Sociology: Culture

The ability to understand another culture in terms of its own norms and values, without reference to any other cultural standards is called...?

Cultural Relativism

How are informal norms different from formal norms?

Informal norms are implicit and unspoken.

How are informal norms enforced in everyday settings?

Sanctions

Which of the following is an example of something that would be part of a person's symbolic culture?

belonging to a political party

Designer labels on purses and athletic logos on shirts are both examples of

material culture

A monetary fine, harsh words, and a raised fist are examples of

negative sanctions

What is the definition of "culture"?

- Culture shapes and defines who we are - Culture includes customs and rituals, and tools and artifacts. - Culture includes the habits and lifestyle choices of a group of people

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

Cultural Diffusion

Clashes over values in the United States, especially as represented by liberals and conservatives in the mass media, have been termed

Culture Wars

The article "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" by Horace Miner suggests that

Daily routines of personal hygiene can be equated with exotic ritual practices.

What is the sociological term for signs that people make with their bodies?

Gestures

Which of the following is one of the functions of symbolic culture?

It allows people to communicate

What do the authors claim is the most significant component of culture?

Language

Countercultural groups like the hippies of the 1960s

Rejected the norms of the dominant culture

Sometimes it's hard for college students to use new forms of technology to communicate with their parents or grandparents. It's very convenient to be able to use an instant message to ask family members a quick question, but they might not know the difference between :-D (laughing) and >:O (yelling), which could lead to serious miscommunication. The problem is that older people may not know the same ____________ as younger people.

Signs (or symbols)

How is the study of culture different for sociologists than for anthropologists?

Sociologists usually study a culture they belong to.

The widespread use of plastic in American culture is no accident; plastic offers consumers convenience, disposability, and choice. These advantages of plastic are all elements of

Symbolic Culture

Why do ethnocentric people tend to view other cultures as abnormal?

They use their own culture as a standard of judgment

Why is it hard to recognize that the values and beliefs of one's own culture are learned rather than innate?

We learn values and beliefs slowly and incrementally

Which of the following is an example of something that would be a part of a person's or a society's material culture?

Weapons of war

Although many people feel that expectations for personal space (usually about 18 inches for Americans) are innate, members of many cultures are used to noticeably less personal space than we are, which helps to demonstrate that our expectations for personal space are

a part of our culture and as such are learned, rather than innate

What do sociologists call it when cultures that were once distinct become increasingly similar?

cultural leveling

The values, norms, and practices of the most powerful group within a society are called the

dominant culture.

What is the tendency to use your own group's way of doing things as the yardstick for judging others called?

ethnocentrism

The article "Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" is useful to sociologists because

it challenges people's inability to observe their own cultures.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (also called the principle of linguistic relativity) suggests that

language can structure our perception of reality.

In America, a married man who has several mistresses is violating a ____________, but if he is married to more than one woman at the same time he is violating a ____________.

more; law

What do sociologists call the norms and values that people actually follow?

real culture

Which of the following is NOT a subculture?

the Ku Klux Klan

Unlike a folkway, a more is closely related to

the core values of a group.