Sociology Chapter 3 Review

Where does "best" behavior come from and what makes it best?

"best" behavior comes from genetics, and it gives us the ability to contribute to the survival of then human species. Ex: we nurture our young

How do invention and discovery differ as reasons for cultural change?

- Discovery: not really new; just discovering & implementing something that exists - Invention is actually creating something new

How does a counterculture differ from a subculture?

A counterculture deliberately opposes the beliefs of the dominant culture

What is a mores?

A norm that has great moral significance and should be followed.

What is a folkway?

A norm that lacks moral significance

What is a taboo?

A rule of behavior that brings punishment when violated

What is an informal sanction?

A sanction that can be applied by most members of a group

What is a formal sanction?

A sanction that is imposed by persons that are given special authority

How do sociobiologists define society?

A territory inhabited by people with a common culture!

What are some advantages and disadvantages of ethnocentrism?

Advantages: Pride, values, unity, stability Disadvantages: Inflexibility, lack of progress

What accounts for the presence of cultural universals?

Biological similarities

In what similar way do folk culture and pop culture affect cultural diversity?

Both increase cultural diversity in a society

As a result, the same symbol can have different meanings in different ___________.

CULTURES

Compared to the dominant culture, which group is more extreme: a subculture or a counterculture? Explain

Counterculture b/c it openly opposes the dominant culture

In Sara's culture, women are expected to serve food to men. Then women eat their own meal after the men are finished eating. What is this an example of?

Cultural Particular

How do sociobiologists view the role of culture in human behavior?

Culture channels the expression of biological characteristics!

Ideal culture helps people recognize and sanction ___________ behavior , this rep serving the ideal culture.

DEVIANT

What accounts for the global popularity of Hollywood movies?

Diffusion

How does a task such as cooking illustrate the idea of cultural universals?

Everyone needs to eat. What they eat and how they cook, prepare, and dine are the particulars

T of F: Individuals inherit specific personality traits and patterns of behaviors

FALSE

T or F: Because they are more intelligent, humans rely more on instants than other animals

FALSE

T or F: Beliefs are always true

FALSE

T or F: In most societies, the real culture is identical to the ideal culture

FALSE

T or F: The meaning of a symbol is based solely on its physical characteristics?

FALSE

T or F: The vocabulary used by a society can reveal the level of sophistication of the society's culture?

FALSE

The following is an example of a nonmaterial aspect of culture

Family Relationships

What is the basic difference between mores and folkways?

Folkways lack moral significant, Mores gold great moral significance.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis considers language to be a ___________ to reality.

GUIDE

How does culture guide people's interpersonal relationships?

Human behavior is based on culture & people guide their actions & behavior based on it.

What are drives?

Impulses to reduce discomfort!

Overtime, what factors can cause norms to change?

Invention. discovery, and diffusion. (FOLKWAYS< MORES<LAWS)

How can sociobiology be abused a cording to critics? What middle ground has been found?

It can be used to justify racism or imply it. Middle ground: Combine genetics & biology with culture!`

What is one advantage of language for humans?

It frees humans from the limits of time and place!`

What is one way that language relates to culture?

Language enables culture to be transmitted from one generation to the next.

The _________ of a symbol is the meaning that a culture chooses to give it; it is not based on the symbol's physical _________.

MEANING CHARACTERISTICS

How does material culture differ from nonmaterial culture?

Material culture consists of objects rather than beliefs and ideas

What is the difference between material culture and nonmaterial culture?

Material: physical objects Nonmaterial: beliefs, rules, customs, family systems, and a capitalists economy

What best describes the hypothesis of linguistic relativity?

Our perception of reality depends largely on language

The following statement helps explain why beliefs are important

People base their behavior on their beliefs

How does the "nature versus nurture" argument combine with a person's culture to explain human behavior?

People's actual behaviors & traits are formed by the interplay between genetic and environmental factors.

People can assign meanings to physical objects that are not related to the object's actual ___________.

Purpose.

Ideal culture provides high _________ or targets that most people want to reach.

STANDARDS

___________ are objects, actions, and sensations that represent cultural ideas.

SYMBOLS

Culture must be _________ by each new generation; it is not inherited genetically .

TRANSMITTED

T or F: Animals are born with instincts

TRUE

T or F: Cultural behavior must be learned

TRUE

T or F: One criticism of sociobiology is that it can lead to claims that are racist

TRUE

T or F: Our ideal culture provides us with high standards of behavior

TRUE

T or F: The cultural meaning of physical objects is not determined by their physical characteristics

TRUE

T or F: The hypothesis of linguistic relativity states that the language we use influences our perception of the world.

TRUE

T or F: The importance that many people in the United States place on having nice cars is an example of a material aspect of culture

TRUE

Assume that most members of a particular society believe everyone should have the same opportunities regardless of their race. In reality, however, many people discriminate against members of minority groups. The following best describes this situation.

The actual culture is different from the ideal culture

What sets laws apart from other kinds of norms?

They are consciously made and consciously enforced.

How do sociobiologists view human behavior?

They assume that behavior is biologically based and transmitted genetically.

What do ethnocentric people think about other cultures?

They think their culture is better/superior than others

What best describes symbols?

Things that stand for represent something else.

How are cultural universals and cultural particulars related?

Universals are common to all societies; based on physical and environmental needs. Particulars are the way a society expresses those universal traits.

Which of the following is an element of culture?

VALUES

WHat do we mean when we say that work is an American value?

We think we need to work to be successful.

Some new popular music has a sound associated with Caribbean music. Is this an example of diffusion?

Yes. Diffusion is when you borrow from other cultures and make it part of your culture

The following is an example of how material culture can relate to nonmaterial culture

buying the latest brand of sneakers to look cool

a group that deliberately opposes the beliefs of the dominant culture

counterculture

the borrowing of aspects of one culture by other cultures

diffusion

a method of judging others by one's own cultural standards

ethnocentrism

groupings of people who share a social characteristic

social categories

a group that is a part of the dominant culture but differs from it in some ways

subculture

What is an example of a cultural universal?

the existence of a family structure

People base their behavior upon their ______, or ideas about the nature of _________>

~ BELIEFS ~ REALITY

A person's perception of the world can be ___________ through exposure to new __________ and other languages.

~ BROADENED ~ CULTURES

The hypothesis suggest that the greater the number of words and the greater the __________ of a society's language for talking about something, the more _________________ that thing is to the society.

~ COMPLEXITY ~ IMPORTANT

There sometimes is a ________ between cultural guidelines and people's actual ______________.

~ GAP ~ BEHAVIOR

When we speak of ___________ culture, we are referring to the cultural ___________ that people in a society publicly support.

~ IDEAL ~GUIDELINES

According to this hypothesis, also known as the hypothesis of _________ , people's perception of the world differ because people have learned different ____________.

~ LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY ~ LANGUAGES

The fact that people can change the meaning of a physical __________ shows that material culture and _______________ culture are related.

~ OBJECT ~ NONMATERIAL

In addition to language, various other factors, including cultural practices, affect the ways in which people _____________ the world.

~ Perceive

What makes a group of people a society?

~ The group of people live in a certain place ~Share a common culture

On the other han, a society may not have any words at all for talking about something that it considers ______________.

~ UNIMPORTANT

The _________ & _____________ of physical objects can vary from one society to another.

~ USE ~ MEANINGS