Chapter3 Culture
Which of the following are examples of moral holidays? a snow day when school is cancelled the night in the home city of the team that wins the Super Bowl Valentine's Day Halloween
Moral Holiday(s) Halloween-alloween allows some minor norm violations that are frowned upon on other days. These actions include scaring children or adults, visiting strangers' houses at night, and walking around in unusual costumes. Superbowl-Residents are likely to engage in norm violations while celebrating their team's win. Mild violations, such as public drunkenness and general debauchery, are often not sanctioned. Not Moral Holiday(s) snow day-There are no specific norm violations that are allowed on a snow day Valentine's day-There are no specific norm violations that are allowed on Valentine's Day.
Most large retailers such as Target, H&M, and Old Navy carry similar clothing styles, and thus there is not extreme variation in what most Americans wear. Which sociological concept best explains this phenomenon? ideal culture real culture hegemony multiculturalism
Hegemony-Dominant culture produces cultural hegemony. The dominant status of large retailers dictates that individual choice will be somewhat constrained and that Americans will tend to wear similar clothing.
Culture is the human equivalent of instinct in animals. True False
true -Although we humans do have some basic instincts, culture actually accounts for our great success as a species.
Which of the following elements could be considered culture? dogs films style of dress historical artifacts
Correct Answer(s) films style of dress historical artifacts Incorrect Answer(s) dogs
Identify each scenario as ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, or neither. ethnocentrism cultural relativism An American believes that he should learn Spanish because it could be of value to him. An American believes that other languages should be respected and valued equally to English. An American believes that learning a foreign language is not worth the time because English is the superior language.
(Neither)An American believes that he should learn Spanish because it could be of value to him. (cultural relativism)An American believes that other languages should be respected and valued equally to English. (ethnocentrism)An American believes that learning a foreign language is not worth the time because English is the superior language.
Match the theoretical perspective to the case study that exemplifies its approach to culture. -structural functionalism -symbolic interactionism -conflict theory 1.Religion consists of beliefs and rituals that are part of the interaction among followers. Reciting the Lord's Prayer, bowing toward Mecca, and keeping a kosher home are meaningful displays of different religious values and norms. Leaders may play a role in creating social change. 2.Religion serves to control the masses by creating rules for behavior; sanctions against violators may not be equally or fairly applied. Culture wars reflect tensions among groups over which values and norms will dominate. 3.Religion is an important social institution that functions as the basis for the morals and ethics that followers embrace and that are applied to both society and the individual, thus promoting social order.
1.-The symbolic interactionist perspective views values and norms as social constructions that may vary over time and in different contexts; meaning is created, maintained, and changed through ongoing social interaction. 2.-Conflict theorists view values and norms as part of the dominant culture and maintain that they tend to represent and protect the interests of the most powerful groups in society. 3.-According to the structural functionalist perspective, values and norms are widely shared and agreed upon; they contribute to social stability by reinforcing common bonds and constraining individual behavior.
Place the following steps in sequential order, according to a researcher conducting ethnographic research. rapport access analysis field notes
1.Access-A researcher must first gain access to a site or setting, such as a school or a workplace before she can do anything else. 2.Rapport-After gaining access, a researcher needs to build rapport with the research subjects. 3.Feild Notes-After access and rapport are established, the researcher can begin to take field notes about the subject(s) in question. 4.Analysis-Finally, a researcher will analyze the data she collected.
Match the theoretical perspective to its approach to culture. symbolic interactionism conflict theory structural functionalism 1.Values and norms are often contested by various groups in society. Dominant culture tends to represent and protect the values, norms, and interests of the most powerful groups in society. 2.Values and norms are social constructions that may vary over time and in different contexts; meaning is created, maintained, and changed through ongoing social interaction. 3.Values and norms are widely shared and agreed upon; they contribute to social stability by reinforcing common bonds and constraining individual behavior.
1.symbolic interactionism 2.conflict theory 3.structural functionalism
Which of the following is an example of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? An indigenous people's word for coffee is "cacha." An indigenous people have no equivalent words for planet, Earth, or world. They do not view a macro picture of multiple planets. A non-English speaking group adopts particular English words, such as coffee and Earth, into their own language. A non-English speaking group learns English as a second language at a very high rate due to the worldwide popularity of English.
A non-English speaking group adopts particular English words, such as coffee and Earth, into their own language. -A real-life example of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis comes from the Hopi tribe. They have no words for "past," "present," or "future," and do not experience time in the same way as others who have a language that does include such words.
Place each ritual in order according to its appearance in Horace Miner's article "Body Ritual among the Nacirema."
An individual enters the shrine room. An individual bows her head before the charm-box. An individual mingles different sorts of holy water in the font. An individual proceeds with a brief rite of ablution.
Place each ritual in order according to its appearance in Horace Miner's article "Body Ritual among the Nacirema." .
An individual enters the shrine room. An individual bows her head before the charm-box. An individual mingles different sorts of holy water in the font. An individual proceeds with a brief rite of ablution.
A sociologist begins participant observation of a group of community college students in the hopes that she can learn more about how young people form new relationships. This group of students is diverse (in terms of race, gender, and age) and includes a Jewish woman, an older white man, and a middle-aged black woman. However, the community college they go to in Colorado, is not diverse. When the sociologist temporarily joins the faculty to teach an ethnography class, she is asked to hang out with the students and teach them more about ethnography in a small group setting. She quickly begins to see many of the group members as her friends, and participates in social events with them. Which of the following concepts from research methodology might be problematic for this study? replicability representativeness reflexivity bias
Correct Answer(s) -Ethnographic research, in general, suffers from a lack of replicability, and this research is no exception. -Since the group includes an older white man and a middle-aged black woman, and the researcher is interested in how young people generally form new relationships, this study is not representative of the population in which the research is interested. Generally, a major critique of ethnographic research pertains to its lack of representativeness. -Clearly, the identity and activities of the researcher may be affecting what is happening during the group's interactions. Incorrect Answer(s) -Bias
Which of the following are advantages of ethnographic research? 1.Ethnographic research can challenge our notions about groups we thought we knew. 2.Ethnographic research is usually quick and economical. 3.Ethnographic research has been a pioneer in methodological innovation. 4.Ethnographic research is free of bias.
Correct Answer(s) 1.-The textbook's discussion of Edin and Kefalas's work on single mothers highlights this advantage. 3.-In particular, ethnographic research has shed a lot of light on reflexivity and researcher roles. Incorrect Answer(s) 2.-This is an advantage of survey research 4.-Participant observation research in particular is subject to personal bias. There is always the possibility that prejudice or favor can slip into the research process.
Which of the following are disadvantages of ethnographic research? 1.Ethnographic research suffers from a lack of replicability. 2.Ethnographic research often is not representative of a larger part of society. 3.Ethnographic research often does not capture a full range of expression from the respondents. 4.Ethnographic research is not very rich in detail.
Correct Answer(s) 1.-The unique combinations of people, timing, setting, and researcher role, make it impossible to undertake the same ethnographic study twice. 2.-By its nature, ethnographic research must focus on a very narrow part of society. Incorrect Answer(s) 4.-Ethnographic research excels at telling richly detailed stories that contribute to our understanding of social life. 3.-This is a disadvantage of survey research.
Identify each item as a sign, a gesture, or neither. crying an emoji for sadness frowning at someone
Crying/neither an emoji for sadness/sign frowning at someone/gesture -Signs and gestures are both symbols. Signs are not connected to an individual's body, whereas gestures are.
Which of the following are examples of cultural diffusion? the spread of hip-hop music (which originated in African American and Latino communities in New York City) among white youth across the United States the dominance of Tim Hortons coffee-and-doughnut chain locations in Canada the growing number of Starbucks coffee chain locations in the United States the popularity of anime programs like Dragon Ball in the United States during the last two decades
Cultural Diffusion -Material cultural diffusion can cross cultural boundaries other than national ones. -This is an example of material cultural diffusion from the Japanese to Americans. Not Cultural Diffusion -Starbucks began in Seattle, Washington, so this is more of an example of cultural leveling within the United States. -Tim Hortons began in Canada and is the largest quick-service restaurant chain there. This is more of an example of cultural leveling within Canada.
Which of the following are examples of cultural leveling? Cultural Leveling The existence of Walmart, Starbucks, McDonald's and other chain stores in the vast majority of American towns. The worldwide dominance of American music, movies, and other media in many countries throughout Europe and Asia. Not Cultural Leveling The adoption of English as a second language in many countries.
Cultural Leveling -Stores and restaurants are a part of material culture. If you travel to any moderately sized town in the United States, you are likely to find that you recognize most of the stores. Even just thirty years ago, entire regions of the United States were much more culturally different than they are today. -Many European and Asian cultures are becoming more similar to the United States due to the Internet and the spread of U.S. material culture Not Cultural Leveling -Although language is a part of culture, leveling would indicate that other cultures were changing their primary language to English (among other cultural changes).
