Question 1

A potential danger of applying ____________is that taken to its extreme it may be used to justify practices that violate human rights.

Accepted Answer

Cultural relativism is the belief that a person's beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on that person's own culture rather than judged against the criteria of another. While this is an important concept in promoting cross-cultural understanding, it can be dangerous if taken to the extreme of completely ignoring human rights violations within a culture. In some cases, cultural relativism has been used to justify harmful practices such as female genital mutilation or honor killings.

Question 2

In recent years, some parents have begun carrying their infant children on their backs or chests in special slings rather than in strollers or in their arms. This is an example of a(n)____________ in child rearing.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In recent years, some parents have begun...

Question 3

____________consists of activities, products, and services, such as rock concerts, spectator sports, movies, and television soap operas and situation comedies, that are assumed to appeal primarily to members of the middle and working classes.

Accepted Answer

Popular culture is characterized by activities, products, and services that are considered mainstream and consumed by a wide audience, including the middle and working classes. Examples include popular music, movies, and television shows. It is often contrasted with high culture, which is considered more elite and exclusive.

Question 4

"The Order," a white supremacist group, is opposed to most of the values shared by a majority of mainstream Americans. The Order has purchased weapons with the purpose of going after its enemies. This group is an example of a _____________.

Accepted Answer

The Order is a group that opposes mainstream American values and has purchased weapons to take action against its perceived enemies. This behavior fits the definition of a counterculture, which is a group that actively opposes the dominant culture and seeks to challenge or change its norms and values. The other options do not accurately describe this group's behavior or beliefs.

Question 5

A ____________is a currently valued style of behavior, thinking, or appearance that is longer lasting and more widespread than a fad.

Accepted Answer

A fashion is a style of behavior, thinking, or appearance that is longer lasting and more widespread than a fad. Fashions often develop slowly and usually involve an entire culture or group of people. They may persist for years or even decades before eventually falling out of favor.

Question 6

During the Olympics, competition and a spirit of nationalism and patriotism encourage people to think of their own nation as "the best." This is an example of ____________.

Accepted Answer

Positive ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture or nation is superior to others. The Olympics, with its focus on national teams and medal counts, can promote this feeling of pride and superiority in one's own country.

Question 7

Groups such as the beatniks of the 1950s, the drug enthusiasts of the 1970s, and members of religious cults reject some or many of culture's basic norms and values. These groups are called____________ .

Accepted Answer

These groups are called countercultures because they actively oppose or reject some or many of the norms and values of the dominant culture. The other options (ethnic subcultures, secondary cultures, heterogeneous societies) do not accurately describe these groups.

Question 8

Sociologists use the term ____________for the disorientation that people feel when they encounter cultures radically different from their own that challenge their own taken-for-granted assumptions about life.

Accepted Answer

Culture shock is the term used by sociologists to refer to the feeling of disorientation when encountering radically different cultures. This shock is the result of the different culture challenging their taken-for-granted assumptions about life. Dysfunction refers to a negative consequence of social structures or patterns of behavior. Social disorganization refers to the breakdown of social structures and the difficulty in maintaining order in a community. Group anomie refers to a state of normlessness or lack of social cohesion within a group.

Question 9

Although some people see a globalized culture emerging, others fear that Western culture is dominating everywhere. This Westernization is a form of ____________.

Accepted Answer

Cultural imperialism refers to the dominance and spread of a particular culture, often through media and economic power. In this case, the fear of Western culture dominating globally would be an example of cultural imperialism.

Question 10

Which of the following would best be described as an example of high culture?

Accepted Answer

Live theater is often seen as a form of high culture that is associated with the performing arts and is usually attended by a more sophisticated or elite audience. Folk art, rap music, and television sitcoms are often considered to be more accessible forms of culture that are enjoyed by a wider range of people.

Question 11

Anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski suggested that culture helps people meet their basic needs. Which of these is not one of the categories of needs identified by Malinowski?

