Question 1

Heavy metal adherents who glorify hatred and cruelty would be members of a counterculture.

Accepted Answer

Counterculture refers to a subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, often in opposition to mainstream cultural mores. Heavy metal adherents who glorify hatred and cruelty would be considered part of a counterculture because they embrace values and behaviors that starkly contrast with, and often directly oppose, those accepted by the wider society.

Question 2

A subculture is a group that has values and norms in opposition to mainstream culture.

Accepted Answer

A subculture is a group within a larger culture that has its own distinct values, norms, and practices, but not necessarily in opposition to mainstream culture.

Question 3

There is unanimous agreement among scientists that all animals have the ability to use language as a symbol.

Accepted Answer

While some animals can use symbols or signs to communicate basic information or needs, there is no unanimous agreement among scientists that all animals have the ability to use language in the complex, symbolic way humans do.

Question 4

Folkways are norms that are taken very seriously as they are essential to a group's core values.

Accepted Answer

Folkways are norms related to everyday customs, practices, and interaction, not deeply tied to core values, unlike mores which are taken very seriously.

Question 5

Language is a system of symbols where every word has the same meaning in every culture.

Accepted Answer

Language is culturally specific, and the meaning of words can vary significantly between different cultures or linguistic communities.

Question 6

There cannot be full expression of freedom, democracy, and equality alongside racism and sexism. One way Canadians side-stepped this contradiction in the past was to say that the values of freedom, democracy, and justice applied only to certain groups.

Accepted Answer

Historically, in Canada and many other societies, the principles of freedom, democracy, and equality were often selectively applied, excluding certain groups based on race, gender, or other characteristics, thus demonstrating a contradiction between these ideals and the practices of racism and sexism.

Question 7

Jane Goodall observed chimps making and using tools that were originally thought to be exclusively human activities.

Accepted Answer

Jane Goodall's groundbreaking observations in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, included chimps stripping leaves off twigs to create tools for termite fishing, challenging the then-prevailing belief that tool-making was a uniquely human trait.

Question 8

The values of a society can often contradict one another; to follow the one value means to come into conflict with the other.

Accepted Answer

Societies often have complex sets of values that can sometimes contradict each other, leading to conflicts when trying to adhere to one value over another. This is due to the diverse nature of human beliefs and the multifaceted aspects of societal norms.

Question 9

Although the particulars of culture differ from one group of people to another, culture itself is universal.

Accepted Answer

All human societies have culture, which encompasses the customs, beliefs, and practices that are learned and shared among members of the group, making culture a universal aspect of human life.

Question 10

Canada's values have always been of tolerance and respect for other cultures.

Accepted Answer

Canada's history includes periods of intolerance and discrimination, such as the treatment of Indigenous peoples, the Chinese Head Tax, and the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II.

Question 11

Gestures are the use of our body to communicate with others. They are useful to give others messages without using words.

Accepted Answer

Gestures are movements and positions of the body, especially the hands and arms, that are used to express ideas or feelings, effectively communicating without the need for verbal language.

Question 12

According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, our thinking and perceptions are shaped by our language.

Accepted Answer

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, also known as linguistic relativity, suggests that the structure of a language influences its speakers' world view or cognition, and thus people's perceptions and thought processes are affected by the language they use.

Question 13

The nonmaterial culture of a group sets the framework for the type of technology a group has.

Accepted Answer

Nonmaterial culture refers to the ideas, beliefs, values, and norms that shape a society, while technology is part of a society's material culture, which includes physical objects and artifacts. The development of technology is influenced by many factors including economic conditions, natural resources, and social needs, not just the nonmaterial culture.

Question 14

Values are the specific rules of behaviour that guide our conduct.

Accepted Answer

Values are the principles or standards of behavior that guide our judgments and actions, but they are broader and more fundamental than specific rules of behavior.

Question 15

Technology is the tools and the skills or procedures necessary to make and to use those tools.

Accepted Answer

Technology encompasses both the tangible tools and equipment developed through the application of scientific knowledge, as well as the skills and procedures required to create and utilize these tools effectively.

Question 16

There is no evidence that animals can learn from one another and that a learned behaviour can be adopted by a group of animals.

Accepted Answer

Numerous studies and observations have shown that animals can indeed learn behaviors from one another, and such behaviors can spread through a group, a phenomenon known as social learning or cultural transmission. Examples include primates learning to use tools from observing others, and birds learning songs from their peers.

Question 17

An understanding of how different cultures use gestures is unimportant because the meaning of gestures is universal.

Accepted Answer

Gestures can have vastly different meanings in different cultures, making an understanding of their cultural context important to avoid miscommunication.

Question 18

New technologies refer to the small modifications made to existing technology.

Accepted Answer

New technologies often refer to significant advancements or innovations that create new ways of doing things, rather than small modifications to existing technology.

Question 19

When we try to understand a culture on its own terms, we are practicing cultural relativism.

Accepted Answer

Cultural relativism is the principle of understanding and evaluating a culture based on its own values and beliefs rather than judging it by the standards of another culture.

Question 20

A violation of a taboo is seen as repulsive to the members of a group.

Accepted Answer

Taboos are social or cultural prohibitions, and violating them is typically considered repulsive or morally unacceptable by the members of the group that upholds these taboos.

Quiz 3: Culture