Chapter 3: Culture

According to sociobiologists, human behavior is determined by

genetic factors

Over the past 50 years, which value has shown the greatest increase in popularity among newly enrolled college students?

obtaining material wealth

Conflict theorists worry about the sociobiological approach being used in which of the following ways?

to justify a reduction in assistance for disadvantaged people

A cultural ______ is a common practice or belief that exists in every culture.

universal

Norms are known as ______ when classified by their relative importance to society.

mores and folkways

According to German philosopher Theodor Adorno, the culture industry

standardizes goods and services demanded by consumers.

Nonmaterial culture includes

customs, beliefs, & ways of using objects

Changing state and federal laws demonstrate a change of long-standing societal

norms

Which of the following are examples of nonverbal communication behavior?

glaring at someone giving someone the silent treatment winking at someone

A U.S. corporation relocating part of its workforce to another country to save on labor costs while continuing to produce the same goods and services is an example of which of the following?

globalization

Culture influences human behavior through a "tool kit" of which of the following?

habits, skills, and styles.

Who theorized that over hundreds of generations, random variations in genetic makeup helped certain members of species survive in particular environments?

Charles Darwin

True or false: Cultural values are uniformly shared among all members of a society.

False

Informal norms that govern everyday behavior are called

folkways.

Which of the following job titles reveal gender stereotyping?

mailman policeman

When sociologists use the term society, they are referring to which of the following?

people who participate in a common culture a large number of people who live in the same territory

Regardless of their theoretical position, a majority of social scientists believe that

people's behavior rather than their genetic structure defines social reality.

The systematic study of how biology affects human social behavior is called

sociobiology

When sociologists use the term culture, they are referring to which of the following?

the customs, knowledge, and behavior that every society has the unique artifacts that are found in every society

One example of changing norms in U.S. culture is

an increased acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.

Sociobiologists apply Darwin's principle of natural selection to the study of

social behavior

True or false: Marrying for love is a universal norm in all cultures.

False

_______ norms generally have been written down and specify strict punishments for violators.

Formal

What is the term for the process of introducing a new idea or object to a culture?

innovation

Resistance to technological change is an example of

culture lag

If a corporation employs questionable accounting techniques to improve its financial statements, it might violate society's norms, but

it may be adhering to the norms of a particular group.

Which of the following define the unique culture of a society?

knowledge customs values

A formal norm that is enforced by the state is called a

law

What is an advantage of the social transmission of culture?

Each generation can learn from previous generations.

How would cultural relativism impact outsiders' views of the practice of bullfighting in a society that allows it?

They would recognize that different social contexts have different norms and values from their own cultures.

A specialized language that distinguishes a subculture from the wider society is called

an argot

When we attempt to understand another society's culture and not dismiss it as "weird" or "exotic," we are practicing

cultural relativism.

Sociologists consider both a portrait by Rembrandt and the work of graffiti spray painters to be aspects of

culture

When U.S. leaders assumed that Iraqis would adapt to democratic reforms following the U.S. invasion in 2003, they did not take into account how Iraqi cultural values differed from U.S. values. What mistake did U.S. planners make?

ethnocentrism

The tendency to view one's own culture and way of life as normal and superior to all others is called

ethnocentrism.

Dominant ideology is a set of cultural beliefs and practices that

helps to maintain powerful social, economic, and political interests.

Which of the following examples can reflect a society's values even though they might not be shared by everyone?

home ownership good health democracy

Sociologists recognize discovery and invention as the two forms of cultural

innovation

Which of the following underlies cultural variations and is the foundation of every culture?

language

According to Theodor Adorno's theory of the culture industry, the primary effect of popular culture is to

limit people's choices

The process of adaptation to the environment through random genetic variation is called

natural selection.

Giving a teammate a high-five following a winning game is one example of ______ communication.

nonverbal

Countercultures are primarily composed of which of the following?

people who live a lifestyle outside of the existing mainstream culture young people who can more easily adjust to new cultural standards

The ability to use computers to "cut and paste" material from the Internet into student papers has led to a rise in

plagiarism

In the United States during the 1960s, a large subculture developed that questioned materialistic values and did which of the following?

promoted such humanistic values as love, peace, and coexistence with nature

A ______ may be either a penalty for behavior that violates social norms or a reward for behavior that upholds them.

sanction

What is a group with norms and values different from those of the larger culture?

subculture

How do feminists describe the way women are viewed and treated in a male-dominated society?

subservient and inferior to men

What is the term for gestures, objects, and words that form the basis of human communication?

symbols

The term culture war can best be defined as

the polarization of society over controversial cultural elements

In the United States, texting during a religious sermon at a church meeting

violates an informal norm.

Countercultures typically thrive among younger members of a society because

young people are less invested in the existing culture.

Nonverbal communication behavior, including the meaning of hand signals and various body movements,

differs from culture to culture.

In a culture that views private property as a basic value, what is likely to happen if someone is caught stealing valuable private property?

Formal sanctions will be imposed.

Why is it important not to use gender-specific job titles?

Gender-specific job titles imply that only one gender can hold the jobs.