Accepted Answer

Malinowski identified three categories of needs: instrumental needs (such as law and education), biological needs (such as food and procreation), and integrative needs (such as religion and art). Expressive needs are not one of the categories identified by Malinowski.

Question 12

Which of these statements about subcultures is false?

Accepted Answer

The statement that only a small percentage of people belong to a subculture within the United States is false. In fact, many people belong to various subcultures based on their religion, age, interests, ethnicity, or other factors. Subcultures are a common aspect of social life and can be found in many different settings.

Question 13

Members of the upper classes must be trained to appreciate and participate in high culture. This knowledge, called ____________, is symbolic of being upper class, and excludes members of lower classes.

Accepted Answer

Cultural capital refers to the knowledge, skills, and cultural experiences that enable a person to navigate and participate in high culture, which is often associated with upper class status. It is symbolic of being part of the upper class and can be a means of exclusion for those who do not possess it.

Question 14

Which of the following would best be described as an ethnic subculture?

Accepted Answer

African Americans are a distinct subculture within the larger American culture, with their own traditions, history, and cultural practices that are unique to their ethnicity. The other options listed are not ethnic subcultures, as they do not necessarily have a distinct cultural identity based on ethnicity.

Question 15

When anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon first confronted the Yanomamӧ tribe of South America, he became nauseated at the sight of their customs and social environment. This is an example of ____________.

Accepted Answer

Napoleon Chagnon experienced culture shock when he encountered the customs and social environment of the Yanomamӧ tribe. Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation and discomfort when encountering an unfamiliar culture.

Question 16

A____________ is a temporary but widely copied activity followed enthusiastically by large numbers of people. Most are short-lived novelties.

Accepted Answer

A fad is a temporary activity that becomes popular quickly and spreads rapidly but fades away just as quickly. It is usually driven by the desire to keep up with the latest trend or to be part of a social group that is participating in the activity. Fads are often seen in popular culture and are sometimes referred to as "crazes."

Question 17

The term____________ refers to the belief that the behaviors and customs of any society must be viewed and analyzed by the culture's own standards.

Accepted Answer

Cultural relativism is the belief that a culture's behaviors and customs should be viewed and analyzed within the context of that culture's own standards and values, rather than being judged by the standards of another culture. This perspective recognizes the diversity of human experience and the importance of avoiding ethnocentric biases when seeking to understand and appreciate cultural differences. Choice A (positive ethnocentrism) and choice D (negative ethnocentrism) both refer to biased or prejudiced perspectives that favor one's own culture over others, and are not synonymous with cultural relativism. Choice B (authoritarianism) refers to a political ideology that values the rule of a single individual or group over the rights and freedoms of individuals. It is not related to cultural relativism.

Question 18

Sociologists use the term ____________for the practice of judging all other cultures by one's own culture, assuming that one's own way of life is superior to all others.

Accepted Answer

Ethnocentrism is the practice of judging all other cultures by one's own culture, assuming that one's own way of life is superior to all others. Authoritarianism refers to a style of leadership, cultural relativism is the opposite of ethnocentrism and involves understanding and respecting other cultures, and self-centeredness is a personality trait, not a cultural concept.

Question 19

A ____________is a group that strongly rejects dominant societal values and norms and seeks an alternative lifestyle.

Accepted Answer

A counterculture is a group that challenges or rejects dominant societal values and norms, often advocating for alternative lifestyles and beliefs. A subculture is a group within a larger culture that shares distinctive practices, values, and norms, but does not necessarily reject dominant societal values. Contraculture and secondary culture are not commonly used terms in sociology.

Question 20

The purchase of "pet rocks" in the 1970s was an example of a(n)____________ .

Accepted Answer

The purchase of "pet rocks" was an example of an object fad, as it was a sudden and short-lived trend of purchasing a specific object (in this case, rocks) as a form of entertainment or novelty.

Quiz 5: Groups and Organizations