Deck 2: Culture, Society, and Social Change

Question 1

All aspects of life within a given society, such as the mutually shared products, knowledge, and beliefs of a human group or society, is known as a __________.

A) culture
B) material culture
C) nonmaterial culture
D) cultural universal

Answer 1

culture

Question 2

Weapons, buildings, and computers are examples of __________.

A) culture
B) material culture
C) nonmaterial culture
D) cultural universals

Answer 2

material culture

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of nonmaterial culture?

A) knife
B) pencil
C) beliefs
D) food

Answer 3

beliefs

Question 4

__________ refers to a value, worldview, and other symbolic representations of the social and physical world.

A) Culture
B) Material culture
C) Nonmaterial culture
D) A cultural universal

Question 5

Physical objects that people use to accomplish tasks are part of __________.

A) cultural relativism
B) material culture
C) nonmaterial culture
D) cultural universals

Question 6

Which of the following is a cultural universal?

A) family
B) television
C) Facebook
D) McDonald's

Question 7

__________ refers to a solution to a problem faced by all (or almost all) societies.

A) Diffusion
B) Differentiation
C) Mode of subsistence
D) Cultural universal

Question 8

Nonmaterial culture fits in well with the __________ perspective because it involves symbols.

A) conflict
B) functional
C) symbolic interaction
D) intersectionality

Question 9

__________ are the specific ideas that people maintain are true or correct; __________ are the preferences that people share about what is good or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable.

A) Values; beliefs
B) Beliefs; values
C) Beliefs; norms
D) Values; norms

Question 10

Most beliefs derive from __________.

A) material culture
B) values
C) norms
D) cultural universals

Question 11

__________ are specific expectations about how people should behave in given situations.

A) Values
B) Norms
C) Beliefs
D) Folkways

Question 12

Saying "bless you" when someone sneezes is an example of a __________.

A) norm
B) folkway
C) more
D) taboo

Question 13

__________ are norms concerning serious matters, such as breaking the law.

A) Mores
B) Values
C) Beliefs
D) Folkways

Question 14

In American society, purchasing an item and then refusing to pay the bill would be considered a __________.

A) norm
B) folkway
C) more
D) taboo

Question 15

Negative mores that are about very serious matters, such as killing, are called __________.

A) values
B) norms
C) folkways
D) taboos

Question 16

Incest, especially within one's immediate family, is considered a __________ in American society.

A) taboo
B) more
C) folkway
D) value

Question 17

Cultural items that underlie everyday life and are taken for granted are considered __________.

A) surface culture
B) deep culture
C) norms
D) folkways

Question 18

In some countries, it is unacceptable to flush toilet paper because the septic systems are unable to handle it. Instead, toilet paper must be thrown into the trash can. An American visiting one of these countries for the first time might experience __________ on learning about this difference.

A) surface culture
B) deep culture
C) culture shock
D) cultural hegemony

Question 19

Xenophobia and nativism are results of __________.

A) culture
B) ethnocentrism
C) cultural relativism
D) multiculturalism

Question 20

If American school children are only taught the positive aspects of American history, it might lead them to develop prejudices against people from other countries. This would be an example of __________.

A) surface culture
B) cultural relativism
C) ethnocentrism
D) multiculturalism

Question 21

__________ is the belief that each culture is unique and valid and must be evaluated in terms of the people who use it.

A) Cultural relativism
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Multiculturalism
D) Culture shock

Question 22

In the United States, public nudity is rare and often viewed as inherently sexual, whereas in some countries, the option of being nude or partially nude on public beaches is a normal part of life. Understanding that nudity in these countries is not considered sexual but is seen as appropriate for the context is an example of __________.

A) multiculturalism
B) ethnocentrism
C) cultural relativism
D) values

Question 23

An ideology promoting equality for the various groups that make up American society is called __________.

A) multiculturalism
B) ethnocentrism
C) cultural relativism
D) nativism

Question 24

America is often described as a "melting pot" in which people of different cultures are assimilated into a unified national culture. However, some people consider the metaphor of a tossed salad to be more appropriate because even after different parts are combined, each part remains recognizable and retains its own identity. Which concept is best illustrated by this metaphor?

A) culture shock
B) ethnocentrism
C) cultural relativism
D) multiculturalism

Question 25

The idea that human society began as a simple form, evolved into a complex organism, and ended with the survival of a superior society is known as __________.

A) social evolution
B) differentiation
C) modernization theory
D) the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Question 26

Which of the following do sociologists argue is a problem with evolutionary theories about society?

A) Evolutionary arguments are culturally relative.
B) Evolutionary arguments are ethnocentric.
C) Evolutionary arguments are too far-reaching.
D) Evolutionary arguments rely too much on capitalism.

Question 27

Communal societies are relatively simple and depend on a few social units to accomplish many different tasks, a concept that Talcott Parsons referred to as __________.

A) cultural relativism
B) culture shock
C) social evolution
D) differentiation

Question 28

Which theory argues that traditional societies will eventually take on the characteristics of an industrial society?

A) modernization theory
B) social evolution theory
C) conflict theory
D) functionalism

Question 29

Antonio Gramsci distinguished between which two types of power?

A) economically based and bureaucratically based
B) materially based and culturally based
C) institutionally based and culturally based
D) materially based and industrialization based

Question 30

__________ refers to the ability of the ruling class to make its value system the taken-for-granted value system of the society.

