shocked when her friend showed her a pornographic magazine. She said, "I don't understand how anyone can pose for photos like that!" Leticia was expressing a. a positive sanction b. a subcultural standard c. her standard of beauty d. values

values

Value Contradictions

values that contradict one another, such as equality and group superiority

The term ethnocentrism refers to our tenancy to a. find fault with others as we encourage them to live up to our standards b. be culturally relative c. avoid foods that are not like those we learned to eat during childhood d. judge others by the way our own group does things

judge others by the way our own group does things

How are values lenses that shape perception? Distinguish between ideal culture and real culture.

To view social life through core values, such as equality, blinds us to aspects of life that contradict the value. There is always a gap between ideal culture, what is held out as desirable, and real culture, what people actually do.

Ethologists, researchers who study biological bases of human behavior, report that expressions of anger, fear, pouting, and sadness are a. each represented by two basic gestures b. different from one culture to another c. related to one another d. built into our biological makeup and are universal

built into our biological makeup and are universal

The air conditioner wasn't working in the summer heat, and it was stifling hot in the office. Ben said he didn't care if people stared. He took off his shirt. (Ben was not wearing an undershirt.) Ben violated a. an ethnocentrism b. a sanction c. a folkway d. one of the mores

a folkway

The positive side of ethnocentrism is that it a. provides a way to overcome our prejudices b. is never far from being a good guide to everyday life c. creates in-group loyalties d. is a source of goodwill among people

creates in-group loyalties

Norms

expectations of "right" behavior

The term culture refers to a group's a. language, beliefs, and values b. values, norms, and behaviors c. material objects d. language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and material objects

language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and material objects

Mores

norms that are strictly enforced because they are thought essential to core values or the well-being of the group

After Leticia's son was grounded for three days, he told him mother that he was sorry and he wouldn't look at any more pornography. Leticia said that she was going to reduce his grounding by two days. Leticia's action is an example of a. positive sanction b. negative sanction c. norm d. value

positive sanction

Explain cultural lag, cultural diffusion, and cultural leveling.

Cultural lag refers to one part of culture changing (usually the technology) while other parts (usually the symbolic culture) lag behind. Cultural diffusion refers to groups adopting some part of another group's culture (especially in technology). Cultural leveling refers to cultures becoming similar to one another because of today's rapid transportation and communication.

_____ is/are comprised of a group's material and nonmaterial characteristics. a. Culture b. Symbols c. Mores d. Gestures

Culture

Explain how culture is the lens through which you view life.

Culture's learned and shared ways of believing and doing penetrate us at an early age, becoming part of our taken-for-granted assumptions about what normal life is. This is referred to as "culture within us."