Sociology Quiz #3

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was an activist organization in the 1960s that protested the Vietnam War, racial injustice, and economic exploitation. For the most part, the organization favored direct action and protest, most of which opposed traditional organizing and politics; instead, it sought a radically new form of social organization. Based on this information, you could say that members of SDS were part of a:

Counterculture

The French social theorist Jean-François Lyotard described contemporary culture in this way: "One listens to reggae, watches a Western, eats McDonald's food for lunch and local cuisine for dinner, wears Paris perfume in Tokyo and 'retro' clothes in Hong Kong." He was writing about postmodernism, but what concept can help explain this mishmash of activities?

Cultural diffusion

Because of their economic strength, Western media companies are powerful enough to impose their products on markets worldwide. This phenomenon is known as:

Cultural imperialism

During the American occupation of Japan after 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 lag

The ability to understand another culture in terms of that culture's own norms and values, without reference to any other culture's standards, is called:

Cultural relativism

What is the definition of "culture"?

Culture is the entire way of life of a group of people, and it acts as a lens through which we view the world.

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

Culture wars

In 2010 President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Fox News and CNN presented vastly different viewpoints on the ACA, appealing to either conservative or liberal viewers, respectively. The media's handling of this law is an example of:

Culture wars

Which term describes a policy of honoring diverse racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic, and national backgrounds?

Multiculturalism

Marginalized groups in American society-such as street punks and skateboarders-often engage in activities that offend or annoy some people. One of the reasons people get so annoyed is that members of these groups don't seem to care that they're the subjects of disapproval. In other words, they:

don't seem to care about negative sanctions.

The famous anthropologist Margaret Mead said that the United States of America is the best place to raise a female child. Her assertion is an example of:

ethnocentrism.

A monetary fine, harsh words, and shaking one's fist are examples of:

negative sanctions.

Which kind of norm is so deeply ingrained that the very thought of breaking it brings feelings of disgust or horror?

A taboo

Which of the following is an example of a culture war?

Anti-abortion advocates demonstrating in front of a family planning clinic

How is a subculture different from a counterculture?

Both are distinct from mainstream culture, but only members of a subculture actively oppose important aspects of mainstream culture.

Which of the following is an example of a taboo in American society?

Incest

The slogan "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" is an example of:

Moral holiday

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, some people placed signs with crudely painted skeletons holding cell phones near roadways, usually facing freeway ramps. These signs indicated disapproval of using cell phones while driving, a practice some states have now made illegal. As a result of these laws:

an informal norm has become a law.

Recently, curators at museums have experienced problems with the preservation of plastic objects, almost all of which disintegrate over time. The Smithsonian collection contains the first-ever plastic toothbrush, which soon will be nothing more than a pile of crumbs. This problem is leading many historians to worry that we will lose the history of our:

material culture.

When an employee is promoted instead of more deserving co-workers because he has a special relationship with his boss, this is an example of:

the distinction between ideal culture and real culture.