Chapter 3 Sociology- Culture and Society

__________ is/are an example of material culture, whereas _________ is/are an example of nonmaterial culture.

A School Building; The Value of Education.

Americans often practice yoga, which was originally an Asian spiritual practice, as an exercise designed to promote health, youth, and weight loss. This is an example of

Americans appropriating an Asian cultural practice.

Which of the following statements about individualism best exemplifies the relationship between norms and values?

Americans often believe strongly in individualism, which is exemplified by a mainstream belief that it is normal and healthy for those who are 18 or older to move out of their parents' house.

All humans blink when unexpectedly exposed to bright light. Some humans wink as a sign of greeting or humor, and others do not. Blinking in response to bright light is an example of

An instinct.

The political scene in the United States is complex. Many people identify as Democrat or Republican, while others identify as Green, Libertarian, or even Communist. Some people reject political parties altogether, and promote anarchy. Which constitutes a counterculture?

Anarchists.

Several hundred members of an East African pastoralist group immigrate to Amsterdam, Holland. Within fifteen years, nearly all the pastoralists speak Dutch, work office jobs, and live in apartments. Their children go to school during the day, and do not learn the skills of animal herding. Which process best describes this group's experience?

Assimilation.

Why does sociologist Wendy Griswold use the image of a diamond to describe culture?

Because like the points of a diamond, there are dimensions of culture that are both distinctive and interrelated.

What is the explanation for the poor record of innovation in Chinese companies, in spite of the fact that Chinese students continuously outperform most others in science, reading, and math?

Chinese educational culture, which emphasizes rote learning and memorization as opposed to critical and analytical thinking, is long-standing and deeply engrained.

Between the seventeenth and early twentieth centuries, what process most strongly shaped the social map of the globe as we know it today?

Colonialism.

A sociologist studies the practice of child marriage in sub-Saharan Africa. The sociologist practices cultural relativism, so she

Considers what the practice means to, and how it is judged by, sub-Saharan Africans.

A sociologist observes two people walking in a park. The clothing, mannerisms, and style of walking seem to distinguish one person as wealthy and one person as poor. These distinctions are examples of

Cultural capital.

Which of the following might be considered a cultural universal?

Decorating one's body.

Disparaging attitudes toward polygamy (a marriage that includes more than two people) in the United States may be a form of

Ethnocentrism.

Why does Ann Swidler's formulation of a culture as a "tool kit" help form a more nuanced approach to understanding human culture?

It allows for the incorporation of human agency into ideas about how culture operates and is created.

Why does semiotics provide an important contribution to the study of culture?

It provides conceptual tools by which we can understand the symbolic meanings of material culture.

Of the following characteristics of Canada, which defines it as a nation-state?

Its government has sovereign power and its populations are citizens.

Which of the following statements might be derived from the linguistic relativity hypothesis?

Learning a different language can be a very good way of understanding the culture and experiences of the group by which that language was developed.

What is the main difference between pastoral societies and agrarian societies?

Pastoral societies relied mainly on domesticated animals, while agrarian societies relied on agriculture.

Which is an example of cultural lag?

People have accidents while walking or driving because they are using smartphones. Cultural norms do not yet accommodate this technology well.

Reza spent his high school years hanging out with kids who cut classes to hang out and smoke in the school parking lot. After he accepted an invitation to go to the prom with a girl outside of his circle of friends, he found graffiti in the spot where his friends hung out that said, "Reza is a conformist punk." This is an example of __________ within that student subculture.

Social control.

Match the theorist to their general analysis of the future of industrial society.

The intensifying rationalization of society will ultimately lead to a situation destructive to the freedom and potential of human beings. - Max Weber Society will grow continuously more complex, marked by increasing division of labor and interdependence. - Emile Durkheim Class divisions will simplify through a process of struggle and antagonism until a worker's revolution succeeds in creating a classless society. - Karl Marx

Which link in the "cultural diamond" does sociologist Wendy Griswold describe as most important for the field of cultural sociology?

The link between cultural objects and the social world

Sofia lives in rural Kansas where few other Mexican families live. She joins an online community dedicated to sharing Mexican cultural heritage. Here she meets other Mexicans living in the United States, Mexico, and other parts of the world. Participation in this online community strengthens her bonds to, and understanding of, her cultural heritage, which becomes a large part of her identity over time. What might a sociologist conclude from Sofia's experience?

The reordering of time and space prompted by globalization may be as likely to strengthen individual cultures as it is to create a single, global culture.

According to some of the studies cited at the beginning of this chapter, which of the following is true of the effect of social media use on American young adults?

The use of social media can have a detrimental effect on self-esteem and emotional well-being over time.

A sociologist wants to study Navajo culture in the broadest possible way, so he looks at

The values, norms, and material objects characteristic of the Navajo.

What is the relationship between colonialism and global inequalities in industrial development?

The wealth obtained from colonized areas, often in the form of raw natural resources, was funneled back to the home countries of colonial powers instead of being invested in the development of the colonized areas.

Which of the following statements applies to hunting and gathering societies?

There is less inequality in such societies than in any other type of human society discussed.

Match the type of human society to the characteristic that best applies.

These are societies marked by large material and power inequalities, and in which rural agriculture and cities coexist. - Traditional Civilizations Although male elders have more influence, decision-making in these societies was generally participatory. - Hunting-gathering Societies Only a very small percentage of people in these societies work on the land. - Industrial Societies These societies were often primary in desert or mountainous regions where crops were difficult to grow. - Pastoralist Societies

According to your text, which of the following is true of the majority of countries that constitute the global south?

They were formerly under colonial rule.

Which of the following statements best summarizes the general sociological approach to the nature/nurture debate as described in this chapter?

Which of the following statements best summarizes the general sociological approach to the nature/nurture debate as described in this chapter?

Which research question is focused on nonmaterial culture?

Why do Hindus consider the cow to be sacred?