Cultural________ usually occurs in the direction from more-developed to less-developed nations, while cultural______ occurs when cultures that were once distinct become increasingly similar to one another. A third type of cultural change is cultural_______ , or the imposition of one culture's beliefs and practices on another culture through _______ rather than by ____. military force diffusion leveling imperialism corporations and religion media and consumer products
Cultural diffusion usually occurs in the direction from more-developed to less-developed nations, while cultural leveling occurs when cultures that were once distinct become increasingly similar to one another. A third type of cultural change is cultural imperialism, or the imposition of one culture's beliefs and practices on another culture through media and consumer products rather than by military force.
Which of the following are examples of dominant culture in the United States? movies shown at small art houses science fiction conventions music played on most radio stations
Dominant Culture music played on most radio stations Not Dominant Culture science fiction conventions movies shown at small art houses. -These types of movies are often independently produced and typically viewed by a small minority of Americans.
A member of your subculture is in a different setting and starts to adopt the behaviors of the members in that group. What concept best describes this? hegemony multiculturalism taboo moral holiday
Hegemony-Hegemony describes the cultural aspects of social control, whereby the ideas of the dominant group are accepted by all.
What is one of the main points of Horace Miner's article "Body Ritual among the Nacirema"? There are many different ways there are to accomplish similar tasks. It is easy to take one's own culture for granted. Other cultures are strange. One culture is better than others.
It is easy to take one's own culture for granted. -The author approaches writing this article from the perspective of an outsider, even though he is not one.
During this Data Workshop you see several members of your subculture and they are all wearing nearly identical North Face jackets. What concept best describes this? material culture taboo hegemony symbolic culture
Material Culture-Material culture is comprised of the objects associated with a cultural group, such as tools, machines, utensils, buildings, and artwork; any physical object to which we give social meaning.
Which of the following provides an arena for playing out culture wars? family media schools workplace
Media-Culture wars are clashes within mainstream society over the values and norms that should be upheld. They often play out in the media and online where social commentators, political pundits, and bloggers debate the issues.
Which of the following is a characteristic of Otaku culture? Otaku culture is an example of the East influencing the West. Otaku culture has been around for a long time in secret. Otaku culture is limited to a very specific subset of people. Otaku culture is limited to Asian countries.
Otaku culture is an example of the East influencing the West.
Signs, gestures, and language, as well as values and norms, are all part of ________culture. ________ are specific types of norms that formally codify what is permissible or forbidden, while ______ often include severe repercussions and public condemnation. The most powerful of all norms are______ taboos symbolic values mores laws material
Signs, gestures, and language, as well as values and norms, are all part of *Symbolic culture. *Laws are specific types of norms that formally codify what is permissible or forbidden, while *Morals often include severe repercussions and public condemnation. The most powerful of all norms are *Taboos
Relative to American culture today, which of the following could be considered a subculture? Subculture(s) skateboarders soda drinkers CrossFit (group exercise) participants incompetent doctors
Subculture(s) Skateboarders-Skateboarders share a common set of terms, which are often used as a kind of code. They frequently gather to demonstrate their skateboarding skills, and sometimes openly defy existing traffic norms. Cross fit-People who do CrossFit share a body of knowledge, a set of values, and often pursue their interest in groups. Not Subculture(s) soda drinkers-People who drink soda do not get together in clubs or share values, interests, or knowledge about drinking soda. incompetent doctors-Incompetent doctors are unified only by things common to the medical profession generally. There are no annual conferences for bad doctors, nor do they necessarily share any common values.
One of the most significant influences on any society is its material culture. And most changes in material culture tend to be technological. Place each technological change in chronological order. tablet devices Internet smartphones television
Television- TV became popular in the 1950s Internet-Internet usage became commonplace in the 1990s. Smartphones-Smartphones were introduced in the 2000s. Tablet-Tablet devices and cloud computing allowed for storing and streaming content in the 2010s. ***We usually equate technology with "hi-tech" electronic or digital devices. But technology can be anything from a hammer to the space shuttle, from graffiti to a search engine algorithm to hypertext markup language (HTML), as well as the "know how" it takes to use it. New technology often provides the basis and structure through which culture is disseminated to members of a social group.
Identify the true and false statements about how sociologists study culture. 1.Sociologists may engage in the process of "othering" by studying the unusual, extraordinary, or deviant in cultural groups. 2.Sociologists often focus on culture within their own society. 3.Sociologists study the cultures of the past, digging for artifacts that document the historical realities of peoples long dead. 4.Sociologists debate the morals and values of an ideal culture.
True Statement(s) 1.Sociologists may engage in the process of "othering" by studying the unusual, extraordinary, or deviant in cultural groups. 2.Sociologists often focus on culture within their own society. False Statement(s) 3.Sociologists study the cultures of the past, digging for artifacts that document the historical realities of peoples long dead. 4.Sociologists debate the morals and values of an ideal culture..
Identify the true and false statements about how sociologists study culture. True Statement(s) 1.Sociologists study the cultures of the past, digging for artifacts that document the historical realities of peoples long dead. 2.Sociologists debate the morals and values of an ideal culture. 3.Sociologists may engage in the process of "othering" by studying the unusual, extraordinary, or deviant in cultural groups. 4.Sociologists often focus on culture within their own society.
True Statement(s) 1.This work is mostly under the purview of archaeologists. 3.Sociologists strive to learn not only about the differences between cultural groups—"us" and "them"—but also about the similarities. False Statement(s)
Identify the true and false statements about culture. Culture is second nature. Culture acts as a lens through which individuals view the world. Culture is handed down from generation to generation. Culture includes both symbolic and material elements.
True Statement(s) Culture acts as a lens through which individuals view the world. Culture is handed down from generation to generation. Culture includes both symbolic and material elements. False Statement(s) Culture is learned rather than innate.
Identify the true and false statements about participant observation and autoethnography. There are no differences between these two methods; the two terms are interchangeable. Only in autoethnography are the feelings and actions of the researcher a focal point of the study. Only in participant observation is the researcher a member in the social setting.
True Statement(s) Only in autoethnography are the feelings and actions of the researcher a focal point of the study. False Statement(s) Only in participant observation is the researcher a member in the social setting. There are no differences between these two methods; the two terms are interchangeable.
An aerial view of Santa Barbara. A majority of the buildings are white with red roofs. The building in the foreground is decorated with many small thin windows and has an enclosed area with beautiful gardens. Any physical object that has social meaning can be considered a part of material culture. True/ False
True-Material culture refers to the objects associated with a cultural group, such as tools, machines, utensils, buildings, and artwork, but can also include any physical object that has social meaning.
The increased use of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media by terrorist organizations in other countries to recruit new members is an example of cultural diffusion for which reason? Twitter and Facebook were originally products of the Western world that have been adopted by people in other countries. Terrorist organizations are having a more difficult time spreading their message. Since the movements are online, they are easy to trace and stop. White nationalist groups are most adept at using these technologies.
Twitter and Facebook were originally products of the Western world that have been adopted by people in other countries. -Technology is one example of material and symbolic culture that can move from one group to another and has allowed various forms of extreme ideologies to spread more quickly.
In contrast to cultural anthropologists, sociologists usually focus on what kind of culture?. cultures far removed from their own cultures of the future cultures of the past cultures close to home
cultures close to home-While cultural anthropologists often focus on cultures far removed from their own, sociologists frequently work close to home, making the "other" of societies far away a means of contrast. The mundane aspects of life as well as the unusual and exceptional offer deep insight into the concepts of "us" versus "them."
We occasionally see stories in the media about a high profile individual, such as a religious or political leader who gets caught doing something the society views as wrong, despite the individual often being seen as a moral leader. These are examples of a disconnect between which two cultural concepts? dominant culture and subculture ideal and real culture values and norms multiculturalism and hegemony
ideal & real culture -deal culture suggests that we be faithful to our spouses, engage in only limited alcohol use, and obey all traffic laws. The real culture is that many people slip up and violate these norms, thus falling short of maintaining these values on occasion.
The following table applies theory to the culture of religion in everyday life. conflict theory symbolic interactionism structural functionalism The first column is labeled, perspective, and is empty. The second colum is labeled, case study, religion. The first case study box has, Religion is an important social institution that functions as the basis for the morals and ethics that followers embrace and that are applied to both society and the individual, thus promoting social order. The second box has, religion serves to control the masses by creating rules for behavior; sanctions against violators may not be equally or fairly applied. Culture wars reflect tensions among groups over which values and norms will dominate. The third box has, Religion consists of beliefs and rituals that are apart of the interaction among followers. Reciting the lord's prayer, bowing toward mecca, and keeping a kosher home are meaningful displays of different religious values and norms. Leaders may play a role in creating social change.
structural functionalism-According to structural functionalism, values and norms are widely shared and agreed upon; they contribute to social stability by reinforcing common bonds and constraining individual behavior. conflict theory-according to conflict theory, values and norms are part of the dominant culture and tend to represent and protect the interests of the most powerful groups in society. symbolic interactionism-values and norms are social constructions that may vary over time and in different contexts; meaning is created, maintained, and changed through ongoing social interaction. (While taking very different approaches, each theoretical perspective shows us how culture shapes our social worlds.)