A) Nonmaterial culture
B) Multiculturalism
C) Ethnocentrism
D) Cultural hegemony

Question 31

John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath (1939), stated, "The poor see themselves not as exploited . . . but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." Which of the following sociological concepts might lead Steinbeck to make this conclusion?

A) cultural relativism
B) ethnocentrism
C) cultural hegemony
D) differentiation

Question 32

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis claims that __________.

A) all humans share a common understanding of language
B) symbols are more important than words during the interaction process
C) language is literal and shapes the environment
D) language shapes our perception of the world

Question 33

What conclusion do the authors of this chapter make about the English language in the United States?

A) The United States is overwhelmingly an English-speaking nation.
B) English is the official language of the United States.
C) The English language is on the demise.
D) Approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population speaks Spanish.

Question 34

Everything we know is part of our __________, but it is __________ that provides us with an overarching social structure.

A) culture; cultural hegemony
B) society; culture
C) culture; society
D) society; language

Question 35

_________ refers to the manner in which a society obtains the basic materials necessary to sustain itself.

A) Industrial society
B) Mode of subsistence
C) Nativism
D) Differentiation

Question 36

In __________ societies, sharing forges close and strong relationships among group members.

A) hunting and gathering
B) horticultural
C) pastoral
D) agrarian

Question 37

The mode of subsistence for __________ societies is the cultivation of domestic plants, whereas __________ societies rely on grazing domestic animals.

A) agrarian; hunting and gathering
B) horticultural; pastoral
C) pastoral; agrarian
D) agrarian; pastoral

Question 38

The invention of the plow allowed farmers to cultivate the land, produce surpluses to support large populations, and eventually become political powers. This describes which kind of society?

A) horticultural society
B) pastoral society
C) agrarian society
D) industrial society

Question 39

Which of the following factors do sociologists believe is most responsible for societies changing from industrial to postindustrial?

A) education
B) population
C) wealth production
D) health

Question 40

The text claims that China is a __________ society because it falls somewhere between agrarian and industrial and has elements of both types of societies.

A) modern
B) postmodern
C) transitional
D) communal

Question 41

__________ involves combining known cultural elements in a novel manner to produce a new product, whereas __________ occurs when someone suddenly notices or finds something that has not been known before.

A) Discovery; invention
B) Invention; discovery
C) Discovery; diffusion
D) Diffusion; invention

Question 42

What is the difference between communal and associational societies?

A) Communal societies are characterized by interpersonal relationships that are impersonal and formal, whereas associational societies are characterized by personalized relationships.
B) Communal societies are characterized by complex bureaucratic institutions, whereas associational societies are characterized by social units such as the family, clan, tribe, or village.
C) Communal societies are characterized by rich personal relationships and leadership that is passed along traditional lines, whereas associational societies are characterized by complex technology, bureaucratic institutions, and interpersonal relationships that are impersonal and formal.
D) Communal societies are characterized by governmental bureaucracies and personalized relationships, whereas associational societies are characterized by basic technology and rich personal relationships.

Question 43

__________ refers to a pattern of beliefs that support and justify a particular social arrangement.

A) Human agency
B) Ideology
C) Revolution
D) Diffusion

Question 44

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Recovery has been difficult as residents struggle to cope with the physical damage as well as the impact on mental health, jobs, and families. Which of the following aspects would a sociologist who studies natural disasters be most likely to investigate in regard to this event?

A) the population change due to the number of people killed
B) the technological lag the country will face due to the hurricane
C) how the social factors of the disaster affected the people involved
D) how the government responds to a natural disaster

Question 45

If tourists visiting New York City visit Chinatown, not only are they likely to find a large population of Chinese people, but they will also find delicious and authentic Chinese cuisine. This is an example of __________.

A) discovery
B) diffusion
C) solid modernity
D) liquid modernity

Question 46

Social change through __________ often is an incremental process that may involve introducing new products as replacements for products that are already widely accepted.

A) discovery
B) revolution
C) population change
D) technology

Question 47

To achieve life that is orderly, stable, rational, and scientifically explainable, __________ societies bureaucratize life.

A) solid modernity
B) liquid modernity
C) transitional
D) postindustrial

Question 48

In __________, people lack a sense of being fixed in space and time and see themselves as permanent transients with shifting identities.

A) transitional societies
B) solid modernity
C) liquid modernity
D) associational societies

Question 49

Which of the following is a reason for the move from solid to liquid modernity?

A) decreasing migration of people across the globe
B) computerized technologies that create networks of businesses, travel, recreation, and communication
C) increasing power of central governments to control events
D) business corporations that are centralized and disconnected

Question 50

Which of the following best describes the difference between consumption and consumerism?

A) Consumerism is a set of values that encourages people to acquire numerous and ever-changing goods and services in large quantities; consumption is the acquisition and use of goods and services.
B) Consumption is a set of values that encourages people to acquire numerous and ever-changing goods and services in large quantities; consumerism is the acquisition and use of goods and services.
C) Consumption is a set of values that discourages people from acquiring goods and services in large quantities; consumerism is a lack of choice in goods and services.
D) Consumption is a lack of choice in goods and services; consumerism is a set of values that discourages people from acquiring goods and services in large quantities.

Question 51

Explain the difference between a society and a culture, and provide examples of each.

Question 52

Discuss the explanations for how culture develops and how it influences our lives from the theory of social evolution and structural functionalism; modernization theory; and the conflict perspective.

Question 53

List and describe the major types of societies discussed in the text.

Question 54

How do sociologists explain catalysts for social change? Discuss the various approaches and explain how each affects culture.

Question 55

Distinguish between consumption and consumerism.