______ is founded on the work of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.

Sociobiology

True or false: The expression of cultural universals may change dramatically over time.

True

Ethnocentrism can be expressed in many ways. Which of the following statements express ethnocentric perspectives?

"My culture and way of life are better than all others." "You do not practice my culture and way of life, so you are not normal."

One advantage of being a part of a society is that many day-to-day interactions and cultural patterns are assumed. Which would not be included among examples of assumed cultural patterns in American society?

Doctors will disclose personal information about their patients.

______ norms are understood but not precisely recorded and may carry no specific sanctions.

Informal

For a norm to become significant, it should meet which two criteria?

It should be widely shared. It should be widely understood.

Which are examples of culture lag?

People think Cathy is odd, because she has been wearing the same beehive hairdo and tie-dyed clothing since she graduated from high school in 1965. Numerous people in their 60s and 70s are still watching movies on VHS tapes instead of switching to DVDs.

Which of the following are aspects of Darwin's theory of evolution that sociobiologists accept?

The fittest of the species will survive. The advantageous genes of species are passed on to succeeding generations.

______ influence people's behavior, serve as criteria for evaluating the actions of others, and comprise a culture's shared ideas of what is good.

Values

Which of the following is an informal sanction?

a compliment

A subculture is

a segment of society that shares a distinctive pattern of customs, rules, and traditions that differs from the larger society.

The most essential element in natural selection is

a species adapting to the environment through random genetic variation -- adaptation.

A list of cultural universals would include such practices as cooking, funeral ceremonies, medicine, and

athletic sports.

Having a common culture assumes that cultural patterns reflect

basic values, beliefs, and customs of the culture.

Which of the following is an example of violating a formal norm because it conflicts with an informal one?

committing a crime as part of a gang initiation

Ethnocentrism refers to evaluating other cultures in terms of one's own culture, whereas ______ means viewing other cultures on their own terms.

cultural relativism

Public policy debates over such issues as abortion, religious expression, and gun control are examples of the clash in society known as ______ war.

culture

When first arriving in Great Britain, American tourists who can't get used to cars going down the "wrong" side of the street are experiencing mild

culture shock.

The process by which a cultural item is spread from society to society is known as cultural ______________.

diffusion

The term ______ refers to the effect cultural expressions and practices have on the traditions and customs of the societies exposed to them.

diffusion

The emergence of sushi in the United States and of Ford cars in China illustrates the rapidly expanding trends of globalization and cultural

diffusion.

Culture shock often includes which of the following feelings?

disorientation uncertainty

A subculture may develop a distinct, specialized language that does which of the following?

distinguishes the subgroup from the wider society provides cohesion and identity within the group establishes communication patterns and words that outsiders cannot understand

Hindus in India view cows as sacred. Consequently, many find the American practice of slaughtering cattle for food immoral or abhorrent. In this example, Hindus are demonstrating

ethnocentrism.

Critics often point to the fact that ______ might lead to a loss of cultural diversity in the world as people in developing nations lose their traditional values, forms of dress, and native language and begin to identify with the culture of more dominant nations.

globalization

Cultural diffusion can occur through which of the following means?

international business tourism mass media

The automobile, the smart phone, and democracy are all examples of

inventions

When people combine existing cultural items into forms that did not exist before, what are they creating?

inventions

Mores regulate behavior that

is important to the welfare of a society

Members of a society do which of the following?

share a common culture transmit culture from one generation to the next share culture through literature and art

What is the sociological term for a culture's collective conceptions of what is good, desirable, and proper?

values

A group that conspicuously and deliberately opposes certain aspects of the larger culture is known as a(n)

Counterculture

Sociologist George Ritzer used the term ______ to describe how principles of fast-food restaurants have influenced other sectors of life throughout the world.

McDonaldization

The melding of cultures, leading to increasing similarities in cultural expression, is an aspect of

McDonaldization.

Which theorists argue that the dominant ideology maintains the privileges of certain social groups who act in their own self-interest to keep others in subservient positions?

conflict theorists

If people go to a foreign country and practice cultural relativism, this means that they do which of the following?

place a priority on understanding other cultures practice value neutrality

When a fairly large number of people live in the same territory, are relatively independent of people outside their area, and participate in a common culture, they constitute a(n)___________.

society

"Cultural information about the ways in which the material resources of the environment may be used to satisfy human needs and desires" is sociologist Gerhard Lenski's definition of

technology

Which of the following transmits culture and accelerates the diffusion of scientific innovation?

technology

Do sociobiologists assert a genetic basis for many nearly universal cultural traits, including which of the following?

the expectation that women will be nurturers the expectation that men will be providers

Language can be defined as which of the following?

the foundation of all cultures an abstract system of word meanings and symbols for all aspects of the culture. a system that includes speech, written characters, symbols, and nonverbal behaviors.

Material culture includes

the physical or technological aspects of daily life.

When sociologists speak of norms, they are referring to

the standards of behavior that are established and maintained by a society.

Which of the following answers match the functionalist perspective on the effects of culture on society?

Social stability requires a consensus and the support of society's members. Cultural traits will persist if they serve a necessary purpose